Digital Marketing Jobs: How to Find the Right Role for You
On This Page
Stress and anxiety are inherent parts of the job selection process. Digital marketing jobs are no different. You want to find the right fit. You want your skill set to be fully utilized. You want to get paid well. There are a ton of factors in play, and you want to consider them all.
Still: spending too much time researching roles can be a little like getting lost in a pile of Amazon reviews. You want so badly to find the right salad bowl, or the best salad bowl, that you sit at your computer for hours. What happens? You walk outside and immediately see a guy with a way cooler salad bowl.
Our purpose in writing this article is two-fold. One: we want to rid you of any buyer’s remorse you might have after settling on a position. Two: we want to make sure you don’t drive yourself crazy researching your next online marketing job. What we’re providing you today is the right information to make a decision. It’s more important that you choose something than choose the right thing, but hey—if this is your first go ‘round in the digital marketing world, why not be a little deliberate? Odds are, you’re going to be here for a while.
Our modus operandi will be the following: provide insight into several digital marketing disciplines, then run through the different roles you’ll encounter in each discipline. We’ll discuss what each role typically pays (per Glassdoor) in the United States, as well as the responsibilities and qualifications each digital marketing job entails. We’ll also provide some sparkling insights from our own team of digital marketing professionals along the way.
You can use this guide as a career roadmap as you rise through the ranks. Let’s get into it!
And remember…
It’s only cool because it’s not yours.
But first…
A Word About Entry-Level Marketing Jobs
Another false narrative those looking for entry-level marketing jobs tell themselves: “I need a job to get experience, but I need experience to get a job.” Not true at all. Not only are there plenty of entry-level marketing jobs that don’t require experience, and will train on the job, but there are also tons of marketing internships. Marketing interns can be kind of like indentured servants; but they make consistent money, learn the tricks of the trade, and get on the inside track at their companies.
Right. Now let’s get into some digital marketing jobs.
Product Marketing Jobs
What is product marketing?
Product marketing fits into the overlap between marketing, product, and sales. Product marketers handle to-market positioning and messaging for new products and new product features. As such, they focus their efforts on both potential customers (prospects and leads) and existing customers. It’s imperative that customers know how to use products, and know about new features. It’s also imperative that sales teams know how to talk about the products they’re selling. Product marketers make sure both of these operations run smoothly, and are consistent with one another.
Hear it from the expert
“Product marketing is the ultimate cross-functional marketing position. We own the positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy for our product. We also work with Sales and Customer Success to drive in-market demand and adoption. There is never a lonely or dull moment!”
– Heather Widman, Director of Product Marketing at WordStream
Product Marketing Specialist
Average base pay: $69,500
Experience: 2-5+ years
Skills: Strong verbal and written communication; detail-oriented; analytical; able to multi-task
Responsibilities:
-
Conduct competitor research, including seeking and analyzing competitor marketing and sales materials
-
Utilize strong writing skills to create blog posts, white papers, webinars, case studies, and other product marketing collateral
-
Seek customer insights and stories to develop, implement, and manage testimonial and referral programs
-
Work with marketing, tech, and sales to help write and present product roadmaps
-
Glean applicable insights from online and customer data
Product Marketing Manager
Average base pay: $113,200
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication; excellent organizational and program management skills; able to consistently meet deadlines.
Responsibilities:
- Lead development of communication tools and collateral to promote new features, functionality, and services to both prospects and existing customers
- Develop and maintain ongoing knowledge and mastery of buyer/customer profiles
- Organize and host client meetings and forums to evangelize new products and gather feedback
- Provide the sales and marketing teams with the strategic messaging necessary to create proposal templates, presentations, data sheets, website content, pitches, and other collateral
Director of Product Marketing
Average base pay: $167,000
Experience: 7-10+ years
Skills: Exceptional verbal & written communication; proven ability to handle multiple projects/multiple stakeholders; proven ability to develop operational KPIs and utilize data; strong leader that flourishes under pressure
Responsibilities:
- Communicate performance metrics to key executive stakeholders throughout the organization
- Partner with engineering leadership to find a balance between to-market speed and value
- Act as an internal and external expert in product knowledge and implementation
- Deliver an ongoing stream of product innovations that improve KPIs related to the scale, scope, frequency, and reliability of revenue to drive major business decisions
Content Marketing Jobs
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is all about creating and distributing valuable, informative, and relevant content to a clearly defined audience, and encouraging members of that audience to interact with your brand meaningfully—whether that’s in the form of a site visit, a sale, or a content download. Marketing content most commonly manifests itself in blog posts (long-form content); but writing newsletters, emails, white papers, landing pages, product descriptions—these are all also forms of content marketing
Content Marketing Specialist
Average base pay: $50,400
Experience: 1-3+ years
Skills: Strong writing and grammatical skills; can adopt different styles/tones; keen eye for line edits; ability to meet deadlines; familiar with SEO best practices
Responsibilities:
- Conceptualize, pitch, research, and write search-friendly blog content that provides value to prospects and readers
- Write landing pages, product pages, white papers, newsletters, social media campaigns, and other content-related collateral
- Copyedit a variety of content for print and digital
- Have a general understanding of SEO tactics—including link building, site structure, image optimization, keyword-centric copywriting, and keyword research
Content Marketing Manager
Average base pay: $66,100
Experience: 3-7+ years
Skills: Excellent writing and grammatical skills; thorough understanding of SEO best practices; ability to analyze traffic and conversion data; ability to coordinate and manage an in-house/freelance team of writers; ability to generate blog topics
Responsibilities:
- Use keyword research to generate blog topics aimed at converting specific business goals
- Manage a team of in-house/freelance writers. Implement and oversee a content calendar/schedule
- Deliver content that supports inbound marketing efforts, demand generation, sales enablement, and other initiatives
- Collaborate with designers, product marketers, and sales to plan the production of videos, case studies, website copy, and other digital and print marketing collateral
Social Media Marketing Jobs
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is all about audience building. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram allow brands to not only expand their reach, but build social communities. Certain platforms are better for certain marketing tasks. For example, fashion brands looking to leverage social influencers might find the most success on Instagram; while a B2B SaaS company looking to get their blog posts more exposure might find the most success on Twitter. But the premise remains the same: social media allows marketers to reach and communicate with prospects more rapidly, and on a larger scale.
Social Media Coordinator/Specialist
Average base pay: $49,400
Experience: 1-3+ years
Skills: Solid writing and communication skills; understanding of social media best practices; familiarity with social media management tools; comfortable at events; comfortable with the major social platforms
Responsibilities:
- Building and maintaining an editorial calendar for all relevant social channels
- Engaging with audience members on a daily basis by communicating with followers and responding to comments and posts
- Maintaining a consistent brand voice and tone
- Monitoring and reporting on paid and organic social campaigns
- Working with the content team on strategic planning and blog promotion
Social Media Manager
Average base pay: $54,200
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Knowledge of graphic design/facility with Adobe products; knowledge of SEO basics; excellent project management skills; expertise in paid and organic social promotion; expertise in contests, reporting, community management, influencers, and events
Responsibilities:
- Develop comprehensive social strategies to increase traffic to digital content
- Create a detailed roadmap of social campaigns/tactics and execute campaigns
- Collaborate with Content, Product, and Sales to determine business-prudent social messaging
- Lead the development of standards, policies, and rules of engagement for social media
- Keep up with and implement new industry trends and technologies
Social Media Influencer
Average base pay: $100-$800+ per post
Qualifications: 1k-100k+ followers
Skills: Ability to accrue a social media following
Responsibilities:
- Develop comprehensive social strategies to increase traffic to digital content
- Create a detailed roadmap of social campaigns/tactics and execute campaigns
- Collaborate with Content, Product, and Sales to determine business-prudent social messaging
- Accrue, manage, and maintain a healthy social following on a specific platform
Design Jobs
What is Design?
“Design” encapsulates several different marketing disciplines—graphic design, visual design, user interface design, user experience design, web design, etc. Graphic design, though, usually involves print collateral, like magazines and newsletters. When you hear the term “design” in digital marketing, the work is most likely being done by one of the following: a visual designer, a user experience (UX) designer, or a user interface (UI) designer. Employees with these titles concern themselves with the way users see and interact with their websites—from branding, to navigation.
Visual Designer
Average base pay: $74,100
Experience: 1-5+ years
Skills: Fluency with Adobe products; experience with responsive design methods and development; basic proficiency with web development tools and languages; a portfolio which showcases an ability for provocative brand storytelling
Responsibilities:
- Create intuitive experiences for brands across a range of consumer touchpoints
- Take projects from research and sketches to high fidelity visual designs and pixel-perfect deliverables
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand business objectives/issues; provide creative solutions
- Design digital materials including presentations, reports, landing pages, emails, banners, ad creative, etc.
UX/UI Designer
Average base pay: $97,500
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Proficient in Adobe products; proficient with web development tools and languages; Solid grasp of user-centered design and usability testing methodologies
Responsibilities:
- Build, develop, and maintain wireframes and other UX/UI artifacts
- Work closely with users, product management, marketing, and engineering to make sure the best possible user experience is delivered
- Help define the user interaction model and user interface for new and existing products
- Test the usability of new and existing product designs and make pragmatic proposals for improvements
Creative Director
Average base pay: $133,800
Experience: 7-10+ years
Skills: Strong, flexible, strategic thinker with vision; a leader with great communication/presentation skills; comprehensive portfolio of work; demonstrated experience leading, building, and growing teams; ability to analyze complex issues and develop relevant, realistic plans
Responsibilities:
- Lead the design, execution, and interpretation of market research studies
- Develop innovative ideas for branding, campaigns, and marketing collateral
- Manage and lead a creative team with confidence and according to individual skill sets
- Build and maintain strong relationships with creative partners and vendors
SEO Jobs
Hear it from the expert
“SEO is the single most effective lever we’ve found for growing traffic and brand awareness—a combination of user-focused search engine optimization and intent-driven content marketing ensure that new people are discovering our business all the time, often exactly when they have the kinds of marketing challenges that we’re positioned to help them with! Best of all, organic traffic is highly sustainable over time, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing channels.”
– Elisa Gabbert, Sr. SEO & Content Marketing Manager
SEO Specialist
Average base pay: $50,500
Experience: 1-3+ years
Skills: Experience with SEO tools like SEMrush, Screaming Frog, Search Console; experience with Google Analytics; some working knowledge of HTML/CSS; strong analytical skills; strong writing skills
Responsibilities:
- Support development and content teams on optimization projects to improve user engagement
- Develop and maintain framework for keyword research
- Develop and maintain link building strategies
- Report on site and blog traffic
SEO Manager
Average base pay: $68,500
Experience: 5+ years
Skills: Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally to influence others collaboratively; strong communication and organizational skills; strong knowledge of analytics platforms like Google Analytics; demonstrated experience with keyword/data mining tools and competitive analysis; proven track-record of increasing traffic, and improving brand and site visibility
Responsibilities:
- Work with content team to ensure on-page, off-page, and technical SEO best practices are being implemented
- Assist with monitoring and developing social media content
- Work with developers on site architecture and design
- Execute tests, collect and analyze data and results, and identify SEO trends and insights
Web Development Jobs
What is Web Development?
Trying to visualize the difference between a website designer and a website developer? Think of a house. A designer takes care of the interior decorating—the furniture, the drapes, the color scheme etc. A developer takes care of the infrastructure—the foundation, the electricity, the plumbing. Web developers are both architects and contractors. Web development jobs are most commonly divided into three areas of specialty: front end developers (who work on the part of the website with which users interact), back end developers (who work on the technology that powers the user-facing part of the website), and full stack developers (generalists proficient in both disciplines).
Front End Web Developer
Average base pay: $88,700
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Fluency in HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript; ability to write clean, performant code; experience with mobile/responsive design; familiar with frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Backbone, AngularJS, and EmberJS; familiar with libraries like jQuery and LESS
Responsibilities:
- Work closely with designers or user experience analysts to bring wireframes from development to delivery
- Identify specific issues in user experience and provide codified solutions
- Make informed recommendations on usage of appropriate libraries
- Work with product, content, and engineering teams to facilitate QA testing
Back End Web Developer
Average base pay: $88,500
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Fluency in server-side languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, and .Net; fluency in data tools like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server; experience with PHP frameworks like Zend, Symfony, and CakePHP; experience with version control software like SVN, CVS, or Git; experience with Linux as a development and deployment system
Responsibilities:
- Create or contribute to web applications with clean, portable, well-documented code
- Architect technology according to the needs of internal business stakeholders
- Work closely with the product management team in prototyping and designing new features and solutions
- Design and develop scalable software and product development solutions
Marketing Analytics Jobs
What is Marketing Analytics?
Marketing analytics is the practice of measuring, managing, and analyzing marketing performance to maximize its effectiveness and optimize return on investment (ROI). Marketing analysts sift through massive amounts of data in order to glean insights that will allow for more efficient customer and prospect marketing. Marketing teams leverage these insights to launch and optimize products, write conversion-friendly content, and develop paid remarketing strategies.
Hear it From the Expert
“Marketing analytics is essential to making business-intelligent decisions. At WordStream, we use analytics to produce real-time feedback, find trends, and visualize data relationships. We leverage this information to determine what’s working, what can be improved, and to create meaningful content for our readers.”
– Patrick Henry Carrera, Marketing Analyst at WordStream
Marketing Analyst
Average base pay: $62,800
Experience: 2-4+ years
Skills: Strong quantitative and communications skills; strong attention to detail; experience with statistical and website analytics tools; experience with data visualization software
Responsibilities:
- Design, conduct and interpret results of in-market tests
- Generate data tracking strategies and implementation parameters
- Organize and structure performance-related data from a variety of sources (paid media, social platforms, web analytics solutions, etc.)
- Work cross-functionally to identify marketing optimization opportunities, including insightful recommendations to improve performance
ECommerce Jobs
ECommerce refers, very generally speaking, to any business transaction conducted online. Most commonly, though, eCommerce takes the form of online shopping, in which goods are bought or sold over the internet. ECommerce has exploded over the last several years for a number of reasons—reduced costs, ease of access, inventory management, so forth. By 2020, global eCommerce sales are estimated to reach $4.058 trillion. From a marketing standpoint, eCommerce specialists are responsible for determining the format and features of websites in order to maximize purchasing clarity and ease of navigation for customers.
ECommerce Manager
Average base pay: $75,300
Experience: 3-5+ years
Skills: Organized, analytical person with strong technical skills; strong strategic planning experience; strong market knowledge (competitors, pricing, products, trends)
Responsibilities:
- Manage existing team and implement staff growth when necessary
- IPlan for e-marketing expenditures and develop a financial plan that will maximize allotted resources
- Evaluate KPIs of eCommerce business channels. Monitor trends and performance, and identify areas of opportunity
- Identify, negotiate and manage project-related contractors and vendors as necessary
ECommerce Director
Average base pay: $112,300
Experience: 7+ years
Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication; highly detail-oriented and able to efficiently multi-task; proven track record of hiring and developing high-performing teams; demonstrated ability to collaborate, lead, and influence cross-functional teams
Responsibilities:
- Lead the development and execution of eCommerce strategy and implementation—including lead generation, digital customer engagement, and digital experience optimization
- Push the organization to constantly evaluate issues from the consumer’s point of view
- Identify and test new sales and marketing initiatives to increase online conversions
- Analyze and communicate relevant eCommerce data to executive leadership and cross-functional partners
Demand Generation/Customer Acquisition Jobs
What is Demand Generation?
Demand generation is the process of driving interest in your business’s products or services. Today, demand gen typically takes the form of inbound marketing—paid and organic marketing strategies (social media, blogs, ebooks, what have you) which drive sales-qualified leads.
Hear it from the expert
“Demand Generation, Growth Hacking, Customer Acquisition—no matter what you call it, we’re the leading edge of the business, turning creative assets and ad copy into sales opportunities. Our work can include anything from business forecasting to troubleshooting technical systems to analyzing data in order to develop new ways to reach future customers. We’re marketing scientists: testing, analyzing, innovating.”
– Aaron Doherty, Director of Lead Acquisition at WordStream
Digital Marketing Specialist
Average base pay: $67,200
Experience: 2-3+ years
Skills: Experience with Google Ads, Facebook Ad Manager, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console and/or Bing Ads; knowledge of SEO best practices; solid analytical skills; experience with marketing automation tools like Marketo and Salesforce
Responsibilities:
- Closely monitor spend to ensure accounts are pacing properly based on predetermined budgets and flighting
- Assist in the execution of digital programs including paid social media, email marketing, display, and search marketing
- Perform competitive analysis, research new opportunities, and use data to provide strategic recommendations that support client growth
- Monitor industry trends and apply best practices across accounts
Acquisition Marketing Manager
Average base pay: $80,700
Experience: 5+ years
Skills: Strong facility with Google Ads, Facebook Ad Manager, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console and/or Bing Ads; SEM expertise; Strong analytical skills with an ability to learn and understand creative development; Strong familiarity with performance-based concepts like CPA and ROI
Responsibilities:
- Plan and successfully manage channel budgets
- Develop weekly, monthly, and/or daily reporting on performance by channel
- Analyze campaign performance data to drive continuous improvement and hypothesis-led testing of new concepts
- Lead testing for ad creative, landing pages and other points of the purchasing funnel
Director of Acquisition Marketing/Demand Generation
Average base pay: $116,000
Experience: 8+ years
Skills: Extensive experience working with web analytics, A/B testing tools, campaign management platforms, 3rd party ad servers, tag management solutions, and DSPs; expertise in Google Ads, Facebook Ad Manager, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console and/or Bing Ads; excellent communication skills; ability to use data and informed reasoning to persuade others and influence outcomes
Responsibilities:
- Manage and mentor a team of acquisition marketing specialists
- Measure and report appropriate KPIs and regularly share results and insights with executives
- Lead forecasting and budget management for all acquisition marketing channels
- Continually evaluate, recommend, and test full spectrum of performance media channels, including emerging platforms
Picking the Right Role for You
Phew! As you can see, if you’re thinking about embarking on a digital marketing career, there are a ton of jobs from which to choose. The good news? Though it may not feel like it, there’s very little danger of being shoehorned. You’ll notice by some of the above descriptions that there is plenty of overlap across marketing disciplines; and that the skills you’ll need for one job may very translate to another, should you want to pivot.
Happy hunting!
Have any jobs you’d like to see added to the list? Have a question or comment about one of the jobs already listed? Tweet us @WordStream!
