At any single point in time, a digital marketing manager is spinning a number of plates in front of a large, and ever-changing audience.
This means that today’s digital marketing manager must be completely across the nuances of evolving online paradigms, and the ways in which they interact. Digital marketing managers must know how each of the digital and social channels operate and interact, and the range of synergies created by this process.
Such synergies raise some vital questions: how different should my Facebook post schedule be compared to my Twitter or Instagram strategies? What priority should I be putting on email marketing? How do I build my search engine optimization through content generation and content marketing?
As you can see, the questions faced by the modern digital marketing manager are as numerous as they are complex. Here are some skills to master in order to take on these challenges.
1. Data Analysis
The term “big data” is used far and wide in today’s digital marketing world, but be aware of the distinction between big data for big data’s sake, and actually making the most of the data available to you.
Indeed, it is far more important what you actually “do” with that data—this is the work of the analyst. Marketing is increasingly becoming a field of analytical scientists, equipped with a range of technology tools and platforms.
While this might make many a digital marketer want to jump ship, a new breed of team member, the data analyst, is fast becoming one of the most sought after types of digital marketer in today’s market. The creative marketer has a new partner.
2. Technology Tools and Platforms
In the past, a marketer’s job likely focused on managing the advertising agency. Today, however, they also need to understand technology. If you’re looking to scale your marketing efforts, look for digital marketing, email marketing and specialist social media marketing tools to take advantage of.
There is a host of free tools at marketers’ fingertips in today’s digital age. Some of these include:
While these tools are free, many offer premium versions that add other features and functions.
3. Visual Marketing
Most marketers know that increased engagement and sharing comes through using visual mediums. This is obviously true for Instagram, but also for Facebook: studies have shown that engagement is pushed up by 100% when a firm uses a visual post, rather than just test.
This is not just a tactic for Instagram or Facebook, however. Twitter also now allows visual posts, with some users claiming a close to 200% increase in tweet “impressions” when a tweet is accompanied by an image. In the same vein, engagement can increase by between 500% to 600%.
Visual marketing is well worth adding to your toolbox.
With the world of digital marketing evolving with every passing day, it is vital that digital marketing managers stay ahead of the curve. These tips should get you started, but know that your evolution will never be complete!
