In the fast-paced and complex online business world, leveraging new methods to reach customers and meet their needs is crucial to success. Interactive marketing directors develop and execute strategies that help companies meet customer needs and acquire new business across multiple channels. Pursuing a career as an interactive marketing director can begin with enrolling in an MBA program with a specialization in Marketing.
Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall employment for marketing managers, including interactive marketing directors, will see steady growth in coming years, due to the growing number of businesses, as well as increasing competition. Employers will particularly seek out candidates with new media skills. Those with master’s degrees should have the best prospects.
Interactive Marketing Director Job Duties
The interactive marketing director could be a new position in some firms; in others, it is a well-established role. Typical responsibilities include planning, developing, managing and executing initiatives to grow market share through finding new customers and increasing loyalty among existing customers. Identifying new user channels to increase engagement is another typical job duty for the interactive marketing director.
Testing, measuring and refining marketing efforts, building brand awareness and improving the user experience are additional ways interactive marketing directors help organizations meet objectives. Employing new measuring methods, such as web analytics, increasing search engine optimization (SEO), and directing social marketing efforts are also typical activities for these marketing professionals.
Interactive marketing directors may interface with other marketing professionals to ensure that web projects meet requirements for generating leads and engaging customers. They will typically work closely with information technology teams as well, influencing web project design to meet marketing needs. Professionals in this position often lead creative and production teams, serving as project manager and mentor.
Additional job duties for the interactive marketing director might include preparing reports for management and other stakeholders, as well as developing and managing vendor relationships for services such as content management and search technologies.
The interactive marketing director usually works in a comfortable office. While a 40-hour week is standard, longer hours are not uncommon in this field. Depending on the employer, travel to conferences, trade events and vendor locations may be required.
Interactive Marketing Director Potential Salary
According to national data from PayScale.com in January 2011, the average annual salary for all marketing directors was $84,656, while the middle 50% earned between $49,942 and $108,825.
Additional national data on PayScale.com in January 2011 revealed that a marketing director’s salary potential can be significantly enhanced by earning a master’s degree. Based on 75th percentile salary figures, marketing directors with an MBA earned approximately $142,072 per year, while those with a BA degree in communications earned $82,723 per year – a differential of over 71%!
With additional experience, interactive marketing directors often advance to roles of increasing responsibility and higher potential annual pay. A sampling of executive marketing salaries on PayScale.com in January 2011 showed that in the 75th percentile, directors of marketing and business development, and VPs of marketing brought in approximately $145,709 and $199,711 per year, respectively.
According to the data, the top salaries generally go to those with solid skills and the advanced education employers need to remain competitive.
Education and Training Requirements
Most interactive marketing director jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree; many employers prefer to hire candidates with experience or advanced education, including master’s degrees.
Marketing professionals and others who wish to pursue an interactive marketing director position can boost their knowledge, sharpen their skills and improve their opportunities by enrolling in an MBA program with a specialization in Internet Marketing. Coursework typically includes marketing management, organizational behavior, management information systems, Internet marketing and technologies of Internet marketing.
Employers can be confident that professionals who have earned an MBA with a specialization in Internet Marketing are able to:
- Use analytical tools to develop, track and measure online marketing campaigns.
- Build and promote an organization’s web presence using emerging technologies.
- Develop effective online marketing strategies for a variety of organizations.
- Identify and produce solutions for real-world marketing problems.
- Leverage advanced knowledge and skills to succeed as an interactive marketing director.
Is an Interactive Marketing Director Career a Good Fit For You?
If you’re a business or marketing professional who wants to align your career with this new paradigm shift in marketing, you might want to consider pursuing a career in this fast-growing field. You’ll need strong communication skills, a demonstrated ability to lead, a desire to work in an exciting, fast-paced environment, and a knack for analyzing and solving problems. With these skills, plus the strong foundation of an MBA with a specialization in Marketing, you’ll be a strong candidate for the top interactive marketing director jobs!