Two decades ago, the internet was booming.
Every company was making its way to the internet and so much was being tossed on websites.
Chatting and pirating music was a new territory that people were still trying to figure out.
Ten years ago, social media was in that same period.
It had been around but it was still trying to figure itself out.
In the years following, from the way we post to the way businesses use platforms to expand their message, everything about the digital world has evolved.
That’s where the digital marketer comes in.
Table of Contents
Pros of Being a Digital Marketer
1. In the Know
When you’re working as a digital marketer, being aware of what’s trending is essential.
Whether that be in the form of topics or long-term strategy, you’ll need to be on the edge of everything.
For someone who absorbs any bit of info, it would easily come as an exciting part of the job.
The best way to go about it is to search for what’s going on to already be part of your life.
That way, it doesn’t really feel like work, but it is interesting.
2. Remote Work
Since digital marketers’ work is entirely online, they’ve been working from home for years.
All you need is a laptop, WIFI, and a phone.
Add a pair of headphones and literally anywhere with an outlet can be your office.
Heck, you don’t even need the outlet close by as long as the laptop is charged.
Honestly, most clients rely heavily on email for communication, so being available during work hours isn’t a necessity.
3. Little Interaction
When you run digital marketing efforts for a client, a majority of what’s done is at your discretion.
They hire you to be the expert and to guide campaigns the way you see fit.
As an account director or even freelancer, that can be freeing.
It also makes you accountable, but when the month was good, it will be you they come to.
It will be you they tell with their other business friends.
Having that kind of power gives you the opportunity to shine.
4. Creativity
When it comes to putting together digital campaigns, whether it be on social media or a search engine, you get to stretch your creative muscles.
Even if you don’t have a team to help bring the campaign to life, there’s so much you build from your own imagination.
Whether it be in the graphics, copy, or even a landing page.
Digital marketers need to have some creativity to pull from to make something internet users will find interesting enough to engage with.
5. Team Building
Having the right people under you can propel you to superstar status.
The more clients you work with, the more you will need help to keep it all organized and done properly.
At a certain level, most of your work will be talking to clients and overseeing their programs.
This gives you the chance to bring on people who can prop up a multitude of efforts across several platforms.
Freeing up your time will help more focus go toward planning and researching.
6. Travel
It’s highly likely that you’ll have clients across the country and not only in your backyard.
Whether you’re independent or part of an agency, there will be times you have to be face-to-face with the person paying for your expertise.
This can be a great opportunity to make a good impression and put together some impressive reports.
It’s also a good time to tour a new city.
7. Low Stress
Aside from dealing with clients who aren’t tech savvy or coworkers being petty, digital marketing is a non-emergency type of position.
There is no need to be on call 24/7, despite what clients may think.
No one is going to get hurt if they don’t get an email response over the weekend.
Technically, you can enjoy your life when you shut down the computer.
Cons of Being a Digital Marketer
1. Everyone is a Know-It-All
One common thing you’ll hear from a company you’re giving a pitch to is, “I use Facebook.
Why do I need you?”
This could even come from someone who specifically reached out to your company.
They know, as a business, they need to be online.
However, there is a number of business owners that don’t want to market online or don’t see why the receptionist can’t do it.
They have no appreciation for the skill of posting etiquette or the skill involved in understanding keywords and audiences for ads.
2. Saturated Market
Saying you have a decade of experience in most lines of work means you’re not only highly sought after but the pay has substantially increased.
That’s not necessarily the case in digital marketing.
Back in the beginning, digital and social media departments were started by people who didn’t know anything about it because they couldn’t have.
You had to have a degree.
Today, so many young people entering the workforce grew up on social media and are getting jobs based on experience.
Many long-time digital marketers are seeing new jobs with lower salaries due.
3. Being a Salesman
This is more for if you decide to go out on your own, but it applies to agency work as well.
When you first start working in the digital marketing realm, your job will likely be as an assistant to the client-facing marketer.
It’s all behind-the-scenes action until you get promoted.
Once you’re working directly with clients, you have to put on the charm.
Getting new clients requires being assertive and outgoing.
While word of mouth is nice, it’s often not enough, especially early on.
4. Explaining the Unexplainable
Clients like to shift the blame for having a less-than-stellar month or quarter to the marketing team.
There really isn’t a whole lot anyone can do about the ebbs and flows of the economy, but marketing often takes the hit when layoffs occur as well.
If you send over a report from last month that has fewer clicks to the website than the month before, they want answers.
Sometimes you can attribute it to the spend or audience, but a lot of times, there is no answer.
It’s just the way it is.
5. Jack of All Trades
Too often, digital marketers have to take responsibility for every aspect of their jobs.
When applying for jobs, many companies ask that they operate at an expert level in things that don’t really have anything to do with the job, like Photoshop.
Really, a graphic designer should be the one creating graphics to use in ads, but more times than not a company looks for the marketer to get it done.
That’s just one example of many.
6. Unrealistic Expectations
Frequently, you get potential clients who have a very small budget but expect the absolute world.
Usually, clients with the smallest budgets want the most hand-holding and updates.
Some of that is due to their low budgets.
They might not have enough to spare for any comfort level.
These are the same clients who wait until a business fails to utilize digital marketing.
They get irate and blame marketing for serious financial woes when they were the ones who waited too late.
7. Bad Actors
There are customers who rightly share their experience online, even if it’s not a great one.
Then, there are bad actors who just want to watch the world burn.
These might be people who have nothing to do but troll your client’s online presence.
You can block them, try to answer them, or ignore them.
Don’t feed the trolls is more than just a fun saying.
These people go on rampages.
Ultimately, the client will want to know what’s going on.
When it’s someone who doesn’t get social media, there’s never a good way to handle it.
Pros and Cons of Being a Digital Marketer – Summary Table
| Pros of Being a Digital Marketer | Cons of Being a Digital Marketer |
|---|---|
| 1. In the Know | 1. Everyone is a Know-It-All |
| 2. Remote Work | 2. Saturated Market |
| 3. Little Interaction | 3. Being a Salesman |
| 4. Creativity | 4. Explaining the Unexplainable |
| 5. Team Building | 5. Jack of All Trades |
| 6. Travel | 6. Unrealistic Expectations |
| 7. Low Stress | 7. Bad Actors |
Should You Become a Digital Marketer?
If being in front of a screen for extended periods of time and dealing with sometimes taking a backward direction from clients is acceptable, it’s worth the career.
Being a digital marketer can give you the freedom to live your best life while making a financial difference to your clients.
You can work for an agency or independently if you are a bit of a salesman.
Even without a degree in marketing, it’s possible to be very successful.
Being a digital marketer offers incredible opportunities for creativity and innovation, allowing you to explore various strategies to reach your audience effectively.
One of the pros I love is the flexibility that digital marketing provides. You can often work remotely and adapt your schedule to fit your lifestyle.
The constant demand for data analysis and campaign optimization can be intense, but it’s also a pro because it sharpens your analytical and problem-solving skills.
Digital marketing is a dynamic and exciting field, but it requires adaptability and a strong willingness to learn and grow with the ever-changing digital landscape.