The world we live in is progressing rapidly in the blink of an eye due to the rapid development of the internet. So, we need experts to determine the best usage of the World Wide Web for business objectives and goals called Digital Strategists or Digital Marketing Strategists.
More than 50% of the world population is using the internet that accounts for over 4 billion people. Internet users have a growth rate of 1000% for the past 18 years. This rise in the popularity of the internet is strikingly amazing when looked back in 1990 when the World Wide Web was born and raised.
In today’s world, advertising and marketing of brands and products have become essential, directly responding to the digital movement. Digital Marketing has conquered over traditional marketing methods. According to reports, digital marketing has grown by 44% in the US and Britain with 52 billion amounting and expected to approach a whopping 100 billion market. As most business fields are going digital, digital marketing will continue to overshadow other marketing methods, and digital strategists will pave the way.
What does a Digital Strategist do?
A digital strategist works within an organization to plan and advice on the execution of marketing programs on online platforms. They identify the needs, goals, challenges and opportunities of different sections and aspects of the business. Then execute the plan to meet the objectives of the strategy through specific initiatives.
These individuals are creative, tech-savvy and innovative who have the skill of identifying the trends and technologies before they become popular and use those findings to inform the international marketing campaigns for brands they work with. They integrate the relevant marketing platforms and channels ranging from SEO/SEM to paid media and content into a workable plan that is used to launch the marketing of any product or service.
To increase sales or maximize brand awareness, a digital strategist should create and promote digital content. To improve the marketing position of a product or organization, digital strategist should collaborate with the marketing and sales department.
Duties of Digital Strategist
- Help the cross-functional teams to create and discuss ideas to bring the brand goals, retailer aims and consumer needs all to one place.
- Utilize different channels and tools like emails, analytics, social media and paid media to set online marketing strategies.
- Creating SEO optimizing content to have a positive impact on client’s business and drive more traffic.
- Build the brand’s equity and value by implementing the various available frameworks.
- An organization strategic objective should be aligned with the brand which should be assessed continuously.
- Research about the digital marketing communication tools that are effective in assigning a unique value to the brand.
- Build a strong relationship with clients.
- To work with multiple organizations and teams (like marketing, sales and creative)
- Identification of new companies for lead communication.
- Create a proper strategy and content to maximize web presence and outreach.
- Be flexible and adaptable regarding projects requirement and scope.
- Fluent writing and speaking skills, since this profession involves presentations and reports.
Education Requirements
- Bachelors and master’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, Communication or a related field.
- Certification in online technologies like JAVA, HTML, Adobe suite, Microsoft suite, Research and Analytics tools etc.
- Stand out from the crowd by earning the following certifications:
- AMA Certified Professional Marketer
- DMA Certifications
- Google Analytics
- Google AdWords
- Facebook Advertising
- HubSpot
- HootSuite
Career paths of a Digital Strategist
According to a report by the General assembly assessment on the present state of digital marketing showed that there is a 33% gap of digital marketing strategy skills that explain that recruiters are not able to find suitable candidates with minimum digital strategy skills to the required positions in their organizations. This opens up the opportunity for people who are already aware of the digital marketing landscape.
Candidates trained in digital marketing strategy can opt for any of the following career paths.
- CRM (Customer relationship management) and Email Marketing Manager
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Copywriter
- Web Manager
- Brand Manager
- SEO Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Analytics Manager.
- Digital Brands Manager
- IoT marketing strategist
- Chief Experience officer
Job Prospects
According to reports by Payscale, the average median salary for digital strategists is $59K and experienced strategists can earn $80k-$120k.
The job prospects in digital marketing are highly promising as digital fluency ranks as the most demanding marketing skills. With this weapon, you can take on the digital marketing world by advancing your career with long-term job growth.
The job as a digital strategist is for those who enjoy rapidly changing environments and a hunger for all the digital things.
– Samiya Firdous
