What Does a Digital Marketer Actually Do Day to Day?
Oct 04, 2026
A digital marketer plans, runs and reports on marketing across channels such as search, social media, email and paid ads. A typical day mixes writing and scheduling content, checking campaign results, adjusting ads or web pages, and reporting to a manager or client. The mix depends on whether you are a generalist, a specialist or in an agency.
This guide is for students, school leavers, parents and career changers who want to know what the job is actually like before choosing how to study it. 20 Minute Marketing sells self paced courses, so weigh our view with that in mind. If you are choosing between study options, see our study options pathway.
The core tasks
- Planning. Deciding who a campaign is for, which channels to use, what it will cost and how success will be measured.
- Creating content. Writing social posts, emails, ads and web pages, and briefing designers or using tools such as Canva.
- Running channels. Scheduling posts, sending emails, setting up and adjusting ads, and updating the website.
- Measuring. Checking results in analytics and ad platforms, and spotting what is working and what is not.
- Reporting. Explaining results to a manager or client in plain words, with a recommendation for what to do next.
An example week
This is an illustrative week for a fictional marketing coordinator at a mid sized company. It is not a real person's diary, and every role is different.
| Day | What the week might include |
|---|---|
| Monday | Check last week's results across social, email and paid ads, and update the weekly report |
| Tuesday | Write and schedule the week's social posts, and brief a designer on two images |
| Wednesday | Build and test the monthly customer email, and fix a broken link on the website |
| Thursday | Adjust a Google Ads campaign whose cost per enquiry has risen, and research keywords for a new page |
| Friday | Present the report to the manager, agree next week's priorities, and tidy the content calendar |
Illustrative example, not based on a real person or employer.
How the day differs by role
| Role type | What the day looks like |
|---|---|
| In-house generalist | A bit of everything for one organisation: content, email, social, the website and reporting |
| Specialist | Most of the day on one channel, such as SEO, paid search, social media or email, in more depth |
| Agency | Several clients at once, with deadlines, client meetings and regular reports for each client |
The tools you will use
Common tools include Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Ads, Meta's ads tools, an email platform, a website builder, Canva, spreadsheets and, increasingly, AI tools for research and first drafts. Employers do not expect you to know them all. Knowing a few well, and learning new ones quickly, matters more.
Is it a good job?
That depends on what you enjoy. If you like writing, problem solving and seeing the results of your work in numbers, it can suit you well. Tahatū covers digital marketing under its marketing specialist profile. It shows about 13K people employed as marketing specialists, a strong increase between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses, and most common pay of $66K to $135K a year before tax (Tahatū, checked 3 October 2026). It also says you usually need experience to become a marketing specialist and a qualification may be useful.
For the skills that get people hired, read what digital marketing skills employers actually want. For a step by step route in, read how to become a digital marketer in New Zealand.
How to try the work before you commit
The cheapest way to find out whether you like the work is to do some of it. Our Essentials course ends with a practice brief: a digital presence audit and 90 day plan for The Wattle Spoon, a fictional cafe in a regional New Zealand town. It is the kind of task a new marketer is often given first, and you finish with a piece of work you can show.
Frequently asked questions
What does a digital marketer do?
A digital marketer plans, runs and reports on marketing across online channels such as search, social media, email, paid ads and websites. Most days mix creating content, checking results, making changes and reporting to a manager or client.
Is digital marketing a desk job?
Mostly, yes. The work is done on a computer, in an office or from home, with meetings with colleagues, suppliers or clients. Some roles include events or photo and video shoots.
Do digital marketers work with numbers?
Yes, every week. You will read reports from tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads and social media platforms, and explain what changed and why. Comfort with spreadsheets helps.
What skills do I need to be a digital marketer?
Clear writing, an understanding of how the channels fit together, one channel you know well, and comfort with numbers. Tahatū says you usually need experience to become a marketing specialist and a qualification may be useful.
How can I find out if I would like the work?
Try it on a small scale first. A short course with a practice brief, or a free certificate from Google Skillshop or HubSpot Academy, lets you do real tasks before you commit to a qualification or a career change.
Try the work first
Essentials is $499, paid once, with over 50 lessons of about 20 minutes, a portfolio brief, expert tutor support and 12 months access. 30 day money-back guarantee from the date of purchase.
See Essentials Compare study optionsSources
Figures on this page were read on the source's own website on 3 October 2026. Records and prices change, so check the source before you rely on a figure.
- 1. Tahatū (formerly careers.govt.nz), Marketing specialist. https://tahatu.govt.nz/work/explore-career-ideas/occupation/T00094-marketing-specialist, checked 3 October 2026.
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