Most digital marketing roles, especially at advanced levels, involve leadership responsibilities. Whether managing freelance writers or leading a full marketing team, developing leadership skills early in your career helps you succeed and strengthens both soft and hard skills.
To help break down the logistics of managing other marketers, regardless of your level, we’ll break this article down into three sections: hiring a quality marketing team, being an effective leader to your existing team, and retaining talent.
Source: TheHoth
Leading the Digital Marketing Hiring Process
Today’s job market is tough, for both employees and candidates alike. Employers receive hundreds of applications for a single role, many from unqualified candidates or those who don’t meet key requirements like salary, location, or experience. On the other hand, candidates frequently never hear back from companies after submitting their resume, or are subject to drawn-out interview processes that can consist of many interviews, minimal visibility into the process, and even unpaid tasks.
As a digital marketer, you know that finding the right person for your vacancies is crucial to the success of your team. But there are steps to take to ensure the hiring process is as fair, transparent, and fast-moving as possible:
Take the time to develop an accurate job posting: you’re more likely to find the right candidate if your job posting accurately reflects your needs. Create a precise job posting that clearly outlines non-negotiables like required experience, skills, and industry background. Be transparent about salary, remote work options, and benefits so applicants understand the role before applying.
Make the hiring process as efficient as possible: you might want to see ten writing samples relevant to your industry and see how the applicant interacts with every member of your team, but trust your instincts and, most importantly, the time and effort of the applicant by only asking them to complete necessary tasks to evaluate their fit for the role. And, if possible, offer compensation for tasks.
Be transparent: If a candidate is no longer being considered, let them know as soon as possible and try to honor commitments you’ve made–if you have told a candidate they’ll get feedback by the end of the week, make sure you follow through on that promise.
Leading a Digital Marketing Team
Once you have your team, you might feel a sense of relief–but your job isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s just starting. As a leader in the digital marketing sphere, you’re responsible for the following:
Ensuring clear communication: Clear communication is essential, but it requires effort to maintain open dialogue with your team. Everyone should be in the loop about company goals, marketing strategies, and long-term plans, in addition to the not-so-fun parts of the job: are they falling behind on some tasks? Is the team struggling to work together? Is someone feeling uninspired? Actively listen to your reports and ensure that you have the full picture of the team at all times.
Holding everyone accountable—fairly: Accountability should apply to all team members equally. Strong leadership means ensuring that everyone, from entry-level employees to senior managers, is held to the same standards. Leaders who set clear expectations and enforce them consistently create a workplace where trust and collaboration thrive.
Fostering trust and openness: Every team member brings unique value and should have space to innovate, create, and develop strategies for growth. Taking the time to hear out other’s ideas, even if they don’t seem strong to you at first, can help create a deep sense of trust within the team.
Setting measurable goals: Tracking success and progress is an essential part of being anyone’s manager, but to do this fairly, it must be in the shape of measurable goals. Not sure how to lay these out? Ensure they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Providing timely and constructive feedback: Great leaders don’t wait until performance issues pile up before offering feedback. Instead, they address concerns in real time, allowing their teams to correct course and improve without unnecessary stress. When feedback is given promptly and fairly, it fosters an environment of growth rather than uncertainty. Delayed or vague performance discussions can erode trust and make employees feel unsupported.
Leading by example: If you want your employees to work well together and respect you as a manager, you must lead by example. Hold yourself to the same standards as employees, and treat them as equals, listening to their concerns and feedback to make changes as needed.
Source: FinancesOnline
Retaining Talent on a Digital Marketing Team
Retaining talent can be the toughest part of leadership—top performers have options and can choose where to work. What does this mean for you? Well, that you’ll have to work at retaining the talent you have by:
Recognizing success–and room for improvement: People want to be recognized for the quality of their work and as their manager, it’s your job to give praise as needed. On the other hand, it’s also important to give them constructive feedback on areas for improvement so that they can grow as a professional.
Giving employees room to grow: Being cognizant of when an employee should receive a raise or a promotion is a great way to retain talent. If that is beyond your control or not an option due to budgetary or other constraints, make sure to find other ways to recognize their hard work and growth as a professional.
Leading a digital marketing team is about more than just overseeing campaigns—it’s about fostering an environment where creativity, collaboration, and growth thrive. By prioritizing clear communication, building trust, and recognizing the value of your team, you can create a workplace where top talent wants to stay. Leadership is an ongoing journey, and by continuously refining your approach, you’ll set both your team and yourself up for long-term success.
About the Author: Juliette Carreiro is a skilled content creator with over five years of experience in SEO, content ideation, and digital marketing strategy. She has spent more than two years at Ironhack, where she developed in-depth articles on topics ranging from career growth in tech to the future impact of AI. With expertise across tech, hospitality, and education industries, Juliette has helped brands like Ironhack engage their audiences with impactful storytelling and data-driven insights.
