Having worked in a several digital marketing agencies in Singapore for the past couple of years, I’ve seen all types of different setups. Some are mainly design focused, while others have an obsession for technology and analytics.
What is digital marketing?
Before we move on to looking at the actual workings of a typical digital marketing agency in Singapore, it will help if I covered a bit on the characteristics of digital marketing. Being a very versatile way of reaching out to prospects, it often runs in tandem with other offline efforts (such as brochures, flyers, signboards etc). Similar to other forms of marketing, the goal is to influence consumer decision as effectively as possible. To achieve this, marketers often tap on the immense potential of digital platforms for reaching out. Through good design and interactivity, it is far more capable than traditional media in demonstrating how a product or service works and the benefit it can bring to an individual.
Of course, having a convincing tool on an online platform alone is not enough, you need people to view in order for it to be effective. This is where the internet’s incredible reach comes into play. Since the early 2000s’, it has surpassed all growth predictions within Singapore and more than 90% of our citizens are online today. Such a statistic may seem impressive, but what’s even more impressive is the fact that over a quarter of these people make purchases online on a regular basis. The interconnected world of today has brought about a huge demand for digital marketing, leading to the existence of digital marketing agencies that have offered employment to many within the country all these years.
How does a digital marketing agency work?
Due to the many aspects of digital marketing, a typical agency is divided into various departments that have their own unique specialisations. Despite their contrasting roles, these departments collaborate closely with each other on a daily basis with the goal of meeting a client’s objectives and expectations.
Let’s start off with the creative department that consists of art directors, designers, and copywriters. You have probably seen beautiful websites, mobile applications and online ads; these are often the work of creatives within a digital marketing agency. Aside from designing impactful visuals that go alongside catchy copywriting, creatives these days also work on optimising the user experience for any website or application.
The creatives work closely with developers within a technology department. Well versed in languages such as HTML5, Javascript and PHP for web, or Objective-C for mobile, they bring life to the designs that are churned out by the creatives. Aside from dealing with frontend development, developers also work on the backend technology of complex digital platforms such as e-commerce and content management systems.
While developers churn out lines of code, the social media department is responsible for the day to day running of a client’s social media pages, or the execution of specific campaigns across social platforms. With social networks such as Facebook or Google+ taking centre stage in recent times, social media marketing has become an integral part of any agency’s business. Actual work aside, social media executives have to constantly keep up with social trends in Singapore and the slightest changes to the platforms they administer.
Any campaign that exists across social media channels will probably involve search engine marketing too. Search engine marketers within a digital marketing agency are responsible for the adverts to be placed on platforms such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. The targeted nature of delivering an ad based on a user’s search term makes it a highly effective tool and an integral part of any digital marketing initiative. For some agencies, they also have in-house search engine optimisers that are responsible for getting a website to be ranked higher in organic search listings.
Finally, we have the digital strategists that serve as the brains behind any digital marketing campaign. Based on a set of objectives specified by a client, they will advise on the types of digital channels to use, their potential reach and the recommended budget. Upon execution of a campaign, they are likely to be the ones coordinating all departments, keeping track of campaign results in realtime while managing client expectations.
Summary
Such are the workings of a Singapore based digital marketing agency. If you have ever visited or worked in one, you will realise how busy it can get with staff running between departments and constantly filling meeting rooms. Of course, all that are mentioned here could vary from agency to agency depending on its size and type of clients. Only thing for sure, is the fact that you should never consider a career at a digital marketing agency unless you are mentally set for a fast paced and pressurising environment.
What is digital marketing?
Before we move on to looking at the actual workings of a typical digital marketing agency in Singapore, it will help if I covered a bit on the characteristics of digital marketing. Being a very versatile way of reaching out to prospects, it often runs in tandem with other offline efforts (such as brochures, flyers, signboards etc). Similar to other forms of marketing, the goal is to influence consumer decision as effectively as possible. To achieve this, marketers often tap on the immense potential of digital platforms for reaching out. Through good design and interactivity, it is far more capable than traditional media in demonstrating how a product or service works and the benefit it can bring to an individual.
Of course, having a convincing tool on an online platform alone is not enough, you need people to view in order for it to be effective. This is where the internet’s incredible reach comes into play. Since the early 2000s’, it has surpassed all growth predictions within Singapore and more than 90% of our citizens are online today. Such a statistic may seem impressive, but what’s even more impressive is the fact that over a quarter of these people make purchases online on a regular basis. The interconnected world of today has brought about a huge demand for digital marketing, leading to the existence of digital marketing agencies that have offered employment to many within the country all these years.
How does a digital marketing agency work?
Due to the many aspects of digital marketing, a typical agency is divided into various departments that have their own unique specialisations. Despite their contrasting roles, these departments collaborate closely with each other on a daily basis with the goal of meeting a client’s objectives and expectations.
Let’s start off with the creative department that consists of art directors, designers, and copywriters. You have probably seen beautiful websites, mobile applications and online ads; these are often the work of creatives within a digital marketing agency. Aside from designing impactful visuals that go alongside catchy copywriting, creatives these days also work on optimising the user experience for any website or application.
The creatives work closely with developers within a technology department. Well versed in languages such as HTML5, Javascript and PHP for web, or Objective-C for mobile, they bring life to the designs that are churned out by the creatives. Aside from dealing with frontend development, developers also work on the backend technology of complex digital platforms such as e-commerce and content management systems.
While developers churn out lines of code, the social media department is responsible for the day to day running of a client’s social media pages, or the execution of specific campaigns across social platforms. With social networks such as Facebook or Google+ taking centre stage in recent times, social media marketing has become an integral part of any agency’s business. Actual work aside, social media executives have to constantly keep up with social trends in Singapore and the slightest changes to the platforms they administer.
Any campaign that exists across social media channels will probably involve search engine marketing too. Search engine marketers within a digital marketing agency are responsible for the adverts to be placed on platforms such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. The targeted nature of delivering an ad based on a user’s search term makes it a highly effective tool and an integral part of any digital marketing initiative. For some agencies, they also have in-house search engine optimisers that are responsible for getting a website to be ranked higher in organic search listings.
Finally, we have the digital strategists that serve as the brains behind any digital marketing campaign. Based on a set of objectives specified by a client, they will advise on the types of digital channels to use, their potential reach and the recommended budget. Upon execution of a campaign, they are likely to be the ones coordinating all departments, keeping track of campaign results in realtime while managing client expectations.
Summary
Such are the workings of a Singapore based digital marketing agency. If you have ever visited or worked in one, you will realise how busy it can get with staff running between departments and constantly filling meeting rooms. Of course, all that are mentioned here could vary from agency to agency depending on its size and type of clients. Only thing for sure, is the fact that you should never consider a career at a digital marketing agency unless you are mentally set for a fast paced and pressurising environment.