Digital Marketer Career Path

A career as a Digital Marketer offers chances for advancement and good earning opportunities. After the first few years, you can specialize in different aspects of digital marketing like social media or SEO, or become a manager or consultant. Internships and freelancing are common ways to get started in digital marketing.

Getting Started

If you are interested in exploring a career in digital marketing, talk to some people who work as Digital Marketers. You may have friends who work in the field or friends of friends. Another way to find out what Digital Marketers do is to watch YouTube videos describing a day in the life of a Digital Marketer. Check your local library or community college for free career classes. There are also blogs, podcasts, and books about working as a Digital Marketer. 

Once you get an idea of what digital marketing is, give it a try for yourself. Start a website or YouTube channel and start marketing your own content on social media. Learn how to use tools like Google Analytics to gauge how your content is performing. This experience will be useful when you start applying for Digital Marketer jobs and need to put together a portfolio.

Do I Need a Degree to Become a Digital Marketer?

Some companies list a college degree as a requirement when advertising digital marketing jobs, but many do not. When it comes to degrees for a career in digital marketing, your chosen major will depend on what you want to do with it.

Many people interested in working as Digital Marketers choose to study advertising or business in college, but there are other ways to go, too. English and psychology are popular majors for people interested in content marketing and social media marketing. Computer science and information technology are also common majors for people who want to focus on the data aspects of digital marketing. If you are interested in eventually working as a Digital Marketing Manager, consider an MBA after your bachelor’s degree.

While some ads specifically state a degree requirement, others don’t mention it at all. These employers are more interested in what tools applicants can use and what experience they have. You can get a job as a Digital Marketer with a certificate from a training program. Digital marketing bootcamps and certification programs take two to six months to complete, which is much less than four years for a bachelor’s degree. These classes cover SEO and web optimization, data analytics, paid and unpaid advertising, social media marketing, as well as content and email marketing. You can choose to attend college to begin a career in digital marketing, but it is possible to get hired without one.

Read more about if you need a degree to become a Digital Marketer.

Internships

One advantage of studying digital marketing in college or a certification training program is access to internships. These are similar to jobs except that the positions are temporary and designed for people who don’t have any job experience. Internships give a chance to build job skills like managing a social media campaign or running analytics under close supervision. Another advantage of a digital marketing internship is the opportunity to explore different aspects of digital marketing. 

As an intern, you can try out social media marketing, explore content management, or gain experience with data analysis. This is helpful when you begin to look for your first entry-level job as a Digital Marketer. Internships sometimes lead to full-time employment and sometimes not, but they give you experience that helps you get an entry-level job as a Digital Marketer. Some internships are paid and others aren’t. The average yearly salary for digital marketing internships in the U.S. is $28,000. 

Entry-Level Digital Marketer Jobs

Once you have your degree or certification, it’s time to look for your first job as a Digital Marketer. Entry-level positions are similar to internships. You will be expected to know something about digital marketing, but not have any job experience. You will be closely supervised and participate in a team that will help you learn company practices.

Entry-level Digital Marketers have job titles like Digital Marketer, Digital Marketing Specialist, or Junior Digital Marketer. The average US yearly base salary for Digital Marketers with 0 -1 year of experience is about $50,000. This figure does not include benefits like retirement and healthcare and will be different depending on where you live.

Mid-Level Digital Marketer Jobs

With a few years of experience, you will be eligible for mid-level Digital Marketer jobs. By this point, most people have figured out what they like most about digital marketing and are ready to specialize. Some of the job titles for mid-level Digital Marketers are Marketing Data Analyst, SEO/Web Optimization Specialist, Social Media Marketer, or Content Marketer. The annual base salary for Digital Marketers with 2-3 years of experience is approximately $55,000. At 4-6 years, the figure goes up to $59,000. 

Senior Digital Marketer Jobs

By the time you have been working as a Digital Marketer for ten or more years, you will probably be ready to move in a couple of directions. People interested in leadership can move into a job as a Digital Marketing Manager. This would involve supervising employees in addition to working as a Digital Marketer. Another career path is as a Senior Digital Marketer responsible for major portions of campaigns. Senior Digital Marketers earn about $61,000 a year as a base salary.

Another possibility for an experienced Digital Marketer is going into business as a consultant. Consultants are hired by companies to organize their digital marketing departments or run campaigns on contract. Being self-employed means paying more attention to the details of running a business but many people like the freedom.

Another Path: Freelancing

Some people start their digital marketing career as freelancers. One advantage of freelancing is independence: you decide on your own schedule, rates, and work environment. If you want to travel or live in a foreign country for a while, freelancing is a good way to do that. You can also keep a flexible schedule and wear what you want instead of dressing for an office. You can take time off when you want and choose the jobs you prefer.

As a freelance Digital Marketer, you are responsible for your own career. You need to find work, and there isn’t any job security. Freelancing is competitive, and it can be difficult to stand out from everyone else. Working by yourself can also be lonely, but some people prefer it. You can make a profile on sites like Upwork and Fiverr to get started as a freelance Digital Marketer. 

How Do I Find A Digital Marketer Job?

If you want to change careers and become a Digital Marketer, a good way to start 

is to create a website and open some social media accounts. You can learn a lot on your own by watching tutorials, reading blogs, and listening to podcasts. Your website is a good place to practice digital marketing skills and test different techniques. A website of your own allows you to work on other skills and is also an excellent place to put your portfolio.

Social media is another way to learn about digital marketing. Open an Instagram account and post some content. See how people respond, both positively and negatively. If you want to learn to make videos, open a YouTube or TikTok account. Many companies prefer to hire influencers who have made a name for themselves.

Many people find jobs listed on employment websites like Indeed and Glassdoor or social media platforms like LinkedIn. Others find internships through college or training programs. Networking is another successful way to find out about digital marketing jobs.

Learn the Skills to Become a Digital Marketer at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers many digital marketing courses that teach skills to help you switch to a career in digital marketing. Small class sizes and expert instructors help you learn digital marketing in in-person or live online classes. Plus, you can take a course over again for free at any time during the following year. 

Noble Desktop offers many bootcamps in digital marketing like Facebook Marketing, email marketing, Social Media Content Marketing: Blogs & Twitter, and Video Marketing: TikTok & YouTube. You can also choose the Digital Marketing Certificate or a Social Media Marketing Certificate course. Other Noble Desktop resources that can help prepare for a career in digital marketing include the digital marketing blog with valuable articles about social media marketing, SEO, and other essential tools for digital marketers.

Key Takeaways

• Digital Marketers use the internet to promote goods and services.
• Digital Marketer is a good career for people who are looking for
• A good salary
• Job security
• The ability to use their creativity,
• The opportunity to specialize in a particular area, 
• A chance to acquire new skills
• The opportunity to advance
• Some common Digital Marketer job titles are
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Junior Marketer
• Senior Marketer
• Digital Marketing Manager
• SEO/Web Optimization Specialist
• Marketing Data Analyst
• Content Marketer
• Freelancing is another way to get started in digital marketing.
• You can receive comprehensive training to become a Digital Marketer through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.