Digital marketing is much more than posting on Instagram or sending out newsletters. It’s a dynamic blend of creativity, strategy, and data analysis. The most effective marketers know how to craft compelling content and measure results with precision.

Thinking about a career in this fast-growing field? Before you take the leap, it helps to understand what digital marketers actually do, what skills you need to succeed, and what advantages and challenges come with working in this field.

Here’s what to think about when deciding whether digital marketing is the right path for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Does a Digital Marketer Do?
• Skills and Traits That Lead to Success in Digital Marketing
• Pros and Cons of a Career in Digital Marketing
• Self-Check: Is Digital Marketing a Good Fit for You?
• How to Get Started in Digital Marketing
• FAQs

WHAT DOES A DIGITAL MARKETER DO?

Digital marketers wear a lot of hats. On any given day, you might find yourself writing a blog post, analyzing website traffic, setting up a paid ad campaign, scheduling social media content, or building an email sequence. The scope of the work is broad—and that’s part of the appeal for many in the field.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing content strategies across platforms
• Managing social media accounts and community engagement
• Running and optimizing paid ad campaigns (Google, Meta, etc.)
• Boosting content visibility in search engines (SEO) or AI-driven search results (GEO)
• Analyzing data to understand what’s working and what isn’t
• Collaborating with designers, writers, and developers

A typical project might look like this:

A business wants to promote a new product online. You start by researching the target audience—who they are, where they spend time online, and what problems they’re trying to solve. From there, you help shape the campaign strategy, which could include writing website copy, creating social media posts, building an email campaign, and setting up digital ads.

Once the campaign launches, you track performance using analytics tools. If certain ads perform better than others, you adjust budgets and messaging. If a landing page isn’t converting, you may test new headlines or layouts.

The goal is constant improvement based on real user data.

Digital marketers make data-driven decisions

SKILLS AND TRAITS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS IN DIGITAL MARKETING

To be successful in digital marketing, you need both the creative instincts to tell a compelling story and the analytical mindset to know if that story is actually resonating.

Technical Skills

Familiarity with key tools and platforms is essential. These include:

• Google Analytics and other data/reporting platforms
• Social media management tools (Hootsuite, Buffer, Meta Business Suite)
• Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, HubSpot)
• SEO tools (Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz)
• Paid advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager)
• Basic content creation tools (Canva, Adobe Express, WordPress)

Soft Skills and Personal Traits

The most successful digital marketers share a set of personal qualities that set them apart:

• Creativity and curiosity: You should always be asking “what if we tried this?” and looking for fresh angles to engage audiences.
• Strong communication: You need to be able to get your message across clearly, whether you’re writing ad copy, presenting a strategy, or explaining analytics to a client.
• Critical thinking and problem solving: In the age of AI, being able to cut through the fluff and think outside the patterns is key.
• Comfort with change: New platforms emerge, algorithms shift, and consumer behaviour changes constantly. You need to be adaptable and embrace ongoing learning.

PROS AND CONS OF A CAREER IN DIGITAL MARKETING

Like any career path, digital marketing has its highs and lows. Here’s an honest look at both sides.

Pro: Variety of roles and career paths

Digital marketing offers a wide range of potential specializations. For instance, you could focus on:

• Social media marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Content marketing
• Marketing workflows and automation
• Digital ads

This variety can be attractive if you don’t want to feel locked into a single role. You can shift focus as your interests or industry needs change.

Related: Top 5 Career Paths in Digital Marketing and Project Management

Con: Ongoing learning and upskilling is required

Digital marketing evolves quickly, and you need to commit to continuous learning to stay relevant. For some, this is exciting; for others, it can be off-putting.

Pro: Opportunities for remote or flexible work

Digital marketing is well-suited to remote and hybrid work because most tools and platforms are cloud-based. A 2025 Robert Half survey found that 44 per cent of marketing roles were either partially or fully remote.

Location is less important than skills and results. This flexibility can provide better work-life balance as well as access to opportunities beyond your local job market.

Con: Performance pressure tied to metrics and results

Digital marketing is highly measurable. That’s great for showing impact, but it also means there’s no room to hide if a campaign underperforms. Click-through rates, conversion rates, return on ad spend…the numbers tell the story. If you’re not comfortable being held accountable to data-driven results, this aspect of the field may take some adjustment.

Pro: Demand across multiple industries

Virtually every industry needs digital marketing expertise, from healthcare and education to retail, finance, and hospitality. In fact, almost three-quarters of Canadian marketing leaders plan to hire in 2026.

This widespread demand means more opportunities and the ability to pivot between sectors throughout your career.

Digital marketing offers opportunities across virtually every industry

SELF-CHECK: IS DIGITAL MARKETING A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?

To decide whether digital marketing aligns with your strengths and interests, ask yourself:

• Do I enjoy both creative and analytical work?
• Am I comfortable learning new tools and platforms regularly?
• Do I like experimenting, testing ideas, and improving results?
• Am I interested in how people behave online and what influences their decisions?

If you answered “yes” to most of those questions, digital marketing may be worth exploring further.

HOW TO GET STARTED IN DIGITAL MARKETING

Employers want to see what you can actually do. That’s why hands-on experience is so critical when you’re starting out. Building a portfolio that showcases real campaigns, content you’ve created, or analytics you’ve interpreted will set you apart from candidates who only have theoretical knowledge.

That’s exactly the approach behind Herzing College’s Digital Marketing and Project Management program. It’s designed to teach practical, job-ready skills related to everything from SEO and content strategy to social media management and marketing automation. The curriculum reflects what today’s employers are actually looking for.

Students also complete an internship that provides real-world experience and the chance to start building a professional network before graduation. It’s the kind of grounded, applied learning that makes a meaningful difference when you’re ready to enter the job market.

Frequently Asked Questions

LAUNCH YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING CAREER

If you’re still curious about whether digital marketing is the right path for you, reach out to a Herzing College admissions advisor. They can walk you through the program, answer your questions, and help you figure out your next step.

Click below to get full details on the digital marketing program and chat live with an advisor. We’re here to help!