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4 Digital Marketing and Analytics

Did you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes when you search for a food item online or view a movie’s trailer on YouTube? There is an entire group of professionals that work behind the scenes to optimize the number of views when online searches are conducted. These professionals work in a field called digital marketing. “Professionals who work in digital marketing help organizations promote their products and services online. They research target audiences, study social media algorithms, gather website data and curate content that improves a company’s brand awareness, website traffic and sales. If you enjoy creating content and interpreting analytics, then you may be interested in exploring some of the job opportunities you can pursue in this career field” (Indeed, 2024).

In this chapter we will learn from successful professionals in the fields of digital marketing and analytics. We’ll hear from Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan, a Search Engine Marketing Analyst at Horizon Media, Eliana Suxo, Manager of Paid Search at Spark Foundry, and Jenna Johnson,  Senior Partnership Manager, YouTube Management at Paramount +.

ANALYST, SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a growing field that requires strong analytical skills, digital proficiency, and excellent interpersonal skills. According to ZipRecruiter, “A search analyst, also called a search engine optimization (SEO) analyst, works to improve the efficiency and quality of search engine queries. As a search analyst, you analyze web traffic patterns to boost your client’s search engine marketing efforts. You look for keyword trends, seasonal patterns, social media engagement, and other factors that may affect web traffic. You also track the effect paid advertising has on your organization’s web presence and utilize funds accordingly. Once you have completed a query report, you help develop marketing plans to increase the number of people who find and click on your company’s website” (ZipRecruiter, 2024).

The following is an interview with a very successful Search Engine Marketing Analyst, Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan:

 

Transcript: A Conversation with Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Exploring the Role of a Search Marketing Analyst (2024).

Introduction: In this interview, Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan, Search Marketing Analyst at Horizon Media, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Good afternoon. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Marija (Maria) Paunovic-Erdeljan. Maria is currently an analyst in search engine marketing at Horizon Media. Welcome, Maria, and thank you for meeting with me today.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Thank you.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It’s such a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you today, to learn about your career path, and to gain some insights from you about how people can be successful in your field. So, to start, please tell us about your responsibilities in your current position.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: My role as a paid search analyst basically involves a range of tasks. I’m responsible for creating and managing paid search campaigns to enhance our clients’ online presence and maximize return on investment. So again, it involves so many different things. First, I am tasked with creating and developing paid search campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads and these campaigns are tailored to align with our clients’ goals and target demographics.

Once campaigns are live, I manage them on a day-to-day basis. So, this includes adjusting bids, refining keyword targeting, testing ad copy variations, and ensuring budgets are allocated effectively. A significant part of my role revolves around analysis, regularly diving into campaign performance metrics such as conversion rates, CPIs, click-through rates, etc. All of these metrics help me identify areas for improvements and optimization. And so, based on this analysis, I implement optimization strategies to enhance campaign performance. So, whether it’s refining keyword targeting or adjusting bids or experimenting with new ad creatives, my goal is always to maximize return on investment. And finally, I also provide strategic input by offering monthly budget recommendations, and these are all informed by campaign performance, by clients’ objectives, and industry trends. So overall, my role demands a blend of kind of strategic thinking and data analysis and ongoing campaign management to drive success in paid search advertising for our clients.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It sounds very, very complicated to me. You’re juggling so many pieces at the same time. How do you keep track of everything on a daily basis?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: You get used to it and it’s a routine. Although a typical day at work starts the same, it never ends the same. So, it usually starts with logging into my computer to check how our spending aligns with our monthly targets. After that, I dive into analyzing account performance, focusing on performance indicators such as conversions and cost per acquisition. So, each client has different KPI benchmarks based on their industry and return on investment goals. So, my job is to help them achieve those goals while staying within those benchmarks. So that is the focus.

That’s how I know how to juggle different things—because I prioritize things. But throughout the day, I’m constantly monitoring campaign performance, and I’m making adjustments based on the data we receive. So, if I notice a decrease in conversions or other platform performance issues, I investigate potential reasons such as traffic fluctuation, keyword relevance, and website performance. So, to go back to your question, while my day as a paid search analyst typically begins with routine tasks like checking budget and analyzing account performance, it never ends the same. Each day brings new insights from campaign data and client interactions, and that guides my decisions and actions to optimize performance and drive results.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Wow. Very, very interesting. And what do you enjoy most about your job? What do you like about it?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: That is my most favorite question because I can talk about it on and on. Favorite? I would say that my favorite thing about being a paid search analyst is just the dynamic nature of the work. So, every day presents new data to analyze, new challenges to solve, and new opportunities to optimize search performance. There is never a moment, there is never a point where I cannot do something to improve campaigns. Another thing that I love is that, unlike some other aspects of digital marketing, such as SEO, in paid search, the results of our optimizations are often visible quickly. That is incredibly rewarding. It’s just, this is constant activity that keeps me engaged and motivated and alert at the same time.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Very exciting. Sounds very exciting and I can tell just from your tone that you really do enjoy it, and you find it very meaningful. That’s great. What skills do you use in this position and what skills and attributes are important to develop in order to complete this role successfully?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: There are so many different skills. I would say analytical skill is very, very important. Excel is a business standard, but being good in other visualization tools or analytical tools is also very important, such as Google Sheets. It could also be other different tools. It could be Tableau; it could be Looker Studio. But also, being creative is super important because we do need to create campaigns that are just engaging so our viewers can resonate with our ad and so they can click on the ad.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Do you have a role in creating the ad itself?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Well, it focuses on the business objectives of our client, so it really depends on the industry as well. It depends on so many things, but I would say, first, focusing on the client’s objectives and what they want to point out, which is the most important for them. And then just creating a story around it—something that will catch a viewer’s attention so they can click on the ad.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I see. Yes, that’s so interesting…what happens behind the scenes.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Absolutely, and it’s very different than what people see. So, when I try to explain to someone what I do, it’s like creating ads. But that’s what you see when you Google something, and when you see an ad, that’s on your end. But it’s not on my end. I only see numbers, most of the time—only data.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Very, very interesting—a whole different side of the coin. What attracted you to this career path then?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Another interesting question that I can talk about on and on, but I would say what attracted me to digital marketing initially was its heavy reliance on data, which I love. Numbers don’t lie, and I’ve always been into that aspect. But what really got me excited about this field is the perfect blend of creativity and analytics. I’ve always been a data person, and if I weren’t in digital marketing, I’d probably be in statistics. But being able to use data to make strategic decisions is very powerful. And at the same time, I have this freedom to experiment and to create ads—that’s what really resonated with me. It’s like having the best of both worlds. Plus, the fast-paced nature of the industry keeps things very exciting. Every day brings new challenges to tackle. And lastly, I would say that what drew me in was the promising future of digital marketing.

Nowadays, most marketing efforts are happening online and I just wanted to be part of that shift. Marketing is always evolving, and I wanted to be at the forefront of that change, to contribute my skills and ideas to shape the future of the industry, basically.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right. You talked a little bit about your work with clients. So, is that written interaction with them? I’m sure there’s some written interaction, but is there also an opportunity to meet with them, or how does that work?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: It is both. So, written communication is pretty much on a daily basis. We are taking inputs from our client, and their objectives sometimes and goals, they can shift, and we have to stay on top of it. And we get that data, that information from our clients, and then we make optimizations to our accounts. However, we do have weekly meetings with our clients where we present the results of our efforts—the results of our work, basically—and we also make recommendations. So, communication is very important in this field. It’s crucial.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s what I was thinking. Yes, and I’m sure that it’s not just reporting out, but it’s also really key to be a good listener to ascertain what the goals are and what the needs are.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Absolutely, absolutely. Being an active listener is, I think nowadays, crucial in any field. Actually, hearing what the client—like sometimes even reading between the lines—but clients are usually very straightforward in what they want. Now it’s up to us to educate them whether that’s possible or not, given the budget, given the time frame. So, we are like instructors. I like to consider myself as an educator.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, yes. And then, it’s also walking a little bit of a fine line because, you know, the old adage: the customer’s always right.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Always right, yes. You’re correct—the customer is always right, but the customer needs to have all the right information in order to understand what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s very important. That’s what our job is, among other things—to educate them, to feed them with that information, to industry standards.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, I see. That’s why they are involved with your agency.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Absolutely.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Now, do you, when you meet with the clients, do you work as a team, like with other members of your organization, or do you solely represent the organization? How does that work?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: We do work as a team. When it comes to reporting, one person speaks, because it might get very busy for a few people to jump into the conversation. But we do work as a team, and we make those optimizations as a team, and we bounce off ideas, which is the whole beauty of this work. You’re never alone. You do have team members to support you, and we kind of come up with different recommendations, and then we analyze each and every one of them, and the best recommendation wins so we can present it in front of the client. It is teamwork. However, when it comes to analysis, that’s individual work.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I see. Sounds like a great work environment. Do you work remotely or is it a hybrid type?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Hybrid. It’s hybrid. It’s usually three days in the office and two days out— and I think most of the agencies nowadays, that’s what they do.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, I’m hearing that from people.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Yes, yes, that’s like the new model after COVID. I mean, I know that for what we do, we don’t really need to be physically present. Everything could be done online.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right. But it’s good to have that interaction, to work with your team and get to know each other.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Yes, but with clients, it’s always online.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, interesting. What experiences have shaped your professional life? I looked at your resume, and it looks like you started in a career in real estate and now you’ve pivoted to this field. So, what experiences had a really big impact in your being successful in this area today?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: I was flirting with real estate for five and a half years here in New York, in Manhattan. Everything that I’ve done so far, all of my work, has had a common thread, which is marketing. But my journey towards becoming a marketing professional started actually at a very young age. I’ve always been driven to the idea of working with people and helping them propel their businesses forward. And this passion for marketing led me to pursue my master’s degree in integrated marketing at NYU. The program offered a perfect blend of theory and practical experience, and I chose to concentrate on marketing analytics, given my affinity for working with data.

My journey into my current role as a paid search analyst is quite an interesting story. It all started when a friend recommended I take a search marketing class during my last semester at NYU. I had no idea what search marketing was, but I was intrigued, so I ended up enrolling in the class. And in the class, I was chosen as the team leader, leading a group of five students in developing a Google ad campaign for a real client, and that client was a major global nonprofit organization. I took charge of all communication, given my previous working experience in real estate, which, as you just mentioned, was a client-facing business. And so, I took charge of all communication and proposal creation and client reporting. And so, this experience was, for me, transformative. I found myself completely hooked on paid search. I absorbed knowledge from every available source. I asked countless questions in class. I even reached out to the professor beyond regular classroom hours. And at the end, our campaign really exceeded expectations. It generated conversions, and our clients were very, very happy.

So, after graduating—because that was my last semester when I took that class—after graduating, I was very hungry for more exposure to paid search, and I reached out to my professor for advice on how to get exposure to this field, how to get involved. And I asked him if he knew a place where I could volunteer. And since he was familiar with my work in the class, he offered me a part-time position on the paid media team at the company where he served as the CMO. I was very lucky in that regard. However, the team was very happy with my work, and within just a week of starting, my hours were extended.

It was very fast in my case, but my responsibilities and the number of projects kept increasing, and I ended up staying at the agency for nearly a full year. I gained valuable experience in paid search in that agency. That was my steppingstone. I felt ready to take the next step in my career. I wanted to work with bigger accounts, with bigger budgets. And after applying to a few companies, I quickly received interview offers and job offers within a month of applying.

But that is all thanks to a solid foundation of experience that I had built up. And so, to go back to your question, overall, it was a combination of formal education and specialized training in marketing analytics and hands-on professional experience. And all of that contributed to my success in my current role as a marketing professional. But yes, the journey was curved—it wasn’t a straight line.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, right. It’s interesting, the way you’re talking about the fact that you’ve always been interested in marketing and always wanted to help people promote their businesses, so that has been a thread, a constant thread, throughout your work.

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Absolutely, yes, absolutely. I really—I had no idea what search marketing was, but a friend of mine told me, “This is a fantastic opportunity. They will ask you, as a requirement, to take a certificate program,” which was a Google Ad program. And with that program—by the way, is free if anyone is interested.  And so, I said, “Yes, why not?” I mean, another certificate on my resume, —why not? That’s how I got exposure to this.

Since I’m such a knowledge-hungry person, my master’s degree just—I felt like it wasn’t enough. I mean, it was a very good foundation, but it’s just—I think that we need to keep learning because this is a very ever-evolving industry, and we need to stay on top of things in order to be successful. So right after I graduated—not sure if it’s right after, I think it was—no, no, I graduated. I started working in the agency where my professor took me under his wing. But after that, a few months after that—yes, I’m trying to recall because many things happened after that—I found out about this program, Co-op, which was absolutely a fantastic program. And that’s a free program, and it is—there are a few requirements—that is a program that is teaching people certain skills that are very sought after nowadays. Data analytics, such as marketing in general. I think they have a finance program as well. So, I was thinking, why not? I was working in my previous company, in the previous agency, and I was taking those classes, and that helped me a lot. I took a marketing analytics class, and it was like filling in the holes of some things that I did not learn in my master’s program. I was able to learn there at Co-op, and they were fantastic when it comes to support. That’s actually when I started applying for other positions, and I saw that I really had support. Support is very important.

Doreen Kolomechuk: You mentioned how important it is to stay current in your field, and I’m wondering, are there any particular professional associations or periodicals or—you know, how do you keep up to date?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: There’s—I mean, continuous learning is crucial in digital marketing. I think it’s crucial in every single field, but digital marketing especially, and keeping up with the—for example, platform changes, and enhancing analytical skills through workshops, certifications, online courses—that’s all essential for professional development. The good news is that many basic courses can be learned for free online. They can be found on Google’s official site and Bing, so Google Ads and Bing Ads certificates, they’re available on the companies’ official websites, so they’re for free. Also, proficiency in Excel is also vital, so not only the data analytics, but also effective data visualization, especially when working with clients. And so that also can be found for free online on Microsoft’s website. But, when it comes to publications, I recommend exploring publications that are industry-specific, such as Ad Age and Adweek. There are also blogs, they’re very popular and very useful. They also come for free: Search Engine Watch, WordStream, those are two that I really love to follow. And following marketing experts’ channels on social media, that’s also—that, all of that provides valuable insights. Also, I mean, there are so many, so I’m trying to think of them—to provide the most info that I can. Udemy, Coursera, they offer a lot of courses for beginners. When it comes to associations, professional associations like the American Marketing Association, they offer resources, they offer conferences, events, they even have job boards to help advance your career. Networking with professionals in the field, particularly through LinkedIn, can also open doors to opportunities—many opportunities—and mentorship.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, and that’s how we connected! Which is great. Yes, I’m finding LinkedIn to be a very good source. That’s a lot of helpful information, thank you so much for that. And in terms of what’s happening today, what are some of the societal changes or technological changes that are impacting your field?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Well, one of the most significant influences is the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning. A lot of people, I have to say, see it as a threat, but I see AI as a great help, as a great opportunity. These technologies are revolutionizing digital marketing because they’re enabling more sophisticated targeting and automation and personalization. When it comes to societal changes, shifts in customer behavior are, I would say, reshaping marketing strategies. For example, the adoption of mobile devices—most people are using mobile devices more than desktops nowadays, and marketers are focusing more on mobile-friendly content, and they’re optimizing their campaigns for mobile platforms more than before. Social media platforms have also become integral to marketing efforts, and now brands can leverage social media channels to basically engage with their audience, to build relationships, to drive conversions. All that, they can do that for free through social media.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, a lot of change underfoot. Before we close, are there any tips, any additional tips or words of wisdom that you’d like to let others know about to help them along their career path?

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: I would say, for those interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing, gain hands-on experience through internships and freelance projects—it is invaluable. So, stay curious, keep learning, and don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals for advice and guidance. I would say that dedication is very important. Be a chameleon—that’s something that I got from one of my managers at Visit Flanders, one of the companies that I was working at—be a chameleon. So, be adaptable, get used to changes, embrace changes, have passion for learning. And if you take full responsibility for your professional development and explore available resources, you can seize every opportunity to grow and succeed.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s wonderful. It’s so upbeat and positive, and I thank you so much for meeting with me today and for sharing your wealth of knowledge, expertise, and insights with me today. I really appreciate it. Thank you, and I wish you all the best!

Marija Paunovic-Erdeljan: Thank you so much. I appreciate this opportunity!

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Related Career Information

Related Professional Associations

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MANAGER, PAID SEARCH

Paid Search is a growing career path in the field of digital communications and it’s a career that many people enjoy. However, not many people know about it! According to ZipRecruiter, “as a paid search specialist, you implement search engine marketing campaigns and analyze the effectiveness of past and ongoing paid search campaigns with the goal of optimizing your clients’ presence on Google and other search engines. Your job duties include interpreting web analytics, carrying out search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, and overseeing pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns. The qualifications for a career as a paid search specialist are a bachelor’s degree in marketing or information technology, along with excellent technical skills. You can find paid search specialist jobs in every industry that has an online presence” (ZipRecruiter, 2024).

The following is an interview with a very successful Paid Search Manager, Eliana Suxo:

 

Transcript: A Conversation with Eliana Suxo: Exploring the Role of a Paid Search Manager (2024).

Introduction: In this interview, Eliana Suxo, Paid Search Manager at Spark Foundry, a Publicis Groupe Agency, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Good afternoon! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Eliana Suxo. Eliana is a Manager of Paid Search at Spark Foundry, a leading international marketing agency. Welcome Eliana and thank you very much for meeting with me today.

Eliana Suxo: Hi Doreen. Thank you for having me.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Thank you. It’s such a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you to learn about your career path and to gain some insight from you about how people can be successful in your field. Currently you’re a manager of Paid Search at Spark Foundry. Please describe your overarching responsibilities in that position.

Eliana Suxo: So, for Paid Search Manager, I am in charge of trafficking campaigns. The accounts that I am in charge of are two nationwide campaigns. I’m responsible for the pacing, for the budgeting, for the strategy, and the management of everyday items. I’m also responsible for mentoring a lot of my team members.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Interesting. What does that boil down to in terms of a typical day of work?

Eliana Suxo: A typical day of work really means for me just having a really organized schedule, making sure that I am on top of multiple calls. I am also the face of client facing calls and making sure that I have a good relationship with them, and then also just making sure that we have all of our working items in progress, making sure that all of our campaigns are working properly, and making sure that there won’t be any crises that we need to clean up. I am also making sure that our campaigns are performing according to our goals.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What kind of skills are needed in this position?

Eliana Suxo: In terms of skills, I think that number one skill and the most basic is just having a foundation, a strong foundation in Excel and using Excel inside and out because it’ll become your best friend. In addition, being trained with a Google certification so you can traffic campaigns. You can also run campaigns through Microsoft ads so making sure that you have the latest certifications for those is important.  All of these certifications are free to obtain and it’s just great because there’s so much material that one can access in order to be able to do this job.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So where do you get those certifications? How do you find out about them?

Eliana Suxo: Google and Microsoft, if you just go in and look for Paid Search Campaigns, they have tutorials on their actual websites. So, you could just go in and look for Paid Search Certification and then you will find it there.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh fantastic! That’s really interesting. What do you love about your job? What’s your favorite part about working in this field?

Eliana Suxo: I would say my favorite part about this field is just making sure that I’m able to connect the dots between the different facets of a campaign. I know that we have different goals in mind in terms of search. We have specific goals that pertain to our own industry and at the same time, we need to make sure that they’re aligning with the client goals and business goals. In terms of connecting the dots, it’s being able to translate our field into a digestible language for our clients, so they understand how our work is impacting their business.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, very interesting. So, there’s a lot of translation. You have to really understand what you’re doing very well in order to explain it to someone like me….right? So, a lot of communication is involved.

Eliana Suxo: Definitely I think that there is a lot of communication involved in being able to see things from the other’s perspective, being able to simplify, not simplify in a in a negative way, but  bringing down a specific item into a way that others understand. I think that that’s definitely the gist of it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay fantastic and so what would you say, if that’s what you enjoy about it, what would you say are some of the challenges or some of the difficulties that one encounters in this field?

Eliana Suxo: I think some of the challenges would be that you’re working with different teams so every team has a different goal in mind and every team speaks their own language you would say. So, you have to be able to find a common language and I think it’s a challenge but at the same time it’s very rewarding when you’re able to get together. For example, for me, for campaigns, I’m only one aspect, right? I do paid search. There are other areas like analytics, data analytics. There is paid social. All of us come together in order to form a strategy, a campaign strategy for whatever account we’re working for. So, I think that’s where the magic kind of happens, where we’re able to come together and align on when a campaign launch for social will be ready, and then paid search can jump in, once there is an awareness established.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, very interesting. So many moving parts, so many people involved, keeps you on your toes and I could see how that would be very rewarding as well. In terms of your career path can you describe how you got to where you are today? Where did you start out and how did you end up in this particular field? What attracted you to this field, and what experiences did you have that brought your attention to this field and that you think are helpful in this field.

Eliana Suxo: I landed into this field indirectly so it’s not something that I came out of college knowing that this is what I wanted to do. To be honest I didn’t even know that the career itself existed. I that think is interesting because when you come out of college, you’re wondering like ‘What am I going to do?’ and you’re really trying to fit into whatever mold there is that’s set out for you. But a nice surprise was to find that the job that I wanted, maybe at the time right when I came out of college, it wasn’t really ready for me just yet. In terms of my background. I have a background in psychology which really helped me with my relationships with people and it still helps me to this day. I also had a studio art background which taught me a lot in terms of tech and digital art, and just kind of being able to use software. So, it took a couple of years after graduating college and actually experimenting with other fields to find this field in which I feel that I can put my people skills as well as my tech skills together.

I literally went about, and I asked, ‘What can I do where I can put my people skills and my tech skills together? I like to learn about new software. What can I do? What job is out there for me where that I can put my people and tech skills together specifically because I think I’m good at that.” So, I just started looking for programs, and for any sort of mentorship, and  I definitely found one that was able to help me. It was in this agency called Co-op which is an agency for underemployed college graduates. It’s just a really good opportunity to be trained in paid search. They can also  train you in data analytics and you take your pick and then you get a strong foot into the door for this field.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So interesting. So why did you choose paid search over analytics? What was the advantage of paid search for you?

Eliana Suxo: For me, I felt like there was a bit more of a creative input with paid search because I still create ad copy and make ads for campaigns while data analytics is mostly data oriented. But now that I am in paid search, I’m very curious about analytics and I think that it’s great that you could kind of dip your toes into analytics as well. So, who knows what the future holds?

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great! So, you are still creating advertisements?

Eliana Suxo: I do! So, they’re not, let’s just say, like video advertising. If anything, we already have a creative agency that does that, an agency that creates, for example, image ads or video ads. But what I would do is, for example, in paid search, our ads, they show up when you search for anything in Google. So, for example, you’re looking for, let’s say you’re looking for soup, so you look up soup in Google search or in Microsoft, and then you’ll get served responsive search ads. That’s what they’re called. So, they’re text ads and I write those along with my teams.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, I see. So that’s when I get a list of different companies that are trying to sell me their soup?

Eliana Suxo: Yes correct. So, what’s great about paid search is that we show up when someone is looking for us. One of the great things about it that we’re not just like randomly throwing our ads out there to see who would see it. That, those, are different channels. For search itself, if you’re, let’s say looking for the best soup in town, that’s like specific clam chowder soup, if you look for it then we can show up. It’s…it’s very important for us to be relevant.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Excellent! That is really interesting. The way that this is happening all behind the scenes, when we’re just typing in our query, and that you’re a part of it, is really interesting. How do you stay current in the field?  You know the organization needs to stay relevant to the public, but how do you stay relevant in your career field? How do you stay up to date?

Eliana Suxo: I think that’s one of the most important things in in in my field. I must stay up to date with the current trends because everyone is kind of jumping into the newest, brightest, new things. So, what I do, is I definitely make sure to get notifications from Google with the latest products. I follow journals like Semrush, which is a paid search journal, and make sure that I get notifications whenever a new product ad comes into the market… and then also just reading about paid search. There’s a lot of material out there if you have a question. I am just making sure to dedicate some time to just being part of these calls, being part of these updates, and also just training. The agency I work for is very good in that they provide training for any new product that might come out. So, I make sure to spend some time with that.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And what was, what was the name of that journal? I didn’t catch it.

Eliana Suxo: Semrush.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And do you need to subscribe to that journal, or is it available for free, or is it a part of a professional association, or anything like that?

Eliana Suxo: No, you can just go online. It’s free. You could sign up so you can get a weekly email. There’s actually another. There’s a podcast that I love. It’s called the “Paid Search Podcast.”  It’s pretty much a paid search expert weekly teaching you the ins and outs, discussing the latest. It’s just amazing. There’s so much information available now. It’s just a matter of being able to find it and have access to it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay great! So, would you suggest that if someone’s interested in this field, one of the good ways to find out about it and get their feet wet would be to read this journal and listen to this podcast?

Eliana Suxo: Yes correct. That would be a great way to go about it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really helpful because people can, before they invest a lot into it, can kind of get a sense of what’s going on in the field. What changes in technology and in society are impacting this field at this time? There’s so many changes going on as you mentioned earlier. What’s impacting search.

Eliana Suxo: Right now, there is AI. There is an implementation of AI into search products that are changing the way that we run our ads and how much control we have over them. That’s something that’s having the biggest impact for us.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And is this impacting you each day ? AI? I mean it’s just becoming such a big influence, I guess.

Eliana Suxo: It is something that impacts us on a daily basis because Google is using AI in order to be able to create algorithms that are able to influence our campaigns and sometimes it’s not very clear how that is working. So, for us it’s taking a bit of control away from our campaigns. But at the same time, you know Google does work in being becoming more transparent with advertisers, so it’s a work in progress.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, very interesting. Do you see advantages in terms of AI in making work easier at all, at this time?

Eliana Suxo: Yes, for sure. So, I know that we were discussing creating ads, right? So that means that we need to create headlines and descriptions for our ads and sometimes we need to do it for multiple campaigns. We need to do keyword research as well, because we need to figure out what are people searching for that we can be relevant to in regard to this product, let’s say. So, with AI there are some products, for example, chat GPT. We’re able to use this to brainstorm ideas on coming up with these ads so that’s just so helpful for us, especially when we’re working with like hundreds of campaigns. You know if we have many campaigns and we need to come up with original headlines and descriptions, that’s a very useful way to go about it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh fantastic. It is very exciting. I’ve tried it myself. I did a query about, how I can recruit people to speak about their careers and I’ve spent my whole life really in the field of career research and career development…and it was just amazing to me that within, I don’t know, 45 seconds, this was able to spit out what I’ve learned over 30 years!

Eliana Suxo: Yes, it is pretty amazing.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Before we close, is there anything else that you’d like to share with people who are interested in this field? Any tips that you’d like to give us?

Eliana Suxo: One tip I would have is that when it comes to this field sometimes the steps are not all very clear cut, so you kind of have to trust the process. You don’t have to know everything from the get-go, but you do have to be open-minded and willing to learn and I think that goes a long way.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Great. So being willing to learn seems to be very key as well as being a little bit courageous, to be floundering a little bit sometimes here and there, and learning on your feet. Those are very, very important tips in this field and I guess in every field.

Eliana Suxo: I enjoy the field, and I think it’s so great for students, maybe at LaGuardia, to be aware that there are these careers because for me it’s only one channel, paid search is only one channel. There are other channels, and I know that when I was in college, I hadn’t heard of this at all…you know this type of job. I’m glad that I’m able to just maybe shed some light out and just have people know that there are these programs out there and  I hope I mentioned in the interview, Co-op, which is the mentorship program that I joined. There’s of course a couple of requirements that you need to join it, but I think programs such as that are great. I also know that at LaGuardia (Community College), for example, I did do internships coming from LaGuardia, and those were my steppingstones. You know, I didn’t know, all of the things I was doing would one day come together and help me find my job.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, yes, that’s so interesting, how all the different pieces suddenly fit together in a great way. Again, I’d like to thank you very much Eliana for speaking with me today. I know that your insights will add to others’ body of knowledge, and I know I’ve learned a lot and I’m sure others will too. So, I greatly appreciate your time and thank you very much.

Eliana Suxo: Oh, of course, and thank you!

Doreen Kolomechuk: Thanks!

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Related Career Information

Related Professional Associations

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SENIOR PARTNERSHIP MANAGER, YOUTUBE MANAGEMENT

Today, social media is all the rage. Whether you are interested in an activity, going out to eat, or choosing a program to watch, social media is bound to have an influence on some of our choices.  Since social media is so popular, a career as a Social Media Strategist may be of interest to you. According to Teal, “a Social Media Strategist is a specialized professional who crafts and implements an organization’s online presence across various social platforms to engage audiences, build brand awareness, and drive marketing objectives. They are adept at analyzing market trends, understanding audience behavior, and leveraging the nuanced dynamics of social networks to create compelling content strategies. With a blend of creative vision and data-driven decision-making, a Social Media Strategist tailors the digital conversation to align with both the brand’s voice and the ever-evolving social landscape. This role is pivotal in connecting a brand with its online community, fostering interactive relationships, and measuring the impact of social media campaigns on overall business goals” (2024).

The following is an interview with a very successful Senior Partnership Manager, Jenna Johnson. Keep in mind that her job title and role is similar to that of a Senior Audience Development Manager, a Social Strategy Manager, and a Digital Marketing Manager.

 

 

Transcript: A Conversation with Jenna Johnson: Exploring the Role of a Senior Partnership Manager (2024).

Introduction: In this interview, Jenna Johnson, Senior Partnership Manager, YouTube Management, at Paramount +, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Good afternoon. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Jenna Johnson, Senior Partnership Manager at Paramount +. Jenna has been working in the field of media and entertainment for nearly seven years and has been working with a team on YouTube management for Paramount Plus for three and a half years. Welcome, Jenna.

Jenna Johnson: Hi.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Hi. It’s really a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you today, so thank you for your time and for your insights into your career and into the field itself. I’d like to start with a pretty broad question. Please describe your career path and some of the highlights that led you to where you are today.

Jenna Johnson: I went to school for general business, business administration, learned all aspects of business getting my degree. So, I knew I wanted to work for a large corporation. Out of school, I started working for Discovery, where I did commercial operations, placing commercials on their linear TV channels. I learned ad sales and everything that goes into that in terms of how they pick demographics during the day, what commercials to place when, based on who’s watching TV during which times of the day. From there, I went on to work for Animal Planet, where I placed shows for people to watch during the day, depending on who was watching TV during the day. The next step was I started working for CBS—it was CBS at the time, now it’s Paramount Plus—on their YouTube channel, scheduling what videos are coming out throughout the day, every day, in order to hopefully drive subscribers.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, interesting. So as Senior Partnership Manager, what are your overarching responsibilities in that role currently?

Jenna Johnson: I would say mostly we’re in charge of scheduling every single piece of content that gets published to our YouTube channel and making sure it’s optimized and ready for the public to see and that it’s the type of content that our viewers want to watch.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And so, is the content basically coming from the shows that Paramount is showing?

Jenna Johnson: It’s a little bit of both. A lot of it is direct trailers, teasers for the shows, to get people interested in the shows. It’s clips directly from the shows themselves for people who want to rewatch certain moments or, again, hopefully will become popular and get people interested in the show itself. There’s also behind-the-scenes content, interviews with cast members talking about the show, or bloopers, or how the set design gets done. So, it’s everything.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, are you handed the content and then you decide where it’s going to be placed? Does it work like that, or do you work hand in hand with the content creators?

Jenna Johnson: Both. That’s a little bit of what’s in flux right now. Previously, we were just handed the content for the most part, and we were in charge of making it packaged correctly for YouTube. We are now rotating to where we’re hopefully going to be more involved with the beginning of the creation of all content, so we can be involved in the creative of… before you make something, let’s make it so that it will work for our audience, rather than just hoping it works.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, that’s so interesting. So, you had the content, and then you, as you just called it, packaged it for the YouTube channel, right? And so, you would have to modify the content in some way?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, make sure it’s the right length for certain formats on YouTube. There are certain length requirements. Or we’d have to create a thumbnail that would hopefully interest someone and make them want to click on it, write the title, write the description, which is different depending on what social platform it’s going out to.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really interesting, so it means a lot more creativity, I guess, and a lot more collaboration with the other—I’ll say the other side of the house, but it’s not really a side because you have to work together.

Jenna Johnson: Yes. So, the way we’ll be structured moving forward is we’re all under the social team. My team is YouTube specifically—what works well on the YouTube platform. And we’re going to be working with social strategy, who know the shows specifically in and out. So, we’ll be working hand in hand with them—they’re the experts on the shows, and we’re the experts on YouTube, so we’ll be working together to figure out what to create for YouTube specifically.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I see. So, when you say you’re the experts on YouTube, you know how to capture your audience, is that what your expertise is?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, search engine optimization for the titles, thumbnail creation, what people want to click on, also expertise in terms of just how the backend functions. We have certain geo-restriction rules, and we have to work with legal on whether we can monetize content or not.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Interesting. That’s very interesting. It’s a lot of detail, I guess. And it’s constantly changing, right?

Jenna Johnson: Yes. Every piece of content has different rules around it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, what’s a typical day at work for you?

Jenna Johnson: The way I envision it is a lot of strategy meetings, meeting about specific shows, and having a meeting where we lay out what the campaign’s going to look like and how YouTube is going to be involved, and what content we want to create for that show, for YouTube specifically. We’ll also be working hand in hand with what goes out on Instagram or TikTok but making content specifically for what works for each platform. A lot of my day is in meetings doing work like that. I’m currently in a lot of task force meetings to figure out how we get to those new places, given our changes. And then, lots of emails, many, many emails, many slacks, just back and forth with all the different teams. So, a lot of information gathering and accumulating information together.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I see. And then utilizing that information to make your next steps, right?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, to get the video published, essentially.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What attracted you to this career path, or how did you get into it? You knew you wanted to be in media?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, I think just watching TV, liking TV, you know, it always—it seems fun. People want to work in entertainment, it just seems fun. And being in the city, you have those options of pretty much any company. I think specifically my role now is fun because people watch TV, they like to talk about TV, so it’s fun to create a place where people can go to the comments and discuss what they do and don’t like about shows.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That is interesting because that’s one thing I like about YouTube. I like to see what people think. You get an idea of what people’s comments are and it makes it more interesting actually than not knowing. We form our own opinions, but it is interesting to see the comments.

Jenna Johnson: Yes, exactly. And one of the levels we choose for success is views, but also how engaged people are with the comments by writing comments.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Do you read the comments frequently? Is that part of your job?

Jenna Johnson: I think it should be probably a higher aspect of our job. I think when we get into this new workflow, we’ll be able to dive in a little bit more. One of the things we want to start doing is community management, which is like going into the comments and replying if people have a question. We just don’t really have the bandwidth to do it at the moment. I will say I check videos that might be considered polarizing—I don’t know if that’s the right word—and go in and delete people’s comments sometimes, when they’re just really—

Doreen Kolomechuk: Just to make sure that they’re not saying something offensive?

Jenna Johnson: Exactly, Yes. We have the power. Anything that’s horribly offensive or anything, we have the power to just remove it. We don’t want it as part of the conversation.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What’s your favorite thing about your job right now?

Jenna Johnson: I mean, it’s always changing, which is fun. My boss really trusts me, so I feel like as I’ve grown, I’ve been given a lot of handoff of projects that I have control over and complete ownership of. I also enjoy seeing a piece of content go out and it immediately being successful and people really enjoying watching it is really exciting.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Very rewarding, right? It’s like the immediate payoff. How did you learn how to do this?

Jenna Johnson: Through this job mostly. I started as a coordinator, so entry-level, and just learned everything from my boss, essentially. You pick up things along the way. You see how the platform works—a lot of observation, a lot of listening.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Any kind of tutorials they provided for you or training at all?

Jenna Johnson: So, YouTube does actually have, and I think they’re free for anyone to take, a lot of really good backend tutorials that you can take about different aspects of it. I took them way in the beginning. I think there are ones you can re-up, and I think you can count them as, like, on LinkedIn, I don’t know, for certifications.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, you can be certified?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, that’s what it is—you can be YouTube certified. I think that specific level might cost money, but I do think they have free courses online where they teach you a lot of stuff. But most of it, I would say, was taught over Zoom by my boss screen-sharing and just showing me the ropes.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Very interesting. So, you work remotely?

Jenna Johnson: Pretty much 100%.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, wow. Was that due to the pandemic or just based on the job itself?

Jenna Johnson: That’s a good question. I started in March 2020, so I think it’s a little hard to say chicken or egg on that one. I guess if I had started before COVID, it probably would have been a typical office role. But technically, we as a company are hybrid. I just don’t go in very often because my boss is based in California. So, some of what we would get by going into an office with face-to-face interactions, I just don’t get anyway. So, Zooming from an office or Zooming from my apartment doesn’t change much.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Do you like being remote?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, I do. I think it definitely has its advantages. We have some new team members also based out of New York, so we’ll schedule times to go into the office together maybe once or twice a month, which is great too. There are different aspects to it, I think. In person, I’m a little bit less focused because it’s more like you get that in-person catch-up time. You want to get to know each other in the way that traditional coworkers would have five days a week. When you’re in the office, I feel like it’s very distracting. I feel like I get more done at home.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, because you can really manage your time a little bit better. I know sometimes someone wants to chat, and I love chatting, but—

Jenna Johnson: Yes, exactly, exactly.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It gets tricky. I think everybody’s different. Some people like to work remotely, and other people thrive on in-person interaction. So, it sounds like it’s a good fit for you. What skills would you say are needed to be successful in your field?

Jenna Johnson: So, what you said earlier—there’s a lot of details. Attention to detail is just absolutely number one. It’s a hard one to teach. I’ve had a couple of people on my team who catch consistent mistakes, and it’s hard to teach someone to have that finer attention to detail. But to me, that’s the number one, and being able to prioritize what needs to get done immediately and what can be pushed off.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, yes, very interesting point. So, how do you juggle it? I mean, there are a lot of details and priorities. How do you juggle that? What suggestions can you give someone new to keep things on track?

Jenna Johnson: Write everything down, I guess, would be my advice. I have a note where, if I think something’s going to be important or it’s a date I don’t want to forget, or a deadline for something, I put it in my to-do notes. I know a lot of people find just having a to-do list and crossing things off helps. I also use the “stars” function in email, so I can sort by what I have starred and what is high priority. I think I also just have the personality of being a perfectionist and being very into the details, so naturally, that comes to me. But yes, just make sure you’re always writing things down because, if you ask a question, you should be listening to the answer rather than having to ask the same question over and over again.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It’s very interesting that you’re saying that because over time, when I’m interviewing people about their career fields, they talk about that a lot. It’s been talked about a lot that it’s great to ask questions and you should ask questions but write down what the response is. Even follow up with a follow-up question, but don’t show up three days later asking the same question.

Jenna Johnson: Exactly. Write it down. It wastes everyone’s time, you know? Obviously, everyone should feel empowered to ask questions because you’re never going to learn if you don’t ask, but if you’ve asked before—maybe even twice—it’s…

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really good. So, detail orientation, prioritization, making sure that if you ask a question, you write the important things down so you can recall them and work with them. It’s really, really important. Any publications or professional associations related to your field that you recommend?

Jenna Johnson: Interesting. Specifically in media, there’s a daily newsletter called Synopsis that I think is really good just to see what everyone around media is doing.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, very good. Excellent, thanks. Yes, that’s a good one. Any specific professional development that you would recommend or is it mostly learning on the job and being open to… it sounds to me like there’s so much change underfoot, like we’re in a world right now where things are constantly changing. So, I guess you have to really be on your toes and ready to make changes. You can’t just say, “I already know how to do this.”

Jenna Johnson: Yes, exactly. I never learned any of what I do in school. I’ve learned it all on the job. I mean to say that the things I’ve learned, in terms of how to think about things and knowing what the company is prioritizing, and how to put that into my role, is something you get from business school. But specific to what I do every day, I would say learning is very on the job.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Well, I think there are a lot of transferable skills that you gain through your education such as your ability to communicate, your knowledge of marketing, your knowledge of leadership, prioritizing, all of those.

Jenna Johnson: Yes, absolutely. Yes, it’s more of the skills you get from all of that than it is just, like, the base knowledge. Which is different for different fields, but it’s not like I learned, like, finance, and I’m taking those financial calculations and applying them to my job, you know?

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, right. That’s a good point. Did you do an internship when you were in college?

Jenna Johnson: Yes, I did. I guess I would call it two. I worked for a startup. I would say I mostly did marketing, but then my big one was for Madison Square Garden, also doing marketing. That was more of hands-on events marketing, so very different from what I do now. A lot of in-person activations, on-the-ground kind of work.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, but I guess although it’s not precisely related, there’s got to be skills that you developed through that.

Jenna Johnson: Yes, I think learning just the basics of how to write an email that gets the point across, how to communicate in a professional, outside-of-college space, I think is really important. And how to organize your time. Working is different than being in a class environment.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right. Would you recommend that students seek internships and participate in internships?

Jenna Johnson: Absolutely, 100%. Yes, especially if you do know what you want to do, it’s great because it can help solidify your goals and get your foot in the door. If you don’t know what you want to do, it gives you experiences in different fields. And if you think you know what you want to do, like I did, it could help you realize that that’s not what you want to do. So yes, I think in college specifically, there’s a lot of pros to going to college, but the ability to have an internship, I think, is by far the most important thing.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I guess, your education leads… the formal education leads up to the internship. That’s, that’s a big piece of it. Technology and society are changing so rapidly. I know it’s a broad question, but in your view, how are changes in technology and society affecting the field of media?

Jenna Johnson: For my role specifically, right now is interesting on YouTube because platforms like TikTok are so popular right now for short-form content, and YouTube has always been king for long-form. You know, you sit down and watch a 10-minute video. And YouTube, as a platform, has a competitor. It’s called Shorts that is essentially TikTok on YouTube. So, it’s just, we’ve had to kind of change some of our strategies for making sure we’re focusing on the short-form content, like under a minute, and the longer-form traditional, content.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s very interesting. And then there’s always the looming AI of it all.

Jenna Johnson: Yes. Which I think can be used as a tool, and I would hope that that’s how the company is going to go. Like, an AI could generate the first pass at a title for something, and then we would go in and clean it up, sort of use it as a tool for when you’re doing a million things at once and it can check off a couple of your tasks.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right. Yes, a lot of people have been mentioning AI, so it’s interesting to see that organizations are starting to incorporate it little by little. I don’t think like whole-hog, but definitely…

Jenna Johnson: Yes, or even YouTube specifically, I think they have, I forget exactly,, I think they can generate hashtags for you. Like, it scans your video and generates hashtags for you, but it doesn’t work very well. So, I think it’s… it’s just such a new, ever evolving technology that I think one day maybe it’ll be useful for things like this. But right now, I think it’s just so… it’s not something you would ever rely on without an actual person’s set of eyes.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay, Yes. So, it’s really in its infancy, and we’ll see where it goes from here. Excellent. So, before we close, are there any tips that you can offer people that are interested in pursuing this field?

Jenna Johnson: I think internships are just a great to get your foot in the door, start networking. It’s how a lot of people I know have gotten jobs, you know, they interned with a company in college, and then it led them into a full-time job. Yes, I think that’s number one in terms of getting a career in the field, I think you just have to make sure you’re making those connections because it’s really hard to stand out otherwise, with just a resume, especially when you’re starting out. And no matter what role you start in, you’re going to be learning, and you’re going to have transferable skills. So, I don’t know, it sounds kind of bad, but even if it’s not your dream job starting off, you know, every job is a learning opportunity, which I think is important.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, excellent. I think that’s excellent advice to look at each job as an opportunity to learn. And then, you can take those skills and that knowledge and those contacts to another opportunity. That’s really important. I agree with you on that.

Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and all of the insight that you provided to us. The knowledge and your expertise in the field is really, really helpful. I know I learned a lot, and I’m sure that other people who watch this interview will learn a lot as well. So, thank you very much, Jenna.

Jenna Johnson: Thank you.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Related Career Information

For more information about a career as a Senior Partnership Manager also known as a Senior Audience Development Manager, Social Strategy Manager, or Digital Marketing Manager, take a look at the following resources.

Related Professional Associations

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Discovering Careers In Communications and Media Copyright © 2024 by Doreen Kolomechuk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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