digital marketing career guide
TRANSCRIPT
YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING CAREER GUIDE | 2016
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WelcomeSo you’re interested in Digital Marketing?
The world of digital marketing
is fast-paced and constantly
changing - but don’t worry,
we’re here to guide you through
every step of the way.
The prominence of the
traditional marketer is
diminishing as companies and
brands begin to look to the
digital marketer for actionable
insights into their consumers’
behaviour and the integrated
online marketing strategies
which align with them.
Technological advances now
allow us to more accurately
measure and track how well
certain brands or products are
doing online and make changes
accordingly - it’s the upper
hand that digital has to offer.
Digital marketing is a world
in which analytics and
creativity meet and we can’t
wait to introduce you. Digital marketing is a world in which analytics and creativity meet and we can’t wait to introduce you.
WEBGROWTH | YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING CAREER GUIDE 2016 3
5 HOURS A DAY
In-demand skills
Digital marketing has taken South Africa
by storm following the exponential surge
in internet and mobile phone usage rates.
THE END OF 2015 SAW JUST UNDER 25 MILLION INTERNET USERS IN SOUTH AFRICA - THAT’S ALMOST 47% OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION.
What’s more, South Africans are now
relying more and more on their mobile
phones as their first screen to access
the internet. In 2015, 61% of all web
traffic in the country was accessed
via mobile phones. This isn’t unique
to South Africa though, the entire
continent is experiencing a boom in
both internet and mobile phone usage.
On average South Africans are spending just over 5 hours a day accessing the internet from computers, and over 3 hours a day from mobile phones.
Digital Marketing in South Africa
This is the ideal climate for the digital
marketing industry to thrive. More than
ever before companies and brands,
both large and small, are marketing to
and interacting with their consumers
online. I’m sure you know by now that
you can do very little online without
being advertised to - and most of the
time you aren’t even aware of it.
While we’ve covered a lot of technological
ground lately, we are still an emerging
market economy and a couple steps
behind the industry leaders in the
US and the UK. This creates an even
greater urgency for us to keep an
eye on those ahead of us and the
trends and developments of internet
marketing strategies globally. 3 HOURSA DAY
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2017 SOUTH AFRICAN CONSUMERS WILL BE SPENDING A TOTAL OF
R59.6 BILLION ON INTERNET ACCESS..
...A MASSIVE LEAP
FROM 2014’S
R19.8 BILLION*
11.8 MILLION ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
10.6 MILLION ACTIVE MOBILE SOCIAL ACCOUNTS*
79.1 MILLION MOBILE CONNECTIONS
Digital Marketing Statistics
SOURCES* WeAreSocial
* Pricewaterhousecoopers
5
Agency Alex
• Works in a creative workspace
• Works within teams across multiple disciplines
• Focuses on client strategies & campaigns
• Mostly hides behind the safety of a laptop screen, but team interaction cannot be avoided - eek!
‘The nine to five’
What we find most exciting is
that no day in the life of a digital
marketer is the same. Whether
you work for a corporate in a
snazzy office or freelance from
the comfort of your own home -
it’s going to look very different.
Take these guys for example:
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DIGITAL MARKETER
Freelancing Frank
• Freedom to work anywhere and anytime
• The ability to work on international clients
• Independent from any senior management
• Usually found in the local coffee joint - their natural habitat.
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We’ve put together an easy to use job-checklistand salary guide to help you navigate the seemingly overwhelming digital marketing scene.
It’s not that scary, we promise...
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WHO’S WHO #1
Does what: Develops and implements
strategies to optimise websites for search
engines in order to increase organic traffic.
Knows what:
• Google analytics
• Keyword research
• On-page optimisation
• Content strategy
• HTML/ coding
Uses what:
• Google Analytics
• WebCEO / Moz
• Screaming Frog
• Google’s Keyword Planner
• Buzzsumo / Ahrefs
Does what: Develops and coordinates
content production across all digital
platforms in order to drive traffic, create
leads and encourage engagement.
Knows what:
• Content Marketing
• SEO
• Social Media
• Copywriting
Uses what:
• Buzzsumo
• Gather Content
• Brandseye
• Content Management Systems (Wordpress)
THE SEO STRATEGIST THE CONTENT CREATOR
EARNS WHAT
• 0-2 years: R8 000 - R15 000
• 2-5 years: R15 000 - R25 000
• 5-9 years: R25 000 - R35 000+
EARNS WHAT
• 0-2 years: R8 000 - R15 000
• 2-5 years: R15 000 - R25 000
• 5-9 years: R25 000 - R40 000+
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Does what: Responsible for the overall development
and implementation of an integrated online paid
advertising campaign across all channels.
KNOWS WHAT:
• Google AdWords
• Facebook advertising
• Twitter advertising
• Integration of SEO, Content and Social Media
• Reporting on business objectives
USES WHAT:
• Adespresso
• Facebook Power Editor
• Google Adwords
• Wordstream (optional)
• Twitter Ads
Does what: Executes a company’s content strategy
online while being ‘the voice’ of the company.
Listens and manages online communities,
ensuring they are engaged and ultimately turning
communities into satisfied and loyal customers.
KNOWS WHAT:
• Content creation
• Content distribution
• Social optimisation
• Copywriting
USES WHAT:
• Hootsuite or similar
• Buzzsumo or Ahrefs
• Brandseye
• Socialbakers
WHO’S WHO #2
THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER THE COMMUNITY MANAGER
EARNS WHAT:
• 0-2 years: R10 000 - R20 000
• 2-5 years: R20 000 - R32 000
• 5-9 years: R32 000 - R45 000+
EARNS WHAT:
• 0-2 years: R12 000 - R18 000
• 2-5 years: R18 000 - R30 000
• 5-9 years: R30 000 - R40 000+
9
Does what: Keeps an eye on the quantitative metrics
which indicate how well a business/ marketing
campaign is performing online. In doing so, pulls
the valuable information from the raw data and
translates it into possible future campaign decisions.
KNOWS WHAT:
• PPC
• SEO
• Reporting & insight
• User behaviour
• Website architecture
USES WHAT:
• Google Analytics or similar
• Paid advertising platforms
• (Google Adwords & Facebook)
• A/B split testing tools
• Heatmapping
• Spreadsheets
Does what: Oversees the development and
implementation of the entire digital marketing
strategy for a company - managing the
likes of SEO, PPC, Social Media, Website
Design and Content developers.
KNOWS WHAT:
• PPC
• SEO
• Content Marketing
• Social Media
• Email Marketing
USES WHAT:
• Brandseye
• Google Adwords
• Google Analytics
• Hubspot or equivalent marketing automation tool
• Trello or equivalent project management tool
WHO’S WHO #3
WEB ANALYST THE DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER
EARNS WHAT:
• 0-2 years: R8 000 - R15 000
• 2-5 years: R15 000 - R30 000
• 5-9 years: R30 000 +
EARNS WHAT:
• 0-2 years: R8 000 - R18 000
• 2-5 years: R18 000 - R35 000
• 5-9 years: R35 000 +
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What jobs are most in-demand?
That’s right! The positions of Marketing Manager, Campaign Manager and SEO Specialist are most in-demand in South Africa today.
There is no denying that digital
marketing skills are increasingly
in demand as companies
begin to digitalise in keeping
up with international trends
and consumer needs. Some
positions within the digital
marketing scene are however
more in-demand than others.
Keeping this in mind will
ultimately equip you to make
the the best career decisions
and place you on a trajectory
that both elevates your skillsets
and satisfies your pocket.
MARKETING MANAGER
CAMPAIGN MANAGER
SEO STRATEGIST
The Upper Hand
We checked out all the digital
marketing job listings on
indeed.co.za and calculated
the number of listings per
job title (such as ‘content
manager’ or ‘SEO specialist’).
We then figured out which
positions are currently most
in-demand in South Africa
and aligned these results with
the results of an Ad Talent
salary survey. Here are some
of our findings, but you can
view the full report here.
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The T-Shaped Marketer
Digital marketing is one of
the few careers in which
your professional trajectory
is completely in your own
hands. As a digital marketer
you can choose to specialise in
certain skill-sets, have a broad-
based approach, freelance
from home or work for an
agency. Up-skilling yourself
and taking your career in the
direction of your choice is quite
literally at your fingertips.
These days there is an increasing
demand for what has been
coined a ‘general specialist’ –
having a broad knowledge of
the industry but a specialist
skillset in one specific area.
Companies will increasingly look for rounded individuals who can combine analytical rigor with the ability to apply this knowledge in a practical and creative context.
THE GUARDIAN
Be the best
This is also commonly referred
to as a T-Shaped marketer. Think
of digital marketing as a “T”.
The horizontal line relates to
your broad-based knowledge
across all the digital marketing
disciplines whereas the tail of
the “T” (the vertical line) is the
skillset that you specialise in.
A general knowledge and understanding
A deep understanding and knowledge in one or a few of these fields
Email PPC Social ContentSEO
On-Page Best Practices
Keyword Research &Competitive Analysis
Design & Architecture
Site Optimization& Best Practices
Link-Building
SEO for Local Search
Conducting SEO Site Audits
Critical Algorithm Updates
SEO Tracking
SEO Tools
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Not everyone is a natural born
marketing manager and most
certainly not everyone has the
creative mind-set required of
a content manager. Whether
you are already in the industry
or not, it’s vital to recognise
your strongest skillset and
pursue it – and it’s never too
late to change direction.
Technical skills can be readily
learnt for each specialisation
within digital marketing,
however each specialisation
inherently requires specific soft
skills from an individual – such as
personality traits, interpersonal
skills and thought processes.
Before pursuing your ideal
specialisation, consider if you
have the necessary soft skills.
Every job under the digital marketing umbrella requires a unique combination of both analytical and creative skill-sets. As some would say, it’s the marriage of
the left and right brains.So what are your skills?
SEO would require both
analytical and creative skill-sets
with an inkling toward research
and a proactive personality.
Campaign Managers on the
other hand require a more
strategic mind-set while also
needing broad-based creative
and analytical skills. As with
any management position,
leadership skills and the ability
to effectively work within a
team-based environment is key.
Those in Social Media need to
first and foremost be brilliant
communicators, able to bring a
persona to an online platform.
A Content Manager needs to
be able to easily think outside
of the box in terms of new and
cutting edge content strategies.
It’s all about you
For example: A Content Manager would be about 80% creative and 20% analytical.
www.webgrowth.co.za
Whether you’ve just finished high school or graduated from university upping your digital marketing skillset could be the necessary step in positioning yourself for
the career of your dreams.
Our Certificate in Advanced Digital Marketing
could do just that:
Find us on
and kickstart your career in digital marketing today.
So what’s the next step?