When was the last time you purchased something after watching a television ad? Perhaps you don’t even remember now. Alright! Let me ask you another question. Did you go on a shopping spree during Flipkart’s big billion day sale? I believe that the answer to this question would be a big yes. Isn’t it?
This shift in consumer behavior is the aftereffect of digital marketing. As technology marshaled through our lives, the virtual or the digital world came into existence. And as websites, emails, social media platforms kicked in, commerce too trailed off from brick and mortar stores and went digital.
The world got the first taste of proper e-commerce when Amazon opened its website, which the company referred to as online store. With the rapid progress that the e-commerce website made, it made the retail stores run for their money. Even brands as big as Walmart were forced to expand into e-commerce, which resulted in the former acquiring major shares in Flipkart.
This phenomenal rise of Amazon can be attributed to the ever-growing rise of internet users. Because of the sheer volume of users on the web, more and more companies looked to market their product online where they can meet potential customers without going through the hassles of traditional marketing.
This lead to the upsurge of digital marketing, which now is the most effective way of attracting customers and transforming them into buyers. The growing popularity of Amazon is just a glimpse of what digital marketing have been able to do and it is going to be the mainstay for years to come.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing, simply put is the method of attracting potential customers via online medium such as websites, social media platforms, email, and others with an aim to transform them into buyers.
With technology moving at a lightning speed, digital marketers are in great demand as almost every organization is now striving to make its presence felt in the online space. A thorough digital marketing professional will deal with various aspects of marketing, some of which are listed below:
- Blog creation
- Marketing automation
- Content curation, development, and management
- Brand management
- Website design, development, and maintenance
- Editing, copywriting, content writing
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Email marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Data Analytics
- E-commerce
Alright, the list does look daunting but don’t worry, you don’t have to know everything; two or three skills from the list would be enough to cruise well in your digital marketing career.
Components of digital marketing
Similar to four P’s of traditional marketing, which acts as its cornerstone, digital marketing too comprises of various components that merge together and form its backbone. The components of digital marketing are:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertisement
- Affiliate Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- Online PRl
- Content Marketing
Who’s a digital marketing professional?
An out and out digital marketing professional is the one who is not just tech savvy but has the knack for marketing too. The ideal digital marketer will display the ability of self-learning and will be interested in the latest trends of the industry. Besides he/she will have immense dexterity over social media and will be invested in building rapport with customers.
The various digital marketing positions that such professionals can occupy are:
- Brand Manager
- Social Media Marketer
- Online Content Developer
- Business Analyst
- Content Writer
- Web Designer
- Professional Blogger
- Email Marketing Expert
- Search Engine Expert
And many others.
Why should you start a career in digital marketing?
With everything moving online including commerce, trade, and even personal lives, it is beyond doubt that marketing efforts in the future will absolutely be digital in nature.
Already a multi-million dollar industry, digital marketing is expected to grow at an exponential rate. As per estimation, the size of the industry will grow upto 100 billion dollars by 2020.
Therefore, the time is ripe for individuals to kick off their career in digital marketing. With huge requirements and scanty resource pool, the industry without a doubt will offer some of the most lucrative jobs.
What are the benefits of starting a career in digital marketing?
Besides being an industry that has huge resource gap and willing to offer jobs that can literally change someone’s life, there are other benefits accompanying a career in digital marketing. Some of them are listed below:
You can literally begin for free: This perhaps is the biggest advantage as digital marketing doesn’t require you to get certifications from ivy league colleges to kick start. Although, a certification is a major value-add but looking at the resource crunch, anyone who can learn the essential digital marketing skills is capable of getting a job.
You can always rely on the digital marketing’s huge market potential: Since this industry is blooming, there are multiple avenues to explore. Not only it provides great career opportunity, it facilitates great learning curve, making the entire process fun.
Don’t forget, the career opportunities are rewarding: Riding on its diversity, digital marketing is capable of offering career that are extremely rewarding. This in conjunction with high earning potential is the sole reason why many are switching to digital marketing nowadays.
Being creative is the only way to ramp your career: If you’re the creative types and are forever stuck in a monotonous job, then digital marketing is the right career choice for you. Creativity is the backbone of all digital marketing endeavor, which you will thoroughly enjoy.
How to kick start a career in digital marketing in 2019-20?
Now, it’s time to answer the billion dollar question – how to start a career in digital marketing? I bet most of you now are interested than ever to kick off your digital marketing career and wondering how to start. Don’t worry, I have your back. The following are some of the tips to begin your journey.
1. Befriend social media: Without a doubt, human interaction in today’s world is driven by social media and as a digital marketer you will have to learn the nitty-gritty surrounding social media platforms to understand how companies interact with their customers.
2. Start networking: Networking is the key when it comes to marketing your product online. Without a proper networking channel, your product might as well go unnoticed. This is why it is important to start building strong connection at the start of your career. One way of doing it is by creating a linkedin profile and joining communities related to your field.
3. Stay on top of key industry trends: While getting an entry into the world of digital marketing might not be daunting now but staying relevant will require a lot of effort. This dynamic playfield is often disrupted by Google’s algorithm changes, Facebook and Twitter’s advertising policy changes and other factors. Therefore, it is crucial to stay on top of such trends to succeed as a digital marketer.
4. Start blogging: It’s not surprising that blogging is a great tool to garner audience for your website. Since the advent of the internet, bloggers have time and again proved that with the right content and right targeting, you can attract a stampede of visitors to your website. Blogging is one of the most effective ways to prove your worthiness as a digital marketing professional and you must get your hands dirty.
5. Learn how to code: Well, I am not asking you to be a coding pro, but a basic knowledge about HTML and WordPress website design will definitely be a value-add in your career. Not only it will impress your employers but also will save a lot of time.
So, here we are five effective tips to kick off your digital marketing journey and if you can follow them diligently, you will be rewarded in the most lucrative way.
What is the role of digital marketing training?
Although, the industry is accepting people who have shown the ability of self-learning and mastering the art of digital marketing all by themselves, in order to stand out from your peers it is essential to get trained.
Now, if you at all want to enroll in a digital marketing training program, it is imperative that you look for the best institutes. Especially, when there are many that have flooded the market, your discretion in choosing the right digital marketing training institute will be crucial in shaping your career.
This is why I urge you to keep an eye on External Experts – Digital Marketing Agency website. We come up with FREE webinars, demo classes, and events, among many others, which can help you take the right decision.
I hope with all the information that you have garnered in this blog, you will be motivated to take up digital marketing as a career choice and might even opt for a digital marketing training program. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Also, shoot any questions that you have and I promise I will get back to you.