Are you thinking about a career in digital marketing? A digital marketer is responsible for developing and/or implementing the company’s digital marketing strategy. The strategy will be informed by market research and key consumer insights. Marketers take the research and create a robust channel and content strategy for clients. The skills most sought after in the digital marketers include research, analytical, search engine optimization, advertising and social media skills.
Whether you are a graduate considering your options or just looking for a change, here are five roles in digital marketing.
1. Digital Strategist
Firstly, with the growing number of specialists within the digital space, there has become an increased demand for more strategists and project planners. Digital strategists work within organisations to identify potential market opportunities and create demand for products and services. They also develop the strategy, conduct market research and create tactical implementation plans. However, it is also their responsibility to oversee the execution of the plan and ensure the resources required are put in place. Furthermore, they are often responsible for multiple projects and work across the organization with different departments.
An example of some of the duties of a digital strategist include:
- Developing solutions to meet clients’ brand objectives based on research
- Spotting trends and technologies that can impact consumer’s lifestyles
- Familiar with all digital communications platforms, apps and software
- Create long-term digital communications strategic documents, customer acquisition strategies and tactical implementation plans.
2. Digital Project Manager
Next, a digital strategist will often appoint a digital project manager to oversee each individual project. You will need a diverse skill-set for this role that encompasses strong project management skills. In addition to an excellent people management and leadership skills. Also, an excellent knowledge of digital communications tools is required.
Furthermore, this is a role that involves leading a digital team to implement the strategy and ensure key performance indicators are being met. An example is the marketing of a new product. Also, the project manager could be responsible for the production of advertising creative, rolling out online ad campaigns, social media advertisements, creating content to promote the product, optimizing the website content for search engines and measuring the performance of the campaigns.
Examples of some of the main duties of a digital project manager include:
- Establishing project goals and objectives
- Putting a team together/sourcing resources
- Assigning tasks, setting timelines,
- Allocating and controlling budgets
- Measuring performance
3. Content Creator
Content creators are responsible for the contribution of information to any media, particularly digital media. There is a big demand for content creators who can create, curate and manage high volumes of enticing content across all business industries. They usually target a specific end-user/audience and produce the following types of content:
- Blogs
- Advertising creative
- Email newsletters
- Social media creative and copy
- Video marketing/editing
- eBooks
- Graphic design
- Whitepapers
Creating content may be a specific role within larger organisations or alternatively part of a wider role involving other digital marketing duties. Content creators also often create offline content such as brochures, client proposals, presentations, packaging and other collateral.
4. Social Media Manager
The role of the social media manager involves managing the daily activities of social media campaigns. In addition to developing social media tactical plans and create and curate content (social media visual and video posts). In addition to responding to customer queries through social media, monitor social trends and report on social analytics.
Also, there is a demand for skilled and experienced social media managers who have the technical skills to work across platforms.
5. SEO Specialist
Finally, a Search Engine Optimisation specialist analyses, reviews and implements alterations to websites so they are optimized for SERPS (search engine results pages). The overall goal is to increase the level of traffic to a website by using keywords and keyword topics to improve the user experience and meet search engine guidelines.
Examples of the main responsibilities of an SEO specialist include:
- Building high-quality backlinks
- Optimising on-page content to help webpage rank in SERPs
- Optimising off-page content to make a webpage rank in SERPs
- Analyse SEO trends like video SEO
- Determine if social media, PPC and other digital ads will produce adequate ROI
SEO specialists will also have a working knowledge of HTML, CSS and a programming language. In addition, they will have experience with a content management system such as WordPress. An SEO specialist may work in-house by larger organisations to work continuously on content. Alternatively, they can be hired in as a consultant or freelancer to work on individual projects. Furthermore, because algorithms are constantly changing, an SEO specialist must stay up-to-date on each change. Hence, they will work closely with the web development team and content creators.