How to hire a digital media strategist

How to hire a digital media strategist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step digital media strategist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a digital media strategist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new digital media strategist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a digital media strategist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a digital media strategist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a digital media strategist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a digital media strategist that fits the bill.

   This list presents digital media strategist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Digital Media Strategist	Description	Hourly rate
   Digital Media Strategist	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$21-42
   Communications Internship	When it comes to a communications internship, the tasks will vary depending on the organization or industry involved. However, one of the primary responsibilities is to observe proper etiquette in dealing with people and other situations... Show more	$11-21
   Public Relations Internship	A public relations intern is responsible for assisting the public relations department in creating content to engage customers and prospective clients in availing of the goods and services of the company. Public relations interns participate in meetings to suggest strategies and observe areas of improvement... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Client Facing
   • Search Engine Marketing
   • Campaign Performance
   • Facebook
   • Google Analytics
   • Media Planning
   • KPIs
   • PowerPoint
   • Media Management
   • Social Media Marketing
   • Instagram
   • DoubleClick
   • Account Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage, analyze and optimize ROI for partner campaigns.
   • Manage company website including photography of all images, update images and information as necessary.
   • Offer PPC, SEO, SEM Google programs, and websites.
   • Train in audience exchange segments for mobile and digital including CPC, SEO, SEM, and
   • Research and implement 3rd party ad serving tools such as DoubleClick.
   • Work on monthly media post performance reviews, POVs and media decks for the client.

   More digital media strategist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your digital media strategist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A digital media strategist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, digital media strategists' average salary in maine is 49% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level digital media strategists earn 51% less than senior-level digital media strategists.
   • Certifications. A digital media strategist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a digital media strategist's salary.

   Average digital media strategist salary

   $62,947yearly

   $30.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level digital media strategist salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 12, 2025

   Average digital media strategist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$85,224	$41
   2	District of Columbia	$81,686	$39
   3	California	$77,901	$37
   4	Oregon	$72,741	$35
   5	Arizona	$72,585	$35
   6	New York	$71,901	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$71,486	$34
   8	Ohio	$70,133	$34
   9	Maryland	$68,779	$33
   10	Virginia	$68,598	$33
   11	Illinois	$65,710	$32
   12	Nevada	$65,491	$31
   13	Rhode Island	$65,348	$31
   14	Colorado	$62,021	$30
   15	West Virginia	$61,450	$30
   16	Texas	$59,035	$28
   17	Louisiana	$58,808	$28
   18	North Dakota	$58,234	$28
   19	Michigan	$57,247	$28
   20	Minnesota	$57,217	$28

   Average digital media strategist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$127,373	$61.24	27
   2	Apple	$117,466	$56.47	13
   3	AstraZeneca	$100,971	$48.54	3
   4	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$94,410	$45.39	47
   5	Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc	$82,665	$39.74
   6	Accenture	$82,660	$39.74	7
   7	PRWeek	$76,716	$36.88
   8	Horizon Media	$72,312	$34.77	25
   9	Dr. Tavel	$71,651	$34.45
   10	Steris	$68,884	$33.12
   11	iHeartMedia	$68,720	$33.04	3
   12	Amazon	$67,891	$32.64	79
   13	TravelClick	$67,712	$32.55
   14	The Greentree Group	$66,908	$32.17
   15	Univision Communications	$65,756	$31.61	6
   16	Within	$63,869	$30.71	6
   17	AdAction	$63,787	$30.67
   18	Priorities USA	$63,752	$30.65
   19	Cointelegraph	$63,752	$30.65
   20	RELX	$63,745	$30.65	2

4. Writing a digital media strategist job description

   A digital media strategist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a digital media strategist job description:

   Digital media strategist job description example

   The short answer? We're looking to keep a good thing going. An independently owned full-service marketing agency, Pinckney Hugo Group has grown consistently over the past 20 or so years.

   We've created bigger and better work, added to our capabilities and expanded to serve a wider range of regional, national and international clients. It's all happened because we've been able to bring in incredibly talented and dedicated people to help build something special. And because we don't plan on slowing down anytime soon, we're posting career opportunities like this one.

   WHY PHG?

   For starters, you'll have the chance to work on some of the biggest brands and most exciting projects in the world — all from right here in Upstate New York, and in some cases, from the comfort of your home.

   You'll be challenged, but you'll never be on your own. What we offer takes a full team. And we're just that — a team. A group of complementary talents that, when unleashed together, can do anything we set our minds to.

   Some of our comprehensive and competitive benefits include:

   • Hybrid work – split your week between working in our office or at home
   • Generous PTO policy, including flex time
   • Paid parental leave
   • Medical, vision, dental benefits
   • Resources for savings and investments such as our 401(k) plan with company match
   • Company-sponsored events and swag
   • Dog friendly work environment
   • Opportunities to learn, develop, network, and connect

   OUR HIRING PHILOSOPHY

   At Pinckney Hugo Group, we believe that diversity improves our agency and helps us to better serve our clients by offering different views, perspectives and experiences. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and team, and aspire to better reflect the brands and people we serve. We strongly encourage people of color, members of the LGBTQAI+ community, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups to apply to join our team. No matter who you are, you'll find opportunity here. We'll empower you to work on amazing brands with incredible teams, all while giving you the space you need to make this time whatever you want it to be. Apply today and explore all the ways you can grow with us. You'll be glad you did — and we will too.

   We'd like to know more about you and why you're interested in PHG. Please be sure to include a cover letter with your resume submission.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find digital media strategists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your digital media strategist job on Zippia to find and recruit digital media strategist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit digital media strategists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new digital media strategist

   Once you've found the digital media strategist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a digital media strategist?