Whether it’s an email newsletter you receive in your inbox or an ad you see while scrolling through your favorite social media platform, digital marketing provides companies more ways to reach consumers and generate engagement.
With so many online channels available, it’s crucial for companies to market their services and products effectively in order to stand out from the competition. As technology constantly evolves and the digital landscape expands into new channels, so too does the demand for marketing professionals who can create innovative and successful campaigns to connect with audiences.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is vast and ranges from social media posts and paid social ads to online video and email. Simply put, it’s a means to promote and sell products and services through online channels.
While radio, television, and print ads are time-tested in their ability to reach a broad audience, digital media can target specific audiences in ways that traditional forms of marketing like billboards and brochures cannot. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps company websites, blog posts, and articles rank higher on Google search results, while social media marketing allows sponsored posts to reach the feeds of users swiping on various apps. These tactics all contribute to specialized digital marketing strategies that target certain parts of the population.
Other forms of digital marketing include:
- Affiliate marketing
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Mobile marketing
- Pay-per-click
Employment Outlook for Digital Marketing Careers
Digital marketing roles are in high demand. According to a U.S. News & World Report ranking, market research analysts and marketing managers are considered two of the top 100 jobs in the nation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will see a job growth of 6 percent through 2032, which is faster than the national average of all other occupations. More than 34,000 job openings are expected each year over the next decade, and many openings will stem from the need to replace workers who have retired or switched occupations.
Much of the demand for marketing professionals centers around industries that require workers to create digital campaigns to promote their products or services through websites, social media, and other online channels. While the rise of electronic media has led to a decline in more traditional methods of marketing, new technologies like artificial intelligence and augmented reality will ensure the career outlook for digital marketing remains positive.
Digital Marketing Jobs and Salaries
The job opportunities for digital marketing are flexible, as employment can range from working internally at an advertising agency to remotely as a freelancer. Whether it’s hospitality, manufacturing, or even healthcare, every sector is in need of marketing professionals who can craft storytelling for their brand and market their products and services as part of digital campaigns.
The national average salary for digital marketers is $63,487, according to Indeed. Digital marketing allows you to specialize in subsets within the industry based on your interests and experience. Other roles and their average annual salaries include:
- Consumer Insights Specialist – $42,415*
- Digital Content Strategist – $57,791
- Email Marketing Specialist – $73,276
- Market Research Analyst – $64,433
- Operations Research Analyst – $66,841
- Project Manager – $72,691
- SEO Specialist – $74,358
- Social Media Communications Specialist – $55,782
Leadership roles for marketing professionals with more experience include:
- Creative Director – $145,581
- Director of Email Marketing – $129,344
- Marketing Director – $185,219
- Marketing Manager – $117,270
*salary data as of 2023
What Skills Do Digital Marketers Need?
Digital marketing has been deemed one of the top skills to learn in 2023 as a way to increase your earning potential or apply to higher-paying roles. Professionals with experience in digital marketing are seen as valuable contributors for employers, but what does being a digital marketer require?
For one, you must be able to keep up on today’s trends. Many marketers specialize in social media platforms, email campaigns, web content, and video marketing in order to stay up-to-date on their areas of expertise. Doing so allows companies to promote their products and services as efficiently as possible while covering multiple channels.
Digital marketers also require strong communication skills to work with other business units within their company, as well as the ability to handle large amounts of data to create effective strategies backed by analytics. Other skills the BLS considers essential if you want to become a digital marketer include critical thinking, creativity, decision-making, and organizational skills.
Become Future Ready
As a working professional with a bachelor’s degree, you may be looking for opportunities to stay ahead of marketing trends and advance your career in the industry. To hone your existing skills and learn about new technologies, consider earning a digital marketing certificate.
With the 100 percent online UW Digital Marketing Management Graduate Certificate and UW Digital Marketing Analytics Graduate Certificate, you will discover the latest tools and techniques needed to succeed in the ever-changing marketing industry. The certificates are a great option for business professionals looking to transition to marketing roles, as well as mid-level marketing managers who want to expand their skill set. Through a partnership with the internationally recognized Digital Marketing Institute, you can earn additional credentials to solidify your industry expertise.
Get Program Guide
Learn more about our 100% online degree and certificate programs.
The Digital Marketing Management Graduate Certificate helps students develop the leadership skills to manage digital teams and achieve organizational objectives. Courses focus on digital marketing strategy and tactics, along with the legal and ethical considerations of digital marketing. The program’s curriculum aligns with and includes DMI content, meaning you will be able to sit for DMI exams after completing the certificate and earn up to three microcredentials:
- Content Marketing
- Digital Strategy
- Management and Leadership
The Digital Marketing Analytics Graduate Certificate gives students the tools to collect, analyze, and prepare data to improve campaign performance. Courses feature content that focuses on data management and digital marketing technologies. After finishing the certificate, students can choose to sit for the exam to earn the DMI Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) and American Marketing Association Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) dual credentials.
Whether it’s confidently leading your digital marketing team or becoming a data-savvy analytics expert, our certificates offer ways for you to navigate the marketing industry in stride.
What’s Next?
To learn more about our certificate programs, contact an enrollment adviser by calling 608-800-6762 or via email at learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu.