OVERVIEW
What is a Digital Marketing Specialist?
A new era of advertising has created a need for professionals who know how to navigate the digital space and translate a company’s goals into successful marketing campaigns. Most digital marketing specialists spend their days creating, deploying, managing, and tracking campaigns to strengthen a company’s online presence. They work collaboratively with designers, developers, and communication professionals to determine the most effective ways to reach a target audience.
The field of digital marketing is vast and encompasses content marketing, social media marketing (SMM), email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and more. Often, digital marketers specialize in a particular area of digital marketing, such as becoming an SEO specialist or a social media strategist, to strengthen their expertise and skills.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Digital Marketing Specialist Do?
Depending on the company, industry, and seniority of digital marketing specialists, their day-to-day responsibilities can vary. Overall, a typical workday may include:
- Researching advertising trends: Being a successful digital marketer requires brand awareness and knowledge of the current culture and trends in advertising. Most of a digital marketing specialist’s work revolves around research and learning.
- Researching competitors: Digital marketers create campaigns with competitors in mind, so actively studying other prices and products on the market is vital to developing a marketing strategy that stands out from the crowd.
- Determining what content is best for customers: Knowing a company’s target customer and understanding their needs is essential for digital marketers. They depend on market research and strong discernment skills when deciding which content is best for customers.
- Deciding on the optimal placement of ads: A digital marketing specialist utilizes marketing analytics, along with the collaborative input of other experts, such as data analysts, to determine the best placement for digital advertisements. For example, the click-through and conversion rates on a campaign help digital marketers determine where their content works best.
- Developing projects to create content: From social media campaigns to email marketing to optimizing websites, digital marketing specialists develop short- and long-form content throughout various digital channels to effectively promote a company’s product or service.
- Publishing digital marketing content: Digital marketers use various platforms to publish marketing content. The ability to navigate from a newsletter to a blog to a social media platform with specific content is essential.
- Analyzing marketing campaign results: Tracking and monitoring the results of a marketing campaign is important for a digital marketing specialist to determine areas of success and growth. Also, communicating those results is important when reporting to managers and executives within a company.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Digital Marketing Specialist?
The first step to becoming a digital marketing specialist is to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing. This initial education will provide you with a strong foundation of understanding the full scope of marketing, from consumer behavior to digital channels to analytics. Next, gaining experience in digital marketing through internships and working your way up the ranks will only further develop your knowledge, skills, and hiring potential. Additionally, various digital marketing certificates allow you to specialize and show your commitment as a constant learner of the latest trends and changes in marketing. Finally, earning an MBA or master’s in marketing will open more job opportunities and growth as a professional.
Best Degrees for a Digital Marketing Specialist
Business
Marketing – B.S.
For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:...
For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:
- Time: 60% of graduates finish within 19 months.
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 37 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Communication
- Marketing
- Sales
- Management
- Project Management
- Product Management
Marketing is a creative and exciting field—and one where an undergraduate degree will open better opportunities.
Business
Master of Business Administration
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management,...
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management, strategy, and leading teams:
- Time: Graduates can finish in 12 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Leadership strategies
- Talent management
- Communication
- Data collection and interpretation
- Financial statements
Our competency-based model gives you an innovative learning experience you won't find anywhere else—and our MBA grads tell us they loved accelerating their program to see a faster ROI.
Business
Communications – B.S.
An online communications program designed for students who want real-world...
An online communications program designed for students who want real-world skills for a variety of industries.
- Time: 60% of students finish similar programs in 19 months.
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 38 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Strategic Communications
- Crisis Communication
- Content Creation
- Value-Based Leadership
- Project Management
This degree prepares you with relevant industry skills and experience that will help you move forward in your career.
Business
Marketing – M.S.
Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either...
Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either digital marketing or marketing analytics.
- Time: 61% of graduates finish WGU master's programs in 18 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program
- Specialization: Students choose from two specializations to focus their marketing studies on digital marketing or marketing analytics
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Management
- Strategic Planning
- Digital Marketing Analytics
- Presentations
- Market Research
- Communications
A marketing master's degree will help you prepare for a wide range of exciting marketing careers.
Business
Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Certificate – School of Business
Enhance your résumé and showcase your skills with a digital marketing and...
Enhance your résumé and showcase your skills with a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate from the School of Business.
- Time: 4 months from start to finish.
- Cost: $2,250 for the certificate.
- Courses: 4 courses total in this program.
This program is designed for individuals who want to boost their résumé with the help of a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate from WGU’s School of Business.
Whether you want to advance your career in this field, or you're just getting started, a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate can help you be ready for your next career step. You'll be prepared to work in a variety of industries including:
- Startups
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- IT
- Retail
- E-Commerce
Business
User Experience Design – B.S.
An online UX Design program designed for students who want to become...
An online UX Design program designed for students who want to become business-savvy designers that can generate best-in-class, customer-centric products and services.
- Time: 60% of students finish similar programs in 19 months.
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 38 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Wireframing and Prototyping
- Artificial Intelligence
- Accessible Design
- Figma Design Software
- UI/UX Research
- User Testing
- Adobe Express
This degree prepares you with relevant industry skills and experience that will help you move forward in your career.
How Much Does a Digital Marketing Specialist Make?
$63,920
A digital marketing specialist’s salary often depends on location, size of company, degree, and experience level. The median income for a digital marketing specialist is $63,920 per year, with the bottom 10% earning $37,570 and the top 10% earning $128,320. On average, a digital marketer with a master’s degree can earn up to $20,000 more per year than a digital marketer with just a bachelor’s degree.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
10%
There is a rising demand for digital marketers as more companies focus their attention and finances on advertising online. From 2020 to 2030, the advertising and marketing field is expected to grow by 10%, and the increasing dependence on digital media within every industry will only continue to require digital marketing campaigns and professionals.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Digital Marketing Specialist Need?
Digital marketing professionals need a mix of technical marketing skills and creative skills, including:
- Knowledge of and experience with SEO and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Knowledge of and experience with various social media platforms
- Knowledge of and experience with email marketing
- Knowledge of and experience with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- Awareness of consumer behavior and human psychology
- General understanding of data analytics
- General understanding of UI/UX design
- Writing, editing, and visual storytelling
- Creative problem-solving
- Project leadership
- Adaptability
- Time management
- Strategic planning
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