Digital Marketing in South Africa is a very fast-paced and ever-evolving field, so it is essential to understand the different components.  

If marketing sounds like something right up your alley, you will first need to choose your career direction before you start your studies or job search.

Here are some of the career paths in digital marketing:

Content managers and content strategists

These professionals are responsible for creating and implementing content strategies that align with a brand's goals by ensuring that the company's message is consistent across all digital channels.

In addition to creating content, the team of writers and editors will also need to be managed. This involves:
  • delegating tasks
  • providing feedback on work quality, and
  • ensuring deadlines are met.


VR developers and editors

Virtual Reality is taking the world by storm. With the need to create immersive consumer experiences, VR developers and editors have become crucial. 

Being creative is obvious for this role, along with a strong understanding of software tools to create:
  • 3D applications
  • games
  • simulations, and
  • videos.

Luckily, there are institutions where you can study this fascinating subject here in South Africa. Though VR is not yet too popular in South Africa, it would be an investment in your future.  Though on the other hand, you would be one of a handful that has this skill.

SEO and SEM specialists

Search Engine Optimization specialists focus on improving a website's visibility in search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo by optimising:
  • content
  • keywords
  • meta tags, and
  • backlinks. 

Data is analysed on management and content marketing platforms, like Semrush or Moz, to identify areas for improvement.

Search Engine Marketing specialists use paid advertising campaigns to improve their client's online presence. They create ads that target specific keywords or audiences to drive traffic to websites. These specialists must be skilled in managing PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns while keeping costs low.

UX Designers creates products or websites that are easy to use and navigate. Once analysing a client, they use their knowledge of user behavior and design principles to create intuitive interfaces that meet the needs of users.

By knowing their target audiences, they can create wireframes, prototypes and user flows that align with these expectations. 

UX Designer jobs are in high demand everywhere and are a good career choice if you enjoy being creative and are detail-oriented.

Analysts and AI specialists

These professionals help companies make data-driven decisions and analyse the performance of various digital marketing campaigns to identify areas for improvement. They utilise their analytical skills to provide insights into:
  • consumer behaviour
  • market trends, and
  • competitor strategies.

AI specialists work with machine learning algorithms to automate processes such as lead scoring, customer segmentation and predictive analytics to predict future outcomes speedily.

Social media specialists

These marketers use various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create and manage social media campaigns. They do this by developing strategies to increase:
  • brand awareness
  • engagement, and
  • traffic.

This includes creating or utilising eye-catching graphics, videos or written content that will attract users' attention enough to engage with it by:
  • liking it
  • commenting on it, or
  • sharing it.


Graphic designers

creates eye-catching graphics that capture and retain a user's attention by communicating complex information through visuals. 

The graphic designer needs to use creative skills, using design software.

Having a skilled graphic designer on a team ensures high-quality branding materials across all platforms; from social media posts to email campaigns and website creation.

Videographers and photographers

These individuals create pictures worth a thousand words and videos even more so. As consumers become more visual in their online interactions, the role of videographers and photographers has become essential in digital marketing.

Working closely with clients, they bring to life their vision through:
  • stunning visuals
  • music
  • sound effects
  • voice-overs, and
  • motion graphics.

Both use their artistic abilities to frame shots perfectly, adjust lighting conditions and post-process images to enhance their impact.

E-mail marketing specialists

They create and execute email campaigns that aim to promote products or services, increase brand awareness and drive sales and optimise campaigns by analysing data.

An e-mail marketing specialist needs to have knowledge of email marketing tools that can help them in designing visually appealing emails with personalised messages for each subscriber.

For more information, visit www.executiveplacements.com.