Digital marketing data analysts are a key part of any modern marketing campaign. Data-driven jobs are and continue to be a dependable way to earn an above-average salary in a field with job security and advancement potential.
And yet, for all the promise that digital data marketing analysis holds, it is a career that is little understood. In this article, we take a look at what it is, how much digital marketing analysts make, and what sort of responsibilities they perform. Read on to learn more about careers in digital marketing data analysis!
Digital Marketing Data Analyst Roles and Responsibilities
As the name of the position suggests, digital marketing analysts are responsible for analyzing marketing data and then using it to improve and inform campaigns. This may mean analyzing user information, processing data from an email campaign, or deciding how to get more clicks on an online ad campaign.
Digital marketing data analysts are also often responsible for social media activity. Though some of the responsibilities of a digital marketing data analyst will be similar to those of a data scientist, the dual emphasis on analytic comprehension and communication requires a very specific set of skills.
It’s perhaps because the positions are so specialized that they command above-average salaries. The median salary is $70,000. The position requires at least a bachelor’s degree, usually in marketing. If this interests you, think about enrolling in an online masters in marketing analytics.
Key Skills Required to be a Digital Marketing Analyst
Because digital marketing data analysis positions ostensibly marry two different fields, people wishing to seek a job in this lucrative but challenging career path must be able to demonstrate a wide range of different skills.
Naturally, one must be as talented in marketing as they are in analytics. What this means, however, can be more involved than many people realize. Below we explain some of the top skills required to earn a job as a digital marketing data analyst.
Data Interpretation
The digital marketing data analyst’s chief responsibility is to look at data analytics and interpret them in an actionable way. Knowing, for example, that a business’s key demographic consists of 40-year-old women who are most active online between the hours of 7PM-9PM, the digital marketing data analyst should be able to turn this information into a marketing message.
Analytic Tool Fluency
Of course, in the age of Big Data, there are many tools out there that are used to process information and capture analytics. Depending on the specific responsibilities of the position, a digital marketing data analyst may be expected to fluently understand several different analytic tools.
For example, a tool that is great for tracking social media engagement might not be so good for monitoring banner ads, consumer surveys, or YouTube video advertisements. Being skilled with a wide range of different analytic tools not online boosts your job performance but also increases your marketability as you look for work.
Communication
Of course, marketing positions of any kind, are, to some extent, all about communication. While a traditional marketer’s job is to communicate some sort of retail message to the consuming public, the communicative responsibilities of the digital marketing data analyst are a little different.
Here, your job is to interpret data, take numbers and other analytics, and turn them into actionable recommendations that the broader marketing team can use to increase sales and engagement.
Understanding complicated technical information is an important skill. However, it is equally important to be able to take that information and convey it in a way that is comprehensible to the people who will be acting on it.
Quick Thinking
The world of marketing moves very quickly. In a world where data is typically delivered in real-time, data analysts are only as good as their ability to quickly make decisions from it. For example, a data analyst may be expected to help change a marketing campaign on a dime to accommodate new information or respond to a competitor.
Natural Leadership
Because of their unique position, digital data marketing analysts often assume a leadership role. Candidates wishing to pursue a career in this field should be able to work well with teams both above and “below” them.
This may mean giving instructions to subordinates. It will also mean dealing with executives who have strong opinions but little understanding of the world of data analysis.
Attention to Detail
The digital marketing data analyst is inevitably responsible for managing information from a number of different sources. Some of it may come from online, while other data pipelines might be manually driven. In all cases, it’s the analyst’s responsibility to piece together all of the clues in a way that tells a clear story.
An eye for detail allows the analyst to take all of this information and turn it into a powerful marketing message.
Qualifications
Most jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing. However, more advanced skills with an emphasis on data may be acquired with advanced degrees.
An Increasingly Needed Field
Data analysis in all forms is a career path that has taken off substantially over the past few decades. This will only continue in the years to come. Not only are data-driven jobs experiencing record levels of demand, but they also tend to feature salaries that are well above average.
Challenging though the work is, current job forecasts suggest a wealth of opportunity for qualified individuals who are interested in this difficult but rewarding career path.
