EXPERIENCE IS NOT ALWAYS KING WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL MARKETING

We think it is fair to say that ALL Marketers are learning on the job.

To remain interested in continual learning, developing new skills and insights you must love what you do. There is no getting around that experience counts when it comes to marketing. With Digital Marketing in particular - remaining knowledgeable and skilled in the tactics is crucial if you are to successfully deliver strategies with content that engages with your customers, builds brand awareness and most importantly for business... provides a consistent flow of leads.  

 You need the right content and funnel that gets your customers to part with their hard-earned money for your product or service.

 We see on a daily basis the growing demand for Digital Marketers in the UK. If you don't know what you are looking for though, you are in for a rocky ride! Digital Marketing is a very broad term with many roles and skill sets falling under it. In digital marketing there are around 75 job titles from senior level jobs through to Creative (and Controversial) Digital Marketing Job Titles 

 A good starting point is to work out what you need and don't limit your search by having unrealistic expectations.

 It sounds an obvious statement to make but this is a trap into which we see many businesses fall.

As a digital marketing recruitment agency in Manchester, we are always looking at the Graduate roles being advertised and some of the criteria is astonishing. Examples include Digital Marketing Graduate roles for Social Media that require 4 - 5 years' experience! Jobs advertised where the skills listed are for 3 different roles with one in particular wanting a social media manager who could also do Graphic Design and Videography for their clients!

“Yes, you can get skilled ‘generalists’ but you need to be clear about your marketing requirements and complement it with the right balance of skills. ”

— Matt Ward - Director

Unless you have the budget to find the 'unicorn' in marketing its time to take a step back and look at your strategy and goals. Without a marketing strategy and in this case your digital marketing strategy you are hiring blind and expectations will be difficult to manage, compromising your success at delivering the results you need.

 When considering Marketing Graduates and where and how they fit into your marketing strategy it is worth considering:

• Marketing Graduates will have fresh consistent practice of applying their knowledge, skills and analytical thinking.

• This means all latest practices and know-how – from marketing terminology to strategy and platforms – will be brought into the organisation.

• Businesses and customers have never been more connected, and with digital products, services, and customer expectations dramatically increasing, graduate talent has the know-how to swiftly adapt and meet these new behaviours and expectations.

• Marketing Graduates have the knowledge, skills and ambition to make your investment in them succeed.

These qualities will drive a digital marketing strategy forward.

What does Lead Kinetics look for in Marketing Graduates?

To put it simply we look for Marketing Graduates who have shown they are ready to deliver results and have experience.. YES! Experience.  Perhaps not 4-5 years but we are looking at...

1. Have they or are they currently freelancing?

2. Worked in an Agency or in-house marketing department?

3. Completed a year placement in Marketing as part of their degree?

4. Developing their own personal brand on social media?

5. Completed Internships in Marketing?

As Mark Ritson so eloquently puts it, “our effectiveness and professional standing depends on a grounding in knowledge". Yes he may be the marmite of marketing experts but notice he does not say 'our effectiveness and professional standing depends on how many years' experience we have".

We ask the most important questions - Can this Digital Marketer DO THE JOB? WHERE IS THE PROOF?

 Proof does not need to come in the form of 5 years + experience! There are many options for Marketing Graduates to buffer this obstacle by being proactive in ways to create work experience and document it all with a marketing portfolio. Let's also remember Marketing Graduates have studied for anywhere between 3 - 4 years and are qualified in their chosen career path - MARKETING. 

 Having a Marketing Degree does not automatically make you a good marketer - but it does help!

 Marketers who have an understanding of the industry in which they work are much more desirable than those who don’t. 

 At Lead Kinetics we are always asking what digital marketing publications they read.  Interesting industry-related news they’ve recently heard? Someone who can confidently answer these questions is likely to be much more passionate about working in digital marketing than someone who can’t give you a straight answer. 

 This is important as we are always looking for marketers who practice and develop their skills and knowledge. Being up to date with what is going on in the industry is essential if you are to be a successful marketer. 

In marketing you need to be aware of what is happening now and always looking forward. 

The past is just data sets - the future is using these data sets to continually improve your engagement and exposure. This will result in more traffic and higher conversions.

 Then comes the marketing portfolio - We want to see what they have done? Discuss projects and work experience. 

 Immediately, we can see how they have put their personality across in how they have presented it - this cannot be ignored.

As a digital marketing recruitment agency in Manchester, we firmly believe that all Digital Marketers should have a portfolio. In an industry where it is all about standing out with engaging content, this same principle should be used for them individually when applying for jobs and projects. 

We see too many marketers leave university and do nothing related to marketing for years. You can always be upskilling, developing your own social media channels, freelancing, and more recently - Personal branding - We are looking for the marketing graduates who are doing everything they can to stand out, honing their skills and using digital marketing techniques available to them to make an impact - after all, this is what you want them to do with YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING.

If you are currently looking at hiring a Marketing Graduate(s) for your business, get in touch and we can provide you with some of the best ​marketing talent in the UK. 

We make things simple which is the hardest thing to do in marketing!