Wondering how to become a digital marketing manager? The days of print advertising, billboards and magazine ads are old news. The world around us is going digital, and so are many company’s marketing efforts. Before the internet and the start of digital content, companies and their marketers relied on more traditional means of advertising

Today, digital marketing managers are in high demand.

Brands need a marketing guru that can help them curate content, advertise to their target audience and help them build credibility with their customers. In fact, the need for marketing managers is projected to grow at least 10% between the years 2020 and 2030. That's because companies are seeing the value a fine-tuned marketing strategy can provide, and they're ready to enhance their digital marketing efforts however they can.

Choosing a digital marketing career path is a rewarding, exciting experience for any professional looking to pair creativity and data analysis.

What does a digital marketing manager do?

A digital marketing manager oversees all of a business's online marketing efforts. It’s their job to implement new strategies and help promote their brand online through several different marketing channels.

We like to call the digital marketing manager the "glue" of a company. They're the ones that hold everyone together and create strategies that benefit different departments, products and services.. They do this by planning campaigns, identifying KPIs and looking for new opportunities through data and analytics.

Digital marketing managers are an integral part of any workplace. They often have their fingers in many pots and are involved with several different projects at once. They're hands-on with the sales team to help them drive revenue and turn leads into customers. They plan the content development process and ensure the website is up-to-date and optimized for SEO.

Everything a digital marketing manager accomplishes contributes to a fruitful connection with potential customers, to transform prospects into returning customers.

What skills will I need as a digital marketing manager?

As a marketing manager, you’ll rely on a wide variety of skills on a daily basis. On some days, you might coordinate with creative teams to develop new assets. On other days, you might help social media teams deploy and split test those assets, while reviewing performance metrics to optimize for better online performance.

Here are a few of the skills a digital marketing manager might require on a daily basis.

Interpersonal communication

As the glue of the company, everything a digital marketing manager does revolves around communication. This skill will help you implement strategies that help foster a connection between consumers and brands they trust. You'll also need optimal communication skills to help you meet the needs of your team members, while you work with them to develop content for the product and services they take to market.

Collaboration

The best marketers are team players. You’ll need to know how to coordinate projects between departments, implement feedback and maintain quality listening skills that help you meet the needs of the different departments at your company.

Social media marketing

Social media is a must-have for any business that wants to connect with its customers. For many consumers, a brand’s social media profile is the first impression of a brand they receive. Make sure you leave a favorable impression on customers through different social media channels, to grow a community through content optimized for each platform.

Email marketing

Email marketing is a great tool that helps brands stay connected with current customers through industry information, promotions and relevant news. It’s a great tool to help keep a company top of mind in the inbox and helps customers take advantage of interesting sales.

As a digital marketing manager, you’re in charge of developing campaigns, analyzing metrics and developing email strategies to help a brand stay connected with all of these different audiences.

Search engine optimization and search engine marketing

SEO helps you increase organic traffic that lands interested customers on your preferred landing pages. SEO is one of the best digital marketing tools a marketer can deploy, because it helps a brand rank higher on search engines, drives website traffic and increases brand awareness.

Data and analysis

To make efficient changes in your marketing strategies, you’ll want to know how to analyze data and tackle challenges head-on. As a digital marketer, you'll examine challenges with an informed lens and make changes based on data to achieve optimal outcomes. This way, you can optimize your brand in ways that benefit your strategies and help you see results over time.

Tools & platforms

There are different tools and platforms a digital marketing manager will need to know. Whether it's a CRM database, a tool for data and analysis or a social scheduling platform, you'll want to sustain hands-on experience with the tools most companies use. Having a working knowledge of these skills will give you a competitive edge over your competition and help you quickly transition into different responsibilities.

Campaign development

Learning how to craft an effective digital marketing campaign is a must-have skill. Knowing how to personalize, optimize and launch a successful campaign from start to finish on any marketing channel is a great skill that will help you further your career.

Content creation

Your team will look to you as an authority for fresh, new ideas in content development. You’ll need to know how to develop website copy, email content, social media posts and effective advertising campaigns for the different products and services your business provides.

What education will I need as a digital marketing manager?

Digital marketing managers come from all different paths in life. Some have completed a formal, higher education, others have an undergraduate degree and some are only informally trained.

Digital marketing is all about the experience. It’s about dipping your toes where experience allows, jumping on new opportunities, taking risks and always being open to learning new things.

Many individuals in the marketing industry start out as coordinators and specialists. As they gain more experience, they’ll start to move into manager and strategist positions over time. The more you know about the different digital marketing channels, the more valuable you’ll be for a company.

To give yourself a competitive edge and always stay two steps ahead of your competition, there’s a preferred option that allows you to accelerate your education and gain industry experience at the same time: a Digital Marketing Bootcamp.

What will I earn as a digital marketing manager?

According to Builtin, the average base salary for a digital marketing manager in 2022 was $84,980. The additional cash compensation is about $9,856, which makes the total compensation around $94,836.

As you start your journey down the digital marketing manager career path, you'll want to keep in mind that salaries for this position vary by industry, experience and skill level.

Remember: The more valuable you can provide, the higher the salary. This year, many employers project that average digital marketing manager salaries could easily eclipse six figures.

What steps do I need to follow to become a digital marketing manager in 2022?

The digital marketing manager career path is an exciting opportunity for individuals interested in this career. It challenges you to get creative, be strategic and always think outside of the box. If you’re ready to take the next step and find the best digital marketing careers, you'll want to first start by honing your talents and exploring opportunities that allow you to develop the right skills for success.

We're here to help you stay up-to-date with the rapidly changing world of digital marketing.

At WorkForce Institute, we produce content, courses and certifications designed to help you learn how to become a digital marketing manager. We’re here to help you amplify your talents and improve your digital skillset. Our Digital Marketing Bootcamp is a great tool that digital marketing managers can use to effectively leverage both SEO and SEM best practices for an organization.