Digital Marketer
Who Is A Digital Marketer?
As we all know, marketing is promoting an organisation, its products or services. It is a no-brainer that brands today need to have a significant online presence. They need to be active on different social media platforms, rank high on search engine results (more about this later) and more.
This is important because the world today thrives in the virtual space. Everything you would do to market an idea in the real world will also have to be done online. However, this needs to be very well planned. For example, if your client sells kitchenware to housewives, do you think the brand should be heavily promoted on Twitter or look at promotions via WhatsApp? Think about it.
As a digital marketer, these are the ideas you will work on. Simply put, you would be responsible for the online marketing activities of an organisation. You will handle the planning and execution of marketing campaigns.
As a digital marketer, you will need to understand the different aspects of digital marketing. The areas that are most in-demand are Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). You will also need to know about social media marketing and content marketing.
A digital marketer works with the marketing team to promote the brand online. Exploring and using online tools (like Google Ads) is a major part of the job profile.
Roles & Responsibilities
Conducting consumer research, industry research and more. You will need to know the best channel to promote your ads, as well as the best time and the right message. You can arrive at this by conducting adequate research about your end consumer.
Identifying patterns and sources of reliable data about the industry and consumers. This means you will need to figure out the best ways to get the necessary data for your research.
Brainstorming to come up with innovative campaign ideas. You will have to come up with great ideas to grab your consumer’s attention, and a brainstorm is the best way to put heads together and think of great ideas.
Initiating online marketing campaigns in an efficient manner. You will have to figure out the best channels for your campaigns, and ensure that they have the desired outcome.
Making the best use of social media and e-mail marketing. The latter involves directly approaching consumers via e-mail. Say you’re trying to introduce a new brand of sportswear in the market. You will have to decide how to promote it on Facebook and Instagram, and send emails announcing its launch to the relevant audience.
Utilising tools like SEO, SEM and web analytics. Web analytics involves tracking and studying web data to improve your digital marketing efforts. SEO or search engine optimisation helps improve a website’s visibility in the results of popular search engines like Google. SEM buys ad spaces on search engines to help get more hits on a particular brand’s website.
Converting business goals into successful online marketing campaigns. You will have to understand your client’s goals in detail and figure out the best way to achieve them through online marketing campaigns.
Take the Mentoria career assessment test, to find out how well-suited you are as a Digital Marketing Specialist.
What Skills Will I Need To Have To Do This Job Well?
As exciting as this sounds, there are some things you’ll need to learn to do the job right:
MARKETING KNOWLEDGE
It’s obvious you will need to have basic marketing knowledge. This can include anything from concepts like the 4 Ps (Pricing, Product, Place and Promotion) to market research and more. Market research can include anything from trying to understand what the target audience wants to analysing what they connect the most with.
DIGITAL EXPERTISE
You need to have at least a rough idea about concepts like Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), and Search Engine Marketing (SEM), among others. Make sure you are also thorough with your knowledge about social media platforms and the way content is consumed on them.
You will have to stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in the digital medium.
CREATIVITY AND PRESENTATION SKILLS
You must be able to come up with out-of-the-box and novel ideas for campaigns. Refreshing ideas are the backbone of this field. Your next viral video, talked-about print ad and popular campaign depend on brilliant ideas. At the same time, it is equally important to present them well. What’s the point of having a great idea when you aren’t even able to explain it, let alone execute it?
PLANNING AND TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
This is necessary for most careers, especially for you, because there is always a lot on your plate. You need to be able to manage your time well. You should create professional plans to complete all pending tasks.
STAYING UPDATED WITH CURRENT TRENDS
This is probably the most underrated skill. You need to keep a tab on the latest developments in the industry to stay ahead of the competition. For example, you need to stay updated on Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
Pro Tip: You can stay updated by signing up for blogs by famous digital marketers like Gary Vaynerchuk or Avinash Kaushik. You can also hone your skills by completing online digital marketing courses, reading up on analytics and other tools, and more!
What Will My Workplace Look Like?
Your work life will be a mix of hectic days, many meetings, countless brainstorming sessions and more. You could work with a major organisation’s in-house marketing department. You will mostly be required to work from the office, usually with your team members.
You can also collaborate with a major marketing or digital marketing agency. They undertake the digital marketing of organisations that wish to outsource the work. Here, your profile remains more or less similar, but you might have to leave office more often to attend client meetings.
You might also have to travel to meet clients based elsewhere. This will depend on your organisation and position.
What Is My Scope For Career Growth As A Digital Marketer?
As a digital marketer, you can choose from among many options. You can work with an agency, in-house team or even start a marketing firm of your own. Digital marketing is, by itself, a very broad arena.
As a fresher, you may work as a junior digital strategist, affiliate executive or any other such junior profile. You can then go on to lead teams as a digital marketing manager.
Within digital marketing, you can choose different profiles like digital sales executive and internet specialist. You could also be an SEO marketer or an online marketing manager.
This discipline has only grown in prominence in the recent past and is growing rapidly further as people further discover its immense scope. Organisations look to hire the brightest professionals. They need experts who can help them navigate the digital world. It is always good to build expertise in this domain due to its great potential for growth.
Thinking of a career as a Digital Marketing Specialist? Take the Mentoria assessment test & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path.
How Much Will I Get Paid?
The general salary range in this field cannot be very accurate. There are a vast number of available positions and levels. It can be anywhere between INR 1,85,000 to INR 11,60,000.
Your salary is bound to grow further as you gain experience and rise up the ranks. This depends on your experience, location, organisation and various other factors.The demand for diverse specialities differs from time to time. Sometimes, there may be more demand for SEO marketers. At other times, a content marketer might be more in demand.
Okay, I'm sold. This is amazing
STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College
Focus on English at this level. Work on developing the required skills while you’re at it. You can enrol for certificate courses based on your eligibility. You can also watch online seminars and sign up for free online courses that help you understand digital marketing and its various concepts.
STEP 2: Graduation
You can pursue Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) or B.A. in Communication or Writing. However, even with any other, you can always brush up your skills provided you are interested in the digital medium. This is done by pursuing certificate courses and diplomas in digital marketing.
STEP 3: Internship
Internships are a no-brainer! Practical experience is always better than any degree or diploma. It helps you learn more about the industry and meet new people. You could also set up a few job prospects for the future by networking within the industry.
STEP 4: Land a Job
Now that you have graduated and gathered significant internship experience, you are ready to step into the world of digital marketing as a fresher.
Most freshers start out in executive positions. You become a specialist once you gain more experience in the field.
Congratulations, you are now officially a digital marketer.
STEP 5: Post-graduation
You can always hone your skills and increase your knowledge as you move ahead in your career. Pursue a post-graduate degree in general marketing or digital marketing. It will help you advance academically as well as professionally.
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