For many, a digital marketer is just someone who mindlessly scrolls through Instagram or posts for the sake of posting content. However, underneath the pretty post, the scheduled emails, and the fun takes on trending hashtags, there is a world of planning, strategy, analytics, creativity. Each day they’re variable, whether it’s conflicting data and design, algorithms and emotion, they are all part of the digital marketing world. So, let’s pull back the curtain and show you what a real day looks like.
Typically, the day normally starts with one thing: performance metrics. Before I start my creative work, I want to see the numbers. Was that email campaign effective in relation to a conversion? Which of our paid ads is performing better, Facebook or Google? Are our instagram reels garnering more engagement than last week? At the end of the day, numbers determine the direction. Data will help me identify what is working and what might require a reposition. I will be looking at Google Analytics, our ad dashboards, our social insights, and it happens, the odd surprise that causes a smile, like a post going unexpectedly viral or a client website that just had a spike in visitors.
Once we’ve dealt with the numbers, it is time for the fun part: content. After all, content creation is the most fundamental aspect of digital marketing. In the best of times, I plan posts, write captions, design graphics, and occasionally, I film videos. Whether working on an Instagram post, LinkedIn article, or a client blog, I always want to be super-conscientious and recognize that every piece of content should reflect their brand messaging, not just look pretty. Pretty is nice, but what is important is having good content designed for the right audience, in the correct tone. There are lots of amazing tools to help with this, too; I generally rely on Canva, ChatGPT, Notion, and scheduling tools like Later or Metricool, to help manage the process holistically. Each post contains a little glimpse into the brand ‘world’ 32qand I get hired to ensure that they can read it clearly and professionally (and – I hope – confidently).
Next is client communication, typically a big part of my business day. I send emails about updates, join meetings, and present reports. Each client have their own preferences – and each client has different expectations about how I approach the project – such as the deep analytics that some clients desire, versus other clients who want visuals of data and simple takeaways. So, my role is providing recommendations and evaluations about their campaign in their perspective, breaking it down into understandable and actionable pieces. Sometimes I get asked to help brainstorm some campaign ideas, sometimes I help resolve a technical pain point on their site, or maybe their issues with there SEO needs. I always stay flexible in terms of the tasks I commit to clients, digital marketing is never one-size-fits-all.
During the mid-day, we have head-down into campaign management: uploading ads, sending a newsletter, entering new data into a sales funnel – you might know this routine. If we are launching something – hang on to your hats, everything is full throttle! COPY has the formal testing and writing experience. the landing pages also have already gone through the testing, editing and even a round of fact checking! Email flows have been checked with no typos, and it is all timely scheduled (thanks to the scheduler I am paying for!). Everything we do has a specific click and specific word; everything counts.
Afternoon time is most typically trend research and self-education. Digital space is changing every second – what did well last month might work terribly today. So, I will make time to search trending reels, read marketing blogs, attend webinars, or try a tool. It keeps my skills sharp and can give my clients something new. It also reminds me it is not just about being a follower, but spotting opportunities and taking action.
As I make my exit for the day, and impulsively check my campaigns, if they have been launched, my posts if they are scheduled, my inboxes if they are empty, and if I feel all my bases are covered as best I can for the next workday; sometime there are days you feel like you are on a fast track and others as if the day lasted a week, however, what they all had in common is a platform to enable brands to grow and engage in a more digital way. The next time you see that promoted post, or that timely Instagram story, or one of the ads that stopped you in your tracks on your device; just know someone was strategizing, designing and crafting a story trying to keep the balance between creativity and data, strategy and spontaneity. Digital marketing is not just a job; it is an ongoing journey, but more so about creating a digital experience that has meaning to them.
