Pursuing a Career in Digital Marketing - Easy Guide

Have you been hesitant to start your career in digital marketing? If so, what were your reasons for being hesitant? Starting a career in digital marketing is great because there is always a demand for people who know how to market. When starting a career in the digital marketing landscape, being a part of the Nigerian industry can give you access to new opportunities and more choices than almost any other. It is a choice that will be to your benefit in the long run.

The good thing is that you can learn digital marketing without following a digital marketing course at a college or university. These days, you have more options than ever to learn digital marketing. Whether you skim a blog post or sign up for an online marketing course, competition is fierce in this industry. It’s possible to start a career as a Digital marketer with little more than a laptop and an internet connection. Start learning the skills you need to succeed in Digital marketing NOW.

You may want to ask, Is Digital Marketing a promising Career?

Marketing, in general, is a great career choice and digital marketing is a growing industry with lots of entry-level jobs. Due to the ubiquity of technology, marketing has changed; digital marketing is the way to go. With the recent trend of companies moving from traditional marketing and switching to new methods, there are now several options available for matching needs and as a result, other companies are now going beyond traditional ways of marketing.

People are spending more time online than before. The online world is a place where friends and family interact. I imagine this is a result of the rapid evolution of social media.

With the growing demand for digital marketing skills, it’s no wonder there’s a growing demand for digital marketing jobs. There are now good opportunities to get online marketing jobs.

A digital marketer is a vital part of every business. They help companies engage with their customers, and make their products more accessible.

Digital marketing is a great career choice because as a digital marketer, you can work with many organizations including Dangote group of companies. Many companies today need a digital marketing professional because they need to improve their SEO rankings.

You can work as a digital marketing agency or be self-employed.

Your Pay as a Digital Marketer

The salaries in the digital marketing industry are increasing year after year and seemingly very competitive. According to payscale.com, An early career Digital Marketing Manager with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of ₦1,199,957 based on 29 salaries. A mid-career Digital Marketing Manager with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of ₦3,400,000 based on 10 salaries. Your location (country) also determines what you’ll earn. However, digital marketing specialists are among the well-paying people anywhere in the world. Companies are increasing their investment in digital marketing, so that will create opportunities for people who can make a difference in this field.

Here’s a list of 7 steps you can follow today to pursue a career path in digital marketing:

Know the basics of digital marketing
Build your website or blog
Master Facebook Ads Advertising
Improve on your SEO skills
Begin an internship with a real Digital Marketing Agency
Get freelancing jobs
Stay informed of new updates and never stop learning

Know The Basics of Digital Marketing

The first thing you need to do is find out what digital marketing is and the essential parts that form it. The first thing you’ll need to do is understand its basic components and learn how to use them. It is a broad subject with its sub-components. You have to think about all your digital marketing needs because it’s a lot of work.

And with different marketing channels come different campaign strategies, and with different strategies come different tactics.

There are many different marketing channels available to you which include:

Search Engine Marketing covers two areas: search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search advertising.
Content Marketing: Involves generating and publishing content can be an effective way to attract viewers to your website, which increases the chances of them purchasing products
Social Media Marketing includes Facebook marketing, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Mobile Marketing: Today, more than half of the world’s population uses mobile devices. Nowadays, thanks to mobile devices, you can communicate and make offers to target audiences that are within the range of your location
Email Marketing: Emailing people to get them to buy products or services you sell.
Video Marketing: This involves putting your content on video; on YouTube, Vimeo, and other video channels
Google Analytics: A good digital marketing manager must know data and be creative in approach when it comes to interpretation. Data can help you make decisions that will increase a company’s growth.
Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC): Promoting on search engines, social media platforms, and other publishers’ networks can be a very valuable tactic. E.g. Facebook ads, Google Ads, Promoted Tweets, etc.

You do not have to begin to know all these digital marketing channels on your first day, a career in digital marketing is a continuous learning process. While you’re at it, you’ll have the chance to learn different techniques, technologies, and tools. Eventually, you’ll be able to use that information in your daily life and/or career. Make sure you challenge yourself enough, and you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve

Build your website or blog

Once you understand the basics of digital marketing, you should start practicing it. The knowledge you’ve gained in digital marketing can only benefit you if it’s put into practice. You need to try things out and get experience to become good at it.

When it comes to self-confidence, you have to get your hands dirty and see yourself doing what you hear and read. Aside from being asked to work on different websites, working on a range of websites will expose you to a broader range of ideas.

Even if you’re the one doing the social media management, you’ll be required to come up with a strategy for your company. You will be responsible for driving traffic and converting it into leads and customers. Because your role will be to bring traffic and qualified leads to the website and ultimately convert them to buying customers.

Having your own website won’t only assist you to find out the various concepts, but you’ll use it as a showcase to convince new employers or clients to trust you and secure an honest contract or job.

When companies are looking to rent digital marketing specialists, they don’t just search for certifications except for people that can prove their knowledge. And having an internet site with good content, high rankings, and significant traffic qualifies you together Besides learning new things, having your own website is also a way for you to showcase your skills and become more employable.

Master Facebook Ads Advertising

The process of setting up an advertising campaign is the same whether you’re using a big company or a small one. However, you will encounter different terms which are closely related to what you learn in Google. It’s easy to teach yourself and understand about Facebook ads once you understand Google Ads.

As a digital marketer, you need to know how the different social media platforms work. The main social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn have their policies and guidelines you must follow.

As Facebook becomes more and more important for digital marketing, you must grasp the essentials of using it as an advertising platform. To use Facebook most effectively, consider using it to promote your product.

Improve on your SEO Skills

Building a career in SEO can be tricky. You need to spend loads of time learning about it before you can start applying that knowledge to your actual career. SEO teaches you how to create user-friendly and search engine-friendly websites. To be a successful digital marketer, you need to master these fundamental SEO techniques. SEO experts are responsible for making your website easy to find through the use of Search Engine Optimization. They perform tasks including on-page, off-page Optimization, and competitor research using analytics and webmaster tools.

SEO is often seen as a fundamental part of digital marketing, along with social media, paid search advertising, and email. It can be a bit technical but not that hard. Feel free to work at your own pace. Mastering SEO is not an overnight process. It takes time, practice, and patience. That being said, you’ll be ready to take SEO on headfirst in no time if you so desire.

Begin An Internship with A Real Digital Marketing Agency

Working with a digital marketing agency is another way to grow your skills and experience in the marketing field. The benefits that you’ll get by working with a good agency will surely help you in your future endeavors. An internship allows you to explore a specific career. You will observe first-hand what the industry is all about. You’ll work alongside professionals and get a taste of what it takes to work in this career. When you enjoy this experience, you may decide to take the next step into this industry full-time. Another thing is that you’ll have the opportunity to use digital marketing tools and even gain experience using them.

Get Freelancing Jobs

Freelancing without work experience in a company will be more difficult because you’ll have to figure out everything on your own of which you have little understanding of how things work. Freelancing can be a great way to learn new skills and practice what you already know.

Taking on freelance jobs puts you in a position to read about strategies and techniques, try them out for yourself, and give feedback

Freelancing allows you to be your own boss and set your own schedule. There are many freelance sites where you can sign up and start working. Some popular sites include Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and fivver.com.

You need to start simple, gain experience and knowledge then you can go ahead to take on a bigger task.

Stay classy. Always act professionally and be an honest business person. When your clients are satisfied, they will become repeat customers and a great source for referrals.

Stay Informed of New Updates and Never Stop Learning

The fact that the digital marketing industry is so dynamic, means you have to stay on top of things. There are hundreds of changes to Google’s search algorithm every year, Facebook continually adjusts its algorithm, and in general, the digital space is in motion.

So, looking to pursue a career in digital marketing, you need to understand that it’s not something you’ll be able to learn overnight. You’re going to have to put in some serious work and study constantly. Be prepared to learn constantly.

Things To Note:

Starting a career in digital marketing is a beautiful choice. There’s a growing demand for qualified professionals to fill digital marketing roles. For those with experience and the right skills, it can be incredibly rewarding and it’s a job you can do on your own as a freelancer or by joining a digital marketing agency.

Digital marketing is made up of a lot of different disciplines, and it also changes rapidly.

You should have a general understanding of the various disciplines within digital marketing. To reach the higher end of the pay scale in digital marketing, you’ll need to have a solid understanding of all of them.

You can also make money online by using your digital marketing skills to blog, use affiliate marketing, or make videos on YouTube.