How to Hire a Digital Marketing Manager? [Steps & Cost Guide]

Digital marketing involves executing marketing practices on digital platforms, such as websites, social media, and emails to reach a wider audience. Additionally, it allows you to increase brand awareness and market products/services effectively. 

If you want to take advantage of digital marketing for your business, you should consider hiring a Digital Marketing Manager to lead your online projects. In this blog, you will find a detailed explanation of how to hire a Digital Marketing Manager and steps to maximize the chances of finding the right candidate.  

How to Hire a Digital Marketing Manager?

Here are the steps on how to hire a Digital Marketing Manager for your company. 

Step 1: Identify Your Requirements

Begin by identifying your requirements, such as the level of expertise, skills, and qualifications that a candidate should possess to lead and support the digital marketing project. You should also consider taking into account the salary budget, responsibilities of the role, etc. 

Identifying the requirements beforehand allows you to work on the subsequent steps easily and efficiently. You should find a candidate for the Digital Marketing Manager role possessing relevant work experience and preferably certification in digital marketing from a digital marketing course. 

Pro Tip: You can organize your hiring process with the help of organizing tools such as MS Excel to have a seamless and efficient experience. 

Step 2: Create a Job Description & List Key Skills

A job description is a concise and detailed description of the company, job role, responsibilities, requirements, and benefits offered to the employee. An effective job description allows you to communicate your requirements clearly while attracting applications from the desired talent pool. You can check out our blog on digital marketing job descriptions to understand the process of crafting a compelling job description. 

Pro Tip: While drafting a job description, make your requirements clear to avoid any miscommunication. Here are key skills you can add to your job description. 

• Knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) and SEO tools to drive organic traffic to digital platforms.
• Proficiency in best practices of social media marketing to create a strong online presence and develop a marketing strategy to engage with the target audience.
• Efficient in handling data analysis tasks to make informed decisions.
• Strong leadership skills to lead the marketing team.
• Possesses strategic and creative thinking abilities to develop innovative solutions and approaches to achieve marketing objectives.

Step 3: Post the Job Description to Hire the Best Talent

If you are ready with the job description, the next step in our guide on how to hire a digital marketing manager involves posting it on various platforms, such as job posting sites and social media, to achieve maximum reach among job seekers. 

Other methods involve asking your connections for a reference, connecting with placement cells in universities, or using an internal job posting medium. Make sure to pick the method that fits your requirements, as it impacts the quality of applications you receive.  

You can also use the Internshala platform to post your digital marketing manager job opening. To do so, simply register on Internshala’s ‘Hire Talent’ portal for free and add your job listing. The platform offers a world-class ATS (application tracking system) to select applicants based on your preferences. Internshala’s employer portal also has a built-in chatbox to connect with potential candidates instantly. 

Pro Tip: Diversify your job posting methods to ensure a wider reach and receive applications from top talent in the market. 

Step 4: Conduct Interviews and Shortlist Candidates 

After receiving applications, shortlist candidates based on their resumes and begin the interview process. An interview is a one-on-one conversation between the recruiter and the candidate. Conducting an interview allows you to assess the candidates’s skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications. You can also determine if the candidate is a cultural fit by asking some strategic interview questions. 

Here are some questions that will help you assess candidates’ technical and soft skills. 

1. Explain the key factors influencing website ranking in search engines.
2. Discuss your experience with paid social media advertising campaigns.
3. Explain your process for interpreting campaign performance metrics and making data-driven decisions.
4. Specify the past digital marketing campaigns you are proud of and their outcomes. 
5. What is your approach to setting SMART goals for digital marketing campaigns?
6. How do you brainstorm new ideas and approaches to digital marketing challenges?

You can explore more technical questions through our comprehensive list of the most frequently asked digital marketing interview questions.

Pro Tip: You can use video interviews to save time and assess candidates efficiently.

Step 5: Finalize Candidates and Make an Offer

Once you are done with the interview round and assessment of the candidates’s skills and eligibility in all aspects, finalize them according to your requirements and make an offer. Ensure to provide a competitive salary package and offer benefits to attract top talent.

Digital Marketing Manager: An Overview

When hiring a digital marketing manager, it is best to know all the essential facts and information, allowing you to make an informed decision. Here is some vital information you need to know while hiring a digital marketing manager. 

1. Why Hire a Digital Marketing Manager?

The digital marketing manager oversees all functions of the digital marketing team and creates data-driven digital marketing strategies to ensure maximum output. Here are the key roles and responsibilities of a digital marketing manager.

• Develop and implement digital marketing strategies for a data-driven output. 
• Conduct competitor and market research, enabling you to highlight your USPs.
• Set key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the campaigns.
• Track and analyze campaign performance to make required modifications. 
• Manage diverse platforms and content to ensure consistent online visibility.
• Guide and mentor the team to ensure the smooth execution of marketing campaigns.
• Create and manage budgets for campaigns to ensure cost efficiency. 

2. Required Skills and Qualifications

Possessing a strong understanding of the skills and qualifications required to be a successful digital marketing manager allows you to hire the right fit for you. Here are some skills and qualifications to look for in a candidate.

Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Advertising, or any related field.
• Professional certificates, eg: Google Ads Certificate 
• A minimum of 4+ years of experience as a Digital Marketer.

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) for organic reach.
• Knowledge of pay-per-click advertising. 
• Excellent in social media marketing to gain visibility across social media channels.
• Experience with email marketing to connect with potential clients directly. 
• Ability to analyze data and draw effective insights. 
• Ability to create engaging content.
• Understanding of marketing principles and KPIs.
• Proficient with digital marketing tools such as Google Ads, Instagram insights, etc.

Soft Skills:

• Strategic and creative thinking to create effective strategies and marketing solutions. 
• Solid leadership skills to mentor the team and ensure smooth execution.
• Excellent communication skills to ensure your brand values are communicated effectively to clients and customers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to provide data-driven solutions. 

3. Cost of Hiring a Digital Marketing Manager

The cost of hiring a digital marketing manager varies based on the company size, experience, and location of the candidate. The average salary of a Digital Marketing Manager is ₹18.8 LPA. The annual salary generally ranges from ₹15.0 LPA to ₹39.6 LPA. 

Conclusion 

Hiring a skilled Digital Marketing Manager will benefit your company in various ways, including achieving a wider target audience reach, increased profits, and customer engagement, among others. To ensure you hire a qualified candidate, you require a robust hiring strategy. You can do so by following the steps outlined in this blog on how to hire a digital marketing manager.

Check out our guide on interview questions on culture fit to hire the candidate who best fits your company’s vision and culture.