Excellent digital marketing is an art, not a science, of reviewing analytics. Outstanding digital marketers excel because they understand how to think like an online consumer, can look at numbers and tell a story, and identify opportunities.
Digital marketing is not complex as some would make you believe. Keyword research, online ads, and website usability are part of digital marketing success. Many people won’t tell you that deciding not to accept the hype is also vital to an excellent digital marketer. Here is MY list of what make an outstanding digital marketer.
1ne: They understand the brand strategy, your target audience, and how they use the web to research your product. Consumers use the web differently for different product categories, and even within product categories, online behaviors differ. They need a deep understanding, not as a digital person, but as a marketing person.
2wo: They teach the organization the importance of digital marketing processes like usability studies and ad flighting. Great digital marketers teach others about the evolution of digital marketing, and in doing so, their passion shows.
3hree: They can help separate the hype from the reality. “We need to be on Tik Tok because it’s the number one social media platform.” No, we don’t, and here’s why.
4our: They can look at online analytics, and rather than see numbers, they see opportunities. They can also take the analytics and tell a story that others in the organization can understand.
5ive: They remind everyone that the web is about users, not us. They can, however, bridge the gap between marketing KPIs and the user experience.
6ix: They don’t necessarily buy Google keywords. Spending money on Google keywords can be a huge waste of money depending on where your product is in its life cycle.
7even: They don’t try to change the organization overnight. They understand that getting people on the digital marketing wagon entails a lot of persuasion with complex data that tells a story.
8ight: They stay on top of emerging trends to answer managers’ questions about new platforms and stories around digital marketing.
9ine: They don’t try and take money away from TV for digital. Digital marketing is part of omnichannel marketing. It’s just one cylinder in the marketing engine.
10en: They accurately measure results that matter. Clicks may not matter with a high bounce rate. What may matter more is how long they stay on the site and what pages they read.
It’s been my experience that good digital marketers are hard to find. Most are too ingrained in numbers or let their agency do the work for them. Digital marketing is only as complex as you make it.
