Women in Digital Marketing: Advice From Strong Women Dominating Their Field
As twenty first century women we’re used to hearing, (and sometimes regrettably complying to), long established stereotypes regarding our characteristics and lifestyle. Little do we hear however, news on strong women dominating their careers - the ones that we do hear about tend to be more Miranda Priestly Devil Wears Prada, and less Michelle Obama helping to run the world vibes. Never has this been more prominent than in today’s society where current news from both pop-culture and wider broadcasters have highlighted irregularities in the pay gap between women and their male equivalents.
We spoke to the women at BigFoot Digital who, like us, have had enough. They are proud of their team of strong female digital marketers dominating their field. So proud in fact, that we spoke to a few of their team members and asked them to offer up any advice they had to aspiring business women, in how to make it as a woman in digital marketing.
A recent Accenture research report found that despite women being 11% more proficient, digitally, than men, men account for over 70% of the digital marketing workforce. Digital Strategist’s Hannah and Emily, know this statistic all too well, and, after spending a lot of time and hard work getting to where they want to be, give us their top tips of how to start a career as a woman in digital marketing.
Have you ever worked in a male-dominated company?
Emily: Yes. I worked as a marketing assistant at a small gaming company. After a while I noticed that the jobs I was allocated were way beneath both my skill level and the requirements of the job role I had applied for.
Hannah: Same here - it wasn’t in the industry that I work within now, it was when I worked as a receptionist at a Hotel, but the sentiment was still the same. I was often asked all sorts of questions that the other men I worked with assumed I ‘should’ know the answers to.
How did you overcome this and did it help get you where you are today?
Hannah: Honestly? I played to the stereotypes. Think of that what you will, but the men I worked with, although they became my close friends, assumed I was organised and could manage a-million-and-one-tasks all at once. I couldn’t, but didn’t let this show. I took a step back and delegated the tasks out equally. This helped me massively in my current job in digital marketing. Organisation has proven to be key when managing multiple tasks, each with their own set deadlines. I give myself time, ask for help when I’ve got too much on my plate and be honest about deadlines to both the clients, my team and myself.
Emily: I agree with Hannah. As a strong woman in digital marketing, I used the experiences of working in a male-dominated environment to better me. I had to voice my opinion and stand my ground to let the people I worked with previously, know that I wanted to do more than what they were giving me. This gave me heaps of confidence which proved very useful when applying for future digital marketing jobs.
Do you have any advice for aspiring women in the digital marketing industry?
Hannah: Women in digital marketing are very creative and confident. I learned to use this to my advantage. I didn’t come from a digital marketing background, but I loved to read and knew how to write. I didn’t let my lack of experience put me down. I emailed lots of digital marketing companies around my area and was open and honest with what I was looking for. Eventually, after lots of rejections (and trust me, there were lots), someone offered me some unpaid work experience and since then I haven’t looked back. I learned not to be afraid to ask questions. It shows willingness to learn and ensured I was taken seriously, not only as a candidate, but as a woman in a field we’re statistically proven to be great in.
Emily: I entered the digital marketing field as a women in a similar way to Hannah. With limited field-specific experience, I put myself on the line and asked for some work experience. This really does stand out to employers. With so much competition out there, your personality is the thing that shines through and if you have the confidence to write to people and let them know you’re interested, then they’ll invest their time in you. It’s not immediate, its not quick but it’s definitely worth it. I wouldn’t be where I am today, in a predominantly female team that I love working within, without sticking my neck out. You wouldn’t believe how similar my story is to most of the women in our digital marketing office, the worst you can do is try your best.
So there we have it. In digital marketing, women are proven to have the skills equipt to being the best in the field, yet only 30% of women are riding this out and staying in the sector. If you have the skills, whether your talents lie in fashion, computers or sports, make sure your voice is heard. As Emily and Hannah have shown, hard work pays off. They now work in an office of London’s leading SEO and digital marketing agency of 25 people, 23 of which are women - women at the top of their game, for that matter. Don’t let experience or lack of confidence stop you, you got this.