Learning basic digital marketing techniques is simple since there are so many resources and programs available online. While you may be able to study courses that teach you the basics of SEO and social media for businesses, you will need to interact with successful digital marketing managers to learn the traits that result in success.
If you are looking for a basic idea of what it takes to be a successful digital marketing manager, here are some traits that can guide you:
What basic skills should you have?
As a digital marketing manager, you will learn many skills. While some of these skills are basic and obvious, other skills are essential to your success. Possessing these skills is one aspect of reaching for success; however, you also need to use these skills at the right time to ensure that you are achieving the goals set out for you.
- Successful digital marketing managers are adaptable. Digital media is on a constant path of evolution and while you may have a plan for your strategy, it might have to change at the last moment.
- When you are a digital marketing manager, it helps to be curious. Curiosity will not only help you adapt, but it will also lead you to new and exciting ideas that you can implement in your strategies.
- The ever-changing nature of the digital media means that a good digital marketing manager is willing to learn new things all the time. Being able to learn on the fly is essential, especially when you are aiming to be adaptable.
- While you may not be on the frontline of customer interaction, it is important to be people-centered. This will help you design and execute digital marketing strategies that draw in consumers.
- As a successful digital marketing manager, you should be a problem-solver who is always thinking ahead. Being able to find the creative solution to a problem quickly and easily shows foresight because the speed of your response indicates that you anticipated it.
- Understanding the marketing strategy is one aspect of successful digital marketing management. To implement a successful marketing strategy, you need to understand the business’s strategy as well.
A manager needs to lead
Managers are often portrayed as people of power to be obeyed and feared. However, modern management emphasizes the ability to lead from the back. This means that a leader needs to be on the ground and integrated into the team to gain more respect and authority.
- A good leader fosters an environment of trust and empathy. If your team or sub-ordinates feel they can trust you, and that you understand their situation, you will be a better leader.
- Good leaders who boost positivity are likely to have a more successful team. Your success as a digital marketing manager depends on the success of your team.
- Digital marketing managers often have a large number of tasks and deadlines. To meet deadlines and ensure tasks are completed properly, a good manager has the skills to communicate effectively.
- Leading also requires in-depth skills and knowledge. As a leader, you need to be well-versed in the tools and platforms you use. Your team members look to you for guidance and guidance cannot be offered without proper knowledge.
- It is very important for the team leader or manager to be able to set goals. Setting goals may feel like you are telling people what to do, but without guidance and deadlines, your project may never reach completion.
- As a leader, it is also important to stay ahead of the curve. While this means keeping an eye on marketing trends, it also means engaging in training courses to improve yourself and your team.
Resilience is a key to success
In the midst of numerous successful projects, you may face one project that doesn’t make the mark. While this setback can be devastating, especially as a digital marketing manager, it is important to practice resilience. Your ability to bounce back from a less-than-ideal outcome could be the difference between your success and your failure.
- Resilience boosts team motivation. Even if you are upset with the outcome and negative feedback, it is important to keep your team motivated. Your team members, everybody from content writers to Photoshop experts will mimic your response.
- It is important to maintain positivity and motivation for the next project to be more successful than the last. Bouncing back after a shortcoming is one way to promote positivity.
- When you are resilient, it shows that you are learning from mistakes. Being able to bounce back from a bad project can show your team members that you are willing and able to learn from your mistakes, and that they should do the same.
- Even managers have weaknesses, but it is important to push through these weaknesses and challenges. An ability to overcome personal issues is a sure sign of resilience and will help team members push themselves to be better.
- Almost everything about digital marketing is trial and error. While you might implement a tool or strategy that works for a few months or even a year, it is bound to lose relevance at some point.
When your strategy loses relevance, you might feel frustrated. Still, your willingness and ability to make the necessary changes and re-launch will be reflected on your team and their willingness to help re-evaluate the project.
- Resilience boosts your confidence. Showing your confidence in yourself and your team can help improve confidence all round, and could lead to better quality outcomes on projects.
Strong brand awareness
A digital marketing manager is the main brand ambassador. In modern times, much of the brand’s identity is formed by people’s perceptions and opinions online. As a result, your brand awareness and ability to promote positive interaction with the brand is an essential trait for success.
Digital marketing managers who are out of touch with the brand’s identity and beliefs will not achieve marketing goals and may miss key marketing opportunities.
- When you aim to build a successful career as a digital marketing manager, you need to have a comprehensive knowledge of the brand you are promoting.
- As a freelancer, your ability to remain true to the brand’s identity and message will mean the difference between a successful marketing campaign and one that falls short.
- Brand awareness also connects with knowledge of the product and target audience. Marketing to the wrong audience can lose many sales.
- It is important to be able to adapt your marketing stance for each platform and each consumer demographic. Knowledge of the brand will help you adapt your strategy effectively.
- When you have strong brand awareness, it becomes easier to guide your team and set goals. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it are all essential parts of a good marketing strategy.
- Brand awareness gives you the purpose of your project. When you have a clearly defined purpose, it becomes easier to establish and maintain a successful strategy.
Loyalty and commitment help push success
To make anything successful, you need to be dedicated. When you want to be a successful digital marketing manager, you need to be committed and loyal to your company.
- If you choose one particular brand to work with, your dedication and loyalty should lie in presenting that brand in a positive light at all times. Even when you are off duty, your commitment to the brand should be clear.
- Choosing to work as a freelancer for multiple brands makes it more important to show equal loyalty to each brand.
- Working with competing brands can be challenging. It is important that you do not show a bias to one brand or a lack of care for another.
- Brand loyalty does not mean only buying apparel or products from that brand. It means a positive defence of the brand in all interactions.
- Digital marketing managers have an additional challenge in keeping their personal online presence clean. No brand wants to be associated with controversial messages.
- It is important that outsiders can clearly see your commitment to a brand. This builds brand confidence, as well as consumer confidence.
Conclusion
Unlike the skills needed to execute a digital marketing strategy, traits for success can’t be learned through a course or a book. When you aim to be a successful digital marketing manager, you need to consider not only your qualifications but also your ability to embody the traits of success. Success is a practised behaviour, so it is important to ensure you are practising success at all times to achieve it.
About the Author: Leon Collier is a blogger and essay writer from the UK, who loves to write on a wide range of topics. From pop-culture to travel and science marketing, writing comes naturally to him. He loves reading novels and playing tabletop games on Saturday with his friends. Follow him on twitter @LeonCollier12
