How To Hire A Digital Marketer or A Digital Marketing Agency?

How To Hire A Digital Marketer or A Digital Marketing Agency? Key Responsibilities and Hiring Insights

 

In the realm of modern marketing, a digital marketer plays a crucial role in amplifying the visibility and outreach of new products or services. Their primary responsibility revolves around bolstering traction and engagement for marketing content, with the ultimate goal of driving increased sales for the company or brand.

This article aims to delve into the various tasks performed by a digital marketer, shedding light on the essential soft skills, abilities, and technical knowledge required for excelling in this role. Additionally, we will explore the significance of incorporating pre-employment tests into your hiring process, as they offer invaluable insights that enable you to make well-informed and objective hiring decisions. Ultimately, these tests aid in ensuring that the most qualified candidate is chosen to fill your vacant position.

 

What is a digital marketer?

A digital marketer is an individual possessing marketing experience who operates independently. They typically possess broad expertise in various marketing areas, but some may focus on specific niches like SEO, AI integrations, or social media. These independent marketers are in demand due to their overall marketing knowledge or highly specialized skills, which can complement and assist an in-house marketing team.

What Does Digital Marketing Include?

 

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO involves optimizing websites or web pages to enhance their visibility on search engine results. By improving the quality and quantity of website traffic, businesses can attract more relevant visitors and potential customers.
  2. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC): PPC is an internet advertising model where advertisers pay publishers when their ads are clicked. This method allows businesses to drive targeted traffic to their websites and reach potential customers who are actively searching for their products or services.
  3. Content Marketing: Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to engage and retain a specific target audience. By providing informative and valuable content, businesses can build trust and authority in their industry.
  4. Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing targets various social networks and applications to increase brand awareness and promote products or services. It leverages the vast user base of social platforms to reach a specific audience and engage with potential customers effectively.
  5. Email Marketing: Email marketing involves using email to promote businesses, nurture relationships with potential customers, and keep existing customers updated about the brand. It is an effective way to encourage customer loyalty and drive sales through targeted and personalized communication.
  6. Web Design: A well-designed website is crucial for the success of any digital marketing strategy. It serves as the central hub where users interact with the business. A user-friendly and visually appealing website enhances the overall digital marketing efforts and helps convert visitors into customers.

How much does it cost to hire a digital marketer?

The salaries of digital marketers can vary based on their specialty and experience. To provide some reference points, let’s examine the average salaries for a general Digital Marketing Manager in the US, UK, and Australia.

Average Digital Marketing Manager Salaries:

United States (Source: BuiltIn)

  • Junior Salary: $45,000
  • Mid-Weight Salary: $85,000
  • Senior Salary: $170,000

United Kingdom (Source: TotalJobs)

  • Junior Salary: £27,000
  • Mid-Weight Salary: £37,500
  • Senior Salary: £52,500

Australia (Source: Talent)

  • Junior Salary: A$70,000
  • Mid-Weight Salary: A$85,000
  • Senior Salary: A$120,000

For specialized marketing roles like Social Media Manager, it’s advisable to conduct dedicated research to determine the average salaries. Additionally, for positions such as Ad Manager, it might be beneficial to include performance-related bonuses based on achieving sales targets.

 

Where to Discover Exceptional Digital Marketers Organically?

 

Digital Marketers are known for their social nature and adeptness at building an impressive online reputation. As we delve into a comprehensive hiring guide later, there are several avenues through which you can find exceptional marketers beyond conventional job boards.

 

To connect with a network of outstanding digital marketers, consider engaging in these social spaces:

  1. LinkedIn – This B2B-focused social media platform is a hub for top-notch marketers to showcase their skills. You’re likely to stumble upon personal posts from exceptional marketers who expertly combine captivating storytelling with actionable insights to drive remarkable engagement. Additionally, LinkedIn hosts various marketing groups where you can encounter talented individuals.
  2. Marketing Events – Marketers love organizing and participating in exciting marketing events. Whether you’re on the lookout for your next hiring prospect or simply eager to stay updated on the latest trends, attending these events can be highly beneficial. One recommendation we have is the event organized by the ‘State of Demand Gen team,’ which we hold in high regard.
  3. Facebook Groups – Much like LinkedIn, Facebook provides an excellent platform to discover some truly outstanding marketers. With a particular emphasis on B2C strategies, you can either come across marketers organically or proactively join relevant groups to establish a robust marketing network.
  4. Marketing Forums – Marketers often flock to specialized marketing forums that go beyond the conventional social media channels. If you’re keen on identifying the most skilled professionals discussing the latest marketing trends, check out our recommended article on the best marketing forums in 2023.

 

What are the pros and cons of hiring a digital marketer?

 

Advantages:

  1. Cost-effectiveness: Hiring a digital marketer often proves more economical than maintaining a full-fledged marketing department.
  2. Specialized expertise: Digital marketers bring specific skills and knowledge to the table, enhancing the effectiveness of marketing strategies.
  3. Support for existing teams: They can seamlessly collaborate with your in-house marketing team, providing valuable insights and assistance.

Disadvantages:

  1. Longer project turnaround: Handling more extensive projects may require more time and resources from a solo digital marketer.
  2. Limited capacity: Depending solely on a digital marketer may lead to potential gaps in meeting all of your marketing requirements.

When should you consider hiring a solo digital marketer?

 

A solo digital marketer is an ideal choice in several situations, such as when you have budget constraints, require assistance with smaller one-off projects, or need someone with specific skills. Below are some scenarios in which opting for a solo digital marketer is a wise decision:

  1. Specialized marketing projects: Solo digital marketers often possess expertise in particular marketing niches or skill sets, such as content marketing, social media strategy, or graphic design. If your company has a targeted marketing project that demands more attention and expertise, hiring a solo digital marketer is an excellent solution.
  1. Cost-effectiveness: For businesses working with limited budgets, a solo digital marketer offers an affordable option to strategize, prioritize, and address crucial marketing tasks efficiently.
  1. Support for your internal team: Enlisting the services of a solo digital marketing expert to complement your internal marketing team in specific roles can greatly benefit your overall marketing efforts. Whether it involves developing a strategy, providing training, or implementing best practices with new software, a solo marketer can deliver optimal results for your investment.
  1. One-off marketing solutions: While solo digital marketers can handle long-term marketing strategies and projects, they often prefer to specialize in certain areas. As such, one-time projects or projects with a narrow scope are well-suited for solo marketers, as they can deliver exceptional work within a relatively short timeframe.

What should a digital marketer be able to do?

A digital marketer works to optimize the promotion of a new product or offering via digital platforms. An effective digital marketer needs to be able to research and analyze relevant search query behaviors and user activity across engines and websites.
They then need to apply this insight to ascertain the best digital marketing strategy for each product they are responsible for. They are in charge of the execution of strategy delivery through appropriate digital marketing channels and the monitoring of its efficacy.
Digital marketing involves understanding user mindsets and behaviors to appropriately tailor messaging and target outreach so it has the greatest impact. Digital marketers often work as part of a larger team, so need to have strong team working skills to work collaboratively on designing and executing marketing strategies.

The comprehensive marketer is a versatile professional who possesses a wide range of essential skills, including:

  1. Marketing strategy and planning
  2. Crafting effective content strategies
  3. Expertise in media buying
  4. Proficiency in managing social media platforms
  5. The skillful execution of email marketing campaigns
  6. Knowledge of PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising
  7. Adept at conversion optimization techniques
  8. Proficient in the art of storytelling
  9. Analytical expertise in tracking metrics and data analysis.

A digital marketer’s tasks encompass:

  1. Developing and implementing a comprehensive content strategy.
  2. Managing and engaging with audiences on social media platforms.
  3. Optimizing website structure and regularly updating content.
  4. Leveraging Google Ads and email marketing campaigns.
  5. Crafting engaging and persuasive marketing messages.
  6. Tailoring content to specific target audiences.
  7. Utilizing images and visualizations effectively to enhance engagement.
  8. Overseeing search engine optimization (SEO) to drive website traffic.
  9. Managing Pay-Per-Click marketing (PPC) campaigns.
  10. Enhancing online sales experiences to convert views into sales.
  11. Monitoring and evaluating campaign performance through data analysis.
  12. Preparing reports on the Return On Investment (ROI) of campaigns.
  13. Delivering presentations on campaign performance.
  14. Managing the online presence of the company or brand through various networking tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Job Roles and Skills in Digital Marketing

 

Digital Marketing Executive

The role of a Digital Marketing Executive involves overseeing a company’s online marketing strategy. They are responsible for planning and executing digital marketing campaigns, including email campaigns. Additionally, they are involved in designing, maintaining, and managing website content for the organization.

Skills Required:

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Google Ads
  • Google Analytics or other web analytics platforms
  • Paid and Organic Social Media Marketing, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.

Digital Marketing Analyst

A Digital Marketing Analyst combines search engine optimization and link-building skills to enhance their company’s online content visibility.

Skills Required:

  • Research and Analytical Skills
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Google Analytics or other web analytics platforms
  • Paid and Organic Social Media Marketing, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.

SEO Specialist/Analyst/Executive

The role of an SEO Specialist/Analyst/Executive involves analyzing, reviewing, and implementing changes to a website based on Google’s SEO guidelines. Their goal is to improve the website’s search engine ranking to increase traffic.

Skills Required:

  • Market & Competitor Research
  • Keyword Research
  • On-page and Off-page Optimization
  • Link Building
  • Indexing
  • Content Writing
  • Google Analytics or other web analytics platforms

Social Media Marketing Specialist/Executive/Analyst

Social Media Marketing Specialists/Executives/Analysts are responsible for managing a company’s social media presence. This includes handling social media pages, responding to queries and feedback, and running social media campaigns.

Skills Required:

  • Social Media Marketing, both Paid and Organic, on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
  • Creative Strategy
  • Content Writing
  • Social Media Tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.
  • Google Analytics or other web analytics platforms

Content Marketing Specialist/Executive

Content Marketing Specialists/Executives provide organizations with compelling web content to attract users to their websites. As users value the content, the website experiences growth and improved page ranking.

Skills Required:

  • Writing and Grammar Skills
  • Strong Research Skills
  • Knowledge and Understanding of Latest SEO Trends
  • Editing & Proofreading

Senior Analyst SEM/PPC

A Senior Analyst in SEM/PPC is responsible for both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). They create and manage Pay-Per-Click marketing strategies for clients.

Skills Required:

  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.
  • Paid Social Platforms like Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, etc.
  • Google Analytics or other web analytics platforms
  • Reporting Skills

Essential Skills for a Digital Marketer:

 

Succeeding as a digital marketer requires a diverse set of key skills to effectively carry out their daily responsibilities. When seeking to hire a digital marketer, consider evaluating the presence of the following skills:

  1. Effective Oral Communication: Digital marketers often collaborate within marketing teams and work alongside other roles. Strong communication skills are crucial for seamless teamwork, as digital marketers must be able to articulate their content ideas and marketing strategies to colleagues. Additionally, they should be capable of delivering compelling presentations to report on campaign progress and effectiveness.
  2. Proficiency in Software: Engaging effectively with social media and marketing platforms is a core aspect of a digital marketer’s role. As such, they need to be well-versed in using post-scheduling platforms, data insight and analytics tools, and various social networking and marketing applications.
  3. Meticulous Attention to Detail: Having an eye for detail is imperative for digital marketers, as they must ensure their posts are free from any errors. A simple typo in a marketing campaign can significantly impact the overall impression created and potentially damage a brand’s high-quality and professional image.
  4. Design Skills: A digital marketer with good design abilities adds tremendous value to the team. Creating engaging campaign web pages, visualizations, and compelling social media tiles are vital components of their skill set.

Useful Skills for a Digital Marketer:

 

Digital marketers require a diverse set of abilities to excel in their roles and complement their core skills. The following are essential abilities they should possess:

  1. Problem-solving: A strong problem-solving ability equips digital marketers with the necessary tools to address challenges that may arise during their projects. It also empowers them to devise innovative strategies to tap into untapped audiences and sales potential.
  2. Problem sensitivity and social perceptiveness: These abilities are invaluable for digital marketers as they allow them to empathize with end-users or customers, understanding their perspectives and values. This deep understanding enables marketers to tailor their strategies to resonate with the target audience.
  3. Flexibility and Adaptation: Being flexible and adaptable is crucial for digital marketers, particularly when managing multiple products or services with varying deadlines. They must skillfully juggle responsibilities and swiftly overcome obstacles using intuition and creativity.

Consider incorporating the following soft skills tests into your hiring process when searching for a digital marketer with well-rounded abilities:

 

  1. Communication: Excellent communication is crucial for digital marketers to connect with diverse audiences and collaborate effectively within their teams. Evaluate candidates with a communication skills test, presenting hypothetical scenarios to assess their empathy, etiquette, and people management skills.
  2. Teamwork: Digital marketers often function as part of a team, requiring strong listening and collaboration skills. Use a teamwork test with multiple-choice questions based on common working hurdles to gauge candidates’ abilities to navigate team dynamics.
  3. Interpersonal Skills: Vital for fostering teamwork and building client relationships, interpersonal skills are critical for agency-based digital marketers. Employ an interpersonal skills test to assess communication, social interaction, emotional awareness, empathy, and conflict resolution.
  4. Time Management: Effective time management is essential for digital marketers who must meet deadlines and handle workloads efficiently. A time management test will gauge candidates’ time awareness and organizational skills to deliver high-quality work promptly.
  5. Adaptability: Digital marketers often face dynamic environments, making adaptability crucial. Use an adaptability test featuring hypothetical scenarios to evaluate how candidates respond to unexpected situations and rapidly adjust to changes.
  6. These tests will provide valuable insights into each candidate’s ability to excel under pressure, handle unexpected challenges, and thrive in the ever-changing world of digital marketing.

 

Which technical or aptitude tests could I use to hire a digital marketer?

In the process of hiring a digital marketer, it is crucial to evaluate both their technical skills and aptitude in addition to assessing their soft skills. Employing a comprehensive testing approach can provide valuable, objective insights across all areas of expertise and reveal the candidate’s potential for a successful career.

For evaluating candidates, consider incorporating the following aptitude and technical tests:

  1. Verbal Reasoning: As digital marketers frequently work with written and spoken content like social media posts, blog articles, web copy, videos, and podcasts, a verbal reasoning test can be highly beneficial. This assessment involves presenting candidates with passages and requiring them to review related statements. It evaluates their ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret text under time constraints, while also measuring their attention to detail regarding the content and overall impression of the passages.
  2. Logical Reasoning: Assessing observation skills, lateral thinking, and problem-solving ability is vital for a digital marketer’s success. A logical reasoning test can effectively evaluate these qualities. It presents sets of patterns involving shapes, symbols, and various transformations such as rotation, translation, and mirroring. Candidates need to deduce the underlying rules governing these patterns and identify the next element in the sequence from a provided list of options.
  3. Error Checking: Given the significant reach of campaign posts in digital marketing, avoiding embarrassing mistakes is critical. An error-checking test can help identify candidates who possess a keen eye for detail and accuracy. The test presents multiple data sets and asks candidates to spot any discrepancies between them.

 

Challenges in Recruiting Digital Talent

 

As the world becomes increasingly digitized, the demand for digital talent remains constant, offering endless possibilities for the future. However, whether you’re a marketing department or a creative agency, finding top-performing candidates has become increasingly challenging due to several factors:

  1. Skills Shortage: The demand for digital talent far exceeds the available supply, leading to fierce competition among businesses. Brands and agencies must invest time in perfecting their value proposition and streamlining their talent acquisition strategy to increase their chances of hiring top candidates. Currently, prospective employees hold the power to decide where they want to work.
  2. Graduates Not Market-Ready: New graduates entering the industry require effective onboarding and hands-on experience to become effective contributors. This demands time and resources from existing team members to get them up to speed. Additionally, new junior hires may cost the business money before they start adding to their profit.
  3. Increasing Wages for Digital Experts: Digital professionals now play a crucial role in strategic business decisions and driving long-term objectives due to rising customer needs and expectations. As a result, salaries for digital experts have increased, partly driven by the war for talent as employers try to present themselves as more attractive career prospects than their competitors.
  4. Lack of Focus on Training and Development: As businesses and consumers move online, marketing agencies face the challenge of keeping up with emerging trends and allocating resources to maintain their market position. This often affects their ability to focus on continuous learning and upskilling their existing team members. However, investing in upskilling the team not only addresses the skills gap but also enhances talent attraction and retention.
  5. Keeping Pace with Ongoing Technological Evolution: Businesses must navigate market challenges arising from new technologies, often leading them to reevaluate their team structures and address knowledge gaps. Employees also face the challenge of adapting to digital innovations and quickly learning new systems and procedures.

 

What is the role of a digital marketing agency?

A digital marketing agency comprises a team of skilled marketing professionals, each specializing in specific areas of expertise, working together to offer a comprehensive marketing program. This full-service team can handle various aspects of marketing, including content creation, SEO, and social media while staying abreast of the ever-evolving landscape of digital tools and techniques.

Advantages and disadvantages of partnering with a digital agency:

Advantages:

  1. Diverse expertise: A digital agency brings together experts in multiple fields, ensuring a well-rounded approach to your marketing efforts.
  2. Adaptability: The agency’s bandwidth allows them to swiftly adapt to new tools and methods, ensuring your strategies remain up-to-date.
  3. Versatility: A digital agency can take on multiple tasks or even manage your entire marketing function, providing comprehensive support.

Disadvantages:

  1. Higher cost: Engaging a digital agency may involve higher upfront and long-term costs compared to hiring individual marketers.
  2. Possible delays: As agencies handle multiple projects simultaneously, they might not always have team members available immediately to address urgent issues.

When should you consider hiring a digital agency?

 

  1. Complex projects: If you have intricate marketing initiatives requiring strategic guidance and implementation across various channels, a digital agency can offer a cohesive campaign.
  2. Larger budget: When you have a substantial marketing budget, investing in a digital agency can yield better long-term results and consistent support.
  3. Ongoing work: If you require continuous management of your social media accounts or regular blog post creation, a marketing agency can provide consistent support and maintain your brand voice.
  4. Expertise in multiple disciplines: When you need specialists in diverse marketing areas such as content, design, and social media, a digital marketing agency can assemble a cohesive team of experts to meet your needs effectively.

Digital Marketing Team Structure:

 

To ensure success, the digital marketing team structure should encompass a balance of essential soft and hard skills, regardless of the business size. Whether these capabilities are embodied in a single individual or distributed among team members, high-performing marketing teams will require the following roles:

  1. Marketing Leader/Strategist: This visionary individual drives business objectives and sets the overall marketing strategy.
  2. Data and Analytics Guru: A number and KPI-focused expert who harnesses data insights to optimize campaigns and measure performance effectively.
  3. Storyteller and Wordsmith: A skilled communicator who excels in crafting compelling narratives to engage the audience.
  4. Relationship Builder: The people person of the team, responsible for nurturing strong relationships with prospects and customers.
  5. Tech Expert: Proficient in leveraging automation, PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and conversion rate optimization techniques to enhance marketing efforts.
  6. Creative Mind/Graphic Designer: This role brings artistic flair to the team, designing visually appealing and impactful content.
  7. Project Manager: Ensures seamless coordination and efficiency across all marketing initiatives, running the team like a well-oiled ship.

Conclusion about How To Hire A Digital Marketer?

In conclusion, hiring a digital marketer is a crucial decision that can significantly impact the success and growth of your business in the digital landscape. By carefully evaluating the candidate’s experience, expertise, and adaptability to the rapidly evolving digital marketing trends, you can ensure that you find the right fit for your organization. Look for individuals with a proven track record of driving results, a deep understanding of various digital channels, and the ability to develop innovative strategies tailored to your specific business needs. Additionally, prioritizing soft skills such as communication, creativity, and analytical thinking will foster harmonious and productive collaboration. By following these guidelines, you can secure a talented and competent digital marketer who will enhance your brand’s online presence and drive sustainable business growth in the competitive digital realm.

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