What qualities should you look for in a digital marketer? Your small business needs a marketing boost. If you’re ready to make a digital footprint and jump-start your next advertising campaign or overall media design, take a look at the top qualities you should expect to see from a professional.
Knowledge of Social Media
Long gone are the days of sending out circulars and buying pricey TV spots. Today’s advertising is done online—and via social media. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly 7 in 10 Americans use social media. This use includes popular platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. It also includes community & neighborhood sites such as Nextdoor along with messaging apps.
Not only can your company place strategic ads on social media that target clients in your local area or with interests that relate to your business, you can also use these platforms to engage, inform, and communicate with customers. Photos and videos can help your current or future clients to see products and services in real life, provide helpful how-to’s, or increase sales.
The many uses of social media for small businesses mean that any digital marketing professional who you hire should have a full knowledge of different platforms. They should have extensive experience using these platforms, sites, and apps for advertising and marketing purposes, know how to engage customers, and understand the best tactics to use. If you have a specific social media platform that you would like to focus on, make sure your digital marketing hire has verifiable experience and knowledge of the site or app in question.
Adaptability and Flexibility
The digital landscape evolves quickly. This means any marketing professional who you hire must have the flexibility to adapt to these changes. In 2021 YouTube was the most used social media site, with 81 percent of American adults using this video platform, according to the Pew Research Center. Facebook followed YouTube, with 69 percent of Americans using the site/app.
Even though YouTube and Facebook were the top picks, the number one and two—and three, four, and so on—used sites could and will easily change. The digital marketer must adapt their strategies as more people flock to different platforms and sites/apps make changes that affect use.
If a marketing pro is only willing to learn about or interact with one or a few specific sites or refuses to change their approach, you may need to find someone with greater flexibility.
Not only should the marketing pro have the ability and willingness to change with the times, they should also have enough flexibility to accommodate your company’s individual digital needs.
Problem-Solving Abilities and Creativity
Yes, a digital marketing professional should have extensive knowledge of the Internet, websites, and social media platforms. But no, they may not know absolutely everything. Sometimes time-tested marketing strategies or digital content doesn’t work out. This makes it important for the professional to have top-notch problem-solving abilities and a high degree of creativity.
The ability to effectively and efficiently solve problems can turn a so-so marketing strategy around quickly. This may translate into increased sales or a greater number of new customers. Along with the ability to solve problems in general, the digital marketing maven should also solve problems in creative ways. The more creative the professional is, the better able they are to create campaigns that catch the customer’s eye and get you results.
Do you need to take your website or digital marketing strategy up a notch—or a few? Is this a job that you can’t do in-house? Contact Grow Team for more information on finding the best marketing match for your company’s needs.