Life as a Digital Marketing Executive

Have you ever wondered what life as a Digital Marketing Executive is really like here in the South West? What does one do? What does it take to become one and what to stay top of the game?

We caught up with Ioan Davies, Digital Marketing Exec at London & Country, to get the facts for you. In case you are thinking of becoming one or adding one to your team – some insights for you right here:

ADLIB: In approx. 30 words and plain English, what do you do?

Ioan Davies: My role at L&C is focused on delivering efficiencies and conversions through SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and other digital channels. I’m also looking after our Q4 Winter Marketing Campaign.

ADLIB: In a nutshell, what has been your career journey so far?

Ioan Davies: Things started out for me in a Marketing Assistant role at my brother in laws’ fabrication business. Alongside more traditional marketing tasks, I had a crack at building them a new website. It was a steep learning curve, with lots of trial and error, but it didn’t matter – my passion for digital had been ignited by the creative learning process. I’ve since moved on, to roles at Executive and Senior Digital Executive level. Relocating and studying for my CIM qualifications were integral parts of that progression – both have been a challenge, but difficult decisions often have a way of paying off and I’m so glad I’ve taken those opportunities.

ADLIB: What do you like most about your job?

Ioan Davies: I really enjoy working with my seniors. They have a wealth of digital experience and knowledge, so I’ve learned a lot working alongside them. I also love how target driven my role is – I think marketers can sometimes be accused of producing work which has no tangible impact on a business. Now I’m able to demonstrate the real value to what I’m doing each day, which is really satisfying.

ADLIB: What are 3 key things you consider when choosing an employer?

Ioan Davies: Motivated Leadership – Working in a motivated environment makes a huge difference to my day. Things happen faster, more windows of opportunity open and it’s far more exciting. That culture has to start at the top with Directors and Managers, transferring their vision and goals to the people around them.

Investment – It’s really important to me that I am invested in as a professional. I’ve set myself high expectations in terms of where I want to be in the future, so it’s important my employer can provide me with a platform to achieve my career goals.

Fit – When I’ve started new roles, it’s always been important to me that I meet the team first. You spend 7 hours a day with the same people day in day out, so it’s important there is a level of chemistry there and that colleagues can have a laugh and a joke as well as knuckling down.

ADLIB: What 3 top tips would you give someone to ensure that their skills and knowledge as a Digital Marketing Exec remain top notch?

Ioan Davies: Study – To be a top digital marketer, you need to keep up to date with emerging digital marketing trends and best practices. Studying a CIM or equivalent qualification will ensure you’re able to do that. It also looks really good on your CV and can be a deciding factor in the interview process.

Ask Questions – This is probably better termed as ‘be nosey’ because that’s what a digital marketer needs to be. Ask lots of questions, don’t be afraid to probe. Find out how each area of the business works, find out what customers hate about the journey, find out what frustrates colleagues – it’s all relevant knowledge which can help you to improve the digital marketing process and accelerate your skill around it.

Become a ‘T’ – Digital marketing isn’t a single discipline. It contains a range of them in fact. PPC, SEO, Email, Social, HTML, UX, Community, Video are just some of them. It’s impossible to be a pro at all of them, so pick one (or two) and make that your big vertical. Still aim to have a surface level knowledge of all the rest, as that will help you work in larger digital teams, but definitely go for it in one key area.

Thank you Ioan for sharing!