An online marketing specialist helps businesses and individuals with their online and email marketing campaigns. The online marketing specialist assesses his or her employer’s products and services and typically suggests a combination of Web-based, email, and social media strategies for increasing positive online awareness of his or her employer’s offerings. In many cases, the marketing specialist also tracks and monitors his employer’s efforts in order to make necessary adjustments to help his employer grow. He may also take an active role in online marketing efforts, such as administering his employer’s affiliate program, writing promotional emails, or maintaining a blog.
A website is the starting point for many businesses’ online presence. While many people are capable of creating a website, some business owners believe that consulting with an online marketing expert before doing so is a good idea. The online marketing consultant can ensure that the site not only looks good, but also that it is simple for current and potential customers to find the information they require and, if necessary, make an online purchase. A marketing specialist may also keep an eye on or even take part in interactive elements of a company’s website, such as a blog, photo gallery, open product rating system, or forum.
Online marketing experts also work to increase the amount of traffic to a company’s website. Assuring a high ranking in search engines, so that when Internet users type in a keyword relevant to a business, its website appears on the first page of results, is an important aspect of increasing website traffic. These experts work to improve a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) so that search engines “take notice” of it and rank it high in a results list. Print and online advertising, as well as targeted email campaigns and affiliate programs, are all options for increasing traffic.
The ability to track marketing efforts and make near-instant changes in direction is one advantage of online marketing strategies over traditional media. An online marketing expert will usually pay close attention to website statistics and consumer behavior while on the site. For instance, a marketing specialist may notice that customers frequently find his employer’s website by using a specific set of keywords or key phrases. When this occurs, he can work to add more content to those areas of the website that need it. He can also track how much time a website visitor spends on different parts of the site and make changes to make low-traffic areas more appealing to visitors.
The use of social media in Internet marketing has also grown in importance. An online marketing specialist can provide his employer with significant, targeted traffic by using these social networks to bring interesting, fun, and valuable content to potential and current customers. Social media marketing, on the other hand, can be difficult and time-consuming, which is why some online marketing consultants either specialize in social media or advise their employers to hire a social networking specialist to handle that aspect of the company’s online marketing strategy.