5 things I've learned working in digital marketing

The day has finally come, the last diary of a junior marketer blog! 

We’ve covered a lot of ground since our very first entry - from taking you through the TikTok ins and outs, tips and tricks on how to build a personal brand, providing advice on creating newsletters for your startup to crafting the perfect cold email and so much more. 

However, all good things must come to an end as they say, one of these good things being my time as a digital marketer. I thought it was only fair to leave you with 10 things I’ve learned working in digital marketing in the hopes that you can learn from my mistakes and triumphs so you don’t have too! 

It’s time to pass on the baton - here’s tip number 1: 

1. Nobody really knows what they’re doing

So, maybe this one is less of a tip and more of a confession. But, it still rings true. 

When it comes to digital marketing and the wild wild west of social media and fast-paced trend cycles, no one actually knows what they’re doing - and that’s okay. 

One thing I’ve learned during my time as a digital marketer is that other people in my field and industry are simply figuring it out as they go along. 

We all like to appear as if we’ve got everything under control. You know, the engagement rate may be tanking right now but we know the exact steps to take to bring it back to what it once was, or better than that! 

The marketing campaign is having absolutely no effect on conversions but it’s fine! We know exactly what type of content we have to create next to make those 10,000 sales come true in 24 hours. 

If there’s one thing we all know how to do its feign confidence! 

There are basic rules to follow when it comes to marketing of course and nuggets of wisdom that make life a lot easier. Things like the most important metrics to track and small things you can do to increase traffic on your LinkedIn page. But outside of these suggestions, nothing is promised. And that’s okay! 

There is no sure fire way to get results and there’s no one way to do anything! Everything is a process of trial and error, throwing content types at the wall and seeing what sticks, running with that and taking the credit for it afterwards. 

2. Always look at things from a consumer’s perspective 

One of the best things about working in digital marketing for me was finally being able to justify the amount of time I spent scrolling through social media and consuming various forms of content throughout the day. 

Just kidding. However, being your typical social media obsessed Gen-Z’er meant that it was really easy for me to look at things from a consumer’s perspective because I was one most of the time. 

There’s a lot of value in being able to be on both sides of the curtain - to be both the consumer and the company selling the product because you understand the psychology on both sides and if you can harness all of that knowledge and put it into your work, you’ll be one step ahead! 

In my experience, being able to look at Rbbl, what we do, and how we were promoting ourselves from the perspective of someone who works there and of someone who regularly uses social media to find new initiatives that I would like to join meant that coming up with content ideas to raise brand awareness came easily to me once I connected the dots - that I could channel what I would normally look for in brands on social media into our content and reach people in a way that actually mattered. 

Even when it came to re-evaluating the way we wrote copy, stepping out of the identity of an employee at the company and into the shoes of the consumer allowed me to see that shorter, straight to the point captions were the way forward. 

3. Communication and teamwork are the keys.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned working in the startup industry as a digital marketer for the first time was the importance of communication and clarity between team members. 

Before entering this workfield, I would never really work in a group and considered myself to be a very independent worker. You tell me what to do, I get on with it and deliver. That’s what I was best at in my head! 

But working as part of a startup in a team all focused on one goal really highlighted the fact that it takes a village to ground dreams into a reality and take things to the next level. 

And when the communication is clear, this process can be so fun and rewarding - the little wins feel like big ones when you get to share the moment with people who care just as much about making something happen! 

Great communication also saves a bunch of time and misunderstandings. For the hyper independent ones out there, working well with others and keeping a clear line of communication will actually help you work faster and reduce the likelihood of mistakes. 

You’ll ultimately deliver better work and get better results when you maintain a good level of transparency between everyone you work with. 

No one is an Island and the startup industry is a lot more bearable when you’ve got other people to stress-cry with! 

4. Let Google be your answer for everything

There’s a lot that you have to teach yourself in the startup industry and a lot of things that seem so complicated and un-doable. I’m sure you’d rather pull your hair out then sit in front of your laptop for another two hours trying to figure out how to do a data analysis on a spreadsheet. 

Please do not suffer in silence when Google is literally right there. 

Of course you can always ask your colleagues for assistance, but for things that nobody seems to have the answer to - I guarantee you that someone has asked the exact same question and received an answer two years ago. 

Hidden somewhere in the deep dark depths of the internet is the nugget of wisdom you’ve been searching for! 

There’s truly an article for everything and information has never been more accessible - never underestimate what you could find the answer too. 

5. Time management is hard but necessary 

As an honorary member of the ‘I somehow never have enough time to get everything done and am always on the verge of a breakdown’ club, I think I can say that managing your time is one of the hardest but most necessary parts of working within digital marketing. 

There’s so many different pieces of the puzzle that need to be worked on when it comes to a social media campaign. Making the graphics, writing the articles, scheduling the posts and more. 

It can get a little bit overwhelming once you realise that the cogs never stop turning and that it’s up to you to figure out how to use your time in a way that allows you to get everything done and still breathe! 

This is where the good ol’ google calendar makes its grand entrance. I trust that thing with my life and you should too. 

I block time out for every single thing I have to do on a work day, even lunch! I’m able to visually see when I have any pockets of spare time and how many things are on my plate everyday. 

I can colour code events and tasks, easily move things around and organise meetings with other team members all in one place. Suddenly, time management isn’t so impossible anymore! 

I really hope that you’ve managed to get some tips and tricks from the diary of a junior marketer blog entries during the last few weeks. Here’s to hoping I’ve left you with enough gas to go full speed towards startup super stardom.