How to Become a Digital Marketing Strategist?

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The world is changing. The rapid growth of technology and digital media has a great impact on the changing world. To stand out as best in market, a digital marketing strategist incorporates their skills to make a successful marketing campaign. Digital marketing strategists make strategies and execute them through their analytical skills and research the market. They must be well aware of the digital platform as well as web content development, SEO, SEM and web traffic management.

A digital marketing strategist must need marketing skills to meet industry demand. They take care of web presence to attract more audience, analyze and monitor SEO/SEM to perform essential job responsibilities. Minimum bachelor’s degree in marketing or sales field is required to become a digital marketing strategist. The salary depends on the candidate’s skills and experience. If you have an MBA degree in relevant field, you may get a fair opportunity to get a higher range of salary.

What does a Digital Marketing Strategist Do?

Digital marketing is the main key to boost up new project or product. A digital marketing strategist takes responsibility to take that project to a large audience. They make plans, monitor, manage and recommend all necessary changes.

Digital marketing strategists have high social media skills. They also take care of web content, manage SEO and SEM to increase the target audience.  They have certain skills like analytical and communication skills to accomplish the goals.

Education Required to become Digital Marketing Strategist

If you’re interested to make career in digital marketing field, you will require minimum a bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, or business. Study shows that 61.3% have bachelor’s degree, 26% of master’s degree, 1% of Doctorate and 0.5% of Diploma for becoming digital marketing strategist. Let’s look at the scenario of education for this job.

  • 31%- Marketing
  • 20.8%- Business
  • 8.1%- Communication
  • 6.3%- Management
  • 4.8%- Public Relations
  • 3%- English
  • 3%- Journalism
  • 2.7%- Specialize Sales and Merchandising
  • 2.4%- Finance
  • 2.1%- Graphic Design
  • 1.8%- Liberal Arts, Political Science, Information Technology
  • 1.5%- Agricultural Public Services, Economics, Photography, Psychology
  • 1.2%- Advertising, Computer System Security.

Internship in marketing can enhance your profile to become a digital marketing strategist. 6.4% has digital marketing certificates, like

  • AMA Certified Professional Marketer
  • Google AdWorlds
  • Google Analytics
  • HubSpot
  • HootSuit
  • Facebook Blueprint Certificate

Skills to Become Digital Marketing Strategist

To become a digital marketing strategist, you must have some skills and knowledge about on-going market. Those skills will make you suitable for this post. The basic skills required are:

  1. Excellent Communication Skill: An excellent communication skill, both written and verbal can build a strong client relationship.
  2. Analytical Skill: To analyze analytics is a very important skill. Based on it, digital marketing strategists generate reports to make plans and execute them.
  3. Web Content Marketing Skill: Digital marketing strategists have great skill in content writing and developing it. Good web content can make potential customers, thus, enhance marketing. Develop, managing and updating web content for targeted customers can boost the generation of products.
  4. SEO Management Skill: Digital marketing strategist incorporates SEO (Search Engine Optimization) content strategy to ensure great digital presence. Continuous optimization is crucial in digital marketing to boost up the project.
  5. SEM Management Skill: This is an internet marketing strategy to increase the visibility of a website. Digital marketing strategist takes care of this SEM (Search Engine Marketing) by continuous monitoring.
  6. Social Media Marketing Skill: Social media is a great platform for digital marketing. Digital marketing strategist must have depth knowledge to catch the eyes of audiences in social media like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube. Advertisements, presentations of products to build a network and understand client requirements are managed by digital marketing strategists.
  7. Paid Social Media Advertising Skills: Digital marketing strategist develops “pay per click” strategy in social media channels. They generate ad copies and manage agencies to execute paid search strategy in social media.
  8. Project Management Skill: To implement ideas, digital marketing strategists need project management skills to create and manage budgets. They make sure of on-time delivery of that project, as well as troubleshooting any problems.
  9. A/B Testing Skill: For further analysis and process, a digital marketing strategist collects A/B testing data. It monitors web visitors’ behaviors, as well as tracking and implementation of marketing campaigns.
  10. HTML and Email Campaign: Email marketing is a new addition to digital marketing. Digital marketing strategist handles email campaigns, develops and executes them. They design and manage an average of 25 email campaigns monthly. They implement an opt-in email registration process to support HTML email campaigns.
  11. Brand Strategy: Digital marketing strategists create brand advertisements on various digital platforms to reach audiences. They engage in social media marketing as well as International digital marketing to enhance the brand image.

Responsibilities of a Digital Marketing Strategist

  • Study and analyze the market
  • Set the strategy for digital marketing and execute it
  • Takes care of web content and web traffic
  • Research on-going market to implement new strategies and opportunities
  • Monitor SEO/SEM
  • Generate leads
  • Build potential clients and build a strong relationship

How do I become Digital Marketing Strategist

First you need at least a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree will definitely give you the opportunity to stand a chance. But most importantly, one must have the required skills to stay long in this position. The continuous study, analyze, research, making strategies according to them are essential.

Candidates with experience in digital marketing or sales field may have higher chances in competition.

Career Prospects of Digital Marketing Strategist

Digital marketing has opened numerous doors for an individual’s career. Study shows 54.9% of male and 39.3% female make career in this role. A successful and experienced digital marketing strategist can have related roles/ positions further.

  • 12%- Digital Marketing Manager
  • 8.6%- Marketing Director
  • 7.6%- Digital Marketing Consultant
  • 7.1%- Digital Marketing Specialist
  • 5.6%- Marketing Manager, Digital Strategist
  • 5.1%- Marketing Strategist, Account manager, Marketing Consultant
  • 4.6%- Digital Marketing Director, Social Media Manager/ Consultant
  • 4.1%- Social Media Strategist
  • 3%- Founder, Senior Manager of Marketing, Vice President
  • 2.5%- Project Manager

Salary

The average salary for a digital marketing strategist in US is $63,534 per year or $31 per hour. Though, this salary structure varies by location and industries. Like,

  • Energy Industry- $93K
  • Telecommunication- $67K
  • Hospitality, Technology, Media- $63K
  • Health Care, Finance- $61K
  • Non-Profit- $58K

The best paying cities are San Francisco ($85K), Seattle ($83k), NY ($79K), Washington DC ($72K) etc.  

How to Learn Digital Marketing?

All you have to do is practice and practice. Study and research the relevant field, create your own digital blog or site, make good content, optimize it, and analyze the viewer’s behavior. Training can also help you to learn. Once you get qualified/ certified, it will be easier for you to step further.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Digital Marketer?

It depends on your skills, knowledge and experience. The more you will engage in digital marketing, the more you learn. You may need 6 to 12 months to learn if you are fresher.

What is the Highest Position in Digital Marketing?

If you start as Digital Marketing Manager, you can become Digital Marketing Director with experience and can end up being Vice President of Marketing and Communications. The average salary of Corporate Communications Director is $124,054 yearly.

What are the Digital Marketing Trends for 2020?

The career in digital marketing is expected to grow 8% within 2028. Modern technology upgrades the digital marketing strategy. Few top most current digital marketing trends in 2020 are:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Programmatic Advertising
  • Personalization
  • Chatbots
  • Influencer Marketing
  • Social Messaging Apps
  • Visual Search (Pinterest lens, Google Lens)
  • Push Notifications
  • Social Media Stories

Conclusions

Digital marketing is going to get expanded in the future, those who are willing to be life-long learners can only survive in the global market. Digital marketing strategists need an outstanding approach to business objectives for achieving brand success. In order to succeed the primary requirements are research, analytics and implementation of essential marketing skills. Other than that, utilizing social media platforms with great writing, editing and communication skill can help them to shine.

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Written byEthan Perkins
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