The State of Digital Marketing in Jamaica

This is one of those posts that is extremely truthful that will go left really fast. I’ve written a couple posts similar to this which has seen me getting invited to New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

Let’s see where this one will take me .. literally.

This is my 4th year as a Digital Marketer coming from an Entertainment/Media/Blogging background and it has been interesting to say the least. I had no idea I could be paid to do what I love on Social Media
by creating content for brands to grow their online presence. I love it so much that I’ve made a major investment in myself to become a certified Digital Marketer for which I’m still awaiting to sit an exam due to many delays from COVID.

The State of Digital Marketing in Jamaica | The Ugly Truth

African American Woman

I’ve never looked back ever since then and most of the experience I’ve received has been from Agencies which was hard but I highly recommend starting out in this field. It was hard in that I always had more than 5 brands at any time to manage which caused me to experience Burnout twice that led to anxiety. I know you read the title and are wondering how reality sets it? Well, can we talk about money shall we?

My first Digital Marketing job at an agency paid JMD$100,000 in the first year and I then received an extra $20,000 towards the end of year 2 which pushed my Net Income to JMD$120,000 which is ok to pay bills but not enough to live a comfortable life especially living in Kingston.

The companies that do pay a lot require you to give up your personal time so you end up with no Social Life. The trade-off is quite unbalanced in both aspects.

Lower Income

Getting a lower pay is a reality than our North American counterparts here in Jamaica. No matter how much experience, education or even links you might have (in some Industries) the pay will remain the same. Based on a Report earnings on Glassdoor.com the average pay for a Digital Content Producer for the year is between USD$46,190 – USD$55,000 with one of the highest on the site being $79,526 at iHeartMedia. If we are to calculate the base at $46,190 x $153.07 (usd rate) the equivalent would be JMD$473,716.12.

Read the Report Here:

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/digital-content-producer-salary-SRCH_KO0,24.htm

Companies Are Not Aware of Digital Marketing Titles

My actual title is called “Digital Content Producer” which as the name suggests, sees me creating content for brands online in the digital landscape.

Yes, this goes hand-in-hand with Traditional Media which includes Newspaper, Radio and Tv in some cases as if I’m creating a 360 Marketing Campaign, both Digital and Traditional Marketing must be used.

In past jobs, the positions have been advertised as:

“Marketing Executive” when they really want a Digital Marketer and they expect you to be able to do everything for that same pay. The role also saw me being Sales Executive, Photographer, Media Buyer/Planner, Paid Media Specialist, Strategist and the list goes on. These are all different and specific titles that require different levels of work and of course pay.

Lazy Graphics Designers

Yes! I’ve said it — no need to throw tomatoes as I speak nothing but the truth. I have worked with a few Graphics Designers that are nothing short of lazy at past jobs. They are super talented and have a number of skills, but it seems to be a culture with these guys as they show up to work late or when they feel like turning up. Then spend 2 hours at lunch .. start working at 3pm then leave at exactly 5pm. This pushes back the deliverables and also makes me look bad to clients. I’ve spoken to a few good Graphic Designers I know and they have said this “laziness” is due to doing the same tasks over and over again like a loop that has caused them to become uninspired to create, hence being late. The other flaws are based on personality and socialization of course.

Corporate vs Creative Work Culture

Now that I’ve gone Corporate, coming from a Creative culture has been quite interesting. I’ve had to deal with a lot of microaggressions + passive aggressive responses and people. In the Creative space, people were so passionate about their emotions and held nothing back so you always knew what people were thinking. Also, gone are the days of piercings, ripped jeans, bold hair colors and hello to boring black, gray and navy suits with annoying clunking heels. I have no idea why in Jamaica people associate what you wear with the quality of work people produce while companies like LinkedIn, Google and Facebook don’t care what you wear as long as you get the job done.

No Respect for Time + Meeting Deadlines

I am an early + morning person so I’m annoyingly early. Most offices open between 8am- 9am in Jamaica and I find that most people come long after those hours without apology. This causes other things to be late like emails and other deliverables for clients (and Invoices for payment). This is especially annoying if you work in one of those offices where only select people have a key and it’s always a gamble whether or not they will be at work. You are pretty much there waiting at the mercy of those people.

Jamaica has come a long way as it relates to Digital Marketing and we still have a long way to go. I’m happy I have found a space I love that I am able to apply my Skills, Experience and talents that I hope to grow in for years to come.Let me know if you work in the digital space and what are some of the pros and cons.

# The State of Digital Marketing in Jamaica | The Ugly Truth

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