How To Hire A Suitable Digital Marketing Candidate

Hiring Marketing Staff from Internal Resources

You have a digital marketing role to fill, a deadline to meet and an inbox filled to the brim with job applications. You urgently need a digital marketer. But where does one even begin the process of hiring the right candidate?

You’ve already established that the new candidate will need to improve your digital customer outreach and boost your online presence, which translates into more money for your business. But starting the process of hiring can be daunting. A good place to start looking is within your company. 

Your current employees know the ins and outs of your business. Amongst your staff there may be someone who has the marketing and leadership skills needed for your digital marketing requirements, which is why training your staff and keeping them up to date with the latest trends and relevant marketing skills is important. There are many benefits to upskilling your current team. 

Looking Outside for Digital Marketing Candidates

Since most companies don’t have an abundance of digital marketers lying around, you will probably need to engage with a specialist digital marketing recruitment agency to source you the right candidates, you’ll want to work with a recruitment agency that understands digital marketing end-to-end. 

Either way, no matter where you start searching for your next marketing candidate, you will need to establish the qualities, skills, experience and abilities you require of a suitable candidate. From here, you can filter through applications to determine a shortlist of candidates to interview.

What does a Digital Marketer Do?

A digital marketer is someone who’s responsible for all aspects of your organisation’s digital marketing strategy. This includes developing and managing digital marketing campaigns, as well as designing, building, and maintaining the company’s website. 

A qualified digital marketer must think creatively, analytically, and strategically to succeed in this fast-paced and ever-changing industry.  The correct candidate will take on the role of planning and managing various marketing campaigns for the company or clients, as well as promote different brands, services and products for the company or clients. 

The ideal candidate should not only be capable of creating engaging and compelling content for social media and company websites, but should also be a leader, problem solver, excellent team player and a skilled coordinator. The candidate should be well versed in the latest trends and technologies that digital marketers use to improve their marketing campaigns.

Which Qualities Should A Digital Marketer Possess?

In order to be successful in their roles, digital marketers need to have abilities that complement the key skills mentioned above. They must also be able to adapt quickly to change and be comfortable with ambiguity. 

Great interpersonal skills are beneficial. They should have strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

In addition, they should be able to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Ultimately, a successful digital marketer should be a strategic thinker who’s able to create effective campaigns that reach the right people and achieve the desired objectives.

They should be familiar with the relevant online and offline marketing channels and be able to use data to measure the success of campaigns. Ultimately they need to be comfortable working with different marketing programmes and applications.

• Problem-solving is a critical skill for any digital marketer. In an ever-changing landscape, marketers need to be able to quickly identify problems and develop creative solutions that meet the needs of the company’s target audience.
  
  A successful candidate must be able to think outside the box and collaborate with other members of their team. By having these strong problem-solving skills, digital marketers can ensure that they are always one step ahead of the competition.
• Flexibility. It is important to be flexible and adapt to the ever-changing industry landscape to become a successful candidate. No two days are the same, and what works today might not work tomorrow. It is essential to be able to pivot quickly and try new things.
  
  For example, when a new social media platform launches, it is important to be one of the first to create an account and start experimenting. The same goes for new advertising platforms or changes to algorithms. Digital marketing is a constantly changing field, and those who are able to adapt will be hired.
• Listening. This is vital for team members and account managers. Employees should listen to instructions carefully and make sure they understand them. The account manager should listen to clients and make sure they don’t miss details and understand what the client wants.
  
  The ability to manage customer experience and happiness, foster customer loyalty, enhance goods and services, lower return rates and many other factors is fundamentally enriched when listening and carefully paying attention to customers’ feedback.
• Initiative. Employees should not only take orders but should be proactive and take initiative. Taking initiative exhibits individual thinking and a proactive attitude in the workplace. Candidates should also show the ability to manage various projects and collaborate with a number of different individuals and departments.
• Time Management: Time management is a critical skill for digital marketers. There are always a million things vying for their attention. From crafting campaigns to analysing data. As a result, successful candidates must be very intentional about how they spend their time, from creating a to-do list and assigning priorities to each task.
• Teamwork: As a recruiter, you need to look for a candidate who can show that they have experience working effectively in a team. Teamwork is essential for success in the digital marketing field, so make sure to look for teamwork skills in your candidates.
• Communication: Every organisation needs effective communicators, regardless of the industry. In fact, communication skills are often cited as one of the most important qualities you should look for in a candidate. This is especially true in fields such as marketing, where the ability to clearly and persuasively convey ideas is essential.
• Interpersonal Skills: Look for someone with strong interpersonal skills. Digital marketing is all about communication. The ability to communicate effectively with others is essential in this field. A Digital marketer candidate who can build strong relationships and influence others is more likely to be successful.
• Adaptability: While a Digital Marketing candidate may have a great resume, the one thing you should always seek is adaptability. With the ever-changing landscape of technology, it’s more important than ever for employees to be able to adapt to new situations quickly.

These abilities are important aspects of becoming a successful marketer.

What Are The Essential Skills To Look For in A Digital Marketing Candidate?

Finding the right candidate can be a difficult task. As the industry evolves, so do the skills employers look for in candidates. Here are four skills that all digital marketers should possess:

1. Creativity: A successful digital marketing campaign requires out-of-the-box thinking. Digital marketers need to be able to generate leads, come up with new ideas and think outside the box when it comes to marketing products and services online.
2. Writing skills: Excellent writing skills are essential for creating compelling content that will capture the attention of potential customers. Digital marketers must be able to communicate concisely to engage their audiences. Digital marketing requires strong copywriting skills. A good piece of copy leaves the reader wanting more. Once their interest is piqued, they’ll engage with the brand.
3. Analytics: In order to gauge the success of a digital marketing campaign, analysts need to be able to track metrics and analyse data. Digital marketers should have a strong understanding of analytics in order to make data-driven decisions about where to allocate resources.
4. Technology: With technology constantly changing, it is essential for digital marketers to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. A strong understanding of different marketing software and platforms will give you an edge over other candidates.

What Knowledge Should Digital Marketing Candidates Have?

To be an effective digital marketer, it is important to have a general knowledge of online marketing.

• Marketing Strategy – Depending on their seniority, any digital marketer worth their salt will be able to put together a digital marketing strategy and social media marketing strategy at the drop of a hat.
• The key digital marketing channels and how to use them – when being a digital marketer, it is crucial to have an understanding of the various channels used in online marketing. Some of these channels include the company website, SEO & SEM (Customer Relationship Management), CRM, and email marketing.
• Monitoring and tracking (Data Analytics) – Data analytics is significant since it aids in the performance optimisation of a business. By finding more cost-effective methods to do business and retaining a lot of data, firms can cut unnecessary expenses by incorporating them into their business strategy.
• Social Media Platforms – Social media has experienced a massive boom in recent years. The business has realised how valuable it can be; the problem with that is; it is getting much harder to stand out on social media. That is why it’s crucial that digital marketers grasp the concepts and trends of social media. LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook should be a priority, and the digital marketer should understand how these platforms work and how to optimise content for each platform.
• Digital Marketing tools – A plethora of tools make marketers’ and business owners‘ lives easier. The survival of a lot of businesses nowadays depends on digital marketing tools. It is vital for a digital marketer to be able to adapt and get familiar with the tools that a company uses. These tools assist with project management, schedule and posting, content creation and much more.
• SEO – Employees with general SEO knowledge can be valuable assets to any company. A brand’s long-term equity may be increased via SEO. Improved placement and ranking boost the visibility of your brand. SEO is a must for brands since it is the most practical and economical approach to understanding and connecting with consumers at critical moments.

While these skills are essential to have in order to hire a suitable candidate for the job, it’s just as important to take note of the skill set of your current workforce. It is very beneficial for a company to grow their employees to deliver the best work they can and ultimately satisfy customers. 

Reach out to our Recruitment team to help you find the right candidate for your company – we know digital marketing!