A day in the life of a Digital Marketing Executive

Ever wondered what it’s like to work as a Digital Marketing Executive? We spoke to Chris Tooley, Ashfield Engage, who took us through a day in his life.

After graduating Lancaster University with a degree in Fine Art, a role in marketing wasn’t something that I had ever considered on my career-radar. However, I quickly realised that marketing would allow room for me to combine my passion for creativity with my enjoyment of working as part of a business-focused team. After working my way up within the telecommunications industry for five years, I felt ready to take the next step as a creative professional and looked for a role that would allow me room to grow, take on new challenges and keep my love for creative projects satisfied. I chanced upon a Digital Marketing Executive vacancy for Ashfield Engage… and the rest is history!

When did you join Ashfield?

I joined on 4th January 2021, a rather odd time to move jobs given the minor issue of a global pandemic. My interview, induction, early phases, meetings, etc. were all conducted entirely over Zoom from my spare room – a learning curve, but enjoyable nonetheless. And, as if starting a new role mid-pandemic wasn’t already enough, I had joined at the launch of the new Ashfield Engage branding. However, this gave me a real chance to learn the ropes of the business, understand each specialist area and piece together as much as I could in a short space of time.

What would a typical day look like?

The very nature of marketing tends to be incredibly varied and sporadic, even on a daily basis, which is part of why I enjoy the role so much. I usually begin by checking any outstanding emails with a strong coffee in hand, before managing which social content we’ll be pushing out that day. Once they’re both ticked off, I can move onto any projects or tasks that I have scheduled for the day. These can range from working on a social media plan for the week, designing and planning creatives for an upcoming campaign, setting up the latest news or blog post on our website, editing video content, the list goes on.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The diversity in my workload – I’ve been here for almost a full 52 weeks and not a single one has been the same. I’ve been allowed to grow into my role, take more control over projects, use my passion for creativity to influence and often lead the direction of work. In the past few months alone, as part of wider teams, I’ve worked on a podcast, numerous videos, a newsletter, web articles, a white paper and a substantial branding project. We’re now at 93 completed projects and counting since I joined!

What do you find challenging about your role?

I’m rather lucky in that I don’t have any ‘challenges’ in the negative sense, however with the fast-paced nature and breadth of our business, managing time correctly and juggling multiple big projects can often prove tricky. I like to work from a ‘to-do list’ type spreadsheet that helps me prioritise which projects will demand the most time, which have the shortest deadlines, and which I can move around.

What advice would you have for someone joining Ashfield?

Don’t be afraid to share what you’re passionate about, what makes you tick and where your strengths lie. Chances are, you can put them to good use!