Are you someone who is interested in building a relationship with customers or clients through digital media? In today’s culture, many promotional emails are sent out every day, and as a result, a huge majority of those emails get overlooked. Therefore, it is an email marketing specialist’s job to create emails that will catch their audience’s attention and interest in their product or service.
Besides creativity, an email marketing specialist should have an extensive background in marketing research and analytics. Research will help an email marketing specialist stay up to date with the latest marketing and industry trends, while analytics plays a huge role when it comes to identifying what is appealing and will and prompt a target audience to take action.
With today’s technology, an email marketing specialist must be tech-savvy. There are countless technological applications for email blasts, scheduling, analytics, and automation. Email automation is triggered through an individual’s action that allows for email follow-up, such as a blog subscriber that receives an email notification of the latest blog post.
Sample job description
[Your Company Name] is in search of a top-rated email marketing specialist. This candidate will be responsible for overseeing email marketing, demonstrating an ability to create accessible, engaging, and memorable texts, and conducting research to better comprehend consumers. Duties include reviewing former campaigns to ascertain areas of strength and weakness, conceptualizing goals for marketing campaigns, creating well-written copy that is free from mistakes, collaborating with graphic designers, and maintaining a database of consumers who have opted to receive email correspondence. Knowledge of email marketing is a must, and knowing how to operate email databases and plan campaigns is essential. This candidate will have one or two years of experience in email marketing or another job-related field.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Identify target audience and grow email lists
- Design and implement direct email marketing campaigns
- Proofread emails for clarity, grammar, and spelling
- Ensure mobile-friendly email templates
- Write newsletter including all company updates
- Upgrade email templates using graphics, personalization, and advanced features
- Ensure prompt and accurate communication with clients via email to minimize unsubscribes
- Create and secure email databases for lead generation
- Report on sales revenue generated from email marketing efforts
Education and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising/public relations, communications, or related field
- Preferred background in marketing research, analytics, customer service, email marketing software/ technology, and/ or writing
Required skills and qualifications
- Strong writing skills that attract customers and/or clients
- Hands-on experience with HTML and content management systems
- Proficiency in marketing automation technology
- Knowledge of SEO/SEM and Google Analytics
- Familiarity with analytical and database tools (Hubspot, MailChimp, SendinBlue, WixShoutout)
- Excellent written communication and copywriting skills
- Ability to work under tight deadlines
Preferred qualifications
- 1-3 years of experience producing and publishing email
- An ability to multitask and move fast while paying close attention to detail
- Strong communication skills within a fast-moving company environment
Typical work environment
Email marketing specialists work at a desk in an office. Many will also freelance, which will allow them to work from home or in a coworking space. They will spend the majority of their time researching and compiling email marketing campaigns, and they will need to be in constant communication with other individuals on the marketing team.
Typical hours
The typical work hours in an office setting for an email marketing specialist is from 9 AM to 5 PM. As an email marketing specialist freelancer, you can choose your own hours and/or workload.
Available certifications
Email marketing specialists require extensive experience in computer server management, email platforms, office administration, and several years of experience, and earning certifications within these fields can help.
- Digital Marketing Bootcamp. This course is offered by the University of Denver through a virtual classroom experience. In the Digital Marketing Bootcamp, you will learn how to create and execute successful marketing strategies, email marketing, gain real-world experience using tools and technologies such as Google Analytics and WordPress, and benefit from a wide range of career services to help equip you for success.
- Certified Email Marketing Master. Digital Marketer offers a course and certification in email marketing. This is completed online in 7 modules, with 46 videos, 4 handouts, and 7 quizzes. Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a badge certifying you as an email marketing specialist which you can display on your website, email signature, or LinkedIn profile, a digital certificate and a printable certificate certifying you with completion of the course and as a Certified Email Marketing Specialist.
Career path
While obtaining a bachelor’s degree, it is suggested to participate in internships that involve email marketing, copywriting, or content creation. It is advantageous to build your portfolio of published content before applying to become an email marketing specialist. In addition, receiving certifications in digital media marketing, Google Analytics, and HubSpot will set you apart as a candidate.
After becoming an email marketing specialist the marketing career paths are endless. You can become a marketing manager or director in charge of a marketing team consisting of graphic designers, copywriters, social media coordinators, SEO specialists, web developers, etc. Eventually, this position will allow you to gain the knowledge and expertise to become a CEO of a marketing agency if desired. Or, if you prefer to work solo, there are a vast number of freelance positions that you could take on!
Each career path can be obtained through years of experience, keeping up to date to date on the latest marketing trends, obtaining new certifications, and, of course, networking with other industry professionals!
US, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook
SOC Code: 11-2021
| 2020 Employment | 293,700 |
| Projected Employment in 2030 | 323,100 |
| Projected 2020-2030 Percentage Shift | 10% increase |
| Projected 2020-2030 Numeric Shift | 29,400 increase |
Position trends
Currently trending in email marketing is the personalization of content. Many emails are left unopened or skimmed because the product or service isn’t of interest to the contact. It has become increasingly more important to tailor emails to the needs of the target audience.
Artificial intelligence is another trend in email marketing. Certain software will assist in optimizing your emails, such as what time to send the message, A/B testing, and predicting user actions. AI technology allows you to identify where a user has clicked on your email, the bounce rate, time spent on the email, the open rate, level of engagement, and unsubscribers.
Interactivity has also been quickly adopted by email marketing specialists. Users prefer to have certain elements, such as video, picture carousels, quizzes, and clickable hotspots that allow them to interact with a brand. Static content has become a thing of the past. After all, the higher the engagement, the higher the chance a customer will purchase a product or service.
Lastly, now more than ever, individuals are viewing emails on mobile devices compared to desktop computers. Therefore, it is essential to compose emails that are mobile-friendly which will allow optimal readability and formatting.