There are tons of jobs in various industries that require creativity, ingenuity, and professionalism. These positions could be a great fit for you if you have a creative spirit and love problem solving as part of your career! One of the quickest growing industries in this scope is digital marketing, which is always looking for clever, creative writers who have a knack for public relations to step in and make clients look great. The role does come with lots of tasks and a fast-paced environment, so if you’re considering making the switch to digital marketing, you should make sure you know a lot about the field.
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A Day In the Life
Whether you’re breaking in at a startup looking for pool financing companies, or just got hired at a large, established firm, your tasks as a digital marketer will be similar. First and foremost, online marketers put much of their focus on content creation and management. This means updating blogs, creating captions for social media, facilitating email lists, and managing any other type of content your company produces. If you’re at the head of a team in this area, you may even be responsible for creating calendars for each division and outlining a strategy people can follow to reach their goals and quotas. Another area is pay-per-click advertising, which some people dedicate all their time too. This consists of creating ads to place on various websites and tracking the hits each ad receives so you know where the most effective places to advertise are. You can also specialize in social media management if you’re particularly savvy on certain channels and like to play to your strengths. On the more technical side, there are even jobs running analytics to monitor performance and working with SEO teams to prepare easily accessible content.
Skills for Success
Just like in any industry, there are certain skills you’ll need to be an effective digital marketer. The first, and perhaps most important, is communication skills. To create great content that engages customers, you need to be an expert at clearly communicating with your target audience. You also need to be well-versed in your method of communication, which is typically writing. Good marketers are great writers because they can sell items, ideas, and brands without ever having to meet the customer. Although it can be rare to find, marketers need a combined love of language and numbers. Data is at the core of marketing, and if you’re not checking on your stats, you’re not learning what works and what doesn’t. Finally, time management is a must in this role. Some digital marketers are responsible for all of the tasks mentioned in the previous section, so you have to know how to juggle different areas of the trade while accomplishing all of the most important things on a deadline. Lastly, creativity is a must! Customers are looking at ads that stand out and speak up, so you have to be creative enough to come up with new ideas on a regular cycle.
Pros and Cons
Marketing comprises a wide variety of tasks, which makes the job market fiercely competitive. Many companies don’t require any formal training to come on as a marketer, only a solid understanding of the fundamentals and how online advertising works. Anyone with a knack for social media could step in as social media manager or strategist, which means you have to work extra hard to stand out in the crowd. Additionally, there is no recognized standard for digital marketing; it’s every man for himself. This can be disadvantageous when moving from one company to another because your new job may operate in a completely different way from your old one, putting you back at square one. The good news, however, is that all businesses need marketers. The world is moving to an increasingly online interface, which means the industry is expanding exponentially and creating plenty of jobs for interested people. Even if you’re a recent graduate, you have just as good a chance of securing a position as seasoned professionals if you can prove you have what it takes to succeed and grow the business. Apply to as many places as you’re interested in and see what comes back.
Why It’s Important
Times are changing and the country is changing with them. Now, more than ever, digital marketers are in high demand as the COVID-19 pandemic forces people to work from home and rely on the internet to conduct business. More people are shopping online, looking for companies online, and relying on digital marketing to get them the information they need. Aside from large companies, there is even a new customer base for marketers, such as small business, farmers, and frontline workers. People who have never had to rely on the internet to make a living are forced to confront the digital world in an all or nothing battle for their livelihood. Working as a freelance marketer is one way you can do some good with your skills and still get paid. As a freelancer, you get to pick your clients and set your prices, so you can focus only on the causes that mean something to you. Businesses need help with SEO optimization, online advertising, developing social media channels, and, in some cases, building a website so customers can find them. Digital marketers are like the messiah to these people who need to update their outreach methods, but aren’t sure where to start.
So, if you’re thinking of joining the bustling industry of digital marketing, there’s never been a better time to do it. Your day-to-day tasks can be as varied or homogenized as you’d like and require a wide variety of different skills. There are some pros and cons to being in the business, but it’s still an easy industry to get your foot in the door despite your education or background. As demand for digital marketers continues to grow, consider working as a freelancer if you’re not interested in a traditional role.