By June 2019, internet users across the globe were nearly clocking the 4.5 billion mark, which represents slightly more than 56% of the world’s population. Ten years ago, this percentage was only about 4%. In other words, the World Wide Web has picked popularity at a very fast rate. At the same time, the digital marketing space has grown in leaps and bounds, to keep up with this wave.
The demand for digital marketing skills is huge, and recruiters are now looking at experience, talent, and digital marketing certification as the basis for their selection.
digital marketing career path
Digital marketing may not have completely disrupted traditional marketing, but its impact cannot be underestimated. Thanks to the fact that digital marketing offers the opportunity of connecting real-time with an audience, is cheaper, more focused, and its results measurable, businesses have a better return on investment with digital marketing.
For instance, a research by eMarketer estimates that in the United States in the year 2019, about $ 109 billion would be spent on traditional advertising as compared to $ 129 billion which would be spent on digital advertising.
In fact, more and more marketers believe that digital marketing spend will shoot up to 75% of the total marketing spend in the next few years.
What is Digital Marketing All About?
Digital marketing is basically marketing and selling products or services through digital channels. For this to be successful, one needs an online presence, an effective digital marketing strategy, as well as relevant and engaging content.
As in traditional marketing, products and/or services need to be available at the right place, at the right time, and to the right people.
Digital marketing is a broad field in itself. It covers social media marketing, display advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing through blogs and websites, pay per click advertising, mobile marketing, SMS marketing, and other channels.
Related : Difference between Content Marketing and Article Marketing
Digital marketing helps
- A business to create awareness for its brand, products, and services in the online space.
- A business to identify consumer preferences and create a strategy that meets their needs
- Customers to choose a brand they can trust and identify with
A digital marketer should be able to:
- Spot business opportunities, leads, and potential customers.
- Develop and carry out campaigns and promotions through a combination of or any of the digital marketing channels.
- Manage various digital channels.
- Create video content for marketing and advertising purposes.
- Liaise with other departments with the aim of implementing a digital marketing strategy effectively.
- Adapt to and learn how to incorporate new digital tools and technologies into the business strategy as well as to measure their performance.
- Create and manage content for emails, newsletters, website, and social media platforms.
- Come up with marketing surveys and identify groups to carry out the surveys for research purposes.
- Use tools like Google Analytics to measure the success or effectiveness of a marketing strategy. digital marketing certification path
Your Pathway to a Digital Marketing Career
Digital marketing can be a little overwhelming, especially if you are plunging into the field for the very first time. This is because it takes some time to grasp all the channels, the devices used by consumers, as well as the tools and technologies used in digital marketing.
For many, however, this fast-paced profession is absolutely exciting and challenging.
What does it take to be a digital marketer?
The qualifications
Well, you don’t really need a degree or diploma to pursue a career in digital marketing. However, having an educational background in the following fields will be an added advantage as far as improving your career prospects is concerned.
- Marketing (try online Master’s in marketing)
- Business
- Management
- Communication
The technical background
- Knowledge in coding including HTML
- WordPress knowledge
- Programming language e.g., Python, Ruby, JavaScript, PHP
- Knowledge of the terminology used in digital marketing
The desired experience
- Develop a personal online presence, for instance, building a LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter profile.
- Start a blog.
- Get some experience in affiliate, social media, email, mobile, display, and search marketing.
- Work with an agency to build your experience in working for different clients with different needs.
The skills
- An understanding of different digital media
- Communication
- Content creation and curation
- Marketing skills
- Sales
- Basic design
- Storytelling
- Critical and analytic thinking
- Eye for detail
- Creativity
Conference participation
- Search Marketing Conference
- Ad Age Digital Conferences
- SMX Search Marketing Expo
Information blogs and newsletters
- Ad Age
- eMarketer
- ClickZ
- AdWeek
How Can a Digital Marketing Course Help?
Do you need some training?
Absolutely yes.
Taking a digital marketing course does not only help you to hone your skills, but it also helps you to evaluate yourself against industry standards and pick out areas that you need to improve.
A good course will sharpen your skills and prepare you for the most coveted certifications in the field, such as the Google Ads Certification, YouTube Marketing Certification, and Google Analytics Certification.
In addition to training, you need to hook up with a mentor, network with like-minded individuals, and follow top digital marketing brands and personalities. There is so much more that you can do to add value to your pursuit. All in all, don’t stop learning.