What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing is a broad term for all marketing done online, which means the opportunities for digital marketers are nearly endless. "Digital marketing is the practice of promoting products, services, or brands using digital channels such as websites, social media, search engines, email, and search ads," says JJ Coleman, a Digital Marketing Instructor at Noble Desktop, "It combines strategy, technology, and data to reach and engage audiences online, drive traffic, and generate conversions or sales." Digital Marketers typically help a company grow via digital channels, and they may work with email, social media, video, websites, blogs, and SEO to promote brands across the digital sphere. Digital Marketers combine tech and analytical skills in combination with a solid understanding of marketing to help companies advertise on these online platforms.
How to Learn Digital Marketing
Digital marketing bootcamp courses will teach you the skills you need quickly and efficiently so that you can go out and get a job. Some bootcamps specialize in specific types of digital marketing like growth marketing. You’ll leave bootcamp with a sharp resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn Profile. Most digital marketing bootcamps offer career counseling or services and some even provide mentorship. Digital marketing bootcamps can last anywhere from 5-24 weeks and cost $0 to $14,000. You might also consider getting relevant certifications such as Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification and Google Analytics.
Types of Digital Marketing Jobs
Digital Marketing combines tech and analytical skills to help companies grow via channels like social media, display advertising, email and newsletter marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing. The average salary of a digital marketer is $74,614. Digital Marketing isn’t going away anytime soon, so the job outlook is encouraging: the amount spent on digital marketing was approximately $522.5 billion dollars (U.S.) in 2021 and is expected to increase to 835.82 billion by 2026.
There are myriad job opportunities in Digital Marketing. Digital Marketers can work in-house for a company, advertising agency, or marketing firm, or they can work freelance. Most digital marketing jobs don’t require students to have a degree or certification but some prefer it.
Digital marketing bootcamp graduates can expect to secure job titles like:
- Digital Marketing/Manager
- Social Media Marketer
- Email Marketer
- Growth Marketer
- SEO Specialist
- Content Marketer
- Inbound Marketer
- Demand Generator
- Search Engine Marketer
What Does A Digital Marketer Do?
The Digital Marketer is expected to create and launch efficient, effective advertising strategies and materials for digital spaces to promote products or services. Digital Marketers may focus on increasing sales, brand loyalty, awareness, and traffic. Digital marketers need to understand e-commerce and the digital marketplace as well as the standards and regulations of the digital platforms they are advertising through. Technical abilities such as SEO, SMM, SEM, and digital design are necessary to be successful as a Digital Marketer.
Digital Marketers work with email, social media, video, and search engine optimization (SEO) to promote brands across the digital sphere. They use technologies, strategies, and concepts that can be learned at digital marketing bootcamp. Day-to-day tasks vary depending on the role and company, but Digital Marketers can expect to be working on a team, producing content, buying ads, and generating growth.
Adam works as a Marketing Associate in Paid Acquisition at Udemy after graduating from a growth marketing bootcamp. He says, “For the first three months, I was working in a pretty standard growth marketing role. I had a budget and channels and I acquired users. I later stepped up to A/B testing on the site. My role has since shifted to product engineering and design to build A/B tests for experiments to run on the site.”
What Kind Of Skills Do Digital Marketers Need?
There are many Digital Marketing specializations, but an all-around good marketer should master creativity, analytics, and technical tools. From there, they might go on to project management, account management, strategy, or client interactions. Digital Marketers also have the option of specializing in something like SEO, PPC, copywriting, or design. “The best Digital Marketer is creative but also cares enough about the analytics and the data behind that creativity,” explains Dave Boscom, VP of Marketing and Mentor at Springboard.
Hard Skills Required for Digital Marketing
Here are some of the technical tools and concepts Marketers need to know:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Email Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Cross Channel Advertising
- Concepts such as brand strategy, content and performance marketing, and analytics/reporting
Soft Skills Needed for a Digital Marketer
Don’t forget the importance of soft skills in a tech role. Employers look for people who have skills such as:
- Communication
- Interpersonal Skills
- Creativity
- Analytical Thinking
- Quick Learning
- Multitasking
Job Market and Salary Insights
The demand for Digital Marketers is on the rise as businesses use digital marketing to grow their profits and brand recognition and reach new customers via digital media such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. The overall employment rate of Digital Marketers is expected to grow 6% over the next decade, which is faster than the average for all occupations, with approximately 34,000 new Digital Marketing positions being created each year. The average yearly salary for a Digital Marketer is $74,614. While it is possible to get a Digital Marketing position without a degree, many employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in a business-related field. Other factors that contribute to the salary of a Digital Marketer include experience level, your skillset, and your location (positions in larger cities tend to pay more).
FAQ Section
Is digital marketing in demand?
Yes! Those with digital marketing skills are in demand, largely due to the expansion of new marketing technologies, such as social selling, AI, and content generation tools. Overall employment of Digital Marketers is expected to grow by 6% over the next ten years with about 34,000 new positions created every year. Plus, the tech landscape is continually evolving, requiring businesses to adapt their marketing strategies, which can lead to new and exciting digital marketing opportunities in the field (as long as you keep your skills up to date!).
Is digital marketing a good career?
If you’re looking for a career that combines creative and technical aspects, Digital Marketing may be a good career for you. In addition to the high demand, a career in Digital marketing provides a high salary, opportunities for growth, a variety of specialties to choose from, and flexibility. Consider beginning your Digital Marketing career with a digital marketing bootcamp to give you a solid foundation and build your skills.
