If you’re thinking about a career in digital marketing, whether you’re a recent graduate, a career switcher, or simply interested in digital, we’re here to help.
In this post, we’ll dive into the essentials and responsibilities of digital marketing and explore ways you can get a foot in the door to start a thriving marketing career.
Understanding Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a term that covers many different disciplines, jobs and functions. It’s adaptable, diverse and essential for businesses to reach their customers online.
From PPC to Social Media Marketing, it’s something that’s forever changing and adapting to new technologies and demands.
The great thing about that, though, is that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re technically minded, creative, or love a spreadsheet, there’s a place for everyone within digital marketing.
Key Areas of Digital Marketing
As we mentioned above, digital marketing is a broad term covering a variety of things.
PPC - The art of paid advertising to drive users and conversions.
SEO - Helping websites climb the rankings in search engines like Google.
Email Marketing - Reaching people and driving engagement through their inboxes.
Social Media - Engaging and converting communities on social media platforms.
Content Marketing - Creating stories and content that resonates and inspires.
You don’t necessarily need to specialise in just one area of digital marketing, although if you’ve got a particular area that interests you most, that’s a great place to start!
I’ve always been an all-rounder, with my skills covering all aspects of digital marketing. I prefer this as it adds variety to my day-to-day work, but I understand people who prefer to specialise in an area they’re super passionate about.
Essential Skills
You don’t necessarily have to be an accomplished all-rounder to get into digital marketing, but there are a few key skills that can certainly help you get settled a little easier.
Creativity, analytical thinking and adaptability are skills that digital marketers use daily, so it’s a good idea to brush up on these.
There are plenty of online courses, blogs, podcasts and workshops that can help here.
Building Your Experience
It’s super important to try and get some experience wherever possible. Build up your online portfolio to show off to recruiters!
Even if you’ve never worked in the industry before there are things you can do to show proactivity. Start a blog, be active on social media, and create online content. Not only will this give you practical experience and help you build your skills, but you’ll also be assembling a portfolio to show to potential employers.
Networking & Engagement
As is the case with most industries these days, it’s not just what you know, but who you know.
The online digital marketing community is huge and full of helpful people and incredibly useful information. Join digital marketing groups, attend webinars and industry events, engage with similar people on social media, and get your name out there!
Finding Opportunities
Ready to get stuck in? There are plenty of ways to get started. Whether it’s through an internship, freelancing or volunteering, these experiences are vital to understanding what it’s like working in digital marketing.
You’ve usually got a few options for the direction of your career in digital marketing.
Work in-house - focusing on one company and promoting their brand(s) online.
Join an agency - working with multiple clients to elevate their digital. Digital marketing agencies tend to be much more fast-paced but make for an excellent learning opportunity.
Freelance - although not easy for beginners, it’s a great way to build a portfolio. Just bear in mind that you won't be surrounded by colleagues who can help you grow.
In Conclusion
So, after all that, you should be ready to make a real impact in the world of digital marketing.
Don’t forget though, it’s an industry that’s constantly moving, there’ll be continuous learning opportunities as you grow through your career. Good luck, you’ve got this!
If you’ve got any questions or want to know more about digital marketing, get in touch with us. We’re a specialist digital marketing agency that’s passionate about what we do and we’re here to help.