Well you’ve seen the excitement that I’ve expressed in my last post about the fast growing digital positions that are popping up across companies Nationwide. And for the most part the big corporations, well they get it. They know exactly what a position like this demands, and knows what the expectations and targets should be.

But still I’ve found many nationwide niche companies and small businesses that are really coming to the realization that these are much needed specialized positions within there organizations and are actively looking. Now I’m really only talking about specific positions such as Digital Strategy aka Digital Marketing aka Internet Marketing (managers/directors) and whatever you choose to call this position! SEO and SEM specific titled positions are pretty straightforward and very popular in agencies and a handful of positions in organizations that have chosen not to outsource it.

First and foremost the Director/Manager of digital strategy/marketing is your internal “digital expert” essentially. This person is the one who cultivates change and new thinking internally as well for the customers or client base if relevant.  I’ve seen some companies really pigeon hole this position without truly understanding the impact this person will make and should make on the organization. So think about it what would change do within your organization? It doesn’t seem like some organizations are giving that much collaborative thought as to what the true purpose for this person is.

So since we’re on the topic of who this person is and what they mean to the organization what this person does or what’s required isn’t always clear. And here is a mistake many companies are guilty of:  This is NOT an IT position! Do not get confused with a true marketing professional and an IT professional. Creating digital strategies and understanding hardware and infrastructures are two totally different skill sets. As high pay as this position is why would you want to take away from the main focus, which is to generate ROI and Brand your business, with having them  troubleshooting your router?

If you are using the term “IT” then be really specific on what exactly you mean by it, because the term is so loosely used especially in the digital space. A Digital Strategy professional knows the difference so it’s important to give specific examples of what you mean. Like can you build websites, microsites and/or landing pages? Guess what that’s not IT and in today’s world you really don’t need to know HTML to create high converting sites and landing pages . The old school computer nerd has moved on to more complex applications. Thanks to sites like weebly all you need is your creativity and strategic thinking and have the awesome skills to be able to drag and drop! Organizations could really be passing up a well qualified candidate if they don’t clearly specify what they mean by “IT.”

Lastly the biggest mistake I see organizations make when they’re looking for this professional is requiring them be skilled in their specific industry. For example you’re a financial company looking for a Digital Marketing Director and you’re requiring experience in the financial industry, on top of 10 years in progressive internet advertising experience. You’re really making your pond smaller, and I hate to break it to you coming from an agency background where I worked in ALL industries it’s all about knowing who the target market is and where they’re hanging out online, and how you put your company in front of them. Unless you want this person to physically sell your product or service don’t shoot yourself in the foot by being industry specific. Realistically there isn’t going to be another person in your business that will be more educated on not just your company, but also your competitors!

If this post finds you hopefully you’re reevaluating the description and looking at all of your internal resources to see how this person will collaborate with you and your team before writing out the full job description. But, as fast as this space is evolving I hate to tell you, you’re going to have to rewrite it tomorrow;-)

Ciao~