Digital Marketing Specialist, Paid Social (contract)

Job Description:

Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc. we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work/life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative and passionate they need to feel valued and supported. We believe in rewarding all our employees with competitive salaries, performance based annual bonuses, and training opportunities.  

The Role:

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is looking for a highly creative and performance-oriented Digital Marketing Specialist, Paid Social to join our Digital Marketing Team! Growth marketing efforts at Kobo advance at an incredible pace and we pride ourselves on using the latest digital strategies to deliver ongoing value for the organization. Our team’s core objectives are to drive eBook and Audiobook customer acquisition and device sales through the Kobo website and apps.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Performance Marketing, the Digital Marketing Specialist, Paid Social plays a vital role in driving global growth by managing the paid digital marketing programs for a rapidly expanding eBook, Audiobook, and eReader business. 

Working across a number of English and non-English regions, they will be responsible for launching, monitoring, and optimizing paid campaigns, reporting on performance and communicating results, while testing anything and everything to constantly move the needle. They will be the internal expert of paid social channels, communicating our tactics and results cross-functionally, and act as an external consultant to major retail partners across the globe. They will also be responsible for the successful execution and delivery of Kobo’s global paid social campaigns – from campaign setup, optimization, and overall management.

A high-energy candidate with a passion for digital marketing, strong paid social skills, and an eagerness to test new ideas will succeed on this team.  

The Person:

You’re the first to know what’s going on in the world of digital marketing and social media. You speak a language of acronyms, like CPA, CPS, CPC, CTR, ROAS, and DSP. You get excited about data, testing new ideas, copy, and creative formats. You have broad skills and experience across paid digital channels, and as a well-rounded digital marketer, you understand the role social media plays as part of broader digital campaigns. You’re motivated to take ownership and grow by expanding new and existing strategies. You’re known for your ability to quickly learn new concepts and technologies, and clearly explain them to others. You’re an expert communicator and relationship manager. You’re an entrepreneurial spirit who knows how to get things done in a fast-paced environment. You love a challenge and being challenged. You excel having your hands in many things at once. You’re a true team player with a positive, collaborative attitude. You love books and sharing them with the world.

You will be responsible for:

• Planning, optimizing, and executing digital performance marketing campaigns to scale customer acquisition and sales globally across a variety of paid channels (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Display, Programmatic).
• Maximizing social ad spend while working within budget requirements and maintaining efficient performance.
• Developing performance analyses and providing ongoing reporting and insights to be leveraged cross-functionally.
• Staying up to date on all social media tools and developments, including new ad formats, releases, beta tests, etc.
• Communicating and reporting results with internal and external partners, including establishing goals and targets, facilitating opportunities for growth, and making strategic recommendations.
• Championing our direct and retail partners’ objectives in cross-channel campaign planning, implementation, budget management, and performance reporting.
• Sourcing new opportunities for paid expansions across digital media channels to drive customer acquisition and sales.
• Using GA4 and other measurement tools to report weekly on performance metrics.
• Trafficking and tracking large sets of ads on a weekly basis.
• Working collaboratively with teams across Kobo, including: Business Development, Merchandising, Creative, Web Production, Product, Analytics.
• Actively contributing to the Digital Marketing Team in a collaborative and meaningful way that helps support and inspire cross-channel initiatives.

The Skillset:

Required:

• 2-3 years in digital marketing with a focus on performance-based marketing (preferably digital media, acquisition, or eCommerce).
• Comprehensive understanding of paid social advertising and the impact it has on the customer journey.
• Experience building paid ad campaigns in a range of advertising platforms (including Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads Manager) and with proven track record of optimizing campaigns to improve performance and CPA results.
• Comprehensive understanding of digital marketing channels and strategies, audience segmentation, targeting, creating custom audiences.
• Strong writing skills for social media content creation and community management; with expert understanding of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn and their capabilities.
• Proficient knowledge of online measurement and performance indicators, ability to analyze campaign data and discern insights.
• Experience working with creative teams to guide and create visual and copy assets.
• Experience working with partners, clients, and cross-functional teams.

Nice to Haves:

• Google Analytics certifications.
• Experience in growth marketing.
• International marketing efforts are an asset.
• Excellent communication skills, client-service, or account management experience an asset.
• Foreign language skills (French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, etc.) or localization experience an asset.

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world’s most innovative eReading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million + customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning eReaders, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.

Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

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