The internet has had a huge impact on the world and our everyday lives. With the growth of the online world and e-commerce, digital marketing has become a huge business as well. Marketing itself has always been a fundamental part of the global economy and with the advancement in innovation and technology in every field of life, digital marketing is on the rise. This is why more and more people today are looking for ways to start a career in digital marketing.
If you want to know how you can start your digital marketing career, you should first know what digital marketing even means.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is a vast concept. It is a simple term for all kinds of marketing strategies used on online platforms to reach the target audiences and turn them into customers. Hence, digital marketing focuses on promoting products/services to people through social media. It enhances lead generation and helps turn prospective buyers into customers.
Marketing has evolved today – it no longer means spreading flyers, putting up billboards and running TV commercials. While these age-old traditional methods are still very useful, the global marketing trends are becoming more progressive and digitized.
Key areas of digital marketing include:
Affiliate Marketing
Email Marketing
Viral Marketing
Influencer Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Content Marketing
Marketers usually use a combination of 2-3 or all of the above mentioned digital marketing techniques. Digital marketers should be aware of the customer’s privacy policy to ensure they are not accessing or misusing their personal information without the customer’s consent especially when it comes to mobile marketing or email marketing.
If you want to learn more about digital marketing then try reading this article: What is Digital Marketing?
Now that you know what digital marketing is, let us move and talk about if it is a good career path.
Digital Marketing as a Career
Digital marketing is on the rise – from small online digital marketing freelancers to large scale digital marketing consulting firms, the demand for online marketing experts is increasing sharply. It is a great career choice because we live in a digital age with a touch global competition among businesses. Hence, the marketing budgets are increasing and shifting their focus to digital advertising.
If you have got a knack for marketing and want to put your creativity to work, then digital marketing is suitable for you. As the need for companies to improve their online visibility grows, so does the demand of digital marketers around the world.
As digital marketing covers different areas of online marketing, the job titles in this field vary depending upon your qualifications, skill set, and expertise. Different digital marketing jobs include content strategist, SEO specialist, digital marketing manager, brand manager, social media manager, etc.
One of the best things about digital marketing consulting jobs is that it gives you the flexibility to work a fulltime or part-time depending upon your lifestyle. Moreover, you don’t have to be physically present to carry out online marketing. Digital marketing allows you to work as a freelancer whether full-time or freelance basis, all you have to do is to create an online marketing strategy.
Another important factor in determining a career is salary. On average the digital marketing consultant salary on an hourly basis is $42-$60 in the US (Source: SalaryCom). This is a smart figure to generate a healthy income.
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To put it shortly, digital marketing is an excellent career choice and anyone interested in this field should go for it.
Skills for Digital Marketing
Being a versatile field digital marketing goes beyond a particular professional degree or skill set. To have a successful career in digital marketing, it is important to possess a combination of different skills whether you are working in a firm or as a digital marketing consultant freelance. Here are some important and useful skills necessary for digital marketing career:
Social Media management
Mobile marketing
SEO strategy
Digital publishing
E-commerce
Web Analytics
SEO Web Design
Business Strategy
Take an inventory of your current skills and try to learn more to build a good portfolio for a successful start in the digital marketing field. Since the online world is continuously evolving, it is important to update your skill sets as the trends change. This will keep you relevant and professionally competent.Let us move on to the part you have been patiently waiting for: how to be a consultant
and start a career in digital marketing!
Steps to Start a Career in Digital Marketing
1.Build a LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a social community for professionals to connect and learn from industry experts. Create a profile on this platform as it will help you connect with different people from your field and will keep you updated with what employers want.
2.Networking
Networking plays a key role in finding a new job and making useful connections. Try attending marketing events and seminars to communicate with industry professionals. You can also join different industry-specific Facebook groups and other social media communities.
3.Build a portfolio
When it comes to digital marketing or any other skill-based field, the experience can make or break your career trajectory. Join different freelance platforms and try to get different jobs and projects. This will not only help you build a versatile portfolio and increase your experience but you will also meet different clients.
4.Take online Courses
Taking professional online courses and certificates will add credibility to your resume and portfolio. There is tough competition in the labour market so to stand out from the crowd, you should acquire a professional qualification to impress the employers.
5.Learn Coding and Analytics
Both coding and analytics will take your digital marketing efforts one step further. Coding will determine how you construct the website to perform efficiently on the internet whereas analytics will help you assess the performance indicators of your digital marketing campaign.
6.Agency vs. Industry
You can choose two main career paths when it comes to starting a career in digital marketing. Either you become a fulltime in-house digital marketer for a single organization or join an agency to work for various clients. You can always switch between the two but it is better to decide which you prefer more. Moreover, you can always work as a freelancer on the side regardless of which one you pick (or don’t).
7.Create an Online Presence
This is perhaps one of the fundamentals of starting a digital marketing career. You must have an online presence yourself to be familiar with the online world and its trends. Link your social media accounts to your online portfolios, blogs or freelancing profile. Integrate your online accounts to create a wider social community which will help you find prospective employers.
Conclusion
As stated earlier, the digital market is booming right now and provides a great opportunity for new entrants. Whether you are just starting out or shifting to a new career part, entry-level jobs can be a great stepping stone. The important thing for starting a career in digital marketing is to assess your skills and commitment to the field. So, start a career in digital marketing and help clients improve their online presence.
We hope that this article was helpful and we wish you all the best for future endeavours!