How to Become a Digital Marketer in 2024?

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As you all know the pandemic has led to a drastic change in the way we work, it has not only made people work from home but also shifted businesses and companies to work in the digital world.

But are we all aware of how the digital world works? No, right? So, let me give you a background on why I wrote this article in the first place. Irrespective of the adverse effect of the covid situation, everyone nowadays wants to work digitally. That’s how I also got a passion for digital marketing.

I have 7 years of experience in the marketing industry, and I never wanted to settle for less or which does not satisfy me to work for. I kept exploring different verticals of marketing in the early stages of my career.

I worked as a sales coordinator for a trading company, project coordinator for an event management company, trade marketing in a consumer electronics company, and public relations in a consumer electronics (again) company. As you can see, these are completely different verticals of marketing that I had been into in each company. Never settled for one until I met with my passion for digital marketing.

It started back in 2017 when I was working for a consumer electronics company in India as a Public Relations professional. I kept doing my usual work and simultaneously read articles on the internet whatever interested me at that point of time. And one day I came across a marketing field called “digital marketing”.

Being graduated as an engineer, tech was of interest to me. I always wanted to be a software engineer, though I could not make my career in it. I started my career in marketing in 2013 just a month after my graduation. I was afraid of the job market and not confident about my capability (being new to the job world) so grabbed the opportunity.

But I never left my hope and settled myself for that career. I kept exploring and as I mentioned earlier, I realized that there is a field in marketing itself that gives me a scope to become technical.

Nothing to worry about for those who are from non-technical backgrounds though since neither do I have knowledge of the technical stuff of digital marketing but just to give myself satisfaction, this is what resonated with my choice in career.

And not only me, but there are many people around the world, coming from different backgrounds such as hotel management, commerce background, engineering, everyone has mastered digital marketing these days since they have understood the importance of digital marketing and its growing demand.

There are many people who have learned the skills and are earning a lot of money either by running their business or serving clients as an agency or as a freelancer. There are many opportunities out there for digital marketers.

Now, you must be thinking, what is Digital Marketing? How to Become a Digital Marketer? What does a Digital Marketer do? And so on. Hold on a bit, I am here to help you with all about digital marketing and specially adding my journey and experience to it will give you more confidence to build your career in it.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about digital marketing and how you can also become a digital marketer in 2021.

What is Digital Marketing?

The first and foremost question that might have popped up in your mind is what digital marketing is? Digital marketing is the process of promoting products or services on the internet using various channels such as search engines, social media platforms, and PPC advertising.

Just like in traditional stores, where companies sell products and people buy them by visiting the physical store, the same can be done online where businesses and companies can sell on the internet and people can interact online to make the purchase.

You can reach out to millions of people around the world with your products or services within a few hours. Therefore, digital marketing skills are in high demand for businesses of all sizes. With the right digital marketing skill sets, you can become the most valuable member of the company or your business within a very short period.

Isn't that amazing? Now, do you think it can excite you as well as it did to me? If yes, then let's move on further.

How to Become a Digital Marketer?

You can attend networking events, connect with like-minded people, find a digital marketing internship (I started like this in Singapore with a paid internship, I also enrolled in virtual internships from India), and stay up to date on the state of digital marketing.

A good way to boost your exposure is by creating a personal brand if you are starting from scratch. Have your website (like I have this one) and have a social presence such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, so that people know about you.

Else if you are from a marketing or web designing background then you already have few skills to jump-start your career in digital marketing. Let's see what all skills you can learn in digital marketing, and which is of your interest.

What skills are required for Digital Marketing?

1. Search Engine Optimization (my love)
2. Search Engine Marketing (fast boosting for online presence through paid media campaigns)
3. Social Media Marketing (Marketing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn)
4. Content Marketing (Creating content and distributing across channels)
5. Web Design (Build websites from scratch, again you can even do many things without coding)
6. Email Marketing (You must be receiving emails, so you know it well)
7. Marketing Automation (this is something very interesting which involves a little bit of code, but it eases out a lot of manual work and can send personalized email to the right segment of people)
8. Lead Generation (there are free and paid tools available to get the leads but more important is getting the conversion)
You don't have to learn all of them but can master one or two for sure. You may need to learn a couple of more once you reach a higher position or scale your business. Just find out what suits your potential and start learning them.

You can also try out google certification which might add to your employability since there are companies that ask for this certification which is a bonus for you if you know it already. Try out Google AdWords certification at the initial stage. You can call yourself a “Google certified digital marketer”. Isn't that amazing?

What qualifications do you need to be a Digital Marketer?

As I mentioned earlier, there is no specific qualification or degree required to be a digital marketer. Anyone having the digital marketing skills can work and earn money easily.

How do I start my career in Digital Marketing?

If you have a passion for digital marketing, then find out the niche in digital marketing which excites you and start learning it through online courses (free or paid). Build your personal brand through your website, show it to clients who need digital marketing services, and start working for them.

Your website will act as a portfolio for yourself which shows your knowledge or work about digital marketing. This will act as a stepping stone to earn your first client.

How can I learn Digital Marketing by myself?

There are several free or paid courses available online. Also, I have mentioned a few online courses in one of my articles which will give you an idea about different online course platforms from where you can learn on your own.

The most important thing to do is Practice, Practice, and Practice, get certified in the niche you want, and start your digital marketing blog (as you are reading this blog, that's how I started as well so you can too as well).

The best part here is you don't have to attend college or a classroom to become a digital marketer. Learn at the comfort of your home at any time and you can become one of the best digital marketers if you dedicatedly work on your skills.

Is Digital Marketing a stressful job?

It might look stressful since you would be competing with the global audience online, but if you know the right strategy then you can leave behind many competitors and play around with your own strategy and bidding.

The main stress comes from the metrics that you need to measure. You have planned the strategy for your campaign and run them. Once the campaign is over, you will find the metrics which show what worked and what not and plan the next step accordingly.

You should be clear with the goals of the campaign, build the right strategy and have enough budget for each campaign (this can also add stress when companies have less budget but high expectations).

There are Google updates which every digital marketer needs to have updated on. If you don't then you fall behind the competitors even if you have all the budget and plans in place. So never miss out on Google updates. Read Google blogs, follow Twitter accounts of great digital marketers and relevant handles to keep yourself updated.

Is Digital Marketing a good career?

Of course, it is the most demanding career globally so it is better to learn these skills before you are left behind. You can work as an in-house digital marketer, or in an agency, or provide services as a freelancer.

It is catching up with other industries quite fast and is expected to be a high-paying job in the next few years. Every business today wants to set up a business online which has led to rapid growth in digital marketing. Since digital marketing is growing at a rapid pace, the need for digital marketing professionals has seen a proportional growth.

Does Digital Marketing pay well?

Yes, it does. You have many specific niches within digital marketing itself that pay you well and are in huge demand. Not everyone has these skills and even small businesses these days need digital marketing for their business, so you should build yourself as a premium service provider and charge high for your service.

The average salary paid to a digital marketing professional is quite high as compared to other industries. It is becoming an extended arm for many marketing divisions of the companies.

Which field is best in Digital Marketing?

Honestly, every niche in digital marketing has a unique selling point and pay. So don't go with which pays you more. Focus on what you can do well and provide those services. That will act as your expertise.

Here is a list of the most demanding skills that you would like to explore:

1. SEO Specialist
2. PPC Specialist
3. Social Media Expert
4. Email Marketing
5. Mobile Marketing
6. Analytics
7. Content Marketing
8. Marketing Automation
9. Web Designing

What does a Digital Marketer do?

Digital marketers create content strategies and execute those strategies across platforms to generate leads and brand awareness for their brand. They use several channels such as email, social media, and online advertisements to reach their audience.

They collaborate with management, design, and development teams to build campaigns. These are designed to meet the needs of an organization and showcase new products or devices. They use KPIs for each channel to track the performance of their campaigns.

Conclusion:

Digital Marketing has a lot of scope in the marketing industry and if you have passion for marketing then definitely you should try it out. It took me many years to figure out the right career for myself and you are lucky if you are just starting out in your career.

Even if you are an experienced professional like me who wants to switch career into digital marketing, it’s the right decision you have made. Enhance your skills, practice, and implement them. Never stop learning. One day you will make your career in digital marketing like me.

Digital marketing is one of the best industries, no matter if you run your business, freelance for clients, or just looking for a stable job with a company, there is no limit to how much you can earn.

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