The world of digital marketing is expanding and changing every day. However, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students can employ the tested methods of good interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic and a creative approach to land jobs in digital marketing, according to Brooke Huntley, director of Cox Analytics at Cox Media Group in Atlanta.
Huntley was a featured speaker during SIUE’s Mass Communications Week on Tuesday, March 27. Huntley spoke about “How to Get Employers to Swipe Right On Your Digital Marketing Potential.”
The Department of Mass Communications hosted the annual event, which began Monday, March 26 and concludes Friday. This year’s theme is “Swiping Right on Media Convergence.”
“Digital marketing is 100 percent critical, because we are all consumers,” said Huntley, “From buying clothes and groceries online to communicating through Facebook and other social media, marketers want to connect with potential customers.”
“The field of digital advertising or marketing is growing,” she continued. “Students should not overlook it as a career option. I hadn’t considered digital marketing, until a former student came to a class that I was in and spoke about his job in digital media. It sounded exciting, and I wanted to investigate.”
What Huntley found was that people were willing to help her make connections. She told students in attendance that she took risks and enthusiastically sold her strengths to potential employers.
“It’s still important to have soft skills, like good verbal and written communication abilities,” said Huntley. “It’s also important to understand your strengths and personality traits. Use them to make a good first impression.”
Huntley went on to tell students that they could also consider where they want to live when contemplating future job prospects.
“You could look at whatever city you wanted to live in and then look for interactive jobs,” said Huntley, who chose to move to New York City after graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Huntley started her career in New York at Mediavest on Coca Cola’s Local Planning team, making the transition into digital on the Walmart account in 2010. She expanded her digital experience across other brands such as Visit Florida tourism with Sapient Nitro in Miami. Later, Huntley helped re-launch Triscuit and Ritz Brands in 2015, with an emphasis on innovation in content and e-commerce. She joined Cox Media Group in 2015 to lead digital strategy for their high-value advertising clients. With analytics and return on investment at the forefront of the industry, she built the first in-house advertising analytics team, known as Cox Analytics. The team serves more than 50 clients across 10 industry verticals.
The SIUE College of Arts and Sciences’ Targeted Funding Initiative (TFI), in part, supports SIUE Mass Communications Week.
For more information, visit Mass Communications Week.
Photo: Brooke Huntley, director of Cox Analytics at Cox Media Group in Atlanta, Ga.