If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either considering a career in online marketing or have recently made the leap. Either way, congratulations! There are plenty of opportunities out there, and with the right training, you can be certain of that. But before you begin your journey, it’s important to understand what you’re getting into. We’re not here to sugar coat the facts, so let’s get into it.
The Opportunity
If you’re new to online marketing, you might not be exactly sure what it entails. That’s fair. We weren’t exactly sure what being a digital marketer entailed when we started out either. With the right training though, you’ll find yourself working on a multitude of projects and gaining valuable experience that will make you a more attractive candidate to prospective employers. To give you a more accurate picture of what you might encounter, here’s a short list of the various roles a digital marketer might assume:
Content Strategist
Content strategists are responsible for creating strategic content plans that will drive traffic to websites and social media channels. They work closely with marketing and advertising agencies to produce content for various platforms and create strategies to improve brand awareness and drive sales.
The role requires a good mix of creativity and analytical thinking, as you’ll be expected to come up with unique and compelling content for various platforms. You’ll also need to be able to take a project and run with it, working with clients to produce quality content on schedule. Finally, you’ll need to be reliable and committed to the work, as there’s a lot of it. You’ll be surprised how many content strategists end up in a content mill, churning out hundreds of articles a month for low-paying clients. This is not the career you want to choose if you’re looking for a steady paycheck. However, if you’re looking for flexibility and some challenge, this is a great choice. Most content strategists are also account managers, working for digital marketing agencies that offer a multitude of roles and projects. If you’re looking to break into content marketing, this is a great place to do so. There are also plenty of opportunities in-house, where you might serve as a content strategist for a small business.
Content Creators
Content creators are generally freelance writers or journalists who are brought in to write product descriptions, reviews and other articles for websites. They are heavily relied upon to produce content quickly and accurately, as well as to provide samples of previous work. This is a great opportunity if you’re looking to break into journalism or write for magazines and newspapers. You’ll be expected to research relevant facts and details about the product or service you’re writing about. While this might not seem like a creative role to you, it can be when you consider the amount of content that has to be produced daily. Again, this is a role that relies heavily on your ability to multitask and produce quality work on-demand.
If you’re looking for a creative outlet and you love to write, this is a great choice as well. You’ll need to make sure, however, that you have the skill set to back up the role, as there are plenty of fakes out there, trying to trick customers with fake reviews. Make sure you’re confident that the reviews you’re posting are genuine, as you’ll be held accountable for any reviews you post on behalf of a client. In this role, you might be asked to review products you’re not actually paying for. While it’s not always explicitly stated, this is usually the case when you’re reviewing products for online marketing agencies. It’s not always easy to determine the authenticity of a review when you’re simply reading them, as in most cases, the author will not reveal their true identity. This makes it easier for the review to be taken at face value and for the advertiser to receive value for their money. It’s also important to note here that as a content creator, you might be asked to write in a way that appeals to the audience you’re targeting. This could mean taking the point of view of a typical woman or young adult and using language they might understand.
Copywriters
Copywriters are typically, but not always, employed by a marketing department to produce marketing material, including advertising copy, marketing emails and social media posts. They are often charged with coming up with compelling and concise pitches for products and services, as well as providing editing and proofreading services to ensure content is of high quality. This is a very important role, as it gives you the opportunity to have an impact on the way a company presents itself to the public. While it might not seem like a creative role, it can be when you think about the amount of content that needs to be composed and the fact that you have the opportunity to make a difference.
Senior Copywriter
This is a very similar role to a copywriter, except that a senior copywriter is usually responsible for coming up with compelling marketing copy for use in multiple contexts, including websites, ads and social media. Additionally, they might be expected to create brand guidelines, write product descriptions and review the work of other copywriters. If you’re looking for a creative outlet and you love to write, this is a great choice if you feel like you have the opportunity to make a difference and can combine your writing skills with your organizational skills.
Marketing and Advertising Agencies
Marketing and advertising agencies are the groups responsible for coming up with an overall marketing strategy for a brand or company and then implementing that strategy, including the creation of ads and the design of web pages and social media posts. They are often the first point of contact for customers, so it is essential that their website and social media channels are user-friendly and provide customers with the information they need, in a format that is easy to understand. Marketing agencies generally work with different companies and groups of companies, creating campaigns that might last for several months and involving various teams, including designers, content creators, copywriters and advertisers. If you’re looking for a challenging career and the opportunity to make a difference, this is a great choice. Most marketing agencies have an in-house creative department, where you might find yourself working on various projects, from writing and editing articles to taking charge of a social media campaign.
Marketing & Advertising Executives
This is a broad role category, encompassing marketing and advertising executives who coordinate and oversee the entire marketing and advertising process for a business or brand. They might create the overarching marketing strategy and then work with internal and external partners, including agencies, to bring it to life. They might also be responsible for the design and oversight of advertising campaigns, as well as the measurement and analysis of ad performance. This is a very responsible role, as you might be expected to report directly to the CEO on matters relating to the company’s marketing strategy.
It might sound like a lot of responsibility for something that’s just a job. But if you’re looking for a challenge, then this is a great choice. As a marketing and advertising executive, you might end up working with a lot of different people and having to juggle multiple tasks, as the job often entails. But you’ll have the opportunity to make a difference, have plenty of responsibility and have a creative outlet, all while earning a decent paycheck. To give you an idea of what it’s like, here’s a shortlist of the various responsibilities an advertising executive might have:
Creative
To start, it’s important to note that not all creatives are created equal. Some are better than others at specific tasks, like drawing, painting or crafting. However, the ability to be creative does not entail that you can do anything. If you’re not sure, ask for samples of their work. It’s also important to remember that you, as the client, are always in control of the creative process. This means you have the power to dictate the direction of the project and the person delivering the work. Once you’ve found a creative who agrees to take on your project, make sure you work closely with them, review the progress and ensure the end result meets your expectations.
Strategic
As a marketing and advertising executive, you’ll be expected to come up with a strategic marketing plan and be able to implement it in a way that meets the goals and objectives of the company, while keeping within the bounds of good judgment. To put it simply, you’ll need to be able to think strategically and come up with comprehensive plans to improve the brand’s presence in the marketplace.