What does a Digital Marketer actually do?

In our fast-changing, digital world, digital marketers are indispensable. But what exactly do they do, and why are they so crucial for businesses? While the job title does give you some hints, it is far more intricate than it seems. Despite popular beliefs that AI might soon take over everything from copywriting to design, digital marketing relies heavily on creative thinking, strategy, and understanding human behaviour – areas where human marketers excel beyond what AI can replicate. 

What’s the Aim of Digital Marketing?

At its core, digital marketing is all about promoting brands, products, or services through digital channels. Reaching the right customer, at the right time, in the right way. It’s not about pushing products like a salesman would, but instead engaging with customers online in a way that builds a lasting impression and generates valuable leads. Sounds simple right? But, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than you would first think.

What does it take to be a digital marketer? 6 Key Skills

1. The ability to keep up with ever-changing trends

This skill is needed in nearly every sector of the industry. Digital marketers must continuously track emerging trends, whether it’s understanding the latest TikTokcraze for social media content creation, or reacting accordingly to an SEO update that has changed the Google Algorithm (again), digital marketers need to keep up with it all. Staying current with these trends is the only way that marketing strategies remain effective and relevant. However, this isn’t the only factor in devising digital marketing strategies. 

2. A deep understanding of the digital landscape 

In order to craft effective marketing strategies, digital marketers also need to understand which type of advertising is best suited for each situation. Whether it’s PPC, display advertising, social media ads, or another approach, understanding the nuances of each campaign type is essential. This expertise helps unlock the full potential of marketing efforts and deliver the most impactful results for their clients.

 This is at the heart of all digital marketing; ensuring alignment with business goals and using well-versed knowledge of the industry to create strategic success.  

3. Clear communication skills

Understanding a business’s digital marketing goals and keeping clients happy requires consistent and precise communication. This means clear client pitches, regular updates, engaging in strategic discussions, and conducting performance reviews. These activities help keep progress transparent and ensure that adjustments can be made as needed. 

Sometimes, delivering honest updates about campaign performance can involve sharing difficult news, like underwhelming results or unexpected challenges. A digital marketer needs to balance transparency with sensitivity, carefully managing client expectations and maintaining trust. 

4. The ability to analyse data

The success of a marketing campaign is measured by various metrics. Tools like GA4, HubSpot, Hotjar, and Ahrefs can provide insights into user behaviour, SEO metrics, and overall campaign performance. However, measuring the true impact of digital marketing efforts can be tricky. Everchanging algorithms, shifting user behaviours, and the complexity of multi-channel attribution all complicate the process. Accurately determining ROI requires navigating these complexities, making it essential for digital marketers to apply their industry expertise to ensure that insights are both accurate and actionable. 

5. Knowledge of how to get a website seen

Digital marketers need to be savvy with SEO, an important aspect of boosting a website’s visibility on search engines. For SEO, digital marketers dive deep into the world of keyword researchto find out what people are searching for. Then, they find a way to incorporate these into website’s content in a way that engages users and appeals to search engines. Beyond this though, digital marketers must make sure that the website is technically sound – meaning it loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and other aspects that affect rankings. Continuous monitoring and adjustments are essential, using tools like Google Analytics to track performance and stay updated with algorithm changes. 

6. Crafting personalised and engaging content

Think email marketing is old-school? It’s actually a dynamic and budget-friendly way to connect with your audience. With the power to personalise messages for specific groups, it has the potential to be a lead-generating powerhouse, if it’s done right. A digital marketer needs to know how to design and send email campaigns that people actually look forward to receiving. A well-thought out email campaign can be the key to building a loyal audience. 

Another place where engaging and personalised content is important is on social media. Personalised social media content can take various forms, such as targeted posts or tailored ads. Engagement on social media is largely driven by relevance. When your content is aligned with your audience’s needs, they’re more likely to interact with it. This not only boosts engagement but also builds brand loyalty and trust.

In both of these situations, it is beneficial to have a digital marketer to understand and effectively segment your audience to keep them engaged and informed, rather than becoming annoyed or overwhelmed.

Day-to-day as a Digital Marketer

Obviously the day-to-day life of a digital marketer can vary widely depending on the specific role and area of expertise, but a general understanding of several key areas is crucial. Whether you’re focusing on social media, SEO, or PPC, there is huge overlap between them all, and you need to know how they fit together to form the big picture when forming a multi-channel digital marketing strategy. 

Aoife Robinson, our Marketing Executive at Next Chapter, gives us the scoop of what a typical day as a digital marketer involves. She says she uses a diverse range of skills on a daily basis, and these have to work in synergy for success in marketing. 

Aoife kicks off her day diving into tools like Google Analytics and social analytics to check campaign performance and tweak strategies. She’s constantly optimising PPC campaigns, and refreshing keywords, using her SEO expertise. Communication is also key – she keeps clients in the loop with updates and strategy discussions, always aiming to build trust and manage expectations. 

Her favourite part? Crafting personalised, engaging content – be it a targeted email, a captivating social media post, or a witty PPC headline. Her role keeps her on her toes, allowing her to keep adapting and learning to keep our clients stand out in the digital space. 

Learn more about Aoife Robinson’s journey into Digital Marketing.

Why Brands Need Digital Marketers to Succeed 

Brands aiming for success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape need marketers to help reach their goals. Digital Marketers cut through noise and reach target audiences effectively. With their deep understanding of various digital channels, they ensure that each campaign is tailored to maximise impact and drive results. 

Behind every great brand is a digital marketer making it all happen. If you need help with SEO, social media marketing, email campaigns, or anything else talked about in this article contact Next Chapter to start a project together.