How to become a digital marketer

It's the ad that plays before your YouTube video, or the pop-up that appears while you're searching for beauty products. It's also the funny post you just read on an influencer's feed, or the informative article you found while googling a question. Truth be told, it's the words you're reading right now!

The work of a digital marketer can take many forms, but it's basically any way in which brands use digital resources to reach and engage with customers. This can include channels such as social media, email communications, blogs, mobile apps and websites.

As we spend more and more time online, it's only logical that businesses are spending more and more money on digital marketing. We'll help you understand the steps to get started in this rewarding and growing industry. 

Why study Digital Marketing?

Nowadays, a digital presence has become almost essential if you want your business to be competitive. The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated this situation, with many of us now relying even more on the internet for our daily needs. As jobs move online and people are encouraged to stay in their homes, traditional advertising such as billboards has become even less relevant and savvy digital marketers are dominating the advertising world.  

There are many other good reasons to pursue a career in digital marketing, such as good salaries, strong demand for jobs and diverse career opportunities.

Types of digital marketing

Digital marketing can describe a range of different activities and channels, including:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO encompasses all marketing techniques aimed at converting website visitors into paying customers.
• Content marketing: This involves the creation of content to increase brand awareness, visitor numbers and customer relationships. Content marketing can take the form of blog posts, eBooks, whitepapers and infographics.
• Social media marketing: Social media experts ensure that the brand becomes known via the various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
• Pay Per Click (PPC): In PPC marketing, the publisher is paid each time a specific ad is clicked by an internet user. Google Ads is a popular PPC advertising option. Other common PPC advertising options include sponsored posts on LinkedIn, Twitter ad campaigns and paid ads on Facebook.

Careers in digital marketing

Digital marketers are primarily responsible for creating brand awareness and a customer base through digital media, both paid (sponsored) and free (organic). They are also responsible for designing and marketing advertising campaigns, ensuring a regular supply of quality content and monitoring traffic to the website.

A degree in digital marketing can lead you to a variety of career paths and specializations. Job titles that fall into the field of digital marketing include:

• SEO executive
• Social media manager
• Copywriter for digital marketing
• Conversion Rate Optimizer
• Search Engine Specialist/Marketer
• Inbound-Marketing-Manager
• Analytics Manager

Non-academic certificate programs in digital marketing

If you lack the time or resources to invest in full-time training, there are several small online and offline digital marketing certification programs available. Popular certification courses include:

• Digital Marketing course by Thinkful - Focuses on email marketing, SEO, brand development, social media and content marketing, and paid search campaigns.
• Digital Garage by Google - Provides free digital marketing training focusing on the fundamentals of digital marketing, social media marketing and online advertising.

There are many more online skills development websites that offer a wide range of digital marketing courses. There is a suitable course for everyone, so you can make your choice based on your prior knowledge, your current schedule and your financial means.

Qualifications required for digital marketers

For many, digital marketing is a dream job. The prospect of a six-figure salary and flexible working hours make digital marketing one of the most popular career options among young people. In general, you need some expertise in digital and web platforms as well as a creative mindset to implement new and promising marketing ideas.

Let's take a look at some of the key skills you need to develop to excel in this profession.

• Writing and editing - A good command of your written communication skills and editing skills is essential, as no job in digital marketing is possible without a certain amount of writing and editing.
• Design - Much of digital marketing today depends on visual elements. When creating a blog post, additional knowledge of image editing is important to make your content stand out. So design skills can be a big advantage.
• Customer relationship management - This is about strategies to optimize the customer experience. Soft skills such as good communication and empathy can help you better connect with your customers and understand their needs.

Take your next step in digital marketing

If you want to venture into the field of digital marketing and establish yourself as a successful digital marketer, great opportunities await you. You can expect numerous growth opportunities as more and more companies realize the potential of effective digital ads, social media marketing and better search engine rankings