Digital Marketer Job Benefits: What’s It Like Working in Digital Marketing?
Attractive digital marketing job benefits draw more people into this highly dynamic field every year. When considering if a digital marketing job is right for you, we provide some insight into what it’s like to be working in digital marketing.
Before looking at working in digital marketing, you might also want to check out our previous article for a good overview of the digital marketing field and what digital marketers do.
Earn More Working in a Hot Job Market
Working in digital marketing means working at the center of a fast-growing industry. Demand for trained and experience digital marketers outstrips supply. Marketing agencies, multi-national corporations, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and educational institutions are all looking for employees with digital marketing savvy. That drives up the price you can demand for your time and skills. Salary.com pegs average wages for a mid-level digital marketing job at between $85,541 and $122,729 a year, depending on experience, educations, and certifications. Mondo.com lists digital marketing jobs as the toughest to fill in today’s job market.
Digital Marketing Jobs Offer Flexibility
Because demand is high and because the nature of the work lends itself to remote and freelance gigs, digital marketing jobs are highly flexible. You can choose where you want to work, not just geographically, but in terms of in-office, at home, or a blend of both. It is also possible to set your own schedule, making yourself available for key meetings, and, of course, meeting work deadlines. The type of work you have available can vary from the general to the specific, as well. Nearly every company department and function and any kind of industry needs digital marketing expertise, so you’ll never be bored. If freedom appeals to you, working in digital marketing can give it to you.
Think Strategically and Plan
Working in digital marketing gets you a seat at the table for major decisions across the company when you reach a certain seniority level. Digital marketing has transformed from an add-on afterthought to taking a central role in communications from the executive level down through all areas of the company. You will have an opportunity to play a strategic role, in addition to executing tactics. Planning a strategy and the ways to achieve your objectives are an important part of nearly every digital marketing role.
Use your Creative Side
Digital marketing jobs are creative jobs by definition. In some cases you are creating content, be it verbal, visual, video, or interactive. In other cases, you are finding creative ways to present your content, products and services, and make sure they are seen and used. And you are always looking for ways to innovate, to be better than before and better than the competition.
Be Analytical and Accountable
You have to be a detail-oriented and results-focused person if you are working in digital marketing. You need to make deadlines, coordinate with others, and follow through and be accountable for your work. One thing that distinguishes digital marketing from other branches of the marketing field is analytics. Digital marketing is measurable—you will know if you are achieving your objectives or not. Businesses that invest in digital analytics, according to Salesforce, are “19 times more likely to be profitable.” The typical digital marketer job involves mining data, finding trends, and developing plans that make best use of the insight. Knowing how to work with Google Analytics, email service metrics, and social media data and being accountable for the results is a core part of digital marketing life.
Have an Always Learning Mentality
Few fields are changing as fast as digital marketing. Whether staying abreast of new search algorithms, learning new social outreach techniques, or complying with newly discovered email best practices, working in digital marketing requires that you devote time every day to staying on top of innovation. The Digital Marketing School is a good resource for ongoing learning. Our blog entry on where to learn digital marketing is a good place to start. Acquiring skills is only the first step. If you don’t keep learning, you will quickly fall behind. Relationship edge suggests several ways for staying up to date on digital marketing:
Use as RSS reader to find blogs that cover your particular areas of interest
Set up Google Alerts for your business, your field, and your key digital marketing tactics
Follow digital marketing experts on social media
Follow online magazines around specialist areas such as SEO, email, social, and other digital marketing niches
Nothing beats networking. The American Marketing Association, Content Marketing Association, the Data & Marketing Association, and the Digital Marketing Association, as well as local Meet-Ups are great options.
The associations mentioned above host regular events, and then there are super-fun options like the Summit at Sea, where you can learn about digital marketing and network on a cruise.
Digital marketing companies like HubSpot, Marketo, and Salesforce offer free whitepapers and webinars
Take online certification courses. We’ve got a blog entry on this topic [coming up next] outlining free and low cost options.
Be Entrepreneurial
A digital marketing job can open the door to significant career advancement and even wealth if you join the right start-up. Or better yet, start your own start-up. You have many options for controlling your future. Consider starting your own digital marketing agency or offer digital marketing services as a freelancer. Or use digital marketing to sell products and services. Our blog entry “How to Sell Products Online” covers the basics of starting your own online business and then using digital marketing to ring up sales. Our blog offers a number of ways to use digital marketing to sell products, market services, and earn money from home.
