10 desirable personality traits of a digital marketer

At Fresh Egg, we are passionate about driving innovation and immersing ourselves within our customers’ businesses to help them realise their full potential. To do so, we are dedicated to finding, developing and retaining the best digital marketing talent, not just for ourselves but also for our clients. Check out what we think are 10 desirable personality traits below.

As a digital marketing candidate, being innovative and creative can help you stand out from the pack. Creative thinking ensures you can spot opportunities and test concepts. It goes hand-in-hand with having a logical and methodical approach when it comes to problem-solving.

Innovation, possibly one of the more difficult traits to master, has the ability to develop your creative thinking approach, transform your campaigns, and enhance your relationships with clients.

In this day and age, in a world where the pace of technology change is relentless, life would be difficult if you couldn’t adapt quickly. This is particularly true in a digital working environment where data trends and search engine algorithms constantly change, and flexibility is required. If you fail to adapt, don’t be surprised if you’re left behind.

So how do you handle change? What if plan ‘A’ suddenly changed to plan ‘B’? Do you fight, flight or freeze?! Showcasing examples where you have been flexible will paint you as an unshakeable and favourable marketer.

From a client-facing point of view, an imperative trait is presenting strategies, no matter how complex, with confidence and gravitas.

Self-confidence can be picked up from several observations, including your body language, posture, eye contact and your ability to answer queries with assurance. However, it’s also important that you don’t get ahead of yourself, because as the saying goes – nobody likes a self-important know-it-all!

Do you consider yourself a great communicator? Working together, building and maintaining relationships is important in any job, and especially in the digital marketing world. We wholeheartedly believe that collaboration is not limited to four walls (especially due to COVID and remote working), and it can lead to the development of great ideas and stronger internal teams.

Being approachable and open to different ideas enables others to communicate comfortably with you, be it face-to-face, email, phone or real-time messaging apps for quicker day-to-day productivity. This is particularly important for our communication, especially in the light of the pandemic with remote, flexible and hybrid working becoming the norm for many people. 

Although we live in a fast-paced environment, nothing really happens as quickly as we want it to. There’s internal reporting lines, technical considerations and the time required to implement actions correctly. As an agency, client schedules also need to be kept in mind. If things are going against you, take a deep breath, be patient and move on to the next task!

It’s essential as a digital marketer that you can demonstrate that you practice what you preach. For example, having an active presence on social channels can be advantageous as it provides an insight into your expertise. Your knowledge might also extend to running a blog, or perhaps you volunteer for a charity in your spare time with their digital marketing. All would be favourably seen by potential employers, highlighting your writing, creative and technical skills.

Above all, show and demonstrate a genuine interest in all things digital marketing. At Fresh Egg, we take great pride in our work and the relationships we forge with our clients. If you don’t have a passion for your industry, how will you enjoy what you do and have a reason to work every day?

Some may argue that motivation is situational, and perhaps there is some truth in this argument. However, demonstrating that you have a thirst for knowledge, are bright and driven, with the motivation to lead by example are valued signs of long-term success.

If you need to develop this, get into a habit of setting your goals for the month, the quarter and the year. That way, you can clearly communicate to your manager or next job interviewer what drives your motivation.

It’s also important to point out that motivation goes two ways. If you don’t work for a company that helps you reach your career goals or lacks incentives and culture, how are you expected to stay motivated?

To succeed in business, one must understand how businesses operate in general and have a strong overview of the marketplace and the company itself. That way, making decisions that lead to profit are more achievable.

Business-savvy individuals are great networkers and can spot and grow future opportunities. Spotting opportunities means knowing your products, the businesses differentiators and most importantly, the competition.

As human beings, we all have our own feelings and thoughts, and at times there will be differing opinions in the workplace. While it can be a challenge to put aside your own opinions on a matter, it is important to remain diplomatic if you want to control conflict and keep the peace.

The other side of the argument is that in an ever-changing digital marketing environment, a debate can be healthy and welcoming - providing an opportunity to break through differing opinions and often spark great ideas.

Trustworthy, reliable, and cooperative are all qualities that fall under being dependable. Entering into a new job is similar to a relationship – you need to prove to your employer that they can count on you to hit the ground running in your new job role.

One of our core values is being truthful, and part of this is really believing that you’re utilising the client’s budget in the best way and doing everything possible to deliver ROI for them.

Honesty is at the forefront of hiring and retention as well. So next time you’re asked about your strengths and weaknesses, don’t feel ashamed to admit that you are not perfect.