Digital marketing is an excellent choice for a career. We live in a modern era where marketing budgets are moving to online advertising and away from traditional mediums. Companies are boosting their visibility so there’s increased demand for specialists.
The fact that you don’t need to be physically present in an office makes it ideal for people who want to work freelance or start their own business. Getting a digital marketer job remains a challenge though, especially when you don’t have any professional experience.
Fortunately, there are ways to get jobs at reputable companies even when you’re new to the field. The industry is constantly changing plus there are new agencies disrupting typical career paths. We also provide some tips on how to be a digital marketer.
How to land a digital marketing job
Learn the basics
When you’re a newbie, it makes sense to first understand what digital marketing is along with its main components. Online marketing is a broad term referring to the process of marketing on the internet. It’s not just a single discipline but covers all areas of digital promotion, including:
| Channel | Description |
| Website marketing | promoting your website |
| Email marketing | promoting products/services via email |
| Mobile marketing | promoting on Google Play and other app stores |
| Affiliate marketing | getting a commission for promoting other people’s products and/or services |
| Search engine marketing | covers paid search and search engine optimisation (SEO) |
| Content marketing | promoting products/services using different kinds of content |
| Social media marketing | Promoting on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks |
| Video marketing | Promoting on Vimeo, YouTube, and other video platforms |
Many a digital marketing job require you to be familiar with all of the above. However, there are instances when they need someone to specialise in a channel e.g. an SEO specialist. Decide if you want to specialise or be an all-rounder.
Gain advertising experience
Part of any digital marketer job is to use Google Ads to promote products or services in the properties and websites that Google owns. To acquire the necessary skills, it’s recommended that you get certified. Google has plenty of resources to help you become a Google Partner.
Get started with social media marketing too by mastering Facebook Ads. While you need to know the different social networks out there, the majority of your time and budget will go to Facebook and Instagram. It’s hard to get organic exposure on Facebook so learn how to use their advertising platform.
There’s no shortage of free certification courses on the web so make the effort to search. You may want to check out:
- Hubspot Academy for inbound methodology
- Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab for Bing Ads
- Hootsuite Academy for social advertising
Start your own blog
Now that you know the basics, it’s time to build your reputation for a digital marketing job. One of the best ways to apply the knowledge you’ve acquired is by starting your own website. To gain confidence and skills, practice on your own site.
Anyone is able to build a website these days thanks to platforms like WordPress. You don’t need extensive technical or writing skills for it either. Just choose a topic and conduct research before creating any content to hone your skill-set.
There are many great reasons to start your own website, such as:
- It doesn’t cost a lot of money, and may even be free of charge.
- It becomes available on Google for potential employers or clients to find.
- It gives you a space to showcase your portfolio and resume.
Accept low-paying jobs
Nearly everyone has to start from the bottom so consider an entry-level position for the meantime. In doing so, you will:
- Add professional experience to your resume or curriculum vitae
- Earn a recommendation if you do this digital marketing job well
- Establish connections with people in the marketing industry
- Learn from your boss and/or colleagues about online marketing
- Work with clients you wouldn’t be able to land on your own
Bear in mind that this is for now, when you’re still starting out in this field. You may have to work in lower-paying roles for the first 3 years before you get hired for a managerial or leadership position. There are cases you’ll get referred to big jobs within your first year too, but these are very rare.
Prepare for the interview
To land that role, you need to undergo a digital marketing job interview first. This is your opportunity to make a good impression on a prospective employer and position yourself as the most suitable candidate. To prepare, you need to practice answering questions, like:
- What digital marketing software or platforms are you familiar with?
- Do you think outbound or inbound marketing is more effective?
- How do you know when an advertising campaign is not successful?
- Have you experienced working in collaborative campaigns?
- What are serious challenges in digital marketing today?
- What makes you a good candidate for a digital marketer?
- What elements make for a successful digital marketing campaign?
- Discuss a time when you didn’t come to an agreement with your team.
- Tell us about your experience with managing campaign budgets.
- Explain how you address negative feedback regarding your client.
In any digital marketing job interview, avoid mentioning anything negative about people you’ve worked with in the past, people you work with in the present, or even about yourself. Even if you do, balance it out with the positives like what you like about your current team.
How to be a digital marketer sooner
Entering the field of digital marketing is a great career move. There is plenty of demand for marketing specialists worldwide and it’s a job you’re able to do in the comfort of your own home. Expect some hardship when applying for a spot though.
If you want an easier way to find and land a digital marketing job, let us at Remote Workmate help you. Not only are we connected to clients from all over the globe but also we provide advice on how to prepare your resume, among other things.
Browse our job board and apply for an opening now.
