Digital marketing data analysts are like anthropologists of the business and marketing world. By collecting and examining evidence of the ways consumers behave online, they’re able to help organizations drive impact and improve return on investment.
“A digital marketer dives through an analytics platform looking for anomalies in the data,” explains Michael Wiegand, director of analytics at Portent and an instructor for the UW’s Digital Marketing Analytics course. “They’re looking for positive and negative performers, and they use this information to guide marketing and leadership teams as they make and adjust plans.”
“Analytics is all about distilling data down to the pieces that matter so decision makers can optimize plans and improve their marketing,” says Ben Brubaker, an instructor in the Digital Marketing program and a principal consultant at Slalom.
DIGITAL MARKETING ANALYSTS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND
While companies today have access to unprecedented amounts of customer data, there’s an ongoing lack of people who possess the skills to analyze and translate that data into useful information. Wiegand points to a recent HubSpot article and notes that, “Over 70% of chief marketing officers have reported that they’re aware they’re not using their company’s data as well as they could.”
Projected Growth
U.S. (2020-30): 22%
Washington state (2018-28): 28%
Median Annual salary
U.S. (2020): $65,810
Washington state (2020): $83,880
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET
Gaps such as this are fueling a strong demand for digital marketing analysts, both within the Seattle area and across the nation.
“Data and analytics are hot for a reason,” Brubaker notes. “When you’re able to understand the data, you have power to make an impact, to make the right decisions, instead of just guessing.”
HOW TO GET STARTED IN DIGITAL MARKETING ANALYTICS
Digital marketing analysts generally come from several common backgrounds. Some have direct communications experience in the marketing industry, while others have a more technical foundation, often in coding or statistical analysis.
While the field’s technical requirements may seem intimidating to prospective students, new technologies have lowered those barriers. “You don’t have to have a coding or stats background in order to succeed in this field,” says Wiegand.
If you're interested in getting some hands-on experience in the field, the UW’s Digital Marketing Analytics course can be a great place to start.
Taught by professionals with extensive experience in digital marketing analytics, the course gives students practical skills and demonstrable deliverables they can add to their portfolio.
”Students work on real-world problems for real-world clients,” says Wiegand. “These aren’t random data sets pulled from a book.”
ADVANCE YOUR MARKETING CHOPS
Interested in building your marketing chops? UW Professional & Continuing Education offers these marketing or marketing related programs.