If you have an interest in the digital sphere of interest where technology is taking marketing then a career as a Digital Marketer could be for you.
Career Overview
A Digital Marketer is responsible for promoting products, services and brands through the various digital channels available. As a Digital Marketer, you’ll need to create and manage a company communications and PR strategy online, including social media and many other campaign movements. It can be a fun and creative role, along with some strategic thinking, planning and implementing.Â
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:
- English (Home Language or First Additional Language)
- Pure Mathematics
Recommended subjects:
- Geography
- History
- Art or DesignÂ
- Economics
Institution and APS
In general you will need an APS of between 30 and 34+ in order to get in at one of these institutions:
- University of Pretoria (UP) – APS of 30
- Nelson Mandela University (NMU) – APS of 32
- University of Witwatersrand (Wits) – APS of 34+
- University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) – APS of 28 – 48
- University of Free State (UFS) – APS of 29
Required Qualification/s
A degree in communications, marketing, IT, business, media or journalism will help you become a Digital Marketer. Having a degree will also widen your opportunity for employment in this industry. However, if you are highly skilled in this area you could get by with an awesome portfolio and proof that you can get the job done with excellence.Â
There are also many incredible short courses available in Digital Marketing.
Required Skills
You will need to have the following skills to succeed as a Digital Marketer:
- an ability to work with people
- able to receive criticism without taking it personally
- technical developmental and communication skills
- networking
- strategy
- organisational and prioritising skills
- analytical thinking
- problem solving
- IT proficiency
- editing & proofreadingÂ
- adaptability
- attention to detail and accuracyÂ
- awesome creativity, an ability to inspire and captivate an ideal market
- time managementÂ
- management of multiple projects and portfolios (discipline)
Where you can work
As a Digital Marketer, you will be able to work in any of the following environments:
- Marketing agencies
- Advertising agencies
- Media companiesÂ
- Corporate companies
- Freelance or remote work
Working Hours
Regular working hours for between 37 – 45 hours per week depending on your role and level of experience in the field.Â
If you freelance then the more you work, the more you’ll make!
Expected Salary
The average salary per year as a Digital Marketer, in South Africa, is around R317 051 with an hourly rate of about R135 per hour.Â
This is dependant on your experience in the field and the type of position you are able to get. If you’re more experienced and senior, your pay will increase. If you freelance, you make whatever you work for.
What to expect
Here are a few things you can expect from a career as a Digital Marketer:
- Working in Digital Marketing can be a highly demanding role, with tight deadlines and the need to be sharp with words, ideas and awesome marketing strategy.Â
- Expect to manage multiple clients, brands, portfolios and projects at once.
- You might need to work with other experts in the industry such as writers, designers and the list can go on.Â
- Expect to spend a lot of time at your computer.Â
- If you work in an agency or big media company, you might be expected to attend meetings with clients and produce proposals.
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