What is a Digital Marketer? A Rookies Guide for 2023 (& Beyond)

by Liliana Benzel

on

Have you ever wondered, “What is a digital marketer?” 

You’re not alone. 

As we sail further into the digital age, this profession has become pivotal. 

Whether you’re starting a new career path, or simply looking to understand the digital marketing world better, this guide is your compass. 

We’ll journey together, uncovering the many layers of this ever-evolving job role, with clear examples and actionable strategies to give you the inside scoop. 

So buckle up, because we’re about to plunge headfirst into the dynamic universe of digital marketing.

Ready? 

Let’s dive right in.

What Does a Digital Marketer Do?

Embarking on a digital marketing career can feel like stepping onto a rollercoaster. 

There are dizzying highs, heart-stopping plunges, and sharp, unexpected turns. But once you get a taste for it? It’s a thrill ride like no other. 

By mastering the basics, you can start crafting a wide range of digital content to reach your customers and bringing in sales for your business.

So, before we go any further, let’s quickly explore the various roles and responsibilities involved in a digital marketing career…

Digital Marketing Strategy

A woman drawing a digital marketing diagram with gears.

Consider a chess match. It’s all about plotting your moves ahead of time, right? 

A digital marketer does the same, meticulously designing a digital marketing strategy to outsmart the competition and grab a potential customer’s attention. 

Got an eye for detail and a knack for long-term planning? You’re halfway there.

Email Marketing

Emails are far from extinct. 

In fact, they’re a secret weapon in a digital marketer’s arsenal. 

Picture this: you’re going about your day and your phone pings. It’s an email from your favorite brand offering an exclusive discount for an item you’ve wanted to buy for a while. Is your interest piqued? 

That’s the power of email marketing, which digital marketers leverage to reach a target audience.

Content Marketing

Imagine you’re weaving a tapestry. 

Each thread represents a different type of content: a vibrant blog here, a captivating video there. 

The final masterpiece? A compelling brand story

But this isn’t about one-off pieces. It’s about a consistent narrative that keeps the audience coming back for more.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Ever looked for a needle in a haystack? 

Without SEO, your website is that needle. 

An experienced digital marketer knows how to optimize their content, making it stand out to search engines and helping people find your brand amidst the internet clutter.

Social Media Management

Social media marketing isn’t just for posting cute cat pictures. They’re a digital marketer’s playground.

Picture this: a tweet from a brand goes viral, their Instagram post garners thousands of likes, and their LinkedIn article gets shared across the network. 

This isn’t magic; it’s strategic social media management propelled by the work of a dedicated digital marketer.

Analytics and Reporting

Numbers don’t lie, but they can be cryptic. 

Ever tried to decode a secret message? That’s what interpreting analytics is like. 

But instead of an enigma machine, digital marketers use tools like Google Analytics to track performance and make data-driven decisions that can promote sales.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

Four digital marketers in a meeting.

You know when you’re about to embark on a grand adventure, maybe a road trip or a hike, and you need to pack just the right things? 

You’ll need your map (or GPS), some sturdy shoes, and maybe a handy multi-tool. 

Launching your career in digital marketing is a similar kind of adventure, and you’ve got to pack your marketing professional backpack with the right skills and qualifications.

So, what are these prized possessions you should bring on your journey? 

It’s not just about the technical skills (though they’re important, don’t get us wrong), but also those nifty soft skills. 

Both are crucial gear on this exhilarating trek.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into what these skills are and how they’ll help you on your digital marketing voyage.

Marketing Knowledge

Think of this as the compass guiding you through the digital marketing wilderness. 

It’s the basic know-how that’ll help you navigate the terrain. 

Whether it’s identifying your audience (who are you trying to reach?), understanding the product or service (what are you offering?), deciding on pricing strategies (how much will it cost?), or knowing where to market (where are your customers?), these fundamentals are your north star.

Just like how you wouldn’t embark on a road trip without a clear route, diving into a digital marketing campaign without a solid grounding in these principles might have you driving in circles. 

So, dust off those textbooks or hop onto an online digital marketingcourse and get your bearings right.

Creativity and Innovation

In digital marketing, creativity, and innovation serve as your secret weapons. 

Amidst a crowded information marketplace, thinking and acting differently helps you stand out. 

Creativity turns an ordinary digital marketing campaign into an extraordinary one, adding a wow-factor that makes your audience pause and engage. 

It’s the surprise in a tweet, the emotional bond in an email. 

Meanwhile, innovation keeps you abreast of emerging trends and technologies, driving adaptability and relevance in an ever-changing landscape. 

It’s about experimentation and continuous learning. 

Simply put, creativity and innovation form the dynamic duo that elevates your digital marketing efforts. So, stay open-minded, nurture fresh ideas, and remain flexible with your strategies. 

The possibilities are endless!

Communication Skills

Picture digital marketing as a high-stakes game of charades where delivering clear, understandable messages is vital. 

It’s not just about having an amazing message but also about articulating it compellingly, just like effective charade clues. 

Amidst the digital din, your voice must rise, creating captivating headlines, engaging social media posts, persuasive copy, and compelling blog post content that ensures your audience pauses, pays attention, and participates. 

Communication isn’t a monologue, it’s a dialogue where you attentively listen and respond to your target audience, converting them from passive observers to active community members. 

So, sharpen your writing, public speaking, and interactive tools usage. When you connect genuinely through effective communication, you’ve found your golden ticket in digital marketing.

Analytical Skills

Being a digital marketer is akin to being a detective. 

Your analytical skills enable you to decipher data trends, grasp user behavior, assess campaign performance, and make data-based decisions. 

For example, a popular blog post on Google Analytics isn’t just a fact; with analytical skills, you delve into the why’s and how’s, extrapolating success factors for future campaigns. 

Thus, analytical skills convert raw data into actionable insights, equipping you to solve the mysteries of digital marketing.

Soft Skills

Imagine digital marketing as a sport. 

In that game, your soft skills provide finesse, transforming you from a solo player to a team player. 

Elements like empathy, collaboration, adaptability, and curiosity are key. 

Empathy lets you resonate with your audience, collaboration enhances teamwork, adaptability allows you to weather the ever-changing digital storms, and curiosity fuels continuous learning. 

In essence, soft skills are the human element in your digital marketing arsenal, making you a connector, a problem-solver, and a perpetual scholar.

Proficiency with Digital Tools

Just like a sci-fi hero maneuvering through a spaceship, a digital marketer’s prowess lies in their command over various high-tech tools. 

A social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer diverse ways to reach your audience. 

Google Analytics is your trustworthy navigator, providing crucial data on website performance. 

Email marketing utilities like Mailchimp or Sendinblue help you execute effective campaigns, while SEO tools such as SEMRush or Yoast optimize your content for search engines. 

This is just a glimpse of the vast digital toolkit at your disposal. 

Mastering them is like learning a new language, but once you’re fluent, you’ll be speaking directly to your audience, making your digital marketing journey an exhilarating adventure. 

So buckle up, and let’s traverse the digital marketing cosmos together. Mastering them.

5 Top Career Opportunities for Aspiring Digital Marketers

Someone typing on a laptop with overlaid text about digital marketing.

Alright, we’ve navigated through the maze of skills, tools, and education necessary for becoming a proficient digital marketer. 

But where does all this lead? What does the landscape of opportunities look like once you’re armed with this arsenal of knowledge?

The beauty of digital marketing is its versatility. 

There’s a wide range of roles that cater to different skill sets, interests, and career aspirations. 

Whether you love creating engaging content, have a knack for analyzing data, or enjoy connecting with people on social media, there’s a role that’s just right for you.

In the next few sections, we’ll unveil five enticing career paths in the digital marketing world.

So grab your explorer hat, because we’re about to embark on a journey through the promising terrain of digital marketing careers.

1. Digital Marketing Manager

Think of this as being the conductor of an orchestra. 

They’ve got all the different sections — SEO, content marketing, email marketing — and they’re guiding them all. They’re the ones setting the tempo, calling the shots, and ensuring everyone hits the right notes. 

It’s a big responsibility, but boy, is it rewarding!

2. Social Media Manager

Social media managers are like the life of the party, the ones everyone turns to for a good time.

They know what to say and when to say it. 

And when things go wrong? 

They’re there to smooth things over and keep the conversation flowing. 

This job isn’t just about posting updates; it’s about creating an engaging, interactive online community around your brand.

3. SEO Specialist

These marketers are basically codebreakers and cryptographers of the industry. 

They decipher the mysteries of search engine algorithms and use them to their advantage in all of the digital content they create. 

By always being on their toes with on-page SEO and off-page SEO, they adapt to the latest updates and tweak strategies for success. 

It’s basically a game of hide and seek where you make sure your brand is always found.

4. Content Marketing Manager

This job involves being a storyteller, spinning a captivating tale, and elevating brand awareness

Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, infographics, or podcasts, keeping an audience hooked is the goal. They’re not just selling a product or service, they’re selling an experience, a lifestyle. 

And the content is what makes people want to be a part of it.

5. Email Marketing Specialist

These are the friendly faces popping into inboxes. 

They know how to write compelling subject lines, engaging copy, and irresistible calls to action. 

Their emails aren’t just another notification; they’re something that subscribers look forward to. This isn’t about spamming people. 

It’s about building relationships, one email at a time.

The Impact of Technological Trends on Digital Marketing

We could have ended this post with the list of job opportunities above. 

However, given recent advancements in the world of technology, we figured it was best to include some info on how said advancements are impacting digital marketers.

Picture a sci-fi movie. Now bring it back to reality. 

That’s how technology is changing the face of digital marketing. 

Artificial Intelligence is now tailoring personalized marketing messages. Machine Learning algorithms predict customer behavior. Even voice search and chatbots are becoming commonplace. 

Sounds surreal, doesn’t it? 

But for a digital marketer, it’s all in a day’s work. 

The key is staying ahead of the game and harnessing these technological trends to keep your brand on the cutting edge.

The Journey of a Digital Marketer

Whew! That was quite a ride, wasn’t it? 

You might be feeling a little overwhelmed — and that’s perfectly okay. It’s a lot to digest. 

Maybe you’re thinking, “Can I really be a digital marketer?” 

Heck yes, you can! 

This post laid out all you need to know to start. 

Remember the insights, strategies, and examples we discussed? They’re your stepping stones to success. 

It’s a thrilling journey you’re embarking on, full of creativity and opportunities. So stand tall, future digital marketer. 

Now, let’s go out there and make some digital waves!

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Liliana Benzel

Liliana Benzel is a Smart Blogger Coach and freelance writer with a passion for content creation, editing, and SEO strategy. She’s helped several writing agencies develop engaging content and is always looking for the next big challenge.

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Written by Liliana Benzel

Liliana Benzel is a Smart Blogger Coach and freelance writer with a passion for content creation, editing, and SEO strategy. She’s helped several writing agencies develop engaging content and is always looking for the next big challenge.

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