They understand that improving online visibility is no longer a luxury. It’s now a necessity. Businesses need to have experienced and capable teams with the skills and knowledge to enhance their visibility in an online world. The rise in the importance of digital marketing has led to more jobs in the sector than ever before. Digital marketing specialists take responsibility for a wide range of essential blogging and copywriting activities through technical elements such as SEO, web development, graphic design and even data analytics. And as new technologies and trends materialize, we can anticipate that more contemporary digital marketing job roles will emerge – ones we can only dream about. After all, fifteen years ago, who would have thought that app developers and SEO specialists would be such technical and well-paid job roles? With so many current opportunities available, it’s easy to see why many people are drawn to a career as a digital marketing specialist.
Why Choose a Career in Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is a continually evolving industry. It’s growing in strategic business importance as firms start to understand that digital marketing must take priority in any long-term plans. Unlike other aspects of sales or marketing, the digital nature means that firms can access detailed analytics at the touch of a button. They can use that information to drive their decision-making and identify immediate or long-term cost savings. From a job seeker’s perspective, choosing to pursue a career as a digital marketing strategist can be highly lucrative. It’s a job role that doesn’t require formal academic qualifications. Many digital marketing specialists work their way up through the ranks from entry-level marketing roles. It’s also a role that offers significant career progression and ample opportunities for continual development. And the salary can be excellent as well – according to salary.com, the average wage for a digital marketing manager is $108,375 per year.
What Skills and Qualifications Do You Need for a Job in Digital Marketing?
The breadth of the opportunities within digital marketing means that this is a difficult question to answer. For example, a technical SEO expert, graphic designer or copywriter may fall under the umbrella term ‘digital marketing’, but each will require vastly different skills and capabilities. Suppose you are taking the formal education route into a digital marketing role. In that case, you could look at degrees in subject areas such as communications, English, marketing, project management or general business studies. These subjects will provide you with comprehensive business knowledge and sharpen your communication and critical thinking skills. You could also seek out free university and college courses for marketing to see if it feels appropriate. It’s important to note that digital marketing is one of the fastest-changing sectors, and new needs and skills are continuously emerging. If you have a math or science background and understand how to read and interpret data, you may also be highly sought-after by employers. This is because firms need to make the most of big data to drive their digital strategies, and subsequently, they are actively seeking candidates with these skills to enhance their existing internal teams.
What Are the Soft Skills You Need for a Job in Digital Marketing?
Beyond the technical capabilities, great digital marketers can work well as part of a team. They are people who can communicate clearly and can think creatively to find solutions. Digital marketing experts are adept at project management and understand the importance of working to deadlines. They thrive under pressure and are always eager to continue learning new skills and disciplines.
Can You Get a Digital Marketing Job Without a Degree?
Some employers will be looking for those with formal qualifications, while others will be more open to taking a chance on candidates who have the softer skills imperative to the role. As digital marketing jobs are relatively new to the marketplace, many academic qualifications haven’t yet caught up with these changing requirements. However, you can teach yourself the skills that you may need to succeed in the job role. Many free digital marketing courses are available to help you upskill yourself. We recently published an article looking at the best online course platforms to upskill yourself for 2021. This is a useful starting point, as many have online training (either free or paid-for) that can help you learn these new skills. A top tip is to use the free training options available via Google Academy, HubSpot, Microsoft Bing Adverts and Hootsuite Academy. These are leading names within the digital marketing world, and if you’ve taken the time to complete their online certificates, you will have upskilled yourself with the latest skills and knowledge. Employers are actively looking for candidates who have proven experience. If you’ve volunteered for a community or charity group, or you’ve gained relevant work experience in related areas, you may find that your chances are increased. There are many entry-level digital marketing job roles available, so if you can show that you’ve used your initiative to gain relevant skills and experience outside of the confines of formal academia, you may be highly sought-after.
What Kinds of Jobs Are in Digital Marketing?
As we touched upon earlier, many different facets make up the umbrella title ‘digital marketing’. As a sector, digital marketing comprises a wide variety of jobs and skills. Here is a brief overview of some of the most common job roles.
Digital Marketing Manager
Average salary: $108,375 per year As a digital marketing manager, you will be expected to know all of the different elements of digital marketing (many of which are detailed below). Unlike other niche specialisms, your role will partly consist of ‘jack of all trades’, but it will also feature careful management of your team. You will take full responsibility for ensuring that your digital marketing strategy comes to fruition. You may need to report to the board of your company to explain any successes or areas for improvement.
AI Specialist
Average salary: $95,000 per year AI and automation are no longer the domain of large firms. Instead, it’s become increasingly accessible, and many firms are now employing AI specialists to transform their websites as well as their internal systems and processes. AI could be something as simple as implementing chatbots or CGI marketing, or it could be something far more exciting and bespoke to your business. This is a huge growth area for marketing teams, and this role is ideally suited to those with a background in graphic design, computing, virtual reality or creative software. You’ll likely work closely with web development teams, UX specialists and digital marketing strategists to identify the most cost-effective use of artificial intelligence or automation. Content marketing is one of the most crucial elements of any digital marketing strategy. This encompasses all of your written communications, from your website copy to your blog posts, social media updates, emails and even internal communications. Content marketers need to work closely with SEO experts to ensure that any content is written with customers in mind, while also aligning with high-ranking keywords. In addition, you may need a detailed knowledge of how to write page titles/meta descriptions and an understanding of the intricacies of Google Analytics.
Digital Metrics/Data Analytics Manager
Average salary: $108,000 per year This is a relatively new entrant to digital marketing roles. But with the wealth of data available, businesses need to have an employee who can read and interpret the data available and use that information to predict trends and make informed business decisions. It’s about understanding how you can use your knowledge of your audience to improve your bottom line. They’ll work closely with your SEO and social media teams to identify what is working well and where there could be areas for improvement.
Email Marketing Manager
Average salary: $54,000 per year We’ve all received countless sales emails from firms promising to keep us updated with their latest offers or news. Many firms employ a dedicated email marketing expert who takes responsibility for compiling the lists of contacts, writing and designing the emails, and ensuring that they are as engaging as they can be. In addition, the email marketing specialist will be tasked with trialing different headlines, designs and calls-to-action and will need to identify which styles of email are most effective.
SEO Specialist
Average salary: $52,000 per year SEO personnel will take responsibility for improving your visibility on search engines such as Google or Bing. Typical tasks will include identifying what prospective customers are searching for, ensuring that your website is optimized for desktop/mobile or tablet devices and using competitive analysis to rank higher than your competitors. This is a technical role that requires a lot of data analysis, search algorithms and business strategy awareness.
Social Media Manager
Average salary: $48,000 per year Social media management is more strategic than simply sending a few tweets or posting photos on Instagram. It’s a crucial tool that allows brands to build relationships with customers and is often the first line in any customer service strategy. Social media managers need to understand how to create compelling copy that engages with followers. They need to create exciting graphics or videos to complement any content and be aware of broader topical issues they can quickly and efficiently respond to. An excellent social media strategy will drive followers to your website and increase sales. Therefore, they need to be able to work collectively with the rest of the digital marketing team.
UX Specialist
Average salary: $61,854 per year Websites will only work well if they are carefully designed and tested. UX designers are responsible for testing the performance of a website. They’ll carefully use visual tools to track how a user behaves on a website and identify any pain points preventing conversions. The UX designer will use this information to make recommendations for improvements, all of which are designed to enhance the sales process and ensure that the website generates income. This is a highly analytical role that also encompasses human psychology and behavioral analysis. UX designers will work closely with graphic design and SEO teams.
How to Get a Job in Digital Marketing
As you may now know, digital marketing jobs are widely accessible for entry-level positions. In addition, digital marketing teams are open to the possibilities of hiring inexperienced staff who show the desire and commitment to succeed. To make the most of your digital marketing career, you should decide whether you want to specialize in one key area (such as content, SEO or analytics) or whether you want to work as a general all-rounder. Some firms may choose to have a digital marketing manager who has the freedom to outsource technical skills to freelancers or third-party contractors. Others may want their digital marketing manager to oversee every aspect of the strategy by themselves. Digital marketing is an area that is constantly evolving. To improve your chances of working in an entry-level digital marketing job role, you should take advantage of free opportunities to upskill yourself. The courses available through Google are credible and will be an asset to your digital marketing resume’s qualifications and skills section. Where possible, try to build a portfolio of work that you have undertaken for clients. This could be for paying clients or work experience, internships or voluntary roles. Think about moments where you have used digital tools to improve your business. If you can quantify your results, that will aid your digital marketing assistant cover letter. For example, if you’ve increased the number of a client’s Twitter/Instagram followers, what difference did those followers make? Did that lead to increased sales or increased traffic to that client’s website? The more examples you can share with a prospective employer, the more they will see your potential – even if you haven’t taken a traditional academic route to employment. A final tip is to pay close attention to industry news and trends. Use your social media channels to share your opinions and insights. If you can, try to build professional connections through networking events, seminars and conferences. You may find numerous free webinars you can join, allowing you to update your knowledge. If so, build connections with these hosts, and don’t be afraid to let your contacts know you are looking for a job opportunity. Digital marketing assistants may benefit from a mentor, so if this is a role you are keen on, why not try to find someone who can support you and hold you accountable to your ambitions?
Final Thoughts
With such a growing industry, it’s easy to see why digital marketers are in demand. It’s a fulfilling career full of many creative opportunities to test new skills and learn from your fellow peers. Although the work can be intense, there are ample rewards with lucrative salaries. It’s exciting to see how the profession may evolve in the near-to-immediate future, as well as in the long term. The change in technologies and society can have a dramatic impact on digital marketing campaigns, so it’s exciting to see where a career in digital marketing may lead. It’s also heartening to see that this is a flourishing career with ample opportunities for those without formal training. Digital marketing jobs are freely available for those with no experience. This is a sector unlike many others, as it promises to give people a chance. It can be relatively easy to gain relevant digital marketing experience for charities or community groups. If you can demonstrate to an employer that you’ve taken the initiative to upskill yourself with free training, then you will be highly desirable as an employee.
