How to: Get into Digital Marketing

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital Marketing is effectively the replacement, or evolution of ‘Marketing’. As society goes more and more digital, so must the marketing. Your business needs to be where the people are, and in most cases, that is online.

What are the challenges in Digital Marketing? 

Why Choose a Career in Digital Marketing?

Before embarking on a new career, it is good practice to consider why! With Digital Marketing, there is a wide variety of work you can choose to go into.

Below are just a some of the areas you can go on to specialise in, most of which are rapidly growing fields:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Pay Per Click (PPC)
• Social Media
• Email Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Marketing Analytics
• Strategy & Planning

Find out how to become a Digital Marketing Manager

What Can You Do in Digital Marketing?

In Digital Marketing, the ways you can work are typically split into 3 areas:

In-House

This is arguably the most common employment avenue people tend to go down. Working in-house means you are working on the Digital Marketing activity for 1 company, as part of a marketing team. Working in-house often gives you the biggest insight into how the marketing affects the overall business activity, because you have the visibility to see the direct impact a new PPC or Social Media campaign has on the business.

Think of the marketing team as the Christian Eriksen of the business, and the Sales team as the Harry Kane, one keeps the business ticking, and the other gets the ball over the line.

Most people start their Digital Marketing career working in-house and choose to go onto the hustle and bustle of agency life after learning the trade at a slightly slower pace.

Agency

It may be that the slower pace of working in-house doesn’t suit you! If that’s true, then maybe pursuing a role in an agency is more your style. In an agency, you will often find yourself juggling multiple project and clients all at the same time, which some may find daunting. In truth, it exposes you to a wider variety of situations and people, many of which you would never experience if working in-house.

Agency experience is a highly desirable trait, not only because it shows you have experience, but because of the pressure you have to handle and deadlines you need to meet.

Freelance

Going freelance is a big deal! You will typically need to build up a network of contacts and potential clients, as well as needing some experience, showcased in a portfolio, so that people know they can trust your work and will want to offer you contracts.

Being a Digital Marketing freelancer gives you the flexibility to work wherever and whenever you want to. Once established, some people get to a point where they can’t handle all the work themselves, so they go on to form an agency and employ others. A vast majority of people however, enjoy the freelance lifestyle, and the flexibility it offers.

How Can You Get There?

Most Digital Marketing roles require certification, whatever that may be. There are many roles which require you to go to university, and this used to be the only way of getting a recognised qualification in the field.

Nowadays, there are a multitude of certifications you can earn to prove your proficiency to employers or prospective clients that don’t involve going to university and spending upwards of £50,000 on a 3-year holiday.

The easiest way to get yourself career ready is to enrol in our Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing, awarded by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI). This course will teach you everything you need to know to become a highly employable and versatile Digital Marketing professional, and give you a certificate valued in over 80 countries around the world!

If you are looking to test the waters in Digital Marketing, then perhaps the Level 1 Certificate in Digital Marketing provided by Climb Academy is more up your street. Written by 2014 Apprentice winner Mark Wright, and with a certificate co-signed by Lord Sugar, this course teaches you the core skills you need in SEO, PPC & Social Media, giving your new career the perfect starting platform.

Call us on +44 (0) 20 3198 7700 to speak to one of our Career Consultants today, to discuss your career goals or get started.