How to work in digital marketing online marketing? A Comprehensive Guide

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If you’re interested in working in digital marketing online marketing, there are a variety of paths you can take to get there. I’m going to cover digital marketing in depth, including how to break into digital marketing, entry-level digital marketing jobs to pursue, and a lot more!

Digital marketing is a growing field that encompasses a range of specializations, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, and email marketing.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to transition to a new career, there are steps you can take to build the skills and experience you need to succeed.

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One of the first steps to working in digital marketing is to gain a solid understanding of the field and its various specializations. This can involve taking courses or reading up on industry trends and best practices.

It’s also important to build a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and experience in digital marketing. This can include creating your own website or blog, working on freelance projects, or contributing to open-source projects. By building a strong foundation of knowledge and experience, you’ll be better equipped to succeed in the competitive world of digital marketing.

What is Digital Marketing Online Marketing?

what is digital marekting

Digital marketing is a vast field that includes a wide range of tactics and strategies used to promote products or services online. It involves using various digital channels such as:

  • Social media
  • Email
  • Search engines, and
  • Websites

This is to connect with potential customers and increase brand awareness. In this section, we will cover the basics of digital marketing, as well as some current trends.

It’s the strategies and tactics aim to connect businesses with potential customers, increase brand visibility, drive website traffic, generate leads, and ultimately achieve business goals.

Here are some key components of digital marketing:

  1. Website and Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Creating and optimizing a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results. SEO involves various techniques to enhance website structure, content, and authority, helping businesses attract organic (unpaid) traffic from search engines.
  2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Utilizing paid advertising campaigns on search engines like Google or Bing. Advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their business, and their ads appear in search engine results or partner websites when users search for those keywords. Advertisers pay only when their ads are clicked.
  3. Social Media Marketing: Leveraging social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) to build brand awareness, engage with the audience, share content, and drive traffic to the website. Social media marketing involves creating and managing profiles, posting content, running paid ads, and monitoring audience engagement.
  4. Content Marketing: Creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and informative content to attract and engage the target audience. Content can take various forms, such as blog articles, videos, infographics, e-books, podcasts, or whitepapers. Content marketing aims to build brand authority, establish trust, and drive customer actions.
  5. Email Marketing: Sending targeted and personalized emails to nurture leads, build customer relationships, and drive conversions. Email marketing can involve newsletters, promotional campaigns, automated email sequences, and customer segmentation to deliver tailored messages.
  6. Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influential individuals or online personalities who have a significant following in a particular niche. Influencers promote products or services through their content, reviews, or endorsements, leveraging their audience’s trust and engagement.
  7. Mobile Marketing: Optimizing marketing efforts for mobile devices, including mobile-optimized websites, mobile apps, SMS marketing, or in-app advertisements. Mobile marketing capitalizes on the widespread use of smartphones and tablets to reach users on the go.
  8. Analytics and Data-Driven Marketing: Leveraging data and analytics tools to track and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, understand customer behavior, and optimize marketing strategies. Analytics provide insights into website traffic, user engagement, conversion rates, and ROI, helping marketers make data-driven decisions.

Digital marketing offers businesses a wide range of opportunities to connect with their target audience, expand their reach, and drive business growth. It allows for precise targeting, real-time measurement, and the ability to adjust strategies based on performance data. Effective digital marketing campaigns can significantly impact brand awareness, customer acquisition, and overall business success in the digital landscape.

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The Basics

The core of digital marketing is to connect with your target audience through various channels. To do this, you need to understand your audience and what they are looking for. This involves researching their online behavior, interests, and demographics. Once you have this information, you can create a digital marketing strategy that is tailored to your audience.

One of the most popular digital marketing tactics is search engine optimization (SEO). This involves optimizing your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By ranking higher, you can increase your visibility and attract more traffic to your website.

Another popular tactic is social media marketing. This involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with your audience and promote your brand. Social media marketing can be used to build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and generate leads.

Email marketing is another effective digital marketing tactic. This involves sending targeted emails to your audience to promote your products or services. Email marketing can be used to nurture leads, promote sales, and build customer loyalty.

Current Trends

Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and there are always new trends and tactics emerging. Here are some of the current trends in digital marketing:

  • Video marketing: Video is becoming an increasingly popular way to promote products and services online. It can be used to create engaging content that resonates with your audience and drives conversions.
  • Influencer marketing: Influencer marketing involves partnering with social media influencers to promote your brand. Influencers have large followings and can help you reach a wider audience.
  • Voice search optimization: With the rise of voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, optimizing for voice search is becoming increasingly important. This involves optimizing your content to appear in voice search results.

Digital marketing is a complex field, but by understanding the basics and staying up-to-date with current trends, you can create an effective digital marketing strategy that helps you connect with your audience and achieve your business goals.

Skills Required for Digital Marketing

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To work in digital marketing, you need a combination of technical, creative, and analytical skills. In this section, we will discuss the skills required for digital marketing and how you can develop them.

Technical Skills

Digital marketing involves working with various tools and technologies, so having technical skills is essential. Here are some technical skills required for digital marketing:

  • SEO: You need to know how to optimize websites for search engines to drive organic traffic. This includes understanding keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
  • PPC: You need to know how to create and manage pay-per-click campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
  • Analytics: You need to know how to use web analytics tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and campaign performance.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): You need to know how to use CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla to create and manage website content.
  • Email Marketing: You need to know how to create and manage email marketing campaigns using tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact.

Creative Skills

Digital marketing also requires creativity to develop engaging and effective campaigns. Here are some creative skills required for digital marketing:

  • Copywriting: You need to know how to write persuasive and compelling copy for websites, ads, and other marketing materials.
  • Graphic Design: You need to know how to create visually appealing graphics for websites, social media, and ads.
  • Video Production: You need to know how to create and edit videos for social media, YouTube, and other platforms.
  • Web Design: You need to know how to create and design websites that are visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for conversions.

Analytical Skills

Digital marketing involves a lot of data analysis, so having analytical skills is crucial. Here are some analytical skills required for digital marketing:

  • Data Analysis: You need to know how to analyze and interpret data from web analytics tools, social media platforms, and other sources to make informed decisions.
  • A/B Testing: You need to know how to conduct A/B tests to optimize website and campaign performance.
  • ROI Analysis: You need to know how to calculate return on investment (ROI) for digital marketing campaigns to determine their effectiveness.
  • Marketing Automation: You need to know how to use marketing automation tools like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot to streamline marketing processes and workflows.

To work in digital marketing, you need to have a combination of technical, creative, and analytical skills. By developing these skills, you can become a successful digital marketer and help businesses grow their online presence.

How to break into digital marketing

Digital marketing is a high income skill you can cultivate and develop over time. It’s a career you can flexibly, remotely, and earn a high-earning, lucrative living. And, you don’t need experience or a college degree to work in digital marketing.

Starting digital marketing without experience, a specialized background, or degree can be challenging. While you can work in a digital marketing job under these circumstances, it’s tough.

Instead, get digital marketing training over a series of a few weeks to equip you with teh skills, experience, and confidence to land a high-paying digital marketing role.

I recommend CourseCareers for this.

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It’s an online-only, flexible training for digital marketing (they teach tech sales and IT support as well). Here’s what you get:

  • A 6-week online digital marketing course that you can take around your current schedule
  • Learn how to work this high-demand job of digital marketing online marketing

This is great if you’re new to the workforce and looking for a high growth and high-earning career, if you’re looking for a career change, or if you want to learn high-income skills that you find you your dream tech job.

Grab my CourseCareers coupon using code HUSTLE50.

Visit CourseCareers to learn more.

How to succeed in digital marketing?

It’s about building a digital marketing strategy.

To succeed in digital marketing, you need to have a solid strategy in place. A digital marketing strategy is an outline that describes how you will accomplish your marketing goals through the Internet. Here are some important steps to follow when building your digital marketing strategy.

Identifying Target Audience

The first step in building your digital marketing strategy is to identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? What are their interests, needs, and pain points? Conducting market research and creating buyer personas can help you answer these questions and gain a better understanding of your target audience. Once you have a clear idea of your target audience, you can tailor your marketing messages and choose the right channels to reach them.

Setting Goals

The next step is to set goals for your digital marketing strategy. What do you want to achieve with your marketing efforts? Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might set a goal to increase website traffic by 20% within the next six months. Setting clear goals will help you stay focused and track your progress over time.

Choosing the Right Channels

Finally, you need to choose the right channels to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. There are many different channels you can use for digital marketing, including social media, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, content marketing, and more.

Each channel has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to choose the ones that are most effective for your target audience and goals.

Building a digital marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. By identifying your target audience, setting clear goals, and choosing the right channels, you can create a strategy that will help you achieve your marketing objectives and grow your business.

Implementing Digital Marketing Techniques

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To successfully implement digital marketing techniques, you need to have a solid understanding of the different areas of digital marketing. Here are some of the key digital marketing techniques you can use to increase your online presence and attract new customers.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing your website, you can increase your visibility and attract more traffic to your site. Some key SEO techniques include:

  • Conducting keyword research to identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for your business
  • Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content that is optimized for search engines
  • Building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites to your site
  • Optimizing your website’s technical elements, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags

Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. By creating high-quality content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry and attract new customers to your business. Some key content marketing techniques include:

  • Creating blog posts, articles, videos, and other types of content that provide value to your target audience
  • Promoting your content on social media and other channels to increase its visibility
  • Using email marketing to share your content with your subscribers
  • Analyzing your content’s performance to identify areas for improvement

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your business and engage with your audience. By leveraging social media, you can increase your brand awareness and reach new customers. Some key social media marketing techniques include:

  • Creating a social media strategy that aligns with your business goals
  • Posting high-quality content on a regular basis to keep your followers engaged
  • Using paid social media advertising to reach a larger audience
  • Analyzing your social media performance to identify areas for improvement

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves using email to communicate with your audience and promote your business. By using email marketing, you can nurture leads and convert them into customers. Some key email marketing techniques include:

  • Building an email list of subscribers who are interested in your business
  • Creating personalized email campaigns that provide value to your subscribers
  • Using email automation to send targeted messages to your subscribers
  • Analyzing your email performance to identify areas for improvement

By implementing these digital marketing techniques, you can increase your online presence and attract new customers to your business.

Measuring Success in Digital Marketing

One of the most critical aspects of digital marketing is measuring your success. Without proper measurement, you won’t know if your campaigns are performing well or not. In this section, we will discuss the key performance indicators (KPIs) you should track and the tools you can use to measure them.

Key Performance Indicators

KPIs are metrics that help you measure the success of your digital marketing campaigns. Here are some of the most important KPIs you should track:

  • Website Traffic: This metric shows you how many people are visiting your website. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track your website traffic.
  • Conversion Rate: This metric measures the percentage of visitors who take a specific action on your website, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
  • Cost per Acquisition (CPA): This metric measures the cost of acquiring a new customer. It can help you determine if your marketing campaigns are cost-effective.
  • Return on Investment (ROI): This metric measures the revenue generated by your marketing campaigns compared to the cost of running those campaigns.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): This metric measures the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on your products or services during their lifetime.

Staying Updated in Digital Marketing

To succeed in digital marketing, it’s crucial to stay updated with the latest trends and developments in the industry. Here are some ways you can stay updated:

Continuous Learning

Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving field, and it’s important to keep learning to stay on top of the latest trends. You can take online courses, attend webinars, read blogs, and subscribe to newsletters to learn about new tools, techniques, and strategies.

One way to learn is to follow industry leaders and influencers on social media. This will give you access to their insights, tips, and best practices. You can also join online communities and forums to ask questions, share ideas, and learn from your peers.

Another way to learn is to attend industry events and conferences. These events provide an opportunity to network with other professionals, learn about new tools and technologies, and gain insights from industry experts.

Networking

Networking is an important part of staying updated in digital marketing. By networking with other professionals, you can learn about new trends and developments, gain insights into best practices, and build relationships that can lead to new opportunities.

One way to network is to attend industry events and conferences. These events provide an opportunity to meet other professionals, exchange ideas, and learn from industry experts. You can also join online communities and forums to connect with other professionals in your field.

Another way to network is to participate in social media groups and chats. This will give you access to other professionals in your field, and provide an opportunity to share ideas and best practices.

Pros and cons of working in digital marketing online marketing

digital marketing online marketing

Working in digital marketing has its advantages and challenges. Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros of Working in Digital Marketing:

  1. Dynamic and Evolving Field: Digital marketing is constantly evolving with new technologies, platforms, and strategies emerging. This keeps the work interesting and provides opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth.
  2. Diverse Range of Roles: Digital marketing encompasses various roles and disciplines, such as SEO specialist, social media manager, content marketer, PPC specialist, analytics expert, and more. This allows professionals to explore different areas of interest and develop specialized skills.
  3. Creative and Analytical Balance: Digital marketing requires a combination of creativity and analytical thinking. It offers opportunities to brainstorm innovative ideas, create compelling content, and design engaging campaigns, while also analyzing data, measuring performance, and making data-driven decisions.
  4. Wide Range of Industries: Almost every industry can benefit from digital marketing. Whether it’s e-commerce, technology, healthcare, fashion, finance, or non-profit organizations, digital marketing professionals have the opportunity to work across various sectors and gain insights into different business landscapes.
  5. Remote Work Opportunities: Digital marketing roles often offer flexibility, allowing professionals to work remotely or in a distributed team. This flexibility can provide a better work-life balance and eliminate geographical limitations when seeking job opportunities.

Cons of Working in Digital Marketing:

  • Rapidly Changing Landscape: The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, which means professionals need to stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and algorithm changes. Keeping up with the pace of change can be challenging and requires continuous learning and adaptation.
  • Competitive Industry: Digital marketing is a popular career choice, resulting in high competition for job opportunities. Professionals need to demonstrate their skills, experience, and ability to stand out from the crowd to secure desirable positions.
  • Pressure to Achieve Results: Digital marketing often involves meeting targets, such as driving website traffic, increasing conversions, or improving ROI. This can create pressure to deliver results within tight deadlines, requiring a proactive and results-oriented mindset.
  • Rapidly Changing Technologies: The tools and platforms used in digital marketing are constantly evolving. While this provides opportunities for innovation, it also requires continuous learning and adaptation to new tools, software, and strategies.
  • Performance Measurement Challenges: Digital marketing relies heavily on data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of campaigns. Interpreting and analyzing data, setting up tracking mechanisms, and deriving actionable insights can be complex and challenging.
  • Workload and Deadlines: Digital marketing often involves managing multiple projects, campaigns, or clients simultaneously. This can lead to a heavy workload and tight deadlines, requiring effective time management and organizational skills.
  • Increased Expectations: With the growth of digital marketing, there is an increased expectation for professionals to possess a broad range of skills, including technical knowledge, creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to keep up with the latest trends.

While digital marketing offers exciting opportunities and a diverse range of roles, it is essential to consider the challenges and demands associated with the field. By understanding both the pros and cons, individuals can make informed decisions about pursuing a career in digital marketing and navigate the industry effectively.

Bottom line

Digital marketing online marketing is a great career field to work in. If you want an exciting career in tech that doesn’t require coding, a degree or experience, this might be what you’re looking for.

Work from home, earn a lucrative salary, work-life balance, growth and career advancement opportunities, a chance to do fulfilling and exciting work. You get all this from a digital marketing career.

Is this a career field you’d work in?

What do you think?

Jenn Leach, MBA

Jenn Leach is a Houston-based MBA with over a decade of experience in the banking industry. She writes at Millennial Nextdoor where she writes finance, money, business, and lifestyle content to help millennials create additional income streams online. Join her on Substack at https://jennleach.substack.com.

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