Are you thinking of embarking in a career in Digital Marketing but not quite sure of what types of Digital Marketing Roles and jobs there are within the Digital Marketing Industry or which role may be right for you?
Whether you’re a Digital Marketing Graduate or whether you’re looking to get into the Digital Marketing Industry, there are countless Digital Marketing roles out there for you. Meaning trying to decide which Digital Marketing field to specialise in or trying to determine what role may be right for you can be quite tough. When deciding on any job or position, it’s vital to consider all possibilities – the advantages, the disadvantages, and the availability of the position.
In-demand technical skills for Digital Marketing Specialists
Though those who specialise in Digital Marketing are in luck, as not only is Digital Marketing massively profitable, but there is also currently a high demand for skilled digital marketers in the workforce. The Robert Half 2020 Salary Guide stated that the strong digital skills, (as stated below) are the most in-demand technical skills for Digital Marketing Specialists.
- Proficiency with content creation
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Pay per click (PPC) strategy and implementation
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Account/campaign management
- Strong analytical skills for sophisticated data interpretation
These skills indicate Digital Marketers have plenty of options to decide which roles and field(s) they would like to be and specialise in. Hence, it would help if you took your time in choosing a position that you’ll succeed in, ensuring you look over job salaries, the skills needed for the specific job, and your expected responsibilities in the position.
The following are a list of some common Digital Marketing Entry-Level, Intermediate-Level, and Senior-Level Roles you could possibly get into:
*Please Note: Salary Information is tailored specifically for the New Zealand audience and is gathered from The Digital Store New Zealand Salary Survey 2019 and The Digital Store New Zealand Salary Survey 2020.
Digital Marketing Entry-Level Roles:
Digital Marketing Coordinator or Digital Marketing Specialist
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $45,000
- Highest Salary: $65,000
- Average Salary: $60,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $45.00 – $60.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Digital Marketers are in charge of driving brand awareness and lead generation through all the digital channels (both free and paid) – that are at a company’s disposal. Digital channels include social media, email, company’s website, search engine rankings, display advertising, company’s blog, etc. The digital marketer also focuses on various key performance indicators (KPI) for each channel so they can accurately measure and identify the company’s performance across each one. Digital Marketers also perform competitive analysis, monitor industry trends, research new opportunities, and utilise data to provide a strategic recommendation that supports business growth.
Digital marketing is carried out across many marketing roles today. For small companies, one generalist might own many of the digital marketing tactics, as mentioned above, at the same time. For larger companies, these tactics have multiple specialists that each focus on just one or two of the brand’s digital channels.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- All-rounder: Have basic-to-intermediate expertise in all tactics associated with Digital Marketing.
- Influential Skills
- Data Analysis/Data-Decision Making Skills
- Effective Communication – Verbal and Written
- Meet Deadlines and Targets
- Business Acumen
- Leadership
- Research Skills
- Technologically Savvy
- Basic Digital Design Skills
- Project Management Skills
Digital Marketing Intermediate and Senior Roles:
Earning Potential:
Content Marketing Entry-Level Roles:
Content Marketing Coordinator or Content Marketing Specialist or Content/Social Writer
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $50,000
- Highest Salary: $100,000
- Average Salary: $75,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $50.00 – $80.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Content Marketers are digital content creators. They develop content for landing pages, product pages, blog pages, website pages, eBooks, audio/videos, newsletters, social media campaigns, etc. They continuously keep track of the company’s blogging and content calendar and think of content strategies that include video as well. These professionals regularly work with other departments to ensure the products and campaigns the organisation launches are supported by engaging promotional content on each digital channel.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- Research Skills
- Creative Brainstorming Skills
- Effective Communication – Verbal and Written
- Email Marketing Skills
- Basic Digital Design Skills
- Project Management Skills
- Basic Web Design & Development Knowledge
- Storytelling Skills
- Teamwork
- Perseverance
- Copywriting and Editing Skills
- General Understanding of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Tactics
- Meet Deadlines and Targets
- Proficiency with Content Creation and Management Tools
Content Marketing Intermediate and Senior Roles:
Earning Potential:
Copywriting Entry-Level Roles:
Copywriter
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $40,000
- Highest Salary: $50,000
- Average Salary: $45,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $40.00 – $50.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Copywriting can be considered a subset of Content Marketing. Copywriters focus on writing sales promotions and other marketing material (either written or spoken) for products, services, websites, blog pages, landing pages, emails, social media campaigns, etc. Copywriters try to get people to feel, think, respond, or to learn more information about a particular product, service, brand, campaign, etc. They also regularly read publications and are always aware of the latest industry trends.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- Effective Researcher
- Strong Interviewer
- Knowledgeable and Informed About the Intended Audience
- Eager and Willingness to Learn
- Efficient and Capable of Meeting Deadlines
- Persuasive
- Engaging
- Creative and Innovative Thinking
- SEO and Keyword Optimisation Expertise
- Understanding of Sales
- Welcomes Feedback and Criticism
- Anti-Perfectionist
- Up-To-Date on Industry Trends
Copywriting Intermediate and Senior Roles:
Earning Potential:
Digital Design Entry-Level Roles:
Digital Designer or Graphic Designer or Junior Designer
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $40,000
- Highest Salary: $55,000
- Average Salary: $45,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $40.00 – $50.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Digital or Graphic Design can also be considered a subset of Content Marketing where Digital/Graphic Designers focus more on the appeal of web, print, and sometimes video content. Digital/Graphic Designers typically work on website and landing page designs, designs for advertisements, social media emails, banners, presentations, reports, and any graphics for images used in marketing or promotions.
The responsibilities of Digital/Graphic Designers include creating any visuals used in marketing/advertising materials or campaigns, both print and digital. Some Digital/Graphic Designers work on corporate identity and establish how a company will visually communicate its overall message and brand. Digital/Graphic Designers are also responsible for creating intuitive experiences for brands across a range of consumer touchpoints and collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand business objectives/issues and provide creative solutions.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- Proficient in Adobe Products
- Proficient with Web Development Tools and Languages
- Knowledge of Design Elements, Typography, and Branding
- Communication – Verbal and Written
- Comprehensive Portfolio of Work – Experience Creating Visual Art for Marketing Purposes
- Creativity
- Problem Solving
- Technologically Savvy
- Time Management
- Initiative
- Strategic Thinking
- Teamwork
Digital Design Intermediate and Senior Roles:
Earning Potential:
Social Media Marketing Entry-Level Roles:
Social Media Marketing Coordinator or Social Media Marketing Specialist or Content/Social Writer
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $50,000
- Highest Salary: $100,000
- Average Salary: $75,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $50.00 – $80.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Social Media Marketers manage and monitor the social media networks of an organisation. They establish a posting schedule for the business’s written and visual content and ensure they maintain a consistent brand voice and tone. Social Media Marketers also work alongside the Content Marketer to develop and implement a strategy for which type of content to post on which social media platform. They also monitor online conversations, organise customer service through social media, create content for social channels, and stay up-to-date on social media trends and news.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- Social Media Marketing Skills
- Communication – Verbal and Written
- Creativity and Strategic Thinking
- Efficiency and Organisational Skills
- Customer Care and Relationship Building Skills
- Agility
- Analytical Skills
- Copywriting and Digital Design Skills
- Project Management
- Leadership
Social Media Marketing Intermediate and Senior Roles:
Earning Potential:
Email Marketing Intermediate/Senior Roles:
Email Marketing Specialist or Email Marketing Manager
*To specialise in Email Marketing, you need to be at an Intermediate/Advanced Level.
Earning Potential:
- Lowest Salary: $60,000
- Highest Salary: $100,000
- Average Salary: $80,000
- Average Hourly Rate: $65.00 – $75.00 per hour
Responsibilities: Email Marketing Specialists focus on creating and segmenting email lists, designing emails, and writing content. They also nurture company leads and drive sales using excellent written communication and appealing imagery. Email Marketing Specialists also develop strategies and analyse data for increasing brand awareness, customer loyalty, and conversions through proven email best practices. They help establish the brand’s voice and culture, as well as help cultivate and maintain strong relationships between brands and customers.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- Email Marketing Skills
- Communication – Verbal and Written
- Creativity and Strategic Thinking
- Customer Care and Relationship Building Skills
- Digital Design and HTML Skills
- Innovative Thinking
- Persuasive and Engaging
- Efficient and Organised
- Social Media Expertise and Integration Skills
- Strong Attention to Detail
- Analytical and Interpretation Skills
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) / Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Intermediate/Senior Roles
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) / Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialist or SEO/SEM Manager
*To specialise in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) / Search Engine Marketing (SEM), you need to be at an Intermediate/Advanced Level.
Earning Potential:
Responsibilities: SEO Specialists focus on improving the ranking of a website on search engine results pages (SERP). By undertaking keyword research, making technical SEO recommendations and designing the site architecture, and analysing and applying metrics on website and keyword performance. On the other hand, SEM Specialists leverage search engines like Google and Bing to increase website visits, conversions, and revenue through paid advertisements.
Key Technical and Soft-Skills:
- SEO and SEM Expertise and Knowledge
- Reliable Interpretation and Analytical Skills
- Communication – Verbal and Written
- Can Manage and Allocate Marketing Budget
- Comprehend and Apply Website and Search Analytics
- Proficiency in Google Ads and Google Analytics
- Knowledge of Search Engine Trends and News
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Research Skills
- Flexibility
- Web Coding Skills
- Decision Making Skills
So, as you can see, since Digital Marketing is an ever-growing field, there’s no shortage of Digital Marketing jobs, and no matter which stage of your career in, there are many roles and specialisations you can choose from. As seen in some of the above descriptions that there is plenty of overlap across the different positions, and the skills you’ll need for one job may vary and translate to another, should you want to pivot. So, whether you’re more creative or analytical, or whether you’re both, there’s a job in Digital Marketing for you.
Are you interested in pursuing a career in Digital Marketing? Why don’t you start by studying a Diploma in Digital Marketing with the New Zealand Institute of Education (NZIE). It’s a Level 7 NZQA accredited course which is continuously adapted to meet the needs of the ever-changing digital landscape. Click here to start your exciting journey! Don’t delay; spaces are filling out quick!
Author Neevashni Ram
