If you are a natural multitasker who loves to manage several projects at once, solve problems that pop up, and plan for the future, you might do well in a career as a Digital Strategist. Companies hire Digital Strategists to plan websites, social media campaigns, and content strategy for advertising and marketing. To get a job in the field, you will need a deep understanding of how the digital landscape works, including analytics, SEO, website best practices, and advertising.
What Do Digital Strategists Do?
Your job as a Digital Strategist can vary widely depending upon where you are employed. In large established companies with many employees, tasks are more stratified, and you may only handle a few areas, while other team members are in charge of the rest. In smaller companies and startups, however, you may find yourself handling everything from regular social media posts to running analytics to researching new tools that will improve your company’s digital marketing.
Job Prospects for Digital Strategists
According to Indeed.com, Digital Strategists earn an average base salary of $63,088 per year, plus benefits, although salary levels depend on location. Denver, Colorado has the highest reported salaries, with an average of $73,407 a year, and Chicago, Illinois comes in slightly below average at $62,224 annually. Salaries also depend upon your level of experience.
Job Requirements for Digital Strategists
In order to get a job as a Digital Strategist, you will need to have skills in data analysis, SEO, and conversion rate optimization (CRO), and you should know how to use the tools to collect this data. In addition to analytical skills, you will also need to be very familiar with different social media platforms and their analytics. Further, you need to be very comfortable with technology, good at problem-solving, and willing to keep up with the rapidly changing world of digital marketing.
Most employers are looking for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, or communications for digital marketing strategy jobs, plus three years of experience. This position carries a lot of responsibility and is not an entry-level job. It is possible to complete a training program and work in other digital marketing positions to work up to a Digital Strategist role.
Looking for a Job as a Digital Strategist
Besides education and training, another way to prepare for a career as a Digital Strategist is to establish and grow your own web presence. This will make you more visible to recruiters and will show that you know what you are doing. A good way to do this would be to create a website with a good ranking, a professional and interesting social media presence, and a blog. Make sure you keep everything up to date because that makes a good impression.
Another important focus when you are establishing a career as a Digital Strategist is networking. Join groups for Digital Marketers on Facebook or LinkedIn. Go to local meetups and attend conferences. Talk to people who are already in the kind of position you are looking for. Finding a mentor can go a long way toward helping you break into a role as a Digital Strategist. A mentor can give you tips about who is hiring and help you get ready for that next move.
Freelancing can also help you establish a reputation for digital marketing and lead to a more permanent position. Look for an internship to gain experience, or sign up for freelance jobs on Upwork or Fiverr. Even small jobs can help you build a digital marketing portfolio to attract attention.
Learning Digital Marketing
If you want to change careers and become a Digital Strategist, you could go to college, pick it up on your own, or you could sign up for a digital marketing bootcamp. For example, Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Strategies Bootcamp covers the role of digital marketing in today’s business landscape, as well as how to design successful email campaigns, optimize websites and landing pages for conversions, and create content to drive traffic to your or your company’s website by engaging your audience. SEO Bootcamp will teach you how search engines work, how to do keyword research and competitor analysis, and how to use SEO-driven content to increase web traffic. You can also sign up for a Google Analytics Bootcamp to learn how to set up an account, know which metrics to track, and understand the Google Analytics reports. Each bootcamp includes 12 hours of instruction and costs $650.
Another way to prepare for a career as a Digital Strategist is a digital marketing certificate course. Noble’s Digital Marketing Certificate includes the digital marketing, SEO, and Google Analytics bootcamps, plus Google Ads and classes on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter) marketing, as well as content marketing with blogs. You can choose courses that meet in-person or online. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
It takes 78 hours of instruction to complete a digital marketing certificate through Noble Desktop, and the tuition is $3,295. An installment plan and loans are available. You can choose between full or part-time classes and classes that meet during the day, evening, or on weekends. When you finish the course, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion recognized by the New York State Department of Education that you can download or post on your LinkedIn profile. This type of certification can help you get a job as a Content Marketer.
Conclusion
If you want to learn more about digital marketing careers, check out Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Certificate or Social Media Marketing Certificate. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other courses in digital marketing in your area.