What Does It Take to Be Effective in Digital Marketing and PR?

Digital marketing and public relations are changing all the time. New platforms, technologies, and tools are changing how organizations communicate with the people they want to reach. But knowing how to use those tools is only part of the job. Before deciding what to post, where to share it, or which tool to use, communication professionals need to understand their audience and what they’re trying to accomplish.

That is the approach behind COMM 512: Digital Marketing and Public Relations, a course in the UIC’s Online Master of Arts in Communication, Digital Media and AI. The course explores how organizations communicate with audiences in today’s digital environment, combining research, strategic communication, audience understanding, content creation, and campaign planning.

So, what skills actually matter if you want to work in digital marketing and PR? Dr. Janis Teruggi Page, who created and teaches COMM 512, shares four skills she considers essential for communication professionals today and explains why a strong communication foundation matters even as tools and platforms keep changing.

1. Conduct Market Research Before Choosing Digital Marketing Tactics

The first skill introduced in this course is market research. In digital marketing, advertising, and public relations, research is foundational to every communication campaign. A lot of times, students think about tactics first. They might say, “Oh, we’re going to do a social media contest.” And I respond, “Well, how do you know to do that?” I want them to understand that you need to do the research first.

There’s secondary research, which means seeing what’s already out there and asking, “What can I find out?” Students complete a competitive analysis, investigate what the organization has already done, conduct a communications audit, and collect other existing information. They follow the steps in a SWOT analysis, which is a great research tool. This leads to primary research recommendations. What are the gaps? What don’t we know? What questions has looking at existing research left us with? Students can propose primary research to analyze an audience’s needs, find out more about them, and understand how to communicate with them. The goal is to use that information to guide communication strategies rather than jumping straight to a tactic.

2. Turn Research Into a Strategic Communication Plan

The second skill is getting students to think strategically and critically. Students need to be able to identify a communication problem or opportunity and establish goals that are supported by objectives. The goal is the umbrella, and the objectives and strategies fall underneath it. Then they choose the right target audience. There might be more than one, but it’s important to choose the one that’s key to achieving the client’s goal; one you’ve determined you can actually tackle. From there, students develop messages and determine the appropriate channels. It’s taking your research and thinking critically about it, then putting it into a formula that will guide you toward reaching a goal.

I distinguish between communication more broadly and strategic communication. Strategic communication is communication for the purpose of affecting an outcome. You are not just creating something and putting it out there. You need to understand what you are trying to accomplish, who you need to reach, and how the different pieces of the plan fit together.

Curious how COMM 512 fits into the full program? Join a virtual info session to learn about the curriculum and ask your questions live.

3. Understand Your Audience and What Drives Engagement

The third skill students need to know is what matters to the people they’re trying to reach and what channels they prefer. Different audiences may have different values, expectations, communication styles, and reasons for engaging with a brand. With that knowledge, students can create more relevant messages that connect with specific audiences. They can also avoid cultural misunderstandings. That establishes credibility. It helps build trust and stronger relationships with those audiences.

We also consider the guidance gained from communication theory, for example uses and gratifications theory, which looks at why people seek out media. They may be looking for information, community, or a way to develop or understand their identity. Understanding those motivations helps you think about what people are actually looking for when they engage with media and how your communication can meet those needs.

4. Create Persuasive Content for Digital Platforms

The fourth skill students practice and come away with is writing, storytelling, and thinking creatively. Students still need to hone their skills to write concisely, especially in marketing and PR. They also need to determine the appropriate brand voice and learn how to compose persuasive messages. We do a lot of looking at what is ethically persuasive, along with compelling storytelling. I have more than one unit on storytelling, both visual and written. The most powerful, meaningful, and culturally important messages are those that combine words and pictures equally and respectfully.

One way we approach brand storytelling is by creating a persona to represent the audience. Having a composite profile of your ideal audience helps to understand who you are communicating with. It can help you determine the appropriate brand voice and the kind of messages that will connect with that audience. Students also need to improve and master their ability to adapt messages to different platforms, because communication does not look exactly the same everywhere.

Apply Your Skills Through a Strategic Communication Campaign

One way students bring these skills together is through a major project in the course. I give them a realistic scenario and have them research and create a communication plan to respond to an organizational challenge. Students identify the best target audience, identify the best digital communication strategies, develop campaign themes and messages, and recommend tactics. Those tactics include website content and social media posts. They also propose evaluation methods.

What I’ve done in this course is really give students a mini campaigns course, if you will. The first four weeks are foundational in learning the process of developing a strategic communication plan. The last four weeks are about applying this knowledge to address a situation and challenge.

Students develop skills they can use for an employer or a client, and they can also take away materials to include in a portfolio or discuss in an interview.

Because they have actually worked through a strategic communication campaign, they have something concrete to point to. These skills can be valuable at any career stage. Even if you haven’t done a lot in your work life yet, if you’ve studied something and simulated it, you can talk about that experience. That’s what I did when I first started out in this field.

Building a Foundation for a Changing Field

It can be challenging to keep up with everything that is changing in communication, from learning new tools to understanding how to use them effectively. Some students may not even know what they need to know or how to put it into practice. If students want to understand and adapt to this changing environment, they need to build foundational knowledge of the planning process, learn from examples of successful campaigns, apply these best practices in their own work, and then seek opportunities to use them in the digital communications fields.

UIC’s Online Master of Arts in Communication, Digital Media and AI is designed to guide students through what’s new and how to use it, while also providing a strategic communication foundation. Lots of students know how to use social media for personal use, but they don’t necessarily know how to use it professionally. If I were to think of a persona for the program, I would say a trusted big sister or big brother who’s been working for a good while and says, “I’m going to tell you everything you need to know. I’m going to take your hand, and I’m going to guide you through this.” This solid footing can give students something to build on as the field continues to change. The tools may differ from one year to the next, but knowing how to research, think strategically, understand an audience, and communicate effectively gives you the confidence to start off strong.

Ready to Start Building Your Foundation?

Attend an upcoming info session to meet program leadership, explore the coursework, and get your questions answered.