With the advancement of technology, the marketing trend has shifted more into the digital ecosystem. Marketers now use various technologies and platforms that allow them to engage their target audience more effectively. Because of that, digital marketing has also become a viable career path. However, taking that first step into the digital marketing industry might be scary, especially if you are not familiar with marketing in the first place. You may also wonder if a digital marketing career might be a suitable option for you. In this article, we will look at the advantages of working as a digital marketer. We’ll also explain how to start working with digital marketing if you decide to give it a try.
Why Choose Digital Marketing as Your Career
Working with digital marketing is a very popular method of promotion. The digital advertising spending worldwide amounted to $378.16 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to round up to nearly $654.8 billion by 2024. This kind of popularity shows that digital marketer skills are in very high demand. Working as a digital marketer is a lucrative career. According to Indeed, the average salary for a digital marketer in the United States is $60,326 per year. This position may also come with many other benefits, such as working remotely and having flexible working hours. Since digital marketing is relatively new, it is suitable for younger and more mature professionals alike. Most of the necessary knowledge you need for this job can be found online easily. Therefore, opportunities are available for those with no relevant education background or certification too.
How to Build Your Digital Marketing Career
There are several steps to take when working with digital marketing. Let’s take a look at seven tips that can guide you to becoming a successful digital marketing professional.
1. Learn The Essential Skills
Before starting your journey as a digital marketer, it is essential to learn the essential skills. Unlike traditional marketing that mainly focuses on planning and strategy, digital marketing requires you to master some technical skills as well.
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The most common skills used by digital marketers include:
- Data analysis. Digital marketers need to understand how to gather and analyze information regarding their target market’s online behavior. This is crucial for creating a better strategy for their campaigns.
- Content creation. Promotion using engaging content is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. Digital marketers need to possess basic content creation skills, including copywriting, graphic design, photo editing, and video editing using an online video editor.
- Search engine optimization. SEO is a method of optimizing your website and its content to improve its ranking on the search engines results pages (SERPs). This includes strategic keyword usage, website structure analysis, and understanding search engine algorithms.
- Communication skills. As a marketer, you must know how to create an impactful message and deliver it to customers. Communication skills can help you increase brand awareness, establish trust, and build positive relationships with customers.
There is no need to master all of these skills right away, but learning each aspect eventually will help you handle various digital marketing tasks better.
2. Start a Website
Owning a website provides many benefits for a digital marketer. A well-made website can be a statement of your professionalism and help you land a job. According to Forbes, 56% of hiring managers are impressed mainly by the candidate’s website.
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A website is a great medium to introduce yourself and showcase your skills. Use it as a portfolio where you publish content and implement your digital marketing skills to promote it. A personal website is also a suitable sandbox where you can experiment with different marketing strategies. Use platforms such as WordPress if you want to build a website from scratch and learn various techniques to optimize its performance. This might sound like a challenging task for beginners, but the knowledge you’d get from building a website would definitely benefit you in the long run.
3. Improve Your SEO Knowledge
Search engine optimization is an essential part of working with digital marketing. 53% of all trackable website traffic comes from organic search. Web pages that rank higher in the SERP have more chances to gain more traffic. SEO requires some technical knowledge, including website structure, keyword research, and link building. Fortunately, SEO knowledge materials are easily accessible by everyone. There are many resources ranging from the basic to the most advanced you can get online for free. Keep in mind that SEO won’t improve your exposure instantly. It requires time before you see the results of your efforts. However, considering that most SEO methods and tools are free, there is no reason not to include them in your marketing strategy right away.
4. Choose Your Digital Marketing Channels
The internet has multiple platforms where you can reach potential audiences and promote your brand. Email marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing are some of the most popular digital marketing channels brands use to engage potential customers. Each of these channels has its own characteristics, which are suitable for different types of businesses. Therefore, digital marketers need to understand how these channels work to determine the best strategies for optimizing their functionality. It is also important to note that you don’t have to use all available channels for your business. The best approach is to focus on the ones used by the majority of your target customers.
5. Make Use of Free Tools
Most digital marketing strategies require you to use certain tools. The good news is a lot of these tools are available for free. Even if they have certain limitations, free marketing tools can be helpful when you know how to use them properly.
Google has many free useful instruments to help you optimize your digital marketing campaigns. Here are some examples of free tools you can use:
- Google Analytics. A tool that lets you measure your website performance in terms of traffic and engagement. Data provided by Google Analytics is useful to devise better marketing strategies.
- Google Trends. A website where users visualize and discover trends in people’s search behavior within Google Search. If you are trying to decide which topic or keyword to use for your content marketing, this is the right site for you.
- Google My Business. One of the most popular local business listing platforms. It lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps.
- Google Forms. A free tool that’s great for creating digital forms and gathering information from your customers. It offers various features, such as polls, surveys, and registration sheets.
Other free tools you might want to consider include AnswerThePublic, Canva, Grammarly, and SurveyMonkey.
6. Find a Digital Marketing Job
When you’ve acquired the needed preparation and knowledge, it is time to look for your first digital marketing job. There are several ways you can attract potential employers. Start by creating a resume that showcases your skills and experiences. It is also important to update your information on various job portal websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and GlassDoor. If you have a portfolio website, make sure to show its URL on all of your job board profiles.
Another method worth considering is regularly checking for job openings on company websites. By applying directly on the company’s website, you may get a faster response from the employer.
7. Reach Out to People
Networking is an important part of a job-seeking process. By reaching out to people who already work in the industry, you may have more chances to discover work opportunities. It is also good to start by contacting your colleagues who own a small local business. Internships and freelance jobs are also suitable for those who want to start a digital marketing career. Try not to focus on gaining financial rewards at first. Use this as an opportunity to gain experience and develop your skills. Don’t forget to be active on social media platforms and follow popular names in the digital marketing industry. They may post useful information like new trends, tips, and tricks, or even job opportunities.
Conclusion
Digital marketing career opportunities are available for everyone regardless of their experience and background education. Working with digital marketing can be a great choice considering the constant development of technology and the growth of the online business market. In this article, we have learned about the benefits of being a digital marketer. We also looked at seven steps to take when starting a digital marketing career, including:
- Learn the essential skills
- Start a website
- Improve your SEO knowledge
- Choose your digital marketing channels
- Make use of free tools
- Find a digital marketing job
- Reach out to people
Since digital marketing is a dynamic industry, curiosity and networking are key to thriving in this career path. Keep learning, and don’t hesitate to get involved in relevant communities. Follow the tips presented above and start your career in digital marketing.
