Today we’ll be looking over everything you need to know to crush your digital marketing interview in 2024. In this article we’ll be discussing:

• The digital marketing interview questions you’ll be facing with examples.
• Using the STAR method interview technique to answer those questions.
• How to crush any digital marketing interview presentation or tasks.
• How your body language in the interview can hurt or help you!
• The questions you should ask the interviewer in your digital marketing interview.
• Following up after the interview.

With how competitive the digital marketing job industry is, it’s essential that you’re properly prepared for the interview process. Not only can it be a long process, sometimes all the difference between you and the competition is one good interview.

Digital Marketing Interview Questions Examples

There are a wide variety of digital marketing interview questions that you may face: But they can be broken into sections that make them easier to prepare answers for:

1. Personality and cultural fit questions.
2. Digital marketing technical questions.
3. Past experience and skills questions. 

These questions each address crucial aspects of the interview process that interviewers will need to find out before they feel confident enough to hire you for the position. Let’s look at some examples of each of them below.

1. Personality and Cultural Questions

Personality and cultural fit questions can be just as important as the technical questions we will discuss later. Because before any business hires you they need to make sure that you’ll be a cultural fit for the team, and embody the business’s attitudes and values.

1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
2. Can you give me an example of a time you’ve had to beat the competition? How did you do it?
3. Why do you want to work for us?
4. What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness?
5. Do you prefer to work on your own, or as part of a team?

2. Digital Marketing Technical questions.

While all questions you answer in the interview are obviously important (or they wouldn’t be asking them), these take the top spot. 

These questions will delve into your skills, making sure that you have the technical capabilities to do the job at hand. These are typically the most complicated and hardest to answer, and may involve hypothetical questions to see how you would approach a situation.

1. What experience do you have with digital marketing budgets: Including forecasting, roadmapping and managing?
2. What experience do you have working closely with and communicating with clients?
3. When entering a new market, what steps do you take to identify and target your ideal/ target audience?
4. Tell us about a time where you had a disagreement with someone else in your team, on campaign strategy for example. How did you resolve this disagreement?
5. Can you tell us about a time that a campaign you worked on wasn’t successful, and what steps you took to address this?

3. Past experience and skills questions.

These questions are the most straightforward and literal. They are designed to give the interviewer the best idea of your background, experience, certifications, the channels, tools and verticals you have experience working on.

1. What digital marketing tools do you have experience with?
2. Why do you think you’re the best technical fit for this position?
3. What do you think is going to be the biggest change in SEO/PPC/CRO etc. in the coming year?
4. What has been your most successful campaign to date? And why was it so successful?
5. What has been your least successful campaign? Why did it fail, and what did you learn?

For more information on the different digital marketing interview questions, examples, questions and answers, have a look at our complete guide here.

How to Answer Your Digital Marketing Interview Questions: STAR Method Interview Technique

Of course, knowing the questions you’re going to face is important, but it’s more important to know how to answer them. That’s where interview techniques like the STAR Method come in.

What is the STAR Interview Technique?

The STAR method is a useful interview technique that gives you a framework to effectively structure your answer for any behavioural or situational interview questions.

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. What these actually mean, is:

• Situation: This is where you set the scene, giving all necessary background information.
• Task: Next, you discuss your responsibility and what your overall task and goal is.
• Action: This should be the largest part of your answer, where you discuss in detail the actions you took, and what skills, tools, and techniques you used. 
• Result: Here you should discuss the results of your actions, what you achieved, and what you learned. 

It helps you to structure an answer that hits all the essential points, and impresses interviewers by showing how your work was instrumental in solving a problem or in launching a new campaign.

The STAR method is best used for behavioural interview questions: When interviewers ask you to give examples of real situations you encountered in your work, or hypothetical situations you might face. They are easy to spot, usually starting with:

• Tell us about a time you…
• Can you give an example of…
• Describe a time that you faced…
• What’s an example of a time that you…

STAR Method Example

Let’s look at a quick example of the STAR method in action.

Question: “Can you tell us about a time you were working under pressure, to a tight deadline, and how you achieved it?”

Situation: “In my last job I was suddenly put in charge of the Paid Search and Paid Social advertising for an important client account that was failing to meet targets and was underperforming.”

Task: “I was now responsible for complete management of the paid ads for this client, as well as stepping up to managing the team: With the aim to improve the results of the paid advertising efforts for this client.”

Action: “I worked quickly to arrange meetings with the client, to ensure our strategic vision was aligned with their goals, and establish a partnership with the client. The team and I then did a strategic analysis of the ads we were running, and optimised and invested more into the verticals and channels that were performing well.

To expand the scope of the ads, we revisited the initial demographic research to identify gaps in our strategy and better target the client’s customers and target audience, using more A/B testing to ensure better optimised ads.”

Result: “This allowed us to quickly gain positive results for the client, and retain one of our most important client accounts. By revisiting strategy and our approach we improved ROAS significantly, which even led to an increase in Ad spend from our client and a larger budget.”

Have a look here for more information on the STAR method interview technique and how to use it in your interviews.

How to Crush a Digital Marketing Interview Presentation or Task

Next up is one of the most important parts of the digital marketing interview process: The interview presentation or task.

The task or presentation in the interview is typically the biggest hurdle for anyone in the interview process, and they can vastly differ for each different role and company.

What will the interview presentation or task be?

Unfortunately we can’t give you the answer to exactly what your task will be: That depends on your job and the job you’re applying for, and the company you’re applying to.

But what the task will be, is a test of your abilities. It will be designed to ensure you can complete one of the most important parts of the job you’re applying for.

For example, for an SEO, you may be asked to do a technical SEO audit. A copywriter or content writer may be asked to complete a blog writing task. Or someone working in paid advertising, may be given a task around data analysis.

10 Tips for Digital Marketing Interview Presentations

However, these 10 tips below will be appropriate for any digital marketing interview presentation and you should aim to meet them all:

1. Understand what the interviewers are looking for: The first thing you should do is aim to really understand what the task is asking, and what the interviewers want to see from your presentation.
2. Keep your presentation to a good length: Your presentation should only be as long as it needs to be. You can always ask an interviewer beforehand, how long they would like it to be, or for a general idea.
3. Make it visual: If you’re completing a presentation, then you should aim to make it visual. Containing charts, graphs, and other elements to visualise your talking points.
4. Don’t include too much information: While it may seem like more is better, you want to use the slides to highlight your important points that you discuss verbally, not the other way round.
5. Check and double check: Proofreading is essential. The last thing you want to do is to be halfway through your presentation and have an interviewer call out a spelling mistake… 
6. Practice beforehand: You should aim to run through your interview presentation, making sure you have everything memorised, that the presentation flows smoothly, and is the right length.
7. Present with confidence: Easier said than done, but if your speech or body language shows that you’re nervous or distracted, it will absolutely detract from your presentation.
8. Don’t rush it. While you may want to get in and out as soon as possible, being able to speak slowly and with purpose will show you’re confident and that you know what you’re talking about.
9. Leave some time at the end for questions: If you’ve got half an hour for your presentation, it’s a good idea to present for 25+ minutes, but leave a couple of minutes at the end for questions.
10. Predict and prepare for questions you might receive: This can be tricky, but if you know your presentation well and put yourself in the interviewers shoes, you should be able to predict some of the kinds of questions you’ll be facing.

For more information on interview presentations including more tips like this, and mistakes to avoid, click here to see our full guide.

Your Interview Body Language

Something we’ve touched on briefly, is your body language in your interview. While you may not even be conscious of your body language, your interviewers will be taking note of it and what it says about you.

For example, not making eye contact and fidgeting when answering a question could indicate to interviewers that you lack confidence in your answer. Or sitting with your arms crossed and looking out the window could show you’re not interested in the interview, or in the position.

5 Interview Body Language Tips

But instead of what not to do, let’s look at 7 things you should do in your interview.

1. Sit up straight and have a good posture. Slouching or leaning back in your chair can show that you’re a bit too relaxed, and having a straight posture will give you increased confidence.
2. Don’t forget to smile: While you may be nervous, remembering to smile helps put yourself at ease, while showing you’re happy and excited to be interviewing for the position.
3. Stay focused throughout the interview: Interviews can be long and mentally exhausting. While it can be difficult, it’s essential you don’t let your attention or focus falter. Non-verbal responses such as nodding and smiling can show you’re still engaged with what the interviewer is saying.
4. End the interview on a strong note: As you end your interview it’s a good idea to again shake hands with your interviewer, and thank them for their time. When all is said and done, you want to leave the interview on a positive note.
5. Practise your body language: A lot of your body language is subconscious, which means it can take conscious effort and practice to overcome those unconscious habits. So it can be worth practising in front of friends or family and asking them to take note of any subconscious habits you have.

For more information on body language during your interview, you can read our guide here.

The Questions You Should Ask the Interviewer

And lastly, when it comes to the end of your interview, you should absolutely aim to ask your interviewer a few questions at least, to show that you’re interested in the interviewer, the role, and the company.

Having multiple questions prepared before the interview makes this much easier, as some questions you prepare will be answered during the course of your interview. It is also good to ask a variety of questions, about the role, the team you’ll be joining, about the company and even about the interviewer themselves.

The end of the interview is also your opportunity to put the interviewer in the hot seat, and ask the questions you really want to know the answers to. 

The 7 Best Questions to Ask at the End of your Digital Marketing Interview

These are some of our favourite questions, that our candidates ask in an interview that ask those need-to-know bits of information and cover a wide range question areas:

1. What does success look like, in the first three months for this position?

If it hasn’t been discussed already, this can be a great question to ask as it shows that you’re already thinking about what you can achieve in the role. If it has been discussed you can always substitute it for the similar “What can I do to exceed your expectations in the first three months in the position”.

2. What opportunities for training and development does your business offer?

Again, this shows that you’re eager to continue to learn and develop, and aren’t there to just coast along. And businesses will be looking to hire people who are proactive in their own training, and are actively looking to stay on top of their game.

3. What are the opportunities for career progression, and how can I achieve these?

Similar to the above, this question shows that you’re already thinking about the next steps in your career, and what the business can offer you in the long-term. You’re not here for one year and then you’re off to your next role, you want to stay and progress with the business.

4. What potential reservations do you have about me for this role?

Unless you’re absolutely perfect for the position, the interviewers will likely have a couple of reservations about you. By asking this question directly, you have the opportunity to challenge these reservations and potentially squash any objections about hiring you before they become a problem.

5. What are the goals for your company in the next 5 years, and how will my work impact these goals?

Again, this question shows you’re thinking about staying with the business for a long time. Additionally, it shows you’re already thinking about more than yourself and your career: And are thinking about what impact you can have on the business.

6. What can you tell me about the company culture?

Don’t forget, that even though you’re being interviewed, this is your opportunity to also make sure that the organisation is somewhere that you want to work.

And pivotal to that, is making sure the business will be a cultural fit for you: Somewhere that you will enjoy working. If you are someone who prefers working on their own, and are told that it’s a very social office where everyone is always working together, then it may not be the place for you.

7. What’s your experience been like, working here?

And lastly, it’s good to show some interest in the interviewers themselves. Asking about their own experience at the company will help build a connection with the interviewer, and give you some insight into the reality of working for the business.

These are just a few of our favourite questions to ask at the end of an interview. If you’re looking for more examples and tips on which questions you should ask to find out what you really want to know, have a look at our complete guide here.

Following-Up After the Interview

While not the single most important part of the interview process, sending a follow-up email post interview can be one of those small ways to stand out in the mind of the interviewer. Which can especially help, when the decision between you and another candidate is a close one.

Why should you send a follow-up email and what should it contain?

A follow-up email can achieve multiple purposes, and what you include in your follow-up email will depend on how your interview went, and what you’re hoping to achieve.

1. Thank the interviewer for their time, and reiterate your interest in the position.
2. Highlight the strong points from your interview, to act as a reminder to the interviewer of why you’re the right person for the position.
3. As an opportunity to address any weak points in your interview: For example, any questions you didn’t answer as well as you liked.

You should aim to send a follow-up email between a day and a week after your interview. They can also be a great way to chase feedback, if you haven’t heard anything back.

Follow-up Email Example

Let’s look at a quick example/ template that you can use as a guide for your own follow-up emails:

Subject line: “Thank you for our interview last Wednesday, 12th of April: Jane Smith”

Dear “Interviewers Name”,

Thank you again, for taking the time to speak with me last Tuesday. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you personally throughout this interview process.

In our last meeting you mentioned that the most important skill for your new Senior SEO Manager is the ability to develop the growth of new SEO Executives as you take on more client accounts and grow the business. Having grown the team here at (current company) from a team of 3 to now 7 SEOs, I am more than confident in my ability to effectively develop your team, and am eager at the prospect.

I understand that at this stage, making a decision isn’t easy. But this role is something I am eager to be considered for. I have attached a testimonial from an SEO Executive from my team, to help in your decision. If there’s anything further I can do to aid in your decision-making, then please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the below.

Yours sincerely, 

Jane Smith

Phone: +44 0123 456789

Email: janesmith123@email.co.uk

However, if your interview went terribly, then there’s probably no rescuing it with a follow-up email. But a follow-up email can be one of the small things you can do that can shift the balance in your favour.

For more information on how to write a follow-up email that will boost your chances of securing your next digital marketing role, you can read our complete guide here.

In Conclusion

With all of the above you should be ready to crush your digital marketing interview and get that new role that you deserve. However, with the amount of competition out there it can be difficult to even get to the interview stage. 

If you are looking for your next digital marketing role, it can massively improve your opportunities by working with a digital marketing specialist recruitment agency like us here at Herd Digital, who will support you through the process and give you exclusive insight into the hiring process. Have a look at our open roles here, and see how we can support you!