How to Succeed in First Digital Marketing Job

I’ve been the first marketer at two companies now worth over $2 billion. If I did it again, here’s 9 things I’d do differently: 1️⃣ Start with brand as a scalable system Build a modular design system early with components you can combine instead of create. A Figma system, Canva templates, Google Slide layouts. Pair that with a messaging doc, your "copy-paste" bank of positioning, beliefs, and product language. It becomes a foundation for consistency and a knowledge base for AI. 2️⃣ Prioritize the 95%, not just the 5% LinkedIn & search ads worked early, but only because we caught the 5% already in market. The "demand capture" pool dries up fast. Invest early in "demand creation." Reach the 95% who aren’t ready yet, but will be. 3️⃣ Build in public People trust people more than companies. Let internal voices share what they’re building and learning. In the AI era, content is easy. Opinion & stories are valuable. 4️⃣ Know your customer so well the strategy writes itself I used to sit on every sales call and write every piece of copy. That proximity helped me hear what customers cared about, what words they used, where they hung out. Be close enough to "hear the music," and messaging & growth channels become obvious. 5️⃣ Start community early Create spaces where early customers can connect: Slack, Reddit, meetups, certification. It fuels your roadmap and scales support when customers can help each other. Even better if it creates user-generated content that is indexable/shareable. 6️⃣ Create the problem Don’t build the whole funnel on day one. If you don’t have traffic, don’t worry about conversion. Solve the problem you actually have. Let the next one emerge or you'll be building and rebuilding as things inevitably change. 7️⃣ Look bigger than you are Design clean & consistent. Logo small (bigger companies don't oversize their logo). Feature your biggest customers, your compliance certifications. Use big company channels but use them small (buy one billboard, get one great PR story, speak on one well-known podcast). Make big company content but do it small (like a single high production video). 8️⃣ Build lightweight systems You don’t need full-blown infrastructure. A Notion board or copy-paste doc can carry you farther than you think. Build systems for speed, not scale. 9️⃣ Protect your focus Get used to working with an infinite backlog. I used to start each day with a sticky note on my laptop of my 3 to 5 most important tasks. You weren’t hired to do everything, you were hired to make impact. If you've done this - what would you add?

The 6 things I’d never skip when building marketing from zero. (A list from someone who’s been the strategist, content creator and campaign manager all at once) When you join a scale-up as “the first marketing hire,” the role often comes with no team, no tools, no structure, just expectations. Revenue expectations. Reputation expectations. “Can you just” expectations. I’ve walked into jobs where the brand guidelines were still in someone’s inbox, the ICP was a gut feeling, and reporting meant downloading a spreadsheet once a month and praying it looked good in colour. But there is a way through the noise. Here are 6 things I never skip when building a marketing function from zero: 1. Get dangerously clear on what you're here for. You’re not here to just post on social. You’re not here to make things “look nice.” You’re here to drive growth, shape perception, and connect strategy to outcomes. Own that from day one. (which may mean having to help your leadership understand what marketing *really* is, how it works, what it looks like for their business - and it's your job to cement that understanding). 2. Align with the customer base and narrow your targets. Before you talk about what, lock in the who. Not just a demographic - get under the skin of the pain points, power dynamics, and buying behaviours. This becomes your lens for every decision, every campaign, every penny spent. 3. Build trust with data, not jargon. Especially if you're the first marketer! Show your thinking. Track the unsexy things. Help the founders and sales team see the value before they feel it. Trust comes before budget. 4. Prioritise foundations over fireworks. It’s tempting to dive into social or brand campaigns - but if you’re not clear on the funnel, message, channels and conversion points? You’re lighting matches in a wind tunnel. 5. Create assets that scale with you. Think: messaging frameworks, templates, automated nurture flows. Things you can build once and adapt, not constantly reinvent. 6. Say no (early and often). Boundaries are your best friend when everyone thinks marketing means “making things look pretty.” You’re not here to decorate. You’re here to drive. Which of these have you struggled with you the most? *cough*6*cough* 👀 --- 💋A perspective from inside the scale-up trenches. #MarketingInTheMud

Digital marketing success takes time Sam stared at the laptop screen, frustration etched across his face. Three weeks into the company's new digital marketing campaign, and the sales needle had barely moved. He'd invested countless hours crafting the "perfect" strategy, secured budget approval, and promised impressive results. "This isn't working," he muttered, checking the analytics dashboard yet again. His boss called, asking for updates. Sam forced optimism into his voice while remembering his grandfather's wisdom: "Expecting instant results in digital marketing is like planting a seed today and expecting a tree tomorrow." What Sam experienced wasn't failure—it was the natural germination period of digital marketing. Like all good things that grow, campaigns need time to take root. "The companies that succeed understand that digital marketing is both a sprint and a marathon. You need quick wins to build momentum, but the big payoffs come from playing the long game," explains a veteran marketer. Consider a company's digital marketing journey: - Months 1-3: Established foundations—optimized website, created quality content, built social presence. - Months 4-6: Implemented A/B testing, discovering longer-form content resonated better. Engagement improved by 15%. - Months 7-12: Consistent posting and growing email list doubled website traffic with upward conversion trends. - Year 2: After data-driven refinements, sales increased 300% compared to pre-strategy days. Successful digital marketers follow these principles: 1)Preparation matters: Set proper foundations with website optimization, content plan, and strategic planning. 2) Regular nourishment: Provide consistent content updates and audience engagement. 3) Patience through seasons: Weather algorithm changes and market fluctuations like a garden face environmental challenges. 4)Data-driven adjustments: Analyze performance and adapt strategies accordingly. Six months later, Sam's campaign delivered impressive results. Rather than abandoning his strategy early, he: - Implemented A/B testing, discovering his initial messaging needed adjustment - Focused on high-engagement topics - Remained patient with SEO efforts that paid dividends after four months - Built relationships with industry influencers, creating network effects When his boss called this time, Sam confidently shared not just improved metrics but valuable audience insights reshaping the company's approach. The businesses that succeed aren't necessarily those with the biggest budgets. They're the ones that understand marketing is about nurturing relationships, building trust, and delivering consistent value over time. "The results didn't come from pushing harder or spending more," Sam reflected, "They came from embracing the process, trusting the data, and giving our strategy time to grow roots. #adaptability #digitalmarketing #emails #patience #strategy

Today marks 10 years since my first paid media client. Here are 10 lessons I've learned to help you avoid my mistakes: 1. Lead the client – As an agency, it's your job to guide clients and help them understand their goals. Educate and inform; don't just sell ads. 2. Learn basic JavaScript – Tracking metrics is essential. Knowing JavaScript allows more creative tracking and a deeper understanding of campaigns. I recommend "JavaScript for Digital Marketers" by Simo Ahava. 3. Avoid "Google Ads jail" – Google Ads frequently updates policies. Violating terms can put your account on hold, and it's nearly impossible to get un-jailed. Stay updated to avoid issues. 4. Organization & SOPs – SOPs make you super-efficient. Systematize everything to stay organized and prevent mistakes. 5. Campaign optimization is like fine wine—it improves with age. More data over time leads to better results. Be patient; you can't optimize overnight. 6. Use automation wisely – Automation saves time but can cause oversights if misused. Manually review reports to truly analyze data. I recommend mastering Make. 7. The cost is worth it – Don't skimp on tools that save time and boost results. The best software isn't cheap, and expenses grow with your business. 8. Give yourself 3 months – Successful campaigns require time and dedication. Significant results often appear after 3 months. Don't quit after the first month if ROI isn't positive. Month 1: Setup Month 2: Data collection Month 3: Scaling 9. Skills win business. Relationships keep it – Being good isn't enough. Relationships are foundational. Build them with empathy, active listening, authenticity, and vulnerability. 10. Keep It Simple – Complexity Doesn't Impress Clients prefer clear, actionable insights over flashy reports. Focus on what matters and avoid analysis paralysis. Key metrics: - Site Metrics: Conversion Rate, Engagement Rate, Average Session Duration -Campaign Metrics: CTR, CPC, CPA, Conversion Rate -Financial Metrics: ROAS, CLV, ROI, EPC

First marketing hire at a fintech company is one of the hardest jobs in the industry. I know because I've been that person. There is no playbook and no precedent. Just a founder who wants a million things like a website, a conversion funnel, a brand, KPI measurement and to show them an ROI. And of course the sales team that wants leads yesterday, and a product team that wants documentation, guides and video tutorials. You have to figure out what to do first without losing anyone's confidence in the process (and your sanity). The CMOs I've seen figure it out didn't really do more tasks. They just sequenced things better and prioritized effort by ROI. They got small visible wins early and built trust. That momentum is what buys you the time to build the right foundation. Most first marketing hires get this wrong not because they lack talent but because nobody told them: ☞ Don't build anything the first two weeks. Just listen, learn, absorb, stay curious ☞ Quick visible wins in weeks 3 to 6 buy you more than that strategy deck you’re building ☞ Set the pipeline timeline with the founder in week one or you'll regret it ☞ Content is the foundation. Everything else like PR, events, advertising depends on it. ☞ Visible progress beats invisible progress Get those five things right and the rest follows. ➤ Full framework here: https://lnkd.in/d_khTTdn ➤ DM me or grab some time: https://www.acadia.im/book #FinTechMarketing #CMO #B2BMarketing #DemandGeneration #FinTech

If I were to be hired as a digital marketing manager in a scale-up today, here's what I would do first: 1. I would interview the founder and read all the material. This would help me to understand: - Your ideal client  - Their pain points  - How do you solve these  - Success stories  - Your sales and communication goals. What unique value do you offer that your competitors don't? This will give me a clear understanding of your business and goals within the first week. It's a must-do that my former colleague, Jairo Guerrero, taught me. 2. Connect GA4 properly. Without monitoring the money-making pages of your site, we can't understand how your content is performing in terms of booked demos. If you have HubSpot, even better. We will connect that too. 3. Execute content redistribution - We cut the first interview into vertical videos.  - We write a text post for LinkedIn.  - We create a blog post strategy based on sales goals and customers' pain points.  - We extract at least eight newsletters from the first interview. (Here we should outsource some of the work to not slow down the production) 4. SEO, LinkedIn, and lead magnets for the newsletter would be the first investment. - We start publishing your expert tips on LinkedIn (x3/week). - We comment on other content creators' posts to encourage them to support the founder (x10/day). - We publish problem-solving blog content (5/month) - We launch a lead magnet to solve your audience's pain point and offer a glimpse of our solution. 5. Podcasting: After three months, we can start inviting guests to discuss topics related to your niche. This will ensure: - Free content to post on LinkedIn and your blog.  - Free vertical videos for Instagram.  - We also start posting on YouTube.  - Building your profile in the industry.  - We meet relevant people in the industry. - Grant our guests access to the tool to help them spread the word. It's a content flywheel, and if we start quickly and intensely, results will come soon. 📌 Do you have a content redistribution plan in place? 

Only a very specific marketer archetype will thrive as the FIRST marketing hire. I’ve hired over 50 of them & here are six traits they share: 1. T-shaped Their core expertise may be in 1 channel, but they know just enough about most things to be able to manage all the various marketing initiatives WELL single-handedly. Remember, the job of the first marketing hire is to fail at 80% of the things until they find the 20% that you should double down on. 2. Bias for action This is why most glorified VPs from big tech companies fail at early-stage startups. They want to 'manage people' and never have to roll up their sleeves. Pay them +$200k to plan, strategize & tell their non-existent team what to do? No, thank you. First marketing hires are not afraid of rolling up their sleeves; in fact, they feed off of it. 3. Fast Speed is one of the last true competitive advantages today. Taking 1-2 months to get a campaign going or 3 months to update website messaging is just too slow for an early-stage startup. They have to be shipping daily. You learn what works only through ongoing, rapid experimentation. 4. Technical (enough) Just enough to be able to run marketing ops (manage the site, run automation, reduce manual work, improve processes, etc). Hiring an extra person to do just this is probably not an option. Encourage them to keep the tech stack simple and make their life easier. 5. Can-do attitude They know that a startup job means doing things they have never done before and finding solutions to problems they've never encountered. They'll never be able to do that if they stick to their job description. Last but not least… 6. Grit They'll need a whole lot of GRIT. They'll fail daily, so look for signs that this person has been punched in the face before and still picked themselves up again. It's ugly, but it's true - most 1st marketing hires just don't work out. Being the first marketing hire at a nearly-stage startup is not the right fit for most.

If you're a solo or first-time marketing leader, here's the #1 thing you need to be successful. I joined OneScreen.ai a year ago today. It's been a fun and wild ride as their first Head of Marketing. I've built marketing functions from scratch a half dozen times across a range of brands and industries. One thing has stood out to determine your success: Internal Marketing. Yes, you're expected to deliver external results FAST, that's why you were hired. Success comes from getting the rest of the organization on the same page with your marketing vision and execution. Especially if you are the first marketer, the marketing maturity of the organization may be low. Thankfully, it wasn't at OneScreen since we sell OOH ads to marketers. Here are some tips to nail Internal Marketing: - Focus on Others First. Step back and understand other departments may not have had marketing support before, so knowing how long a project takes or the difference between a demand gen leader vs. a brand marketer may need an explanation. A listening tour will show respect and ramp you faster than ever. - The sooner you show other functions, especially sales, CS, and product, that you are genuinely interested in learning their processes, needs, and that you are there to foster THEIR success, the faster there is cohesion. - Repeat yourself often. Sharing your plan or a timeline once is not enough. Your work is not others' priorities. - Do the opposite of Improv Comedy. A key rule of improv is to answer questions with a "Yes, and..." It leaves the door open for the other person to add to the dialogue. No's shut things down. If a salesperson asks for a "sell sheet" as a follow up, ask how they plan to deliver it and what it's for. Dig in with questions to understand the problem and need, to suggest a trackable custom landing page instead of a PDF after a sales discovery call. Extra questions and education on why that may be a more impactful delivery turn you from a sales order taker to a strategic partner. - Great ideas come from everywhere, but it doesn't mean they all need to be used. Marketers are not the only creative team members. You should welcome ideas while diplomatically sharing that not all may be used. One idea may be incredible, but out of budget, so don't assume Judy in Accounting knows that. Champion the idea, but explain why right now may not be a good execution to help keep ideas coming. - Champion the Team. Your job as a leader is to educate about how your team or partners led to success. Sharing how a copy strategy led to new leads helps others understand the "under-the-iceberg" work that goes into a successful campaign. - Promote Your Work. I've learned this the hard way before, especially when I thought no one cared about marketing vanity metrics, or it seemed like too many updates sounded like you were bragging. Find a balance. Here's to many more OneScreen years, and to starting with internal marketing to nail the external.

You’ve landed your first job. Congrats! 🎉 Starting strong can set the tone for your career. Based on chats with a new hire, here are 9 essential tips to navigate your first year successfully: 1️⃣ Deliver on or before time. Reliability builds trust. If you commit to something, do it. To achieve this: ✅ Learn to say “No” when necessary. ✅ Assess workload realistically—overcommitting leads to failure. ✅ Communicate early if a deadline is at risk. 2️⃣ Master your calendar. Time is your most valuable resource. ✅ Never be late. Sync your calendar and set reminders. ✅ Block out focus time (3x 2-3 hour deep work sessions per week). ✅ Don’t let others take over all your available hours—protect your “making” time. 3️⃣ Manage up. Great employees don’t just execute—they communicate. ✅ Keep managers informed about key updates and challenges. ✅ Set clear expectations and align on priorities. ✅ Seek mentors—inside and outside your company. Career growth isn’t just about work; it’s about who you learn from. 4️⃣ Dress smartly (at least at first). Like it or not, clothing is a signal. Until you’ve built a reputation: ✅ Match the office median unless you have a personality that makes standing out a strength. ✅ With clients, mirror their culture. It shows respect and professionalism. 5️⃣ Be reliable. Your word is your reputation. ✅ If you agree to something, follow through. ✅ If you can’t (or realize it’s a bad idea), speak up early. 6️⃣ Understand office culture. Every company has values—whether explicit or unspoken. ✅ Learn them, align with them. ✅ If something feels misaligned, talk to a mentor (see tip 3). 7️⃣ Get your email game right. ✅ If your personal email is “silly,” create a professional one (yes, that means ditching “partyanimal2001@xyz.com”). ✅ Develop a system for managing emails—being buried in your inbox is a common failure mode. 8️⃣ Build relationships. Success isn’t just about skills—it’s also about social capital. ✅ Be pro-social. Help colleagues. Be curious. Show up at team events. ✅ Network beyond your immediate team. Relationships matter. 9️⃣ Shadow and learn. Some lessons can’t be learned from a video or manual. ✅ Find great people to shadow. Observe how they work, communicate, and problem-solve. ✅ Ask questions. Learn the intangible skills that separate good from great. What advice would you add? 👇 #Jobs #CareerAdvice #SuccessTips #CareerMoment

If digital marketing excites you, but you feel overwhelmed by where to start—this guide is for you! Digital marketing isn’t just about running ads or posting content. It’s a blend of strategy, creativity, and data-driven decision-making. Yet, many beginners fall into the trap of myths that slow down their progress. Here’s how you can get started the right way: 1️⃣ Master the Basics First – SEO, social media, email marketing, and PPC ads are the foundation. Pick one area and go deep before expanding. 2️⃣ Learn from the Right Sources – Free platforms like Google Digital Garage, HubSpot Academy, and Meta Blueprint offer excellent beginner-friendly courses. 3️⃣ Experiment & Analyze – The best way to learn is by doing. Create a blog, run small campaigns, and track what works and what doesn’t. 4️⃣ Networking is Key – Engage with digital marketers, join communities, and follow industry leaders. Digital marketing thrives on collaboration and real-world insights. 5️⃣ Stay Updated – Trends evolve constantly. Keep an eye on platforms like SEMrush, Neil Patel’s blog, and Social Media Examiner for the latest strategies. If you’re starting your digital marketing journey, what’s the one area you find most challenging? Let’s discuss in the comments! #DigitalMarketing #MarketingTips #LearnMarketing