Digital marketers are a must-have for all organizations today. See the different ways how to learn digital marketing to gain a competitive advantage in this exciting field.
Our global society is undergoing a continuous digital revolution. As a result, more people are conducting their finances, shopping, finding entertainment, and even doing their jobs online. This trend has been strengthened thanks to better technology, the rising influence of social media platforms, and the rising popularity of cloud computing.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that digital marketing has become more relevant than ever. After all, the whole point of marketing is getting a compelling message out to as many people as possible. This mandate means that marketing efforts should be directed at where the marketing professionals can find the most prominent target audience, and nowadays, that’s online.
But what if you don’t know the first thing about digital marketing? That’s where this article comes in. You are about to receive a primer on the digital marketing world, focusing on the definition and kinds of digital marketing, why effective digital marketing is essential, how to learn digital marketing online, and valuable insights on how to become a digital marketer.
The first thing we need to learn about digital marketing is what the term means. Let’s start.
About Digital Marketing
Put simply, digital marketing, also called online marketing, promotes goods, services, and brands using the Internet and other forms of digital communication, including e-mail, social media, text messaging, multimedia, and web-based advertising.
What About Inbound Marketing?
You probably have heard the term “inbound marketing” and have noticed that it’s like digital marketing. This similarity is hardly surprising since both disciplines employ the same tools and goals. However, the point of divergence is in how they do it.
The typical digital content marketing strategy considers how digital channels and tools can convert prospects into customers. Inbound marketing takes a more comprehensive approach, first considering the goal, then seeing which available tools will best attract their target audience, then initiating the sales funnel to get results.
However, both disciplines can work together. For example, inbound marketing gives the digital marketing professional a solid structure and purpose so that the campaign will be more effectively focused on the target audience.
Types of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing comes in many forms. Here is a breakdown of the nine common types.
1) Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing uses third parties to promote another company’s goods and services in exchange for a cut of sales revenue brought in by advertising.
2) Content Marketing
Content marketing involves content generation distributed to the target audience to build leads and connections and move prospects through the business’s sales funnel. This advertising strategy covers blog posts, downloadable resources, listicles, social media posts, videos, and more.
3) Email Marketing
Email marketing involves businesses engaging with their audience via e-mail. Typically, customers sign up on a company’s email or subscription list, giving the business permission to contact the subscribers via email. This contact is usually through promotional offers, educational materials, or general news and updates.
4) Influencer Marketing
A relatively new phenomenon, influencers are popular people, not necessarily celebrities, who have a following and the ability to influence their followers’ decisions. Businesses promote their goods and services through digital marketing influencers’ recommendations and endorsements.
5) Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing targets users on mobile devices, using various communication methods like SMS messages, push notifications, and in-app advertisements. In addition, mobile devices are flexible enough that businesses can use more traditional forms of digital marketing, such as display ads, search ads, and social media ads.
6) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is by far the most well-known Internet marketing strategy among digital marketers. SEO is the process of structuring a business’s website and content so its pages rank at the top portion of a search engine results page for search terms related to that business. People constantly use search engines like Google, so a good digital marketing expert could use resources like Google Analytics and Google Adwords to craft an effective SEO strategy. All it takes is a little keyword research.
7) Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing, known as SEM for short, is very similar to search engine optimization. The chief difference is that SEM focuses on paid advertising that typically appears at the top of a search results page that shows unpaid, or organic, listings. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most common forms of SEM.
8) Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing involves businesses using social media platforms and accounts to engage the audience and generate new customers. Marketing experts can generate these leads through paid ads, social media posts, or other relevant content.
9) Video Marketing
Video marketing involves digital professionals using videos to promote goods and services to the audience. These videos can be ads, demos and tutorials, educational and how-to videos, or webinars.
Why You Need to Learn About Digital Marketing
We’ve already mentioned how the world is increasingly digitized, but these statistics drive the point home far more effectively. If you need reasons for learning digital marketing, here are some examples:
a) 70 percent of marketers invested in SEO in 2021
b) Almost 40 percent of marketers surveyed said that content marketing is essential to their overall marketing strategy
c) Social media users worldwide are predicted to hit almost 3.43 billion in 2023!
Although traditional forms of marketing will never fully die off, it’s abundantly clear that digital marketing is the dominant force in today’s commercial world.
The Needed Digital Marketing Skills for Success
It would be best if you had good technical skills and a healthy bit of practical knowledge to make your digital marketing campaigns a complete success. Experienced digital marketers should have some degree of proficiency in the following skills:
a) Affiliate marketing
b) Content creation
c) Creative problem solving
d) Email marketing
e) Marketing analytics
f) PPC advertising
g) Search engine optimization (SEO)
h) Social media marketing
i) Storytelling
j) Strategic planning
All About Digital Marketing Learning
If you’re interested in training in digital marketing, there are many free resources and paid courses to choose from. In addition, aspiring digital marketing professionals should acquire as many related skills as possible and pursue a digital marketing certification. Certification shows a future employer that you have completed a digital marketing course and are proficient in selected digital marketing disciplines.
Even if you have your own business and aren’t answerable to a boss, getting acquainted with digital marketing topics is a good idea because, inevitably, you’ll have to shoulder the responsibility of reaching the audience. We know that small business owners typically wear many hats!
Let’s look at some options for the digital marketing learning process.
Exploring Free Digital Marketing Courses and Resources
Whether you’re on a digital marketing consultant career path or just looking to upskill, there are plenty of resources, and some are completely free. Free courses and self-learning resources are cost-effective and a great way to wet your feet in the field.
Are Paid Digital Marketing Courses Worth It?
However, as the old saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” Paid courses offer more structure and accountability and typically have better resources and knowledgeable instructors to help you better understand content marketing topics.
You may wonder if it’s wise to pay for a course in digital marketing. But, as we’ve mentioned before, certification is a valuable resource that helps recruiters take note of your skill set and assures interviewers of your verified expertise in digital marketing skills.
If you plan on making digital marketing your career instead of picking up some digital marketing skills to flesh out your skill set, then yes, it’s worth pursuing a paid course to learn digital marketing.
What Does it Take to Pursue a Digital Marketing Career?
Here are some commonly accepted steps for becoming a digital marketing professional:
a) Get a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Consider including these subjects in your studies.
i) Business law
ii) Computer Science
iii) Economics
iv) Finance
v) Management
vi) Math
vii) Statistics
b) Acquire relevant digital marketing skills. You may naturally have some of these skills; others you will need to practice, acquire experience through real-life situations, or take courses.
i) Data analysis
ii) Communication
iii) Content writing
iv) Creativity
c) Consider bootcamps, certifications, and online courses to sharpen and expand your skill set.
d) Get an entry-level job in the field of digital marketing. This job could be in a position such as:
i) Marketing analyst
ii) Marketing coordinator
iii) Marketing specialist
e) Consider a Master’s degree. After you gain experience and have nailed down the basic skills, consider taking it to the next level with a Master’s degree in:
i) Digital Marketing Communication
ii) Digital Marketing and Design
iii) Digital and Social Marketing
iv) Digital Marketing Strategy
v) Global Digital Marketing
vi) Marketing Analytics
Conclusion: How to Learn Digital Marketing
As you can see, there are many resources and offerings for people who want a career in digital marketing or just want to increase their skillset and thus enhance their value at their current job. Whatever your motivation or experience level, UMass Amherst’s Digital Marketing Online Course provides a simple yet effective way to master digital learning.
In just six months, this comprehensive bootcamp will help you master skills in:
a) Digital Marketing
b) Search Engine Optimization
c) Search Engine Marketing
d) Social Media Marketing
e) Web Analytics
f) Email Marketing
g) Mobile Marketing
h) Conversion Optimization
According to Glassdoor.com, a digital marketing professional in the United States can earn an annual average of $86,839. So the demand is there; all you need is the training.
Visit Simplilearn today and get your digital marketing career off to a strong start.
