9 Digital Marketing Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Whether you're just starting in digital marketing or hoping to switch to a new role, doing well in your job interview can help you land in the desired position. One of the best ways to do that is to arrive prepared for anything the interviewer may ask. This list of nine digital marketing interview questions will give you an idea of what is typical and help you practice your answers.

How do I prepare for a digital marketing interview?

Fully understanding the job you're interviewing for, knowing about the company and its brand, and knowing your value and what you can bring to the job are effective ways to prepare for a job interview. Researching the company and its digital marketing strategies can help, as can making a list of your accomplishments. You'll also want to look at your social media profiles if you've listed them and make sure they're clean and appealing to a potential employer. 

Another way to prepare is to consider what digital marketing interview questions an interviewer may ask and practice your answers as they apply to your situation. This is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expand on the experience you've listed on your resume or CV.  

Typically, digital marketing interview questions can fall into several categories, such as: 

• Skill-based questions

• Questions about your background and experience 

• Technical questions

• Situational questions 

• Behavioural questions 

• Questions regarding your perception of digital marketing 

• General interview questions 

Your level of experience, the company, the role, and the interviewer's personality will impact which questions you're asked, but here are 10 of the most common that can help prepare you for the interview and give you an advantage over other candidates. 

1. What experience do you have in digital marketing?

What they're asking:  Are you qualified for this job? 

This is a general question, but it's an excellent opportunity to discuss your unique skills that may be difficult to showcase on your resume. Think about the role for which you are interviewing. How can you tell a story about your previous career that shows you're a perfect fit for this specific job? 

There is a better time to list what's already written on your CV. It's the opportunity to discuss what makes you unique and the skills you bring to the table that no one else can. If there was a point in your previous career where you solved a problem that no one else could or created a highly successful campaign, work it into your career trajectory. 

Other forms this question might take:

• Tell me about yourself. 

• Tell me about your background.  

• How long have you been in digital marketing?  

2. Tell me about a project you've worked on, what you were proudest of, and what you would have done differently. 

What they're asking: What is your work process like, and how would it fit here?  

This question gives an interviewer several bits of information. First, it tells them more about your personal history and experience. While the project you discuss may be on your resume, this allows you to elaborate. 

It also tells them more about the way you work. Do you work well with a team? How do you research? What level of detail do you consider acceptable? Are you able to pivot and adapt when needed? 

Finally, the digital marketing interview question is equivalent to the classic interview question: Tell me your strengths and weaknesses. Describing what you have done differently tells the interviewer more about who you are and how you work. It might show them that you're a creative person who seeks solutions outside the box or that you're willing to exercise your leadership skills and take charge when an issue arises. 

Other forms this question might take:

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?  

• Do you prefer working with a team or individually?  

• How do you handle a stressful situation?  

3. How do you stay current on industry trends and changes?

What they're asking: Do you take the initiative?  

Digital marketing is an industry that is constantly evolving, and to be successful, you have to stay on top of these changes and trends. This question gives the interviewer an idea of how eager you are to learn, how much of a self-starter you are, and if you're flexible enough to keep up in a fast-paced field. The best way to handle this question is to be honest about the blogs, forums, and websites you regularly visit that focus on topics like SEO and social media marketing.  

Other forms this question might take: 

• What are your favourite digital marketing resources? 

• How can digital marketers stay on top of the industry? 

• What is your favourite part of being in digital marketing? 

4. What is the biggest challenge facing digital marketers today?

What they're asking: How do you deal with pressure? 

This question is your opportunity to show how well you keep up with the industry and how you deal with challenges and significant changes. The best way to answer this is to describe a current and relevant challenge and follow up by discussing what you would do to overcome it.  

Other forms this question might take:

• Name a stressful situation from the past and what you did to overcome it. 

• How do you handle challenging or stressful situations?  

5. How do you think a company can benefit from digital marketing vs traditional marketing?

What they're asking: Do you understand the industry’s nuances? 

This is an easy, surface question with an obvious answer. The interviewer may want to hear that digital marketing is always better. After all, you're interviewing for a digital marketing job. However, though digital marketing is much more prominent right now, there is still room for traditional marketing, and you'll find many campaigns that include both. So, feel free to share your professional opinion, but discussing the merits of both types of marketing is best.  

Other forms this question might take: 

• Is traditional marketing still relevant? 

• What are the benefits of traditional versus digital marketing? 

• Why should a company keep both traditional and digital marketing campaigns?  

6. What are your favourite digital marketing tools and platforms? 

What they're asking: How familiar are you with important digital marketing tools and platforms? 

This question tells the interviewer two things. First, it shows you have enough experience with digital marketing tools like Google Analytics and Moz and platforms like email and social media marketing to have favourites. It's a good idea to review your favourites and consider what you like most about them before an interview to ensure you're up-to-date and know what you want to talk about.  

The question also tells the interviewer if you're a good fit for their team. That's why you should always do your research on the company. Try to find out which digital marketing tools and platforms their current digital marketing teams use most frequently, and include these in your answers when possible. 

Other forms this question might take:

• What digital marketing tools and platforms do you have experience using? 

• Do you have experience with ____ tools or platforms?  

• Which digital marketing tools and platforms do you use most often?  

7. What is a responsive web design?

What they're asking: Do you know your stuff?  

Responsive web design (RWD) is the design used to create a user-friendly website. A website created with RWD is just as compatible with your smartphone as your laptop. It is also compatible with multiple browsers and works well with all screen sizes.

Your interviewer probably already knows that. They're just testing your knowledge. Responsive web design could be replaced with any other digital marketing topic. The more you can explain about the topic chosen, the more knowledgeable you seem.  

Other forms this question might take: For this question, you can replace "responsive web design" with any other digital marketing topic. 

8. What would you do to improve conversion rates? 

What they're asking: How can you help this company make money? 

Conversion rates are essential to all digital marketing platforms and are one of the biggest signs of a successful digital marketing campaign. Improving them means experimenting with areas like functionality and layout. Once again, this is the interviewer hoping you'll go deeper beyond a standard answer or definition on the subject. It's also a great time to point out your past successes. They may give you a specific example to go along with this situation; if not, you can talk about a time in your career when you improved conversion rates or strategies that typically improve conversion rates if you still need an example. Consider bringing up other metrics you feel are important, like click-through rates or organic traffic. 

Other forms this question might take:

• Tell me about a successful project or campaign you completed in the past. 

• What do you bring to this company?  

• What do you think are the most important metrics in digital marketing? 

9. Why did you choose digital marketing? 

What they're asking: How will you fit in with our current digital marketing team? 

This is another question you'll hear in almost any interview, not just one for a digital marketing job. However, your answer can say much about who you are and whether you're a good fit for that company's culture and digital marketing team. Your interviewer wants to know what inspires you, what you like best about digital marketing, and how your experience and education have increased your commitment to this career. While you'll want to be honest and share your passion for the industry, you've been given one more chance to showcase what makes you unique and how that might complement the company's current digital marketing situation. 

Other forms this question might take:

• Why are you passionate about digital marketing? 

• What about digital marketing inspires you?  

• What are your favourite aspects of digital marketing? 

Next steps 

Another way to prepare for a digital marketing career and ensure you have the best answers for your next job interview is to improve your knowledge through courses and programmes. On Coursera, you'll find both offered by some of the biggest names in business and the most respected educational institutions worldwide. Consider courses like Foundations of  Digital Marketing and E-commerce by Google or the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate. When an employer sees these certificates on your resume, they'll know you have skills and knowledge that help you stand out from your competition.