If you are interested in getting into the digital marketing industry, then now is the best time. According to research, the digital economy has been growing at the triple pace of the GDP of US, and the people working in this industry earn an average of $114,275 yearly, which is more than 72% of workers in the country.
Below are tips that we have compiled to help you in getting started with a career in the world of digital marketing.
Eagerness to learn
The industry is very competitive and growing at a fast rate. Businesses are able to easily differentiate between the candidates with the willingness to learn and those who are just in it for the ride. In order to succeed in this industry, you will need passion and desire.
Staying Updated
You will need to be at the top of the news in the industry, and you can do this by following major digital marketing sites and influential accounts on social media. Google, Twitter, and Facebook are some of the major players, and they keep tweaking their algorithm and paid advertising platforms. This means you will have to keep up with any changes taking places.
Getting nerdy
From the outside, digital marketing can seem like a glamorous area to work in, but what many people don’t know is that most of the time it is technical and data-driven. Some of the top jobs are in analysis for example as this post from Harnham US shows.
You might not be the one to develop websites from scratch, but you will be in communication with the team of developers or designers on the marketing strategy, and they will take your recommendations and incorporate.
Personal Projects
You should always try out your own ideas, and never take the words of a leader in your industry as the gospel. Things are never black and white in the digital marketing industry; there are many gray areas on the best practices and what is going to deliver results.
A digital marketer should have their own personal projects that they can use in testing out their own theories, try out different disciplines (PPC, SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media etc.). They should have the ability to take accountability of either the success or failure of their project.
Learning the terminology
You should be comfortable with the terminology used in the industry, with the most common being SEM, PPC, and SEO. These can be easily confused and many beginners are usually confused about them. If you find yourself having a hard time with these abbreviations, then you should consider getting further training. Understanding the industry jargon is very important because it gives you the ability to analyze a digital marketing campaign and knowing what elements are working and what are not working.
Building a personal brand
Do you see yourself as a digital marketing hotshot buy you are not visible online? If you want to convince your employer that you can help them with the visibility of their company, you will have to show them by first building your own brand.
T-Shaped Marketer
This is a term that is used commonly by Rand Fishkin of Moz, and it used to refer to having the basic understanding of the different disciplines of marketing, but specializing in one or two.
It is common to find companies looking for a candidate who has a broad digital marketing skill set so that he/she can bring it to the company and be able to work on the different channels. Doing this can help you be better equipped when choosing a more specific career path and focus on what you have specialized in.
Networking
Surrounding yourself with people who are more talented than you is a good idea. The people you are going to meet will be the support network that will help you when you encounter problems, and they will also help in opening door to opportunities you might not have been able to get.
One way of nurturing your relationship with other digital marketers is by attending industry meetups and conferences. In-depth workshops and presentations will help in enhancing your skill set.
Metrics are very important
Do you know your CPC from your CPA? One way of setting yourself apart when in an interview is by talking about the return on ad spend for a campaign that you have run. Talking about the exciting creative concept you have been involved in is easy, but the real deal is the money.
Certification
If you are interested in standing out from the rest, you can go ahead and complete a certified digital marketing course. There are no barriers to entry in the digital marketing industry, and this is one of the biggest issues. This means that anyone who has a rough understanding of digital marketing can get employed.
The industry is maturing, and recruiters have become savvier about the differentiation between those who can talk and those who can deliver.
