How To Kickstart Your Career In Digital Marketing

How To Kick-start Your Career In Digital Marketing. Digital marketing is the new buzzword on the internet. Digital marketing allows companies and brands to market and promote their business using various digital media channels.

 

The current market size of the digital marketing industry is valued at USD 43.8 billion in 2019, and it is expected to grow at 17.4% from 2020 to 2027. This clearly means that making a career in digital marketing would be fruitful in the coming future.

 

So, if you are wondering how to make a career in digital marketing and become an online marketing expert, then we have you covered.

 

In this blog post, we will guide you through a step-by-step process on how to learn and make a career in digital marketing.

 

Overview of the digital marketing industry:

 

In the year 2020, the global digital marketing industry was valued at $330–340 billion. The future estimates are also looking very positive, so we can expect growth in the digital marketing industry in the coming years.

 

Also, the pandemic has compelled people all across the globe to stay at their homes. This has increased internet consumption and mobile data usage. Following the lockdown and social distancing rules, consumers are now shopping online.

 

Companies and brands have realized this, that is why heavy investments were made in digital marketing in March 2020.

 

With lockdown restrictions, several small and medium-sized businesses are moving online as consumers are increasing online shopping. This has also resulted in rising job opportunities in the digital marketing field.

 

Yes, most of the companies are downsizing and laying off their employees. But there is a huge demand for job opportunities in the digital marketing field.

 

What are the job opportunities in the digital marketing field?

 

Now let us look into the various and amazing career opportunities available in the field of digital marketing.

 

1. SEO

 

This is our favorite and the most demanding career as of now. As an SEO executive and expert, your primary task would be to bring maximum organic traffic to a website.

 

This job involves optimizing the website for users and search engines so that it can rank better in organic listings of Google.

 

As a fresher SEO expert, you can earn anywhere between $10,000 to $50,000 per month, provided you have skills and talent.

 

2. Social media marketing

 

From small-scale startups to large MNCs, everyone is leveraging social media marketing for advertising and promotion. Today, social media has become a necessity for every business and this has also increased the job opportunities in this field.

 

As a social media marketer, you would handle the social media account of various companies. Your job would be to increase the company’s reach and awareness via social media marketing.

 

You would also be responsible for content planning and creation.

 

3. Blogging

 

If you want to make money online, then start blogging right now.

 

Although blogging is considered an unrated career option, it has amazing potential. Blogging can help you in making money online via affiliate marketing, AdSense, and ad networks and by offering services.

 

Bloggers like Pat Flynn, Ryan Robinson, and Harsh Agarwal are making huge amounts of money via blogging.

 

If they can, then even you can make money via blogging.

 

4. Content writing

 

The next most demanding online marketing job is content writing. Content is the currency on the internet.

 

That’s why brands and companies are looking to hire quality content writers.

 

As a content writer, your job would be to create blog content, website content, ad copies, and any form of textual content.

 

As a newbie content writer, you can make $5000 to $20,000 per year.

 

5. Email marketing

 

With an ROI of 122%, email marketing is the most popular digital marketing technique in 2021.

 

As an email marketer, your job would be to create email campaigns for companies or brands.

 

You’ll also need to have good knowledge about email marketing tools like Mailchimp, Convertkit, and other CRM tools.

 

 

How to make a career in digital marketing?

 

Alright, now you might have got a complete overview of what is digital marketing, scope, and job opportunities in this field. Now, let us understand how you can make your career in digital marketing and get your dream job.

 

1)  Build your foundation

Whether or not you agree, a strong foundation will play a major role in making your career in digital marketing. Just like we build strong foundations for our homes, we also need to have strong foundations for learning anything new.

 

At some point in time, digital marketing can become too technical for you.

 

But if your foundations are strong, then you’ll be able to learn all those technicalities with ease.

 

Having strong basics will also give you an edge over others who are looking forward to making their career in digital marketing.

 

Here’s how you can build strong foundations:

 

1. Start learning the basics of digital marketing. You can read books and digital marketing blogs for the same.
2. Attend seminars and webinars from the experts.
3. Watch videos on YouTube. There are tons of digital marketing channels on YouTube.
4. Follow digital marketing experts on social media.

 

Follow all these techniques, and it will surely help you in building your strong foundation.

 

2)  Select any one topic

 

Digital marketing is very vast. It involves too many strategies and techniques like SEO, SMM, PPC, email marketing, and more. And if you think you could learn and master all the digital marketing skills, then you are wrong.

 

Each of these techniques requires a unique set of skills and learning abilities.

 

So, instead of being a jack of all trades and mastering none, try to learn any one of the digital marketing skills.

 

You can also try becoming a T-shape marketer which means: Mastering one or two digital marketing skills and having basic knowledge of all the other strategies. In our opinion, you should become a T-shape marketer as they are high in demand.

 

Moreover;

 

If you try to learn each and every digital marketing skill, then it would probably take years to learn and master each one.

 

So, the better option would be to learn any one of the skills or to become a T-shape marketer.

 

3)  Start reading books and blogs

 

If you want to build your foundations, then start reading blogs and books. There are tons of digital marketing books and blogs available on the internet. Follow anyone or two blogs and keep reading them daily.

 

You can also order digital marketing books online via Amazon.

 

Currently, Digital Marketing For Dummies is the best book available on the topic. It is written in a user-friendly manner and shows the exact digital marketing strategies and channels that can be used for marketing and promotion.

 

From current best practices in SEO and PPC to the latest digital marketing topics like influencer marketing — Digital marketing for Dummies has got you covered.

 

Coming to the blogs, the following are the best online marketing blogs to follow:

 

1. Neil Patel.
2. Backlinko.
3. Search Engine Land.
4. Search Engine Journal.

 

4)  Take a paid course

 

If you are serious about making your career in digital marketing, then you have to take a paid course. The paid course works like a charm and will help you in making a thriving career in the digital marketing world.

 

The paid course covers industry-oriented topics and syllabus in a complete step-by-step manner. It will give you a hands-on learning experience so that you get enough confidence to work in online marketing campaigns.

 

Another good thing about a paid course is that it also covers various digital marketing tools and technologies. Case studies, live projects, and assignments are other add-ons of paid courses.

 

Some courses also come with placement and internship opportunities.

 

So, make sure that you take a paid digital marketing course and get things moving fast.

 

5)  Do an MBA in marketing

 

The paid course will help you in getting certificates, so what about a degree?

 

If you want a degree, do an MBA in marketing. This is the most sorted option for those who want to make a reward winning career in the digital marketing space. An MBA in marketing will not only cover digital but traditional marketing concepts as well.

 

And we believe that both are important from the business perspective.

 

After this, an MBA degree will also give you an added advantage over other candidates.

 

Moreover, if you get your MBA from a reputed college, then you’ll also be able to get a high-salary job easily.

 

6)  Get certifications

 

We don’t give too much importance to certificates, but yes, they can add value to your career. Having a certificate will give assurance to your employer that you are a master in a particular field.

 

It can also add value to your resume and may set you apart from other job seekers on the market.

 

There are tons of digital marketing certificates you can get, but we recommend the following 6 certificates:

 

1. Google Analytics.
2. Google shopping ads.
3. Google mobile ads.
4. Google Ads.
5. Google search ads.
6. Google display ads.

 

7)  Create a LinkedIn profile

 

Your networking is your net worth, and this is especially true if you want to make a career in digital marketing. That’s why you should have a LinkedIn profile and leverage it.

 

Networking with like-minded people will help you in learning new digital marketing skills. It will also help you in brushing up on your existing skill and staying updated on all the industry trends.

 

Apart from this, networking will also help you in job search or job change via employee referral.

 

So, take the time to build professional networking with those in your field. You can start connecting with like-minded people on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional social networking site.

 

You can also think of using Facebook groups as well.

 

8)  Do internship

 

Once you have learned all the basics of digital marketing, an internship is the next thing you should do. The internship will help you in getting hands-on practical training. You will also get exposure to the real working of digital marketing campaigns.

 

You’ll learn about how to plan a campaign, how to create the schedule, how the content is prepared, and how plans are executed.

 

To put it in a nutshell, it would be a good learning experience for you.

 

You can apply for internships via job portals like Indeed.com or Moster.com. In our opinion, you should apply for an internship directly via the company’s website in the career section.

 

9)  Ask from the experts

 

Have a question or a doubt regarding digital marketing?

 

If yes, then ask an expert.

 

Experts or mentors are the best people to whom you can ask your doubt or query regarding digital marketing. You can connect with those experts on LinkedIn or email them if they run a blog or a website.

 

Yes, there is a high probability that experts won’t reply to your message in the first instance, but you need to keep on trying.

 

10) Follow a digital marketing expert

 

The next thing you need to do in order to make a career in digital marketing is to follow a few digital marketing experts. This will help you in getting the right direction and guidance.

 

You can either follow their blog or social media.

 

We would suggest you follow their blog as it will give you more insights and updates on the digital marketing world.

 

Here is a list of 5 digital marketing experts to follow in 2021 and beyond:

 

1. Neil Patel: You can follow Neil Patel for all things related to digital marketing.
2. Brian Dean: Follow Brian for growing your website’s organic traffic.
3. Harsh Agarwal: Get some amazing blogging, make money online, and affiliate marketing tips from Harsh Agarwal.
4. Matthew Woodward: Level up your SEO game by following Matthew Woodward.
5. Mari Smith: Learn social media marketing from Mari Smith.

 

11) Stay updated

 

The last on this list of tips to make a career in digital marketing is to stay updated on relevant industry changes. Digital marketing is dynamic in nature, right? Changes and up-gradation in techniques and strategies keep on happening again and again.

 

So, in order to be on top of your industry, you need to keep yourself updated with all the changes.

 

Here are some tips that will help you stay on top of your industry:

 

1. Read blogs and news.
2. Follow digital marketing experts.
3. Watch videos on YouTube.
4. Attend digital marketing events.
5. Be active on forums.

 

All these techniques will surely keep you updated with the latest news and information related to digital marketing.

 

Conclusion:

 

Digital marketing will surely be one of the booming careers in the coming years. With more companies going online, jobs in the domain of digital marketing will grow in the coming years.

 

So, it would be a great opportunity for those who are looking forward to making their career in this field.

 

With this guide in a career in digital marketing, you can surely kick-start your online marketing journey and learn a thing or two about this topic.