A Career in Digital Marketing - A Complete Guide for Beginners

The job scenario has drastically changed now because of digital transformation. One of the most popular and booming fields in Digital marketing. The Internet is a very significant part of our daily lives as well. All businesses today want to go digital. Marketing product and service offerings online are the quickest way you can reach your potential customer. Hence, the demand for professionals with digital marketing knowledge is also increasing tremendously.

1. What is Digital Marketing, exactly?

The process of getting customers via online and digital mediums by advertising on them is called digital marketing.  This is a vast field with multiple options to specialize in. You have many options to explore like content marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), SMM (Social Media Marketing), Email and influencer marketing, etc. It’s one of the most trending and sought-after fields in India.

2. How to Become a Digital Marketer from Scratch?

You can start by reading some books and articles on digital marketing, which are informative and will teach you the basics perfectly. You can alternatively opt for formal training in digital marketing (classroom or online) and get certified for it. This will open up job opportunities for you as well. The best method to learn and not forget the newly acquired knowledge is to practice the concepts. This holds true, especially in digital marketing. If you create your website and start practicing blogging, website management, and advertising online, you've won half the battle already.

3. Roles Available in the field of Digital Marketing

Acquiring and updating these skills are a crucial part of almost every business in the market, nowadays. Let’s have a look at a few major skills and roles which are available in the field of Digital Marketing.

a) Digital Marketing Manager

If you’ve put in the required amount of experience along with the time-to-time up-gradation of skills, then you’ll easily bag a job as a digital marketing manager. Their duties range from managing online digital campaigns, using various techniques like SEO, SEM, PPC, overseeing the social media strategy, understanding the UX of a website, brand management, and strategy, managing digital marketing budgets, website management, analytics tracking, and market research. A digital marketing manager is a jack of all trades. He must know every sub-field in digital. The salary can range anywhere between 5 lakhs to 14 lakhs p.a.

b) Content Strategist/Manager

Content strategists are responsible for deciding and developing content as per the intended target audience. They must know about various tools that give them data about the consumers and their interests, to develop content on topics that will resonate with customers. Sound knowledge of SEO will help, with impeccable writing skills. The average salary ranges between 5 lakhs to 9 lakhs p.a.

c) Social Media Manager

Social media managers are experts in using various social networking platforms such as Facebook, Linked In, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and WhatsApp. They are responsible for creating, managing, and implementing social media campaigns, and they should have knowledge of SEO, should know CMS tools and analytics tools, should be able to build brand awareness on digital mediums, should be able to handle the growth of digital presence and strategize on optimization and should be an expert in driving traffic to websites. Managing the business’s social media presence is entirely their job. The average salary can range between 6 lakhs - 10 lakhs p.a.

d) SEO Manager

An SEO manager is tactically well versed in the implementation of SEO in all marketing communication and channels. The job responsibilities include regular SEO audits, on-page, and off-page SEO, keyword strategy and research, keyword ranking checks, website optimization, and sanity, creation of monthly SEO reports, etc. An SEO expert is also expected to stay abreast of the latest developments in internet marketing. The average salary ranges from 7 lakhs - 12 lakhs p.a.

These are the various roles available in the field of digital marketing. The salaries mentioned are on average. It may vary from company to company. While startups may not pay much, an IT company will pay higher.

4. Anatomy of Digital Marketer

Your personality and soft skills decide the fate of your Digital Marketing Job interview. Nowadays, soft skills and attitude are given more importance than the technical skill themselves. There are some desirable traits that companies look for in potential digital marketing candidates. Let’s have a look at what they are.

a) Creative

An ideal Digital Marketer is thus expected to be highly creative and spontaneous with their ideas and should be able to come up with something different and relevant every other time. Moreover, being creative and innovative helps in transforming opportunities into long-lasting relationships.

b) Adaptable

Digital Marketers are expected to be adapting to these changes and showing a ready willingness to do so. They need to stay abreast of the latest technologies, opportunities, and trends in the market. Success is only achieved if the digital marketer always strives to push out of his comfort zone and refuses to be stagnant.

c) Communicator

Having creative inputs and ideas is one thing but being able to communicate them effectively is another. A digital marketer has to communicate with various stakeholders of the business and hence needs to be confident and able to put forth the points very clearly. The ability to present strategies and ideas with confidence is a priceless trait.

d) Meticulous

A Digital Marketer’s day-to-day job involves looking at a lot of numbers and processing a lot of information that involves multiple stakeholders. This requires meticulousness. There needs to be a love for data and a love for details. Only if you understand the information you can strategize to meet targets. To Handle multiple clients and multiple budgets, you are expected to be precise and accurate with outputs.

e) Understanding

A successful Digital Marketer possesses the ability to analyze human behavior. This is particularly important to understand the buyer persona which will, in turn, help him to communicate the brand message accurately. Understanding the consumer’s likes, interests, and behavior helps the digital marketer create tailored campaigns according to the section of people identified as per geography, demography, needs, etc. The marketing messages are created as per consumer profiles to increase engagement. Thus, the need to understand humans and their online behavior is a must.

If you have the above skills, then you will easily fit into digital marketing. Although, professional training in technical skills is a must too.

5. Certifications

a) Google Ads Search Certification

b)Google Ads Display Certification

c)HubSpot Content Marketing Certification

d)Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification

e)Facebook Ad Certification

f)Digital marketing learning path

6. Take Help From Experts, If needed!

Before venturing into anything new, you always seek guidance, isn’t it? Be it when
deciding to buy a new mobile phone or a gadget, be it opting for a gym membership or be it even taking up a new academic course, you always like to discuss it with someone and then decide. Similarly, a career choice is daunting when made alone but when made under the supervision and guidance of someone experienced, it is much more relieving. Such experience is provided by expert career coaches who bring in all the information needed and who help you make an informed choice.

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