Trend analysts report that businesses aren’t hiring more digital marketing positions and are inviting the digital marketing manager to play larger roles in organizations’ strategic decision-making.
Obviously, many companies and businesses are growing their digital marketing teams as users’ interactions with brands via digital platforms become the norm.
Before you jump into digital marketing, let’s read to learn everything about it.
Job Description
What is a Digital Marketing Manager?
Digital marketing managers are usually responsible for their companies’ overall digital marketing strategy. They run the day-to-day management of projects and ensure they are completed successfully.
These professionals manage social content calendars and media campaigns and maintain their companies’ content, among many other duties. Also, they will measure the effectiveness of many marketing campaigns.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Planning & executing all digital marketing, including marketing database, SEO/SEM, social media, email, and display advertising campaigns.
- Designing, building, or maintaining the social media presence.
- Measuring & reporting the performance of digital marketing campaigns and assessing against goals (KPIs and ROI).
- Identifying trends and insights and optimizing spend and performance based on the insights.
- Brainstorming creative and new growth strategies.
- Planning, executing, and measuring experiments & conversion tests.
- Collaborating with some internal teams to make landing pages and optimize UX (user experience).
- Collaborating with agencies, other vendor partners, and more.
- Utilizing the robust analytical ability to evaluate client experience across various channels and client touchpoints.
- Instrumenting conversion points and optimizing user funnels.
Where do Digital Marketing Managers work?
Digital Marketing Manager specializes in working in office settings with some characteristics:
- Sit at a desk for an extended period.
- Use computers, printers, and other common office tools.
- Use copyrighted or proprietary digital tools like logos, applications, and more.
- Frequent interdepartmental communication via video meetings, electronic messaging, or email.
As a digital marketing manager, you can use your skills and knowledge in industries with similar work environments, such as:
- Accounting.
- Public relations.
- Advertising sales.
- Business management.
Education
To become a digital marketing manager, you will have to meet specific requirements depending on the role for which you prefer to apply.
Education Requirements
An entry-level digital marketing manager position usually requires a bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, or a related field. Some employers ask their candidates to hold specialized certifications or a master’s degree.
You can gain a proper degree in many relevant disciplines, such as information technology, web design, and business administration.
Also, digital marketing managers must have studied coursework in search engine optimization, coding languages, web analytics tools, and e-commerce.
Training
Training to become digital marketing managers typically includes working in lower-level marketing-related roles like marketing intern or marketing assistant. Performing the tasks of those roles will teach you communication skills and specific processes.
An internship is usually part of earning a degree, offering direct experience and valuable training. Training via an internship program may cover performing some tasks under supervision.
A digital marketing manager with previous related experience can transfer time management, strategic thinking, and communication skills to work in a similar position or for a new employer.
Certifications
Certifications are optional but recommended as they allow professionals to improve their skills and demonstrate their qualifications to employers.
As a digital marketing manager, you can get certifications to gain more technical knowledge of your responsibilities, test your skills and advance your career.
Essential Skills
Digital marketing managers must combine many soft and hard skills to succeed in this role. These include:
Soft skills
- Attention to detail.
- Project management skills.
- Ability to work independently.
- Leadership & delegation skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication.
- Good time management and ability to prioritize duties.
- Strong analytical skills combined with a genuine interest in gathering data, studying trends, and learning new tools.
Hard skills
- In-depth knowledge of pay-per-click advertising.
- Understanding of social media trends and platforms.
- In-depth knowledge of web analytics and marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Google Adwords, Outbrain, Taboola, and similar web advertising platforms.
- In-depth knowledge of marketing campaign strategy and execution.
- Insights into keyword research and SEO monitoring, implementation, and management.
- In-depth knowledge of setting up and running common email marketing tools, such as Sendinblue, Omnisend, HubSpot, Mailjet, and MailChimp.
- User experience (UX) knowledge and optimization of landing pages and customer experience funnels.
Essential Tools
Graphic creation tools
- Creatopy (formerly Bannersnack).
- Visme.
- Venngage.
Landing page and lead capture tools
- OptiMonk.
- Typeform.
- MailMunch.
Lead enrichment tools
- Clearbit.
- Datanyze.
Conversion optimization tools
- Unbounce.
- Optimizely.
- Hotjar.
SEO (search engine optimization) tools
- Ahrefs.
- Clearscope.
- SEMrush.
Email marketing tools
- HubSpot.
- SendGrid.
- lemlist.
- Moosend.
Social media marketing tools
- Sprout Social.
- Loomly.
- Audiense.
Job Outlook
The future for digital marketing managers will be bright. There will be a great demand for these professionals in a few years, and this trend will continue for decades. The truth is that digital marketing is the future, as older traditional marketing techniques no longer work.
The attention of clients will switch from traditional mediums, such as newspapers, to digital platforms, and much more money should be spent on other digital ad services in the future.
Salary
Digital marketing managers in the US can make $99,563 per year on average or $47.87 per hour.
Digital marketing managers on the lower end of the spectrum, or the bottom 10%, can make around $71,000 per year, while the top 10% get $138,000 annually.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Here are the pros and cons of being a digital marketing manager.
Pros
- You can help your organization scale its business and make it fit for the future.
- Digital marketing is a broad field.
- Work with many exciting people.
- Help connect to people from all over the world.
- Gain decent money.
- Teleworking is possible.
- Adapt to new challenges.
- Never get bored.
- You can work for various companies.
- You can start your own business.
- You can learn various skills by yourself.
- You can work indoors.
- Good work-life balance.
- You will have holidays and weekends.
- Digital marketing is trendy.
- Great future job prospects.
Cons
- Sit in front of a computer all day long.
- Student loan debt is a problem.
- Always have to learn and educate yourself.
- Picking the wrong niche can be problematic.
- You usually don’t see the end result of your efforts.
- Can be stressful
- Typically I need a college degree.
- Becoming a successful digital marketing business is extremely difficult.
FAQs
Who Is a Digital Marketing Manager’s Boss?
Digital marketing managers often report to a VP of marketing or director and may have one direct report or two executing social, email, and other digital marketing tactics.
Who Does a Digital Marketing Manager Work With?
Digital Marketing Managers work on a team with other marketing professionals. Different marketers oversee channels such as PPC, SEO, and email marketing.
Those teams of Digital Marketing Managers are usually supervised by a Marketing Manager that prioritizes tasks and directs the overall marketing efforts of these teams.
How to Become a Digital Marketing Manager
There are different ways to become a digital marketing manager, but the basic path usually includes the following steps:
Step 1. Complete Education.
Most organizations require candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and some ask for a master’s degree. So begins with researching requirements in your area and getting the proper education level for your chosen role.
Step 2. Get Work Experience.
It is possible to gain relevant work experience via part-time or temporary positions or internships. Getting experience via a lower-level marketing support role will supplement your education as well as advance your career.
Step 3. Earn technical certifications.
Depending on your work history and education, you may consider gaining certifications in social media, inbound marketing, or content marketing to prepare you for the roles and responsibilities of a digital marketing manager.
Step 4. Prepare your resume.
We recommend putting your highest level of education, related work history, and relevant certifications on your resume.
Your work experience segment should cover the company name, beginning and ending dates of employment, and a brief of your contributions, responsibilities, and achievements. Remember to highlight your skills.
Step 5. Apply to an open position.
Once you have gained your certifications, degree, and related experience, it is time to search for positions in your desired industry and geographic area.
Apply for a position you are qualified for based on your experience and education. Use your resume and a cover letter outlining why you will be the best candidate for your chosen company.
Can A Digital Marketing Manager Work Remotely?
Digital marketing managers can often work remotely as they just have everything they need as long as they have an internet condition and remote access to important files. So these professionals can enjoy the benefits of teleworking rather than having to commute daily to their offices.
It allows them to save time for commuting and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams.
It also gives them an excellent level of flexibility because they will be much better able to organize their family life.
Do Digital Marketing Managers Work Indoors?
Yes. As a digital marketing manager, you often work indoors. While others have to work under extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain, heat, or snow, you can just work in an office in a decent cozy atmosphere.
Is a Career as a Digital Marketing Manager Boring?
Another upside of working as a digital marketing manager is that it never gets boring. The reason is that all the technological changes occur every day, so digital marketing changes accordingly.
What worked great in the past may no longer fit in the future, and you’ll always deal with new issues with new solutions.
Working as a digital marketing manager is not the easiest of all jobs. But it can be great as you will always see something new and be proud of yourself if you can overcome problems and compete in this field.
Do Digital Marketers Have Good Work-Life Balance?
In general, how this expert has a good work-life balance.
They must not work many extra hours and have free weekends. So they have more than enough time to follow their hobbies or to do nice things with their loved ones.
Always remember that time is a precious and finite resource. Enough leisure is essential for our level of happiness.
Is Being a Digital Marketing Manager Stressful?
Yes, it can just be stressful. For example, you will have many different problems to solve at the same time.
Career Advice
If you are business and analytical savvy as well as curious and creative, it is a good idea to make one heck of a digital marketing manager.
You don’t need a special gift to break into digital marketing. A degree will help, but internships and job experience will be more valuable than where you went to school or even what you have studied.
Thanks for your time!