3 MINUTE READ
Temporarily being forced to hang up their gloves at the beginning of 2020 – companies big, medium and small came to a standstill, not knowing how to react and cope with this dramatic change in the world. Eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel started to appear when entities realised that the media landscape had changed drastically, turning the focus even more to online marketing.
Businesses which were engaged in just the basics of marketing are forging their way into the digital realm to start becoming more visible online. Such businesses are starting with the creation of their business pages on social media platforms and the creation of basic informational websites. Others who already had an online footprint are working towards more optimised online marketing strategies that connect and engage with their existing and new clients through more interactive social media pages and more advanced e-commerce websites.
Whether it is a baby step or more of a leap, having the right people behind online marketing is key. Online platforms have recently been flooded with vacancies looking for digital marketers to manage small businesses all the way to large corporates. However, along with these vacancies, comments have also accumulated criticising the fact that companies are looking to recruit all-rounders mainly due to the cost-saving implication which is attached.
Best practices state that a Digital Marketing team should consist of the following people:
- A Head of Digital
- A Content Writer
- An SEM Expert
- A Web Master
- A Web Content Writer
- A Web Graphic Designer
- A Community Manager
- A Business Intelligence (BI)
Such a recruitment strategy can only be sustained by big corporates, as smaller entities cannot often afford such significant labour costs. Medium enterprises have a stronger chance of survival but may eventually struggle. It all depends on outlook – are you looking at the costs only or are you also calculating the return on that investment?
Let us be real and recognise that both costs and revenues are important elements to be considered when taking such a decision. Although not easy, especially in the initial stages, the best way will be to find an equilibrium between both elements whereby the actual costs can justify the potential revenues.
Moreover, another trend that has been seen on social media platforms is that more and more people aged from 17 to 50 years old are opting for digital marketing courses and promoting their status as fully-qualified digital marketers.
It needs to be considered that marketers doing a bit of everything may not yet be fully equipped with the specialist knowledge needed to make up a powerful marketing team. Moving forwards, businesses should evaluate the gaps in their workforce and establish their hiring strategy based on their specific business goals.
Authors- Nishta Jhurree, Nawaz Peerbux