Digital marketing is one of the most exciting and in-demand career fields today. It’s a field where you get to show off both your technical side as well as your creative side. It’s the perfect career choice for those who are interested in technology, but don’t want the standard IT role. 

As a marketer, you’ll be responsible for creating campaigns that showcase products and services to a diverse audience. Your main goal will be to understand who your audience is and what they like so you can get an idea of what sorts of campaigns will resonate with them.

What makes this field even more exhilarating is the collaborative aspects. Digital marketers rarely work alone; instead, you’ll work as part of a team. This helps you to gather valuable teamwork skills. 

A digital marketing career opens up a world of possibilities, but it’s natural to have questions. What exactly does a digital marketer do? How do I start my career in digital marketing? If these questions are lingering through your mind, then you’re at the right place. This guide will tell you everything you need to know, from job expectations and the different skills you need to help you get started. It will also help you decide whether a career in digital marketing is even for you, or if you’re more suited to another career path. 

Finding the Right Digital Marketing Career for You

Digital marketing is an essential part of growing any business. Every business wants to be part of the conversation to stay relevant and competitive. This leads to the ever-growing demand for marketers. However, with so many different digital marketing channels and strategies it’s hard to be an all-rounder if you want to thrive in this field. You need to niche down and specialise in one category to ensure you’re getting those high-paying job roles. Here are a couple of elements of digital marketing you may want to niche down on:

• SEO: SEO, or search engine optimisation is all about understanding the language of search engines to make your website more visible in search engine results pages (SERPs). Your main role will involve optimising a website in line with search engine guidelines to get more clicks. Some of your day-to-day work will include keyword research and improving your content based on these keywords. This will help guide search engines to connect the dots between what people are looking for and what you’ve got. You’ll also be responsible for link building. You want other high-quality websites to link back to your site, giving your site that nod of approval. The key thing to note if you’re considering a career in SEO is that it’s constantly changing. Algorithms put out updates all the time. That means you need to stay ahead of the curve and make changes to your website according to these changes. Now, I won’t sugarcoat things – there’s a lot to learn. But once you get the hang of things, it’ll be a piece of cake. 
• Social Media Marketing: Social Media Marketing is so much more than just scrolling through cat videos. It’s a platform many businesses use to show off their business, products, and services in a creative way. With a career in social media, you will be putting out content that speaks to potential and current customers. This includes building a sense of community to create more buzz around your business. A career in Social Media is all about understanding your audience. You could spend hours creating and putting out content, but if you fail to understand what your audience craves, you’ll never succeed. As with SEO, social media is an ever-changing marketing channel. You need to be on the lookout for the latest trends and understand the different changes. 
• Email Marketing: Email Marketing is a powerful tool not many businesses use. It’s like having a direct line to your audience – the personal touch that sets your brand apart. The best thing about it is that your mailing list is personal to you. It’s people who’ve shown interest in a business and want to know more. Starting a career in email marketing is all about creating messages that are carefully crafted with the audience in mind. You get to deliver content that speaks directly to their interests and needs that land straight to their inbox. Your main aim is to keep your brand on their radar. Constantly reminding them that you’re still around to help them with anything they need. It’s the perfect role for those who have a way with words and a passion for building relationships.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC): A career in PPC is all about strategically placing ads on search engines and other platforms. For a business, it’s like having its own digital billboard and your main role will involve getting people to stop what they’re doing and check out what you’ve got to offer. This will be through managing and optimising PPC campaigns to get the best results. You’ll also need to start learning about targeted traffic to get the right people straight to your website with just a click. PPC marketing is all about strategy so get your strategic hat on and analyse those data metrics.

The Crucial Skills Needed for Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is an incredibly dynamic industry where the rules are always changing. To thrive in your career as a digital marketer, you need to have the right mix of skills. Here are some of the most essential skills you need:

1. Analytical Skills: In marketing, data analysis is so much more than just numbers. It’s about understanding what works and what doesn’t and applying that to all the campaigns you’re working on. These skills will help you identify the success of a campaign as well as make much more data-driven decisions. 
2. Creativity: Marketing is an incredibly creative industry. So, in order to be successful you need to be bursting with new ideas. This will help you come up with new and innovative strategies that will capture attention and generate results.
3. Copywriting: With almost any aspect of marketing, you need to be a master with your words. You need to be able to come up with content that not only tells a story but is persuasive enough to convert leads into loyal customers. 
4. Content Marketing: In marketing content is king, and having the skills to create quality content will do you a lot of favours. From blog posts and videos to social media and email marketing,no matter what you’re getting stuck into you’ll be well-equipped to grab the attention of your audience in a heartbeat. 
5. Problem-solving: In the fast-paced business world, problem-solving will help you get that competitive advantage. It’s all about thinking outside of the box and finding creative solutions to the challenges that pop up in your day-to-day marketing career. 
6. Attention to detail: In digital marketing, there’s a lot more detail that you might not expect. Paying attention to these details will help in maintaining a flawless brand image. From the font size of a digital ad campaign to the colour scheme of your social media graphics, every element can affect how your audience perceives you. This is why paying attention to these minute yet impactful details will help set you apart from other marketers.
7. Communication: You’ll be interacting with clients, users, and stakeholders every day. So, your messages need to hit home with impact and precision. This will help in building relationships and establishing trust. 

Job Requirements for Digital Marketing Roles

Just like any other job, when finding a digital marketing role, it’s all about finding the right fit. This is why, when you spot a job posting, put on your detective hat and start looking at the requirements. Remember: Digital marketing is a diverse industry, not every posting will be right for you. 

First, check the skills and experience checklist. Take a moment to reflect: Do you have what it takes? If not, don’t worry! It’s not a closed door; it’s an opportunity for you to upskill and get more experience. 

Next, think about your goals and objectives. Does the job align with your career aspirations? If not, it might just turn into a job you end up dreading, and no one wants that. 

Finally, take a peek into the company’s culture. Check whether the culture and values align with yours. You may need to do a little bit more digging by visiting the company website or checking out their socials. You want to be happy at your job or else your once-found passion for digital marketing will disappear. 

Last but definitely not least, peek into the company’s soul. Check if their culture and values align with yours. It’s not just about punching the clock; it’s about feeling at home in your 9-to-5 habitat.

So, when you’re eyeing that digital marketing role, take all of these factors into account. This will ensure that when you hit ‘apply’, it’s a perfect fit for you. Let the job hunt begin!

Preparing for Digital Marketing Interviews

Now that we’ve talked about the skills you need and how to find the perfect job for you, it’s interview time. This is your make-it-or-break-it moment, and nailing the interview is essential. Before you do anything, you need to fully understand the role and the company. This will give you a much better understanding of the type of person they’re after and what kind of questions you’re likely to get hit with. 

Brush up on your marketing knowledge. There’s a lot to know in the field so make sure you’re up to date on the latest trends and best practices. It’s not a memory test so treat it as such. Find real-world examples so you can show that you have a true understanding of the concept rather than having memorised the first definition that shows up on Google. 

Don’t forget to practice those interview skills. This means doing some research on common interview questions and preparing answers in advance. The worst thing that could happen is you stumbling over the ‘Tell me about yourself’ question that could cost you your dream job. You should also remember to go over your past experiences.  This is to make sure that what you say in the interview aligns with what you have written down in your CV or resume. And hey, don’t forget to flip the script – have a few questions up your sleeve. It’s not just about impressing them; it’s about making sure the job is right for you. 

Remember to be confident. Interviewers and hiring managers love a confident person. They want someone who’s certain about themselves and isn’t afraid to lead a team when the time comes. If you’re not a naturally confident person, take it till you make it. While faking your confidence isn’t a true reflection of who you actually are, it increases the chances of you landing the job. 

Staying Up to Date with Digital Marketing Trends

The ever-changing digital marketing industry can be both exciting and daunting. New opportunities are always popping up and the competition is relentless. You need to be constantly aware of the latest changes and trends in order for businesses to even have a chance. It’s like riding a roller coaster – thrilling, but you better hold on tight. 

That’s why it’s so important to stay up to date with the latest trends and industry news. Not only will this help you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s new and exciting, but will also help you identify new opportunities to please your audience. 

Here are a couple of ways you can stay in the know about digital marketing trends:

• Subscribe to industry newsletters: When it comes to keeping up to date with the latest trends, subscribing to weekly newsletters will be your best friend. A few of my favourites include Marketing Week and Search Engine Journal. These newsletters are your go-to when it comes to knowing what’s hot and happening. What’s great is that it’s delivered straight to your inbox. No more wasting hours of your day trying to find what you need. It’s all there in a simple email. 

• Follow industry thought leaders: Follow digital marketing gurus like Neil Patel on social media. This will help you hear about the latest trends straight from the experts. These experts know what they’re talking about and their insight is incomparable. 
• Experiment with new technologies and platforms: One of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve is to experiment with new technologies and platforms. This will help you test, learn and uncover fresh opportunities for your marketing. It will not only give you a better understanding of how they work, but you can also see what works for you and what doesn’t. With the rave about  AI technology, now’s the perfect time to dip your feet into it and see if it’s something worthwhile to learn more about. 
• Keep an eye on your competitors: Spying on your competitors isn’t stalking, it’s strategy. It’s about looking out for those golden chances and making them your own. This will help you not only stay ahead in your marketing but also outpace your competitors. 

Digital Marketing Tools and Software

We all know the saying; ‘A man is only as good as his tools.’ That saying also applies to marketing. Digital marketing tools and software help automate many of the time-consuming tasks marketers dread doing. They automate tasks like email marketing and social media campaigns, making marketers feel like they have a whole marketing team working around the clock. By using these tools, you can save a lot of time and resources, while still reaching a large audience. Here are a couple of marketing tools you may want to try out to skyrocket your career in digital marketing:

1. Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets you keep an eye on and post across all your social media platforms from one spot. It also provides you with analytics so you can track your social media performance. 
2. Google Analytics: Google Analytics is the tool every marketer should know. Not only is it free but it also gives you insight into your website traffic and performance to guide you on the path to attracting even more visitors. You’ll also get a better understanding of your audience; Who they are and what content they like. 
3. Mailchimp: MailChimp is an email marketing tool that makes email marketing a breeze. The tool allows you to create and send our newsletters, promotional emails and targeted campaigns in just a few clicks. Plus, the analytics it provides can help you track the performance of your email campaigns.  
4. Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is the all-in-one SEO tool that helps you boost your website’s visibility. It offers insights into keywords, competition and your own website. This helps marketers like yourself to fine-tune your online presence. 
5. Canva: Want to create eye-catching graphics without the need to hire a graphic designer? Canva is an easy-to-use tool that helps marketers create social media posts, newsletters, presentations, etc. using ready-made templates. You name it, Canva’s probably got a template for it. 

To find out more about digital marketing tools, read my blog ’13 Must-Have Tools for Beginner Marketers‘ today!