What is a digital marketer?  

A digital marketer is responsible for the online marketing activities within your company. In practice, this means all marketing that takes place via the internet or involves new media. Content marketing is therefore firmly part of their portfolio, alongside closely related areas such as social media marketing, email marketing, SEO and SEA, and marketing automation. 

How does this differ from a content marketer?  

In many organisations, content marketing falls under digital marketing. Yet the roles are not identical. The key difference lies in the concept of inbound marketing. 

Both digital and inbound marketing focus on online channels and content. However, a digital marketer uses both inbound and outbound techniques. 

The digital marketer has an empathetic profile: innovative and change-driven, yet also in touch with how other (sometimes more traditional) departments operate.

To put it differently: a digital marketer works with both pull and push. Outbound pushes content to as broad an audience as possible. Inbound, on the other hand, responds to the needs of buyer personas as they move through their customer journey. While content marketers think primarily from an inbound perspective, digital marketers combine both worlds. The more an organisation invests in inbound marketing, the more the distinction between the two roles starts to blur. 

Core responsibilities of a digital marketer  

It would be an oversimplification to say a digital marketer “handles content, SEO, SEA, and automation.” Their role is far more specific. The exact responsibilities differ depending on the size and setup of the company, but some tasks are almost universal: 

• Designing the overall digital marketing strategy, with content marketing as one of its cornerstones. 

• Aligning digital marketing KPIs with the business objectives set by the CEO or leadership team. 

• Overseeing marketing plans and their execution, ranging from content strategies to display advertising campaigns. 

• Identifying new opportunities for sales and adjusting strategies accordingly. This often includes refining lead generation and lead nurturing processes. 

Where does the digital marketer sit in the content team?

First, let’s ask: where does the digital marketer sit in the company structure? 

In larger organisations, digital marketers typically report to the marketing manager or director. For marketing directors, this is a way to strengthen their team with digital expertise. In SMEs, an experienced digital marketer may even take on the role of marketing manager, often working closely with the CEO or business owner. 

When the role becomes too broad, companies often add a content marketer alongside or under the digital marketer—someone who can take full ownership of the content strategy within the wider digital marketing strategy. 

The digital marketer as bridge builder 

The digital marketer is, above all, a bridge builder. Within the marketing team, they help shift focus from outbound to inbound, and they bring a wide perspective on data. Instead of looking only at metrics such as the average time spent on a blog post, they connect those insights with broader marketing data. They also bridge the gap between business and online marketing, and just as easily between sales and online marketing. 

Their empathetic profile helps them innovate and embrace change, while also understanding the dynamics of other departments. They can connect campaign-driven thinking with the ongoing need for “content sparks” that nurture target audiences over time. 

For content marketers aiming to make their organisations more content-driven, the digital marketer is a key ally, often the travel companion who helps bring that vision to life.