all about being a digital marketer
A digital marketing specialist can mean many different things. With technology evolving at a rapid pace, the marketing industry is always changing, and so are the roles and responsibilities of marketing professionals who specialize in digital marketing. Working with the marketing team, a digital marketing specialist works on a variety of marketing campaigns, strategies, helps to improve branding and online awareness.
Many digital marketing specialists opt to focus on a specific area such as SEO, paid search (PPC), display media, content marketing, or social media. Digital marketing specialists have a diverse and ever-evolving skillset and to be successful are expected to evolve with the times as marketing and technology change.
what being a digital marketing specialist entails
As with most marketing roles, digital marketing specialists work standard office hours. Due to the online nature of their work, working remotely is also a strong possibility. Your main role is to create and execute digital marketing campaigns to support company marketing and advertising objectives. You’ll work collaboratively with other marketing professionals, and report to a leader in the marketing department such as a marketing manager, director or project manager.
average digital marketing salaries
Since the digital marketing specialist title is somewhat general, salary ranges can vary quite a bit depending on what type of digital marketing you are doing, your area of specialization and the type of setting you work in (freelance, remote, agency, or in-house). Entry level positions for digital marketing specialists have a starting salary that ranges from $45,000 to $55,000 depending on your specific role. With 7 or more years of experience, you can expect to make upwards of $80,000.
Having specialized skills or working in larger cities with a strong business and technology sector such as in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Vancouver could increase your annual salary.
your day to day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks will depend on the campaign you are working on. Some of the common tasks associated with this position include the following:
- creating, monitoring, and executing marketing campaigns
- writing marketing copy for email marketing, brochures, websites and blogs
- updating the company website and social media accounts
- performing competitive research
- determining new online marketing opportunities
- reviewing analytics and campaign results
- working with contractors and vendors to execute campaigns
- attending or leading client meetings
- keeping up to date with current digital marketing news and trends
- reporting on campaign results
where you can work
Digital marketing specialists are increasingly in demand. All companies have a need for digital marketing. With most of their work being completed online, digital marketing professionals can work in-house, with a marketing agency, work remotely or from home, or even start their own marketing company.
With the ability to work online, many companies are willing to allow you to work remotely, however, regions such as the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and Vancouver regularly have companies in need of digital marketers.
what you bring to the table
While having a specialized skill or knowledge area is important to differentiate yourself from other job candidates, it’s important that you are well rounded and have strong overall marketing, technology, and business acumen. The top skills required for you to work as a digital marketing specialist include:
- project management
- communications and presentation skills
- expertise with email marketing, social media, digital communications, CRM and/orweb development
- attention to detail and organizational skills
- marketing expertise – PPC, SEO, SEM, etc.
- analytics skills – Google Analytics
- basic programming and HTML skills
training and certifications
Digital marketing specialists typically have a college diploma or university degree in marketing, communications, advertising, business, or another related area of study. Most also have a post-graduate degree specializing in a particular area of digital marketing.
As part of professional development, you will be expected to keep up with industry trends, acquire new skills, learn how to use new software and analytics programs as they come to market, and acquire marketing and business certifications as required such as Google Analytics, Google AdWords, MailChimp, Facebook insights, and HubSpot certification.
where your career is headed
Most digital marketing specialists move on to other roles within the marketing department such as marketing managers, team leads, consultants, or even open your own marketing agency once you’ve collected enough industry experience. Since marketing is ever-changing, there are likely to be new roles that have yet to be discovered.
Are you looking to take the next step in your marketing career? Are you a company that is looking for marketing talent? Contact Randstad Canada today!