It is totally possible to change to a career as a Digital Marketer from an unrelated career. If you enjoy working with computers and interacting with people, you could become a Digital Marketer. You will need to acquire some new skills, create a website, do some networking, and apply for some jobs.
Build Digital Marketing Skills
The way to get a digital marketing job is to gain digital marketing skills. If you can demonstrate that you know what you are doing, many companies will give you a chance even if you are coming to digital marketing from an unrelated career. Here is a list of some common digital marketing skills:
- Content creation and marketing - Copywriters author blog posts, product descriptions, emails, website copy, scripts, reports, or eBooks to promote goods and services for clients. If you like to write or know how to edit videos, content creation may be a good choice for you.
- SEO and Website Optimization - Web Optimization Specialists use SEO to drive both visibility and rankings for a business, product, or brand. This involves examining the structure of the website, the success of the chosen keywords, and the quality of the links to content on a site. To learn SEO you will need to understand keywords, website structure, and data analysis tools.
- Social Media Savvy - Social media marketing is an important part of the digital marketing landscape and the best part is you can learn it for free. Join some platforms and experiment with attracting followers and building a community.
- Paid and Unpaid Advertising - There are two ways to advertise on social media: buying ads and gaining followers. Research how to create paid ads and how much it would cost, and continue to work with social media to create organic or unpaid advertising.
- Data Analysis - Data Analysts use tools to help businesses understand how their brand, product, or business is performing on the internet. One of these tools is Google Analytics, a powerful free tool within the Google Marketing studio platform that collects and tracks user data, compiles it into useful reports, and provides valuable insights to improve a website or app’s performance. You can earn a certificate in Google Analytics that you can post on your website.
- Email Marketing - Email lists are a powerful method of establishing and maintaining contact with customers. Learn how email service providers work and the best practices for email marketing.
Watch Videos
How do you learn these important digital marketing skills? One way is to start with free tutorials. There are many free video tutorials available on digital marketing that you can watch to get an idea of which aspects of digital marketing interest you the most. Noble Desktop offers a series of free seminars on digital marketing for beginners. You can learn about search engine optimization, Google Ads, Google Analytics, email marketing, and social media marketing in these free online introductory courses.
Take Classes
Once you have decided to pursue a new career as a Digital Marketer, paid classes are the best way to learn these skills. Noble Desktop offers a digital marketing course that includes classes on Digital Marketing Strategies, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing, Google Ads, and Google Analytics. Participants will learn to develop, execute, and measure marketing strategies using various tools and metrics. Students will work with each tool to launch campaigns across Google Ads and social media channels, analyze web data with Google Analytics, and learn about other key digital marketing strategies. This course is great for individuals looking to start a career in digital marketing, entrepreneurs looking to start a business and leverage digital marketing, or business owners looking to grow a business using digital marketing techniques. This program also includes a free retake so students can come back to refresh the material.
You can take classes in-person or live online from anywhere in the world. Live online classes have a set-up similar to in-person instruction, with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and has the ability to share your screen to show you how to do things. You get the same level of attention as in in-person classes. When you complete the course, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion licensed by the New York State Department of Education.
Other options for certificate classes include Thinkful’s full-time Digital Marketing Immersion, Jelly Academy’s six-week Digital Marketing Course, and BrainStation’s Digital Marketing Course. These courses are all available online. To find out more about digital marketing classes, go to Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me site.
Create a Website
One of the best ways to get started in digital marketing is to create a website and some social media accounts. You can learn a lot on your own and by following tutorials, reading blogs, and listening to podcasts. A great place to practice your digital marketing skills is to create a website for yourself and use it to test out different techniques. A website of your own gives you a chance to work on content marketing skills, explore the ins and outs of paid and unpaid advertising, and figure out search engine optimization and how to make it work for you.
Create some social media accounts and learn how they work. Start an Instagram account and begin creating content. See what resonates, what people respond to, and what flops. Create a YouTube account and practice making videos. You’ll learn more about video marketing by actually working on recording and editing videos than you will by studying it in a book. This might feel difficult at first, but as you learn the ropes, it will become easier and you will enjoy it more.
Find Clients
Once you have established some skills, you will need to practice before applying for digital marketing jobs. One way to do this is to help friends with websites and apps. Many people know they need to establish an online presence, but they have no idea how to go about it. This is a great opportunity for you to polish your skills and help a friend in the process.
Another way to find your first clients is to approach local small businesses. They are often too busy to put in time on digital marketing and are more than pleased to have the help. Satisfied small business owners are also happy to recommend you to other people.
Apply for Jobs
When you have several years of experience, you can start to apply for jobs on job boards like Indeed, where you will find many jobs for Digital Marketers advertised. Once you make an account and set filters, job announcements will be emailed to you. There are many kinds of jobs posted, and Indeed also has a quick apply feature that allows you to upload a resume and link to your portfolio.
Before you start applying for digital marketing jobs, you will need to create a portfolio of your work on your website. Create a portfolio that shows your passions, your goals, and what your dream job would be. Include a video if you can.
Add a downloadable PDF version of your resume to your portfolio site. While some people say that resumes are passé, large companies still use them, and adding one to your portfolio means that you can update it whenever you need to.
Networking
Another important step when you are looking for work as a Digital Marketer is to establish a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a social media platform designed for businesses and professionals. There is a job recruiting section where you can apply for as many jobs as you want with no service fees. After you complete your LinkedIn profile, you can use the quick apply feature. LinkedIn makes it easy to research companies, too.
Advertise as a Freelancer
After a few gratis marketing campaigns, you will be ready to start working for pay. A great way to do this is by advertising on a freelance website like Upwork and Fiverr. You will either bid for jobs or set a price, which can be a bit intimidating at first. Stick with it. It takes time to build up a freelance clientele.
Conclusion
If you want to learn more about digital marketing careers, check out Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Certificate or Social Media Marketing Certificate. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other courses in digital marketing in your area.