If you're sorting through which career path to follow, maybe Digital Marketing could be one of those or maybe you're already interested in the field and want to learn more. Going into Digital Marketing could secure you a spot in the workforce, have you be successful and also see you gripped in a growing field.
Careers Portal Live hosted a webinar with Terrique Alie, a successful digital marketing freelancer, as a guest. She spoke on what having a career in Digital Marketing looks and feels like, ideas on how to study Digital Marketing and also some tips on getting some experience and getting your first job.
So first of all, what is digital marketing? It sees you advancing a brand or company through promoting and selling the product or service it offers but online and could involve social media.
On misconceptions about Digital Marketing, Terrique said, "I always thought that you needed to be highly qualified or you needed so much knowledge to get into the industry" but she realised, after getting some experience, that anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. You can even be fresh out of high school and start your career in Digital Marketing.
There are various categories to work in within the Digital Marketing spectrum. Some of these include:
- Social media marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Marketing
- Email marketing
- Content creation marketing
- Marketing research
How do I get started?
First, you should be aware of the fact that just because you're working online, does not mean you need to be incredibly tech savvy when you start your journey in Digital Marketing. You can always learn and do the work towards becoming successful. It's important to put the hard work in if you want to be successful.
There are many courses available online or at institutions, and free online marketing courses are available through places like GetSmarter, Udemy, Shaw Academy, Google and many other places.
Internships are an excellent way to get into the field of Digital Marketing and is highly recommended. Employees are attracted to seeing prospective employees have experience when they are looking to hire someone new. Through internships, you can gain experience and knowledge about the industry itself.
Another tip Terrique gave was that you should not only aim to work for big companies. She says, "small businesses are the ones you need to watch out for" because they are on the come up and the field is always changing.
What are the pros of Digital Marketing?
It's low-cost. What this means is that you can go into digital marketing with nothing because there are a lot of free tools online. You also don't need fancy equipment such as an Apple laptop or computer. Another good thing is that you have access to a massive audience and can even use social media to your advantage to get customers. It's also a very flexible field which allows you to dabble in multiple projects at a time.
And the cons?
The field is becoming more and more competitive as more people become aware of it being a good way to make an income from home. It could also be difficult to separate the personal from the business side of things which could bring about public relation issues. This could come as a result of you having to be the voice of a brand or company.
The field is also continuously changing and it is therefore important to stay updated. What Terrique recommends is for you to take a digital marketing short course every year so that you're up to date with online algorithms and don't fall behind in the field.
Which tools and applications do I use as a Digital Marketer?
A simple search into marketing tools will give you access to a bunch of tools to use, some are even free for you to use. Some good online tools to use are:
- Mailchimp which is used for email marketing
- Google Analytics where you can track website traffic
- ClickFunnels allows you to generate leads
- Canva can be used to do free design work
- Ubersuggest is good for SEO
Should you want to launch a career in Digital Marketing, there is lots of support and resources available to you. Digital Marketing seems to be a rewarding path to follow and one that doesn't come with a huge price tag.
