We all know that job hunting can be massively frustrating. Whether it’s not receiving feedback, being overwhelmed by the number of positions out there or being constantly knocked back - it can be a gruelling process.
It’s no wonder that candidates often feel lost and give in with their pursuit. The amount of jobs advertised under confusing names and inaccurate job specifications is enough to blow anyone’s mind - nevermind if you’ve been continuously searching for hours, days and months on end.
With that in mind, we’d like to offer a level of transparency about the different roles within our agency and what they consist of. That way, you can easily figure out if agency life is for you and make smarter decisions about your career and future.
We’ll cover:
Development
Web development can be split into two main areas - front-end and back-end web development. But what’s the difference?
Front-end web development
Front-end developers are often thought of as the link between design and technology. They focus on programming languages (rather them than me, sorry) that help create the visual and interactive parts of websites - basically, everything that you can see and do on a site.
You’ll often find that front-end developers have a close relationship with the design team. Web designers are responsible for drawing up innovative and intelligent designs and front-end developers are responsible for bringing these ideas to life! Everything that a user sees or interacts with is the handy work of a front-end developer.
Back-end web development
Whereas front-end development is centred around aesthetics and functionality, back-end is more closely linked with the server-side of development. Of course, they both dovetail and require one another for both individual assets to work effectively. Without one, the other wouldn’t be successful.
Back-end developers still write code like front-end’s do - however, their code communicates database information to the browser. They’re responsible for creating solutions for clients based on their overarching website goals. A lot of their focus is around website functionality and site speed - rather than the look and feel. Does the journey work? Yes. Thanks, back-end development.
Design
Design is a crucial department of any digital agency. From web-designers to graphic designers, various projects need supporting with industry-leading design. With any project, if the design is poor, you’re already on the back foot. No matter what project, the design must be innovative, eye-catching, strategic and much more.
Web design
A role within web design is one of the most exciting areas of the business! Our web design team is responsible for taking thoughts and ideas and turning them into industry-leading digital products. To lead a project from thought concept, right the way through to launch and sign off is a truly rewarding feat.
While it’s easy to get carried away with look and feel, User Experience (UX) must be considered in all design projects - especially websites. You could have the best site in the world, however, if the UX is poor and it’s not easy to navigate, it’s not going to be well received. Striking the right balance of creativity within partner needs and expectations is critical for our web design team.
Our web designers are mainly responsible for strategic website and bespoke app design. Plus, the never-ending hunt for new inspiration and key design trends.
Creative design
Not all of our design projects are websites and bespoke mobile apps. Our marketing team also needs regular assistance with digital assets that enhance their campaigns. From striking social media creatives, inviting CTA designs or easily digestible infographics - our creative design team have a LOT on their plate.
Landing pages are critical to the success of a marketing campaign. So, it’s only natural that our creative design team is always trying to uncover the hottest trends or the best ways to enhance performance. The role of a creative designer is diverse in daily responsibilities - and also because you’re working with various clients and partners too.
It’s a mega exciting role for the creative-minded!
Marketing
Within marketing, there are various channels that each require specialists to run successfully.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing is HUGE. And it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs within the marketing team. Seeing our partners’ online presence, brand awareness and impact grow is extremely satisfying.
Developing and implementing an omnichannel approach for clients that span a wide range of industries certainly has its challenges. However, with social media constantly evolving and new trends arising daily, it’s a great chance to show off creative flair and have fun with content.
Social media marketing is also a point in which all efforts join and come together. Redistribution of content, sharing videos and shouting about anything and everything - it’s a great vehicle to drive any marketing campaign forwards.
Content marketing
Content marketing is a varied job role - however, it all centres around one core topic. You guessed it… content. From blogs, web and landing page copy, premium assets and more, there are a lot of different styles that you need to lend your hand to. Plus, these all need to be adapted to different tones for each digital partner.
For those who love writing, it’s a chance for them to express their inner creativity within the industry that they’re writing for. At Red-Fern, a lot of our clients are based in the manufacturing industry. It can prove tricky to be creative about industrial machines and equipment, however, that’s why we love doing what we do - we enjoy the challenge!
Video marketing
The ultimate opportunity to show off your creativity - video marketing. Over the past few years and many years to come, video has taken the marketing world by storm. Quite frankly, if you’re not utilising video marketing, you’re being left behind by the competition.
With that in mind, it’s up to our experts to decide what type of videos are best for your brand, how you need to be portrayed, what needs to be shot and more. The shoot, editing and whole production is your responsibility. Again, this is incredibly rewarding - taking thoughts and ideas and bringing them to life.
Paid media
Paid media is integral to any marketing campaign. While the idyllic view is reaching the heights of search engines on organic keywords alone, it’s not realistic. Not for the first few months of your campaign anyway! Therefore, your campaign may need a little budget behind it to get it displayed where you need it to be.
Working within paid media gives you a chance to manage budgets, liaise with clients, report analytically and work strategically towards overall goals. Unlike other marketing roles (except when reporting) the role centres around data and numbers, so, if this is your strong suit, you’ll be perfectly fine within a paid position.
Marketing apprenticeships
Recently, we’ve decided to invest further into the development of the next generation of marketers and welcome apprenticeship opportunities to the Red-Fern team. As a marketing apprentice, you’ll gain vital experience and knowledge to kickstart a long career.
Long gone are the days where apprentices were tasked with making tea… I mean, we’re working remotely at the minute, this will resume when we’re back in the office - we only joke. Marketing apprentices are an integral part of the team. Learning on the job and applying themselves in whichever way they can.
A marketing apprentice role is varied - and it should be. We like to expose our apprentices to each area of marketing, therefore, they can start specialising in their preferred field right away. From helping out with email marketing and lead generation to managing paid media accounts, an apprenticeship is a perfect way to get a feel for agency life.
Account management
At Red-Fern, we prioritise communication. Whether that’s internally or externally, we always aim to be completely transparent in everything that we do. And that’s where our Account Manager comes into things. It’s their job to keep in constant contact with our partners to provide updates, answer any questions and provide solutions too.
Should communication breakdown between ourselves and a client, it’d mean that both parties would be left in the dark. This is by no means an ideal situation to find ourselves in. Account Managers spend the majority of their time in meetings with our team, partners and potential clients.
As communication is one of the pillars of success, it’s their responsibility to ensure that everything is running smoothly within the overall accounts.
Project management
As a digital agency, if you have no process or no organisation, things can become messy - QUICKLY. With various projects to juggle for a multitude of clients, quality project management ensures that we’re prioritising the right projects and delivering everything on time within deadlines.
This level of basic organisation allows us to see how we’re operating as an agency. Are we operating at full tilt? Could we do with a few more hands on deck to shift the workload? Or, can we welcome new clients and partners on board? Effective project management makes answering these questions a lot easier.
Project management ensures that we’re always delivering and nothing slips through the net. A very, very, very vital part of a growing digital agency.
Could agency life be for you?
Now that you’ve got a feel for the different areas of a digital agency, could you see yourselves working within one? Digital agencies provide amazing career opportunities for the right candidates. So, if you think you’re up to the challenge, this could be the start of a brand new career for you.
Luckily for you, at Red-Fern, we’re always on the hunt for fresh new talent to join our ranks. In fact, we currently have a wide range of vacancies that we’d like to fill. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’d love to hear from you and how you could apply yourself within our agency.
However, if you need a little more convincing, please feel free to download a copy of our FREE culture book. It outlines everything you need to know about Red-Fern as an agency and what you can expect from the team. Grab your copy today!
