Digital marketing is one of the most in-demand skills globally right now, and it’s not difficult to see why. With more and more businesses leveraging digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube within their strategies, the quote ‘the future is digital’ has never rang more true. 

Almost everyone is online now, so for businesses who want to stay on the ball, having a strong digital marketing team or an in-house expert is extremely valuable. Plus, hiring remotely is now a more viable option. It means you can onboard a digital marketing expert from anywhere in the world and attract the top marketing talent to your business.

Over the last decade, Costa Rica has made significant advances in digital inclusion, making it a market filled with emerging digital talent. For businesses prepared to look further afield in search of digital marketing expertise, it could be a fruitful and cost-effective place to recruit.

Thinking of hiring digital marketing experts from Costa Rica? Read on.

Why is it important to have a strong digital marketing team?

Digital marketing has shown itself to be far more cost-effective than traditional marketing, while it can also expand a brand’s reach (globally, if done effectively), deliver measurable results, and enable brands to gain a competitive advantage. Factors such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, paid search, email marketing, and content marketing are fundamental to success and growth.

Your digital marketing team plays a huge role in the overall success of your business — particularly now that having a strong digital presence holds so much weight. Not only will they map out your online marketing strategy, but they’ll also collectively work together to deliver it and help you meet your growth objectives.

Is it practical to hire remote digital marketers?

Digital marketing plays an important role in any online strategy. From growing a social media presence to improving SEO, you need a digital marketing team who understands your business and knows how to get results. Broadening your talent search can help you find exactly the right candidates with the right skill set — especially if you want to grow internationally.

Having team members scattered locally, nationally, and even internationally may seem impractical, but if you can maintain good lines of communication then there’s no reason why it can’t work. Platforms such as Remote.com can help you expand your talent search to a country like Costa Rica, with an employer of record service enabling you to onboard employees while remaining locally-compliant. 

What are the benefits of hiring digital marketers from Costa Rica?

There are a number of benefits to hiring a remote digital marketer from another country. By only taking your candidate search as far as your city, region, or country, you could be missing out on amazing talent. 

Here are three top reasons why hiring digital marketers from Costa Rica is a good idea:

A larger scope for talent

Did you know that LinkedIn named ‘Digital Marketer’ as one of the most in-demand jobs? That means you’re inevitably in competition with other local businesses for the best talent. Utilising a remote work model to recruit talent from an overseas location with a high rate of digital inclusion — such as Costa Rica — can help ensure you get the right person for the right role. 

Knowledge of new markets

Digital marketing can increase your discoverability worldwide and help you connect with an international audience. With a remote digital marketer on your team, you can benefit from their unique market knowledge; if you’re trying to break the Latin American market, for example, an employee based in Costa Rica can tap into local trends or help you discover local influencers. 

More creativity and innovation

Having diversity within your business is extremely valuable. Hiring someone remotely from another country can help you bring new and innovative ideas to the table. Someone from Costa Rica may have a different perspective to someone from the US or the UK, for example, which can help you uncover opportunities you may otherwise have missed.

How to manage remote teams effectively

Remember, digital marketing is a collaborative effort. As long as everyone is prepared to put in the work and communicate regularly, hiring digital marketers from Costa Rica, or anywhere in the world, will work effectively. Nevertheless, managing a remote team across different time zones can be challenging, so it’s essential to adopt the right approach so your team is able to deliver results.

Make sure employees feel heard

Your employees will want to ensure their voices are heard. However, when they’re not based in the office this can make them feel a little overlooked. To avoid this, make an effort to ask for their feedback and their ideas. If the time difference makes virtual meetings a little difficult, how about creating employee feedback forms or shared docs for things like ideation? Ensuring that your remote digital marketers feel like part of the team is essential in getting the best from them.

Maintain good communication

Using tools such as Slack is great for maintaining communication within smaller teams — and the wider business, too. Having a central hub for updates, discussions, and even casual banter will ensure that everyone is on the same page and working together. Of course, you don’t want to bombard your employees with messages, but instant messaging tools are the perfect solution for communicating with all employees wherever they’re located. 

Build a great work culture

Celebrating everyone’s achievements with a simple shoutout or thank you can help build a fantastic work culture. Your employees deserve to feel appreciated — even from a distance. Perhaps they’ve created an amazing video advertising plan or managed to reach a new level of engagement on a social media post; whatever it is, big or small, try to encourage a positive culture within your team through recognition and reward. 

How should you advertise a remote position?

When hiring for your remote digital marketer role, your first stop might be LinkedIn, or a job board such as Indeed. Simply add the ‘remote’ tag to your job description to attract those searching for these types of positions, and make it clear that you’re open to international employees in the job description too.

It’s also a good idea to advertise on your company website and across your social media channels. If you’ve been on somebody’s watchlist for a while, they might jump at the chance to join your team on a remote basis when they spot your post or an update on your job page.

What skills should you look for in a remote digital marketer?

Digital marketing is an umbrella term that includes online marketing tactics of any kind, both inbound and outbound, so candidates may differ in their skill sets or specialize in particular areas. If you’re looking for particular experience, then make this clear on the job description. Since you’re hiring remotely, you may need to be open to other new and valuable skills, too.

Some of the top digital marketing skills may include — but are certainly not limited to — the following, depending on the role’s level:

  • Content creation: Video, social media, infographics and blogging, etc.
  • SEO: A solid understanding of best practices and strategies for organic growth, including technical SEO.
  • Data and analytics: Knowing how to interpret data (on various platforms) and make better data-driven decisions for campaigns.

Soft skills that are valuable within a digital marketing team include:

  • Communication
  • Innovation
  • Multi-tasking
  • Problem-solving
  • Curiosity

When hiring digital marketers remotely, especially from other countries such as Costa Rica, it’s important to create a work environment that works for everyone — as that will help to foster a productive workplace with a great culture. Be clear about what you’re looking for, keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to look further afield in your search for digital marketing talent.