Nowadays, merely having an online presence is not enough. 

A strategist can create a clear, data-driven marketing plan that guides your efforts and improves results. 

They look at the bigger picture: how SEO, social media, email and other channels work together.

They then align marketing activities with your business goals. 

It is especially important today, as millions of customers research and shop online. 

Without a focused strategy, even a great product can be overlooked. 

No matter the size of your business, a tailored digital strategy helps make the most of every marketing pound. 

What is a Digital Marketing Strategist?

A digital marketing strategist is a specialist responsible for planning and directing a company’s online marketing strategy to meet its business objectives. 

They often work in agencies or in-house marketing teams, bridging the gap between company goals and marketing tactics. 

Instead of running individual tasks, they take a full view of marketing and look at data and trends to decide which channels (search, social media, email, etc.) to use and how. 

Basically, they focus on the big picture and bring together search, social, content, advertising and analytics into one cohesive plan. 

This approach ensures every digital marketing activity works together to support growth and maximise the return on your marketing spend.

What Does a Digital Marketing Strategist Do?

A digital marketing strategist handles many tasks. 

They might:

Research the Market and Audience

They start by learning about your industry, customers and competitors. 

This involves market research and analysing competitor strategies to find gaps and opportunities.

Audit Existing Efforts

They review your current digital content and channels to see what is working and what is not.

Develop a Tailored Strategy

Based on the research, they create a customised marketing plan using the right mix of channels (for example SEO, content, social media, email and paid ads) to maximise ROI.

Manage Campaigns

They guide digital campaigns on various platforms so all efforts work together. 

This means coordinating social media posts, website content, email newsletters and online ads according to the strategy.

Track and Analyse Results

They monitor performance metrics and key indicators (such as web traffic, leads or sales). 

By analysing data, they see what works and what needs changing. 

They often collate reports and present insights to refine future campaigns.

Collaborate With Teams

A strategist works with designers, content creators, marketing managers and others to execute the strategy smoothly. 

They ensure that everything from blog posts to landing pages fits one coherent plan.

Stay Updated

They keep up with the latest digital marketing trends and platform changes, so your business doesn’t fall behind when tactics evolve.

How a Digital Marketing Strategist Can Help Your Business

A strategist uses a mix of data analysis and creativity to improve your marketing. 

They design campaigns that attract your ideal customers rather than random visitors, maximising the value of your ad spend. 

By analysing performance data continuously, they refine these campaigns to focus on what yields the best return. 

This targeted approach helps reduce wasted budget and delivers better results for your business.

• They boost your ROI by optimising campaigns and cutting waste, so you get more value for each pound spent.

• They study competitor strategies to help you stay ahead.

• They refine your sales funnel, using landing pages, email campaigns and content to guide leads from interest to purchase.

• They align all channels (SEO, social media, ads, etc.) into one cohesive strategy to support your goals.

• They adapt to new digital trends and platform changes (like algorithm updates or new social networks), keeping your marketing current.

• They improve customer engagement and retention. A strategist can help create campaigns and content that keep existing customers interested and returning, not just attract new ones.

A strategist also saves you time and effort. 

They constantly monitor new marketing trends and tools, testing new channels so you don’t have to. 

This means your business can adapt quickly to change without adding extra work for you.

For instance, by focusing on these areas, a strategist can translate online traffic into sales and growth. 

They ensure that every part of your marketing works together rather than in isolation. 

This could involve aligning social media content with your ads and website strategy, so each campaign reinforces your brand message and appeals to customers at every step.

5 Tips on Getting the Most From a Digital Marketing Strategist

If you’re working with a digital marketing strategist, here are five tips to get the most bang for your buck.

Set Clear Objectives

Explain your business goals and what you expect from marketing (such as more leads or brand awareness). 

Provide any existing data or past results so the strategist has context. 

A clear brief helps them tailor strategies to your needs.

Align Budgets and Expectations

Be upfront about your budget and timeline. 

Make sure the strategist’s experience level and costs match what you can invest.

Collaborate Actively

Work closely with your strategist and give feedback based on what you know about your customers. 

For example, approve ad copy or join planning meetings.

Review Performance Reports Together

Ask for regular reports on metrics like traffic, leads or conversions. 

Going through these insights together shows what is working and what needs tweaking, ensuring campaigns continually improve.

Be Patient and Realistic

Digital marketing takes time. 

Also, don’t expect one person to be an expert in every channel. 

It is very rare to find a ‘unicorn’ strong in all areas. 

Instead, trust your strategist’s guidance, focus on the most important areas, and give the strategies time to work.

Benefits to Using a Digital Marketing Strategist

There are a multitude of advantages to working with a digital marketing strategist:

Increased Visibility, Leads and Sales

Hiring a strategist can significantly increase your online presence, drive more qualified leads, and boost conversions. 

They do this by targeting your ideal audience and crafting content and campaigns that attract more of the right customers.

Better ROI and Efficiency

They provide valuable data analysis and insights, helping you focus on what works and cut out wasted spend. 

This saves you time and resources by avoiding guesswork and trial-and-error.

Expert SEO and Content Strategy

A strategist will develop a comprehensive SEO plan to improve your search rankings through keyword research, on-page optimisation, link-building and technical SEO. 

Over time this helps your site appear higher in search results and attract more organic traffic.

Cohesive Multi-channel Strategy

They ensure all your channels (social media, email, paid ads, content marketing, etc.) work together under one plan. 

This unified approach reinforces your brand and message, so campaigns build on each other rather than conflicting.

Consistent Brand Messaging

They keep your brand voice and message uniform across all platforms. 

Consistency helps customers recognise and trust your brand, because every campaign reinforces the same story.

Knowledge Transfer

A skilled strategist shares insights and best practices with your team, improving your marketing know-how even after their campaign work is done.

Time and Resource Savings

By outsourcing strategy to an expert, you free up your team to focus on core business tasks. 

You also avoid costly mistakes by relying on their experience. 

Overall, they help make your marketing budget go further.

Scalable Growth

They plan strategies that grow with your business and budget, ensuring your marketing can expand smoothly as your company does.

Customer Insights

A strategist analyses campaign data and audience metrics to reveal who your customers are and what they respond to. 

These insights can inform other business decisions, helping improve products and services as well as marketing.

Risks of Using a Digital Marketing Strategist

While there are many benefits, you should also be aware of some potential downsides:

Initial Cost

Hiring a skilled strategist or agency often requires a significant investment, and results may not be immediate. 

You need to ensure your budget can cover the upfront costs.

Dependency on External Expertise

Relying heavily on an outside strategist can mean less in-house marketing knowledge. 

If they leave, your team may lack skills the person provided. 

It’s wise to balance external support with building internal capability.

Integration Challenges

A strategist’s recommendations may not fit your existing processes or culture. 

Poor communication or misalignment can make it hard to implement their plans smoothly. 

For example, a strategy that doesn’t match your brand voice could backfire.

Unrealistic Expectations

Expecting one person to excel at all marketing tasks can lead to disappointment. 

Very few individuals are experts in every channel. 

Without a clear focus, you risk stretching the person too thin.

Slow Results

Digital marketing often takes time to work. 

If you need instant sales, remember that a strategist’s plans usually pay off over weeks or months rather than days.

No Guaranteed Results

Even good strategies can underperform due to market changes or other factors. 

There is always some risk if campaigns do not work as hoped. 

That is why continual analysis and adjustment are crucial.

Key Takeaways

A digital marketing strategist can be a powerful growth partner. 

They combine analytics and creativity to improve your visibility and conversions, making every marketing pound work harder. 

By setting clear goals and communicating well, you can avoid common pitfalls in strategy and spending. 

Even small businesses benefit, since strategies can be scaled to fit any budget. 

Over time, a strategist’s guidance builds a solid online presence and delivers measurable growth. 

They continuously optimise campaigns, so you get more qualified leads and sales without raising costs. 

Hiring a good strategist is a long-term investment that turns your marketing from a cost into a growth engine.

By partnering with a strategist and following these guidelines, your business can make the most of digital marketing. 

The right digital marketing strategist becomes an integral part of your success, helping you turn online marketing into a reliable driver of growth.

For more information on digital marketing strategists, or help with any of your digital marketing needs, get in contact with us here at Neon Atlas.