What exactly does a Digital Marketer do? This term is often thrown around for a multitude of marketing positions, but does anyone actually know the definitive description for what this person does? In fact, yes, yes we do!
If you ask 10 different digital marketers what their day-to-day jobs look like, you’ll get 10 different answers.
It’s pretty simple (not really), a digital marketer’s function is actually specific to the services offered by his or her company. If a digital agency leans more towards creative services or branding, that marketer will have more of a content and strategizing role. If, instead, it’s more within the tech and development side of things, then that marketer will have more technical knowledge and will use it accordingly while working on the backend of things.
As defined by SAS:
“Digital marketers monitor things like what is being viewed, how often and for how long, sales conversions, what content works and doesn’t work, etc. While the Internet is, perhaps, the channel most closely associated with digital marketing, others include wireless text messaging, mobile instant messaging, mobile apps, podcasts, electronic billboards, digital television and radio channels, etc.”
Great, well now that this is covered… What’s a lead generator?
what those might be.
Digital Marketer Vs. Lead Generator
A digital marketer’s end goal is quite different from that of a lead generator. First things first, what’s a lead?
According to HubSpot:
“A lead is a person who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service in some way, shape, or form.”
Well that’s good, but how about going further and defining what lead generation is?
Also defined by HubSpot:
“Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into those leads we just talked about… It’s a way of warming up potential customers to your business and getting them on the path to eventually buying.”
Creating ways in finding these people is the primary focus of a lead generator’s daily task set. A digital marketer, on the other hand, takes these leads and structures strategies based on what they are looking for. If a potential business lead were looking for online SEO services, it would be the job of a digital marketer to find out what exactly could be done to cater towards those requirements. Ideas that would fall under this could be keyword research and analysis, content syndication, URL backlinking, etc. There’s more of a complete holistic approach involved when a digital marketer offers his services. Knowing an industry inside and out is a huge part in any market, and possessing the ability to provide any specific set of client oriented assistance in achieving long-term goals is absolutely essential.
While a lead generator’s attention is geared more towards discovering what a consumer wants, a digital marketer’s duty is in converting that want into a need, and further explaining why that need exists through differently offered avenues.
Think of this analogy to describe the difference:
Imagine a lead generator as a real estate agent whose job it is to get you into a new home or apartment. A digital marketer in this scenario would be the interior decorator, creating and adjusting the home to your likings by using a series of tools and materials. Even though the end goal is still the same for each, to make the customer happy, both play different roles in getting there.
To be the best, you have to learn from the best. Let’s check out some extremely important to remember quotes from the top professionals in the marketing industry.
“When I hire marketers, the number one thing I look for is how creative they are, because without that they won’t ever be great.” – Neil Patel, New York Times best-selling author and co-founder of KISSmetrics.
Let’s go at it again, what are digital marketers? They’re creative.
Creating custom solutions for a plethora of different consumers in a vast range of industries requires someone who has that creative sense to them. The ability to think outside of the box will lure in potential consumers and keep them coming, and having a lot of knowledge of the current industry trends, as well as the specific services your business offers, will help keep your creative juices flowing.
“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” – Steve Jobs, Former Apple CEO
One of the best perspectives a digital marketer can take is from the eyes of a consumer. Tapping into what a person needs for their brand is part of the process that goes into turning a good digital marketer into a great digital marketer.
The trick is to read through the lines of your client. For example, let’s just say you’re sitting down with a top executive of a financial firm to discuss initial marketing ideas. He or she says that they want to keep consumers engaged on their brand’s website. You, being the brilliantly inventive marketer, pitch a fully interactive and fun way for users to select retirement planning. They love it and decided to sign with your agency right then and there. A perfect scenario.
Let’s now say that you’re a marketer working for an agency that offers SEO Services. In this case, looking into your customer’s vision and their social presence is imperative. Some of the key ideas to evaluate will be:
“Consider the terminology your business uses to describe itself, and how you fare with others on a search engine. Consider different factors like what consumers search for when looking for your business or where you need to gain a larger reach.”
This is exactly what goes into not only planting an idea, but delivering it as well. And for a digital marketer this is one of the most important roles you can take in building a rapport.
“The person with the most conviction is going to decide which way the transaction goes.” – Grant Cardone, Training Expert
If there is one thing every skillful marketer possesses, it’s that he or she is so involved with their business and aware of their previous case studies/history, that they can offer any and every service known possible. Being intertwined with what you’re capable of is very important in presenting the right solutions to potential leads. The last thing you want to happen is for a customer to ask about a service that your agency offers and you just sit there not knowing if it’s something you can even do!
Study up! It’s part of your job as a digital marketer to also be a strong representative of your brand. Knowing your business and capabilities inside and out is a crucial function for your position.
The Wrap Up
It goes without saying that any job is performed only as well as the person performing it, and being a marketer isn’t an easy task, not by any means. Knowing how to convert leads into full-blown consumers can be a daunting task to take on. The uncertainty that’s involved with determining your role in an organization can also be a discouraging facet.
At the end of the day, the best advice is to trust in your system and believe in what it has to offer to the sea of potential business opportunities.
