The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing Interviews

Your heart is racing, and your palms are beyond sweaty. No, you haven’t overdone it on the caffeine. You scored an interview with a top company, and now you’re wondering how you’ll deliver a stellar performance in your digital marketing interview.

That’s why we’ve compiled a go-to guide for how to nail a marketing interview. Check it out!

Types of digital marketing jobs

A variety of careers are available in marketing, including the following digital marketing jobs:

• Analytics Manager
• Social Media Manager
• Account Manager
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Search Manager
• Ecommerce Manager
• Copywriter
• Web Developer
• Web Project Manager
• Graphics Designer
• Content Marketer and Promoter

As you can see, digital marketing encompasses several different specialties. A web developer, for instance, can become a part of the marketing sector, as can a graphics designer. In fact, the marketing industry attracts talent from all backgrounds.

That’s one reason why a lot of applicants become nervous about interview questions for digital marketing. If you’re making a career switch, for example, you may wonder how to answer questions about that, as well as how much you need to know before you step into the office. That’s where this guide comes in to help!

5 digital marketing interview tips

Before you review any questions, apply these five digital marketing interview and job application tips:

1. Research the company

In most cases, you’ll want to research any potential companies you apply to before submitting your application. If you’ve gone ahead and applied, plus received an interview offer, now is the time to investigate that organization’s values and competitors, as well as examples of their work. By researching a company, you’re benefiting yourself.

If a business values initiative, for example, you can find examples from your work history that exemplify that and incorporate them into your responses. As well, if you ask questions afterward — which you should — you can highlight what you know about the company, such as their support of local charities.

2. Create a list of references

No matter your experience, from a veteran to a rookie, compile and print a list of references. For bonus points, contact your reference before your interview and let them know that they may be hearing from this company. During your chat, you can even remind them of some noteworthy things you did.

3. Prepare a compilation of questions 

For any position, as well as industry, you want to ask questions following your interview. In most cases, what you ask depends on the position. If you’re looking into a role as a graphics designer, you may ask about the company’s preferred programs, for example.

4. Set a thank you note reminder

In the rush of adrenaline before and after your digital marketing interview, it’s easy to forget a frequent piece of interview advice — send a thank you note. A friendly, to-the-point note lets you emphasize your interest in the position and demonstrate your initiative, plus helps you stand out from the competition. Help your future self by setting a reminder on your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or computer.

If you expect to finish your interview at a certain hour, you can set the reminder for a few hours after that. And while some professionals prefer paper thank you notes, email is a better way to go.

5. Review directions to company

Between revamping your portfolio to reviewing digital marketing interview questions and answers, your time becomes limited. In either case, it’s critical to look-up directions to the company’s headquarters so that you can plan where to park, as well as what time to leave for your interview.

For the newbie: five sample digital marketing interview questions

Are you new to marketing? Then the following five digital marketing interview questions are for you:

1. Why do you want a career in digital marketing?

Answer this question — like any other — with a genuine response. Maybe you’re interested in the analytical side of digital marketing or the changing nature of digital marketing. If you have experience, such as through an internship, incorporate that into your answer.

A sample response to this entry-level marketing interview question includes: “For me, my interest in digital marketing as a career really solidified during my internship with Company XYZ, which provided me the opportunity to work on several different tasks, such as developing content and measuring its success through Google Analytics.”

2. Why do you want to work for us? 

Great — you prepared for this question! Apply what you liked about the company into your response and avoid referencing the potential compensation or benefits. While that’s a factor in any position, it’s not something to share in an interview.

A potential response to this digital marketing interview question could include the following: “What attracted me to Company XYZ was the go-getter drive of the team and company as a whole, which I thought was demonstrated extremely well in your client case studies.”

3. What are some of your past accomplishments? 

From your professional, as well as school experience, you likely have a few accomplishments you can share with your interviewer. To make this process of remembering what you’ve accomplished easier, create a list while you’re interning, working, or learning.

A possible answer to this question includes: “As a full-time employee and student, I was really proud of the fact that I maintained a grade point average (GPA) above 3.5. It required a lot of time management and commitment, but I had a goal that I wanted to achieve — and I’ve applied that drive to my professional work too. During my internship, for instance, I helped delivered on our client’s expectations for a 15 percent growth.”

4. Whwat kind of management style do you work well with? 

Depending on your research into the company, you may already know their preferred management style. That doesn’t mean that you should tailor your answer to their preferences — you want to work someplace that’s a mutual fit.

A sample answer for this entry-level marketing question could include: “I tend to work well on my own, which was valuable in my past internship that had a lot of individualized tasks. I find that insight from a superior can offer a lot of value though with personal and professional growth.”

5. Do you prefer working with groups or by yourself? 

In most instances, responses to this kind of question often relate to whether the company prioritizes individualized tasks or group assignments. Like the advice for the previous digital marketing interview question, answer with honesty. Otherwise, you may work for a company that’s not a great fit for you.

A potential response to this question includes: “I find I really thrive on individualized work.

I can set realistic goals for myself, as well as deliver projects on a timely basis. That said, I’ve also had excellent experiences working in a group setting, which I did when starting my internship.”

For the veteran: sample digital marketing interview questions

Not your first time on the receiving end of some digital marketing interview questions? Then these five questions are for you to review:

1. Describe your management style?

At the opposite end of entry-level marketing interview questions are ones about your management style. If you’re a seasoned professional with experience leading a team, you likely know how you fit into the different management styles.

In your response, you may say: “I tend to lean towards a more hands-off approach. I believe in my team’s training and capability, but I always make myself available for questions, as well as schedule weekly meetings to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

2. How did you grow traffic in yoru last role?

For some professionals, this question is tricky for two reasons. One, you want to avoid revealing your company’s specific practices and two, you want to protect your value as an applicant — if you reveal your five-step plan to success, the business could use it without even hiring you.

In your answer to this digital marketing interview question, you may say: “We utilized several different tools and techniques to reach our goals. In one instance, my team increased a client’s conversion rate by 20 percent and decreased their bounce rate by 14 percent, which exceeded the client’s goals.”

3. What tools did you use to measure success?

Candidates will often share some similar responses to this question. In most instances, the interviewer’s goal is to assess your familiarity with the different tools in digital marketing and whether they align with the company’s toolset.

To respond to this interview question for digital marketing, you may say: “Our toolset features some proprietary tools, as well as Google Analytics. We found the combination of multiple tools led to accurate results that coincided with the additional leads and revenue a client experienced.”

4. What marketing channels are you familiar with? 

Depending on the type of digital marketing job you’re applying for, this question may refer to a specific set of marketing channels. If you’re a candidate for a role as a social media manager, for example, the interviewer is likely curious about your familiarity with social media platforms.

To answer this question, you may say: “In my past role in social media marketing, I worked primarily with Instagram and Facebook, as well as Pinterest. In rare instances, I would also work with LinkedIn, so I have experience with the key platforms available today.”

5. What do you like best about your previous role? 

For some applicants, this digital marketing interview question can cause a bit of a pause — especially if you left your former role due to a less-than-stellar opinion of the company. In most cases, however, try to find a quality that you did like, such as your co-workers.

In your response, you may say: “I would say that the team I worked with daily was a highlight. They brought a lot of passion to their work, as well as delivered the results that our clients were looking for, so I always looked forward to collaborating with them.”

Have any real-life digital marketing interview questions and tips to share?

With so many different positions available in digital marketing, there are boundless questions a company may ask you, as well as a variety of tips for how to nail a marketing interview.

If you have some digital marketing interview questions and tips to share, send us a tweet @webfx and let us know!