Have you decided that you’re ready to start your digital marketing career? No wonder, it is one of the fastest growing industries, growing three times faster than the rate of GDP in the country, and that growth is expected to continue.
There are a few reasons for this, the main one is that it’s one of the top 10 career earnings that can be started without a degree. More and more people understand that the skills needed to become a successful digital marketer are not generally taught in conventional four-year degree programmes.
So what’s required to be a good digital marketer? Follow the 10 tips below to succeed in your digital marketing career.
1. Always Acquire New Skills
New skills, new concepts, new patterns and new understanding. When you expose yourself to industry news and discover new ways to learn, you can apply the skills you gain on a continuous basis.
You renew your certifications and refresh your resume. You’re still willing to take action. If there’s a new way to market, you’re the first to try it, make it work, and then report on it.
You take advantage of emerging technology as it evolves, and you’re still on the lookout for new applications that can help you simplify consumer acquisitions.
2. Build Your Personal Brand, Positioning Yourself as an Expert
If you want to be taken seriously as a digital marketer, then your personal brand needs to be on the right track. Potential employers and customers are searching for your online presence, and they expect to find out who you are online is what you can do for them. Getting your own personal projects will help you do this and give you something to show off.
What are you really good at? What are your fields of experience here? Write down whatever comes to your mind. Now think about how to use what you know to help others.
Read also: How Digital Technology is Changing Sales Operations
There are three types of content that you can produce that will place you as an expert:
Case Studies
‘The proof is in the pudding,’ so to speak. Show people that you have accomplished what you said you can, and how you did it. Nothing is more convincing than real, and tangible evidence.
Books
If you have enough knowledge to write a book, do it. Saying “I wrote this book” can make you feel good, but it can also position you as an expert and validate your authority on a subject.
Evergreen Content
“Evergreen” means that it stays relevant. Something that you can share in five years from now and the information will still be valid.
3. Networking
Just because you can work at home in your pajamas, it doesn’t exclude you from interaction with other people. Most of digital marketing is good old-fashioned networking. And while you can do some of this online by joining Facebook groups, following industry leaders, and interacting with your social media follow-up, there is still an invaluable face-to-face networking aspect.
Networking conferences are a valuable opportunity that brings you in touch with people who are more seasoned than you, who want nothing more than to teach you what they know. Their experiences alone are worth the price tag, but if you’re not quite there yet financially, you can watch interviews and other videos that share their useful tips and inspire you to get to the next level.
4. Do Not Forget Social Media
You have to share what you learn. Is it evergreen content? Share it and then share it again. Case studies? Share them too. Have you written a book? You should share it always! Social media management is a full-time job of its own and you need to be the master of your domain.
Your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, blog, and website must all reflect the values of an expert digital marketer because that’s what you are. People are searching for transparency; they want to know that your online person is compatible with your real-life beliefs. Using the social media as a medium to expose your expertise to the world.
Read also: 7 Ways To Boost Your Email Marketing Click-Through Rate
5. Be Customer-Centric! Provide Value
Content is king. Anything you’re reading online has to be written by someone and if you are the one who gives the target audience what they want, they’ll keep coming back for more.
You need to start with your customer in order to understand the sales funnel in the digital marketing age. Understanding the consumer (or “target audience”) is the first step in the process. When you know who they are, you need to find out how you can help them.
You’re in the business of developing relationships, and you need to nurture them. By being able to predict the needs of your customer and offer solutions before issues occur, they will remember and stay loyal to you.
The good news is there are metrics that you can use and data that you can obtain to help you understand all of your customers.
6. Understand Industry Jargon
Everyone likes their acronyms, and digital marketers are no exception. If you’re going to do it as a digital marketer, you’ve got to know the lingo, and that means you know the CTA from the CPC. When you immerse yourself in culture, it won’t take long for it to come naturally, but when you get started, it’s worth getting a cheat sheet for reference.
Acronym Cheat Sheet:
- SEO – Search Engine Optimization
- SEM – Search Engine Marketing
- PPC – Pay Per Click
- CPC – Cost Per Click
- CPL – Cost Per Lead
- CPM – Cost Per Thousand (M is the Roman numeral for 1000)
- CTA – Call to Action
- CTR – Click Through Rate
- KPI – Key Performance Indicator
7. Understand Analytics
For others, this may be an ability that doesn’t come easily. Not everybody is born mathematically inclined, and that’s all right. You don’t have to be a mathlete to obtain a simple understanding of analytics, and a little experience in this field will go a long way.
Understanding what happens when people come to your website is how you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, and the analytical tools can provide you with that knowledge.
8. Add Certificates and Certifications to your Resume
There is a distinction between certificates and certifications, but all of them will help you succeed in your professional career.
Certification is something that you can obtain after completing a number of necessary hours of learning or training. It is won by successfully passing a test or exam on the course material, thereby proving your competence in the field.
A certificate is something you get after engaging in a learning experience, like a course. A certificate is not always merit-based and thus may not be as valuable to prospective employers; however everything you add to the curriculum vitae demonstrates your commitment to learning, and everything you learn allows you to succeed.
9. Don’t Stop Learning
If your appetite for information is small, stop right here, this profession is not for you. If you’re going to excel in your profession as a digital marketer, your schooling is never over, and that should excite you. If your urge to learn is to get you out of bed in the morning and drive you all day long, then read on.
You’re going to read all that someone who’s anyone writes about the industry. You’re going to know who the biggest influencers are, and you’re going to absorb everything they have to offer. Your inbox will be full of valuable material that you’re excited to open on a regular basis.
You will learn all day every day, as you work and share your experience.
Conclusion
Get out there and become a digital marketer. Take all the information you’ve learned and start using it. Action is the secret to success in this field, and you’re ready for it. You’re a bold, trend-setting leader with little standing in the way of rising to the top.
As you can see, all of these tips to succeed in your digital marketing career work together to help you create a winning online portfolio, highlighting your online presence and proven success rate. If you’re a highly motivated person ready to embark on an exciting career, these 10 tips to succeed in your digital marketing career will set you in the right direction.
Excel in your digital marketing career by ensuring you become a Certified Digital Marketing Professional.