The input digital marketing makes in the company’s performance is very high, meaning that marketing experts are in high demand, and this trend will continue for years to come. So if you’ve decided to pursue a career in this area, it’s a really good choice. Another upside of working as a digital marketer is that you can easily do it remotely, if you wish. Yet, despite the obvious advantages this profession is not all moonlight and roses as one might think. It’s a challenging job in today’s fast-paced, digital-first world. A digital marketing expert is responsible not only for shaping an appealing brand image and sending out its key resonating message to the audience, but they also have to adjust the strategy to all available channels and take notice of all lessons learnt. If this sounds like something you’ve always dreamt to do, then let’s start.
Table of Contents
#1. Develop Your Skills
When your goal is to start a new career as a digital marketer in an efficient and effective manner, then for sure you would need to develop certain specialized skills and practical knowledge. The best advice for a beginner is: don’t try to be a one-man orchestra covering everything from digital campaign optimization to pay-per-click advertising and graphic design. For a start, better focus on one area and do your best to become really good and knowledgeable. Later, you can add new skills to your skill set to enhance those you already possess. One of the good things about digital careers is that there are many online courses you can take, and some of them are free of charge. You can start from Coursera, for example.
#2. Portfolio
Portfolio is vital for building a successful career in the digital world. A good portfolio is like a personal advertisement: it clearly explains to your potential employer why they should choose you over other specialists. Copywriters, graphic designers and SEO experts will certainly want to have an extensive collection of work ready to show whenever there is a good time for that. No matter what your specialization is, your portfolio must look impeccable in terms of graphic design to give everyone a perception that you are not an amateur. Luckily, there are many different tools that can be of help. For instance, you can utilize special graphic software to remove background from image online to ensure that all images in your portfolio are made in line with one concept and style.
#3. Practice
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. And from a digital marketing perspective, this is more than true. Sometimes, aspiring marketers struggle to land their first job, so you should be prepared to undergo a number of job interviews and test assignments only to hear “no” in the end. In order to get practice, you’ll have to put in the work on your own. You have to be learning on an ongoing basis for the rest of your working life to stay competitive in this industry as well as share your knowledge as a part of your personal marketing. Internship or part-time job can be a good door-opener in the professional world of digital marketing. While the financial part may be below your expectations, the practical experience and knowledge of the industry you receive first-handedly is priceless.
#4. Understand Current Trends
You may be surprised, but sometimes your employers wouldn’t know themselves what exactly they need, fully relying on your expertise and previous experience. And here you should understand that it’s not about your own taste or preferences, but about what’s best and most relevant for the brand. To come up with good suggestions, you must, firstly, keep abreast of all current trends and tendencies on the market, and, secondly, be able to interpret this information in the client’s needs.
#5. Get Certified
It goes without saying that there is loads of useful information you can learn on your own, and it’s crucial that you never stop advancing your professional skills. However, getting an education from a credible institution in the long run will definitely give you a big advantage over your competitors. Keep in mind that many employers and clients will be looking for someone with legitimate training.
#6. Socialize
If you really want to become a digital marketing specialist, be social. You should not only update your public profiles on a regular basis, but to also find other companies and people and interact with them on their platforms. You should constantly be in touch with people engaged in this field whether they are clients or colleagues. Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and never miss a chance to attend an in-personal networking event.
Final Word
Some believe marketing is a purely intuition-led area. However, we think that a long-term detailed strategy is a sure way to success. Start with building your personal professional brand, promote it and build a customer list. With this asset, your career will fly.