You're interviewing for a digital strategist position. What are the most common questions you'll be asked?

Prepare your portfolio to be the star of the show! Interviewers will ask you to dissect past digital projects. Be ready to walk them through goals, strategies, results, and any hurdles you overcame. Showcase your experience across channels like social media, email, web design, SEO, PPC, and content marketing. Emphasize how you leveraged data and analytics to optimize performance, and how you collaborated effectively with other teams. This showcases your skills, experience, and ability to translate strategy into successful digital campaigns.

In your digital strategist interview, succinctly present your portfolio, focusing on diverse projects across SEO, PPC, social media, and other channels. Highlight strategic planning, execution, and results, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and performance optimization using tools like Google Analytics. Discuss overcoming challenges and collaborating with teams to underline problem-solving and teamwork skills. This approach showcases your comprehensive capabilities and strategic thinking in digital marketing.

In my personal experience, I have kept improving my resume by taking guidance from my selected 5 people who I trust to give me genuine and critical feedback. It must contain points which are real and future relevant. For example, a question I was asked long back was, "if you got to apply your learning to a similar problem statement, would you go with the same approach that made you succeed previously?" . So, understand that it is the mindset and attitude that people look at even before Digital Strategy, how strategically you think and feel about it. Ask yourself this question "if you got to work with a team or lead a team for a digital campaign, and if your client is a difficult one, how would you juggle your team and the client?"

When I used to interview candidates applying for digital marketing positions, I would always ask about their best or most successful campaign, and I would then ask them to walk me through the customer journey and how they were measuring and optimising the different steps. You wouldn't believe the number of candidates who weren't able to explain how the customer would get the first message and where they would be asked to go from there! Be prepared.

Here are some common questions one might be asked: 1. Can you describe a successful digital campaign you planned and executed? What was your strategy, and how did you measure its success? 2. How do you stay updated with the latest digital trends and technologies? 3. How do you evaluate the success of a digital campaign? What metrics do you prioritize? 4. Describe a time when a digital campaign did not perform as expected. What happened, and how did you respond? 5. How do you ensure that digital strategies align with the overall business goals of an organization? 6. Can you discuss a digital trend that you believe will significantly impact the industry in the next few years? How should companies prepare?

Get ready to dissect your strategic thinking! Interviewers will be curious about your approach to tackling new projects. Be prepared to explain how you research, analyze, and plan – everything it takes to build a digital strategy tailored to the client's goals, audience, and budget. They'll also want to know how you implement, track, and adapt your plan based on results and feedback. Walk them through your process step-by-step, highlighting the tools and frameworks you use to guide decisions. Mention frameworks like SWOT analysis, SMART goals, buyer personas, customer journey maps, or A/B testing to showcase your strategic toolkit. This demonstrates your ability to translate research and analysis into actionable plans that deliver results.

When approaching a new digital project, I begin with thorough research and analysis, understanding the client's objectives, target audience, and budget constraints. Utilizing frameworks like SWOT analysis, SMART goals, and buyer personas, I craft a tailored digital strategy. Implementation follows, with continuous monitoring using tools like Google Analytics to measure effectiveness. Feedback drives strategy adjustments, ensuring alignment with client goals. This systematic approach, supported by A/B testing and customer journey mapping, optimizes outcomes and ensures client satisfaction.

I am grateful to have learnt DMAIC while I was doing my Six Sigma project. So, be it SMART Goals, a gantt chart, a CRM tool, more than having a process, the interviewer may also want to know how will you ensure consistency in following it. One thing that has worked for me is that I have almost always have taken permission to white board my thoughts to the interviewer. So take permission, ask if you can whiteboard and then pen a strategy during the interview. I'd say the first impression will be "this person has clarity of thought or at least has made an attempt to draw it out".

State your top 5 skills and clearly mention where you have used it and what made you use it, and also what were the learnings. Remember, your skills are not only the tools and technology that you use, it is your ability to express and explain the "what", "why" and "how" while corelating it to "how do you plan to evolve your skills? Just doing certifications does not help unless you apply. #GetReal

Utilize Tableau or Power BI for analysis, learn R or Python for advanced analytics, understand data warehousing, prioritize data security, stay updated on BI trends, develop communication skills, collaborate with teams, incorporate user feedback, implement data governance, use machine learning for predictive analytics, explore unstructured data sources like social media for consumer behavior insights.

Unleash your digital toolkit! Interviewers assess your tech (e.g., Google Analytics, DV360 etc.), creative (writing, design), and analytical skills. Showcase strengths with examples, be honest about growth areas, and mention certifications.

To stay at the forefront of digital strategy, I continuously update my knowledge on the latest trends and innovations. I draw insights from leading industry blogs, podcasts, and events, ensuring I can offer clients cutting-edge recommendations. My approach involves analyzing emerging technologies and platforms to identify opportunities for enhancing digital presence. By applying new strategies effectively, I aim to drive superior outcomes for clients, showcasing my deep understanding of the digital landscape.

As a digital strategist, I stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in the digital landscape through various sources such as industry-specific blogs and newsletters, podcasts and videos or industry events. Regarding current topics, I'm particularly interested in the impact of AI and machine learning on digital marketing. I recommend innovative strategies leveraging data-driven insights, personalized approaches, and emerging technologies. This includes implementing chatbots for customer service or utilizing AI for content optimization. Continuous innovation and adaptation ensure that our client's digital presence remains relevant and effective.

Situation: In a previous role for a digital marketing agency, I encountered a challenge when a client's social media campaigns failed to meet expectations. I was tasked with making adjustments and providing tips on how to optimize the campaign. Task: Firstly, I analyzed the issues, identified shortcomings in audience targeting and technical implementation, and noticed the absence of A/B testing. Subsequently, I developed a plan to address these issues. Action: I revised the audience analysis, improved technical aspects, initiated A/B testing, and implemented a feedback system for quick adjustments. Result: The campaign was successfully realigned, resulting in increased engagement and click-through rates (CTR) by a significant margin.

What are the key goals and priorities for the team or department this position is involved in? Can you tell me more about the company culture and team dynamics within the organization? What opportunities are there for professional development and growth within the company? What does a typical workday look like for someone in this position? Could you provide more information about the next steps in the hiring process and the timeline for it? What specific achievements or milestones should I aim to accomplish within the first three months to demonstrate that I'm the right fit for the role?

During the interview's question phase, I typically divide it into two crucial aspects: the company and the position. By focusing on questions about the company, it shows genuine interest not only in the specific responsibilities but also in the broader work environment and potential for cross-functional collaboration. When it comes to the specific role, I focus on the current challenges, strengths of the existing team, and what is in the current project/goal pipeline.

Knowing the above mentioned trends and technologies is only the basics. And only knowing these, will misguide you into the wrong direction completely. It's about applying trends and tech to the individual companies needs. This could be the opposite of an existing trend. Identify some examples about how to apply some digital strategy element, and specifically why not to apply other elements in the individual case. Anyone who only understands digital strategy doesn't understand that either.