10 Essential Skills Of A Successful Digital Marketing Specialist

Digital marketing has overtaken traditional marketing in a sense, and it has become an industry on its own. A Digital Marketing Specialist requires a set of skills to become successful in their line of work and deliver optimal results. In digital marketing, you always have to be a few steps ahead of your competition and perhaps preempt what your clients may need.

As a Digital Marketing Specialist, the most important part of your role in achieving online business success for the company you work for, and driving growth for the company. We have compiled ten essential skills that you need to make an impact in this role.

1. Paid Social Media Management

Paid social media is a form of investment for which the marketing department should see returns. Knowing how to manage a paid social media campaign on platforms such as Facebook is important because it is simply about creating a campaign that will attract visitors which will turn into paying clients.

Besides, there are ways to maximize saving in digital marketing. Someone who is well-versed in digital marketing will know how to use their marketing spend well. One of the core skills in this area is being able to create a campaign, test the campaign with users and analyze stats on interaction.

2. Sales Skills

Sales skills are necessary because you need people to buy into the idea. In crafting a campaign, you need to gain an understanding of what intrigues your potential client. Being a good salesperson means being able to actively engage with prospective and existing clients and being able to gain and retain sales.

When seeking a new digital marketer, it is very important to take into consideration how well-versed they are in terms of selling a product and interacting with potential clients.

3. Special And Specific Knowledge

As a digital marketer, you work with different platforms and channels including email, SEO, SEM, Social Media, Google Ads, etc. It is important to hone your skills in two or more of these areas. Even being a subject matter expert in one of the channels can make a huge difference to your career and what you can contribute to the company.

Understanding how a specific marketing platform works is pivotal in ensuring that you are able to fully engage it to gain results. Other channels can also include review sites and mapping sites where you can apply SEO tactics to drive sales and clicks.

4. Analytical And Objective Thinking

Marketing is usually taken up by people who are passionate and creative and love what they do. Sometimes, passion can overtake objectivity so as a digital marketer - you need to be able to balance and keep your emotions in check so that you can make sound decisions.

Successful digital marketers need to know how to distinguish between the emotions and objectives of a campaign. The ability to step back and analyze a decision is very important and being able to plan ahead should anything go wrong.

5. Understand And Implement Drip Marketing Campaigns

Drip marketing is important and it is a good way to gain leads, and the ability to engage data after launching a campaign is vital. Drip marketing entails creating responsive campaigns that engage users on a personal level based on the results of an existing campaign.

A good digital marketer avoids sending it automated and generic emails but takes the time to craft concise communication and building a rapport with the client base. In as much as creative thinking matters in this realm of marketing, and an analytical and strategic mindset is far more valuable.

6. The Ability To Listen

Ever heard the saying that ‘listening is a skill’? Well, that is true because it is a skill you practice over time as a digital. Apart from simply listening to what a client has to say, you also need to be able to gauge how stats and results communicate back to you.

What does it say about the campaign or product if people are engaging it, or only an engaging a small part of it? Most digital marketing tools come with analytical tools to help you gauge the level of your success and what your market needs from your product or service.

7. A Combination Of Writing And Visual Storytelling Skills

Digital media needs to have good writing and attractive imagery. The digital marketer needs to be able to use both skills to craft a campaign. Using the right imagery is important because it is usually the first thing that stands out for the user.

Gone are the days when writers only wrote words and salesmen went door to door. The digital marketing role encompasses a range of requirements, skills, and abilities that enable you to create engaging campaigns.

8. Personality Goes A Long Way

Your outlook on life is important and your personality is important because you will be able to connect with people on different levels. As a digital marketer, you will be communicating with people at different levels of the value chain in marketing and promoting products.

In essence, you should have a good personality and be sociable to manage relationships. Clients and anyone else you work with should be able to approach you with new ideas and communicate areas of improvement easily. In other words, you need to be likable and approachable.

9. Well-Versed In WordPress

WordPress is the most commonly used web design tool and offers an easy way to manage a website and a blog. It also has extensions that rate your SEO, for instance. By knowing how to use this platform, the digital marketer can coordinate campaigns from the company website and ensure that content production runs smoothly.

It is also important to remain up to date on new developments on the platform and plugins to boost user engagement.

10. Being shameless At Self-Promotion

Digital marketing is no space for a shy person who cannot be confident in what they know. Digital marketers have to apply a moderate level of aggression in marketing their skills and being able to display their knowledge and understanding of social media.

You should never lie, and be able to back up what you say you know by simply implementing it. Always remain a step ahead by taking courses and reading relevant news to digital marketing.

The Bottom Line

Digital and online platforms may have started off as simply friends talking to each other and sharing photos to being a mega sales platform for businesses. In this day in age, it has grown to become one of the most prominent areas in marketing.

A digital marketing specialist needs to understand their role beyond a simple day job but as a career path that is constantly evolving. There are various courses available for digital marketers to improve their knowledge. Digital marketing is not easy, but once you master the basics, it becomes a sustainable career choice.

About the Author:

Alice Jones is a San Francisco, CA based content writer, essay writer, and journalist. She completed her graduation from University of San Francisco and then pursued her Master’s degree from there. Her areas of interest are business management, economics and finance.