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How to Start a Career in Digital Marketing – The Ultimate Guide
digital marketing career

by | Updated Jan 7, 2023 | Digital Marketing | 5 comments

Promising and lucrative, are the words I will use to have a digital marketing career these days.

Yeah, I mean it. Above all, do you know that digital marketing is a fast-growing industry? More in need of experts with evolving new skill sets.

It is one of the most challenging, exciting, fast-paced industry. And this is the right time to build a career in digital marketing.

In my experience, Digital Marketing has challenges and rewards, including a potentially lucrative income.

The demand for skilled expertise is at its peak while there’s a great shortage of experienced professionals. 

“Digital Marketers are a unique group of highly skilled people. They need to possess “the ability to listen. The ability to influence. Change skills. An open mind. Curiosity. Those are some of the key attributes that marketers’ need to have”

Now, I guess you have plans to consider digital marketing as the career. 

Let me say. You have made the right choice.

To make the scenario more clear. Let me say two things.

One, you can enter digital marketing already having skills in other areas of work.

Two, you are a fresh college graduate. A fresher I mean.

Now, You may think when to join? I would say, today is the right time.

So, don’t step back. Or revert your choice.

Before digital marketing career, let me explain what is digital marketing to you.

What is digital marketing?

You may already know traditional marketing. Right?

Traditional marketing is any forms of promoting, advertising or campaigning. Through the following means,

  • Through Newspapers
  • Using Flyers
  • Through Radio
  • Through Television
  • With Billboard advertising on roads and highways and
  • Magazine Ads

What if all the above done online? Using the internet and through digital devices.

You must have seen. Ads banners that pop every time you open a webpage. Videos that play on your page without your prompting. Gifs, interactive graphical ads etc.

So digital marketing is nothing but the use below cases to market your products or services using the internet.

  • Business networking sites like LinkedIn
  • Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
  • Email Marketing
  • Paid pop-up ads
  • Blogs
  • Click-baiting URLs for viral content marketing etc.

Thus, digital marketing is done with the help of the internet. Through all internet-enabled and digital devices.  

Included in digital marketing are also,

  • Short Message Service (SMS),
  • Simple Notification Service (SNS),
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO),
  • Electronic or Interactive billboards and
  • Other online ads (such as Banner ads) to promote your products and services.

Marketing online has a wider reach. For this reason, digital marketing is more effective.

 

Why Is Digital Marketing important?

Digital Marketing is more significant because it is not only a rapidly growing force in the current marketing playing field.

Also, it is set to be the future of marketing, and it seems possible that digital media will quickly replace more traditional forms altogether.

The presence of the internet has brought in several online digital marketing techniques that help business.

With the change and growth of modern technologies, small and medium businesses are doing everything they can to keep up, which can be said true for the rest of human society.

Digital Marketing makes sales through the internet. It is finding your right target market on the internet, reading them, proposing value by communication and generating the business on the internet.

Most of the marketers using Digital Marketing because it is more relevance, cost effectiveness, high measurability, personalization, scalability, the scope for higher engagement, level playing field.

The Scope Of Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is today’s most proficient skill.

You Know? there are more than 2 lakh jobs in the Digital Marketing domain (till 2017) in India.

Many business owners are ready to build a digital marketing team to promote their services.

Furthermore, digital marketing is expected to create more than 2 million jobs by the year 2020. Therefore, the future of digital marketing career is quite promising.

Be it is a corporate or start-up, all the businesses are investing massively in digital marketing activities.

Along, all these businesses look out for candidates to develop and implement digital marketing strategies that are in line with their business needs.

Growth Prospects in Digital Marketing

Your creative abilities will land in the right digital marketing career. The common goals of growth and progress in companies are fueled by digital marketing.

You can expect definite growth in the field of digital marketing. You know digital marketing is undergoing innovation every day. And this gives opportunities for new business ventures.

Let me boost your confidence by pointing out some vitals of this industry,

  • This field will never become stagnant. As there is so much competition. And you are always expected to perform better. For which you need to keep exploring.
  • There is a lot of space for hit and trial method. So there is ample room to innovate new methods. And achieve the desired result.
  • The arena in this field is so versatile. And so is the salary growth prospects. These are positive indicators.

Career Opportunities In Digital Marketing

The world is becoming more digitized. The scope of Digital Marketing in India is flourishing today.

It is making a powerful impact in the world of Marketing and Advertising with excellent features like cost-effectiveness, flexibility, convenience, effectiveness.

Particularly, the start-ups prefer going digital to market their brand, products, and services.

You have many career roles in digital marketing. You can pick from one below,

  • Digital Marketing Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • SEO Executive Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • Content Marketing Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • Inbound Marketing Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • Social Media Marketing Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • Search Engine Marketing Consultant, Executive, Manager
  • Conversion Rate Optimizer
  • Email Marketer
  • Content Writer
  • Web Analytics Executive
Career Opportunities

Digital Marketing Career Salary

Your Digital Marketing salary in India differs from other nations. According to Payscale.com survey, the average pay for a Digital Marketing Manager is INR 4,12,492 per annum in India.

The pay scale of Digital Marketing profession is based on your skill sets, experience, proven results, company bandwidth, and ROI.

payscale

 

Let’s take an in-depth look at Digital Marketing Career Salaries

Digital Marketing Executive: Once you enter the industry as a fresher you are required to join in as a Digital Marketing Executive or an SEO Executive, SMM Executive, SEM Executive and so on.

At the base level, you might do tasks that are going to include analyzing, testing and researching. Digital Marketing Executive salary is going to be around ₹1,50,000 to ₹2,10,000 in a year.

Digital Marketing Manager (Team Leader): Within a few years that should be around 3 to 4 lakhs per annum.

Depending on what you learn from this field you are going to become a digital marketing manager or a team leader for SEO or SMO.

To mention in figures, Digital Marketing Manager average Salary in India is around ₹3,70,000 to ₹4,08,000 in a year.

Digital Marketing Analyst: Organizations that focus on SEO, SEM, and SMM would surely need skilled analysts.

Salary of  Digital Marketing analyst can be ₹4,70,000 to ₹6,08,000 per annum depending on the company requirements.

Digital Marketing Head: This is the senior most profile in this domain. And it only exists in organizations where there is a need for in-depth marketing strategies and campaigns.

Head of Digital marketing is going to be responsible for the overall marketing function.

Digital Marketing Salary for a Head is going to be around ₹6,75,000 on an average per annum.

Let’s discuss how to start a career in digital marketing.

Preparing yourself for Digital Marketing interview? know the most frequently asked digital marketing interview questions

13 Tips You Can Do Right Now To Start A Digital Marketing Career

Create An Online Presence

Nowadays, when it comes to landing a job in any field, you should not exist without an online presence.

For obvious reasons: a prospective employer(digital marketing team leader or manager or head) will look online first to learn about applicants, and if they find you, you will lead the shortlist process.

Create your own digital marketing blog, social media presence with links to your portfolios and case studies to demonstrate what your capabilities are.

Build your LinkedIn profile:

LinkedIn is a professional community where you can connect with and learn from experts, as well as stay up-to-date with the latest news. Having an updated Linkedin profile will also show your expertise to the potential employers.

Know The Latest Trends

Digital Marketing is a career that is regularly on the move and continually evolving.

Whether you are starting out your career or a seasoned professional, you have to stay updated with the latest trends in Digital Marketing.

As the leading players such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter always tweak their algorithms, you are in for a wild ride if you don’t have on top of the latest changes.

Also, websites such as Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, Marketing Land, Econsultancy, eMarketer, HubSpot, and Social Media Today are great resources to stay updated in the industry.

You can sign up for a daily/weekly newsletter of any of these websites.

Moreover, you may attend virtual seminars, take some online classes, and do your best to stay ahead of the game.

Use Your Creativity

Digital Marketing allows you to utilize creative abilities in a variety of ways. Some methods and systems are standardized for specific applications.

However, you can always add your personal flair to projects, making them more creative and unique.

Digital Marketing is creative. The more creative you are, the more probable it is that you will be regarded and get that dream of your digital marketing job.

Create A Winning Resume

Before you start applying for the digital marketing jobs, make sure to create a dynamic resume that shows precisely how valuable your skills are.

There are different types of resumes, and you should not limit yourself to just one, especially when you for an innovative industry.

Start A Blog

Blogging is a great way to determine your expertise and assist you in learning by doing.

Blogging demonstrates your commitment and skills to potential employers as well.

I’ve regularly asked in interviews: What are your skill sets, latest updates, industry news, portfolio, the case study of existing projects, etc.

To answer a blog is an excellent way to show your expertise, experience and win the interview.

Learn About Analytics

To know how good your marketing campaigns are, you have to understand analytics.

Data determines how well a campaign is performing and helps you to find how to make things better.

There are many online classes you may attend. And that will assist you to know how analytics work, and how to use them.

Learn The Terminology

Digital Marketers should be comfortable with digital marketing glossaries, terminologies, and acronyms.

For example, SERP, Organic results, CTA, CPC, etc.

If you have known some distinctive terms and having any misunderstanding about them, it’s a clear sign that you have a beginner’s skill set and need some additional training.

The ability to analyze digital marketing campaigns and know that elements worked or not is reliant on your ability to understand industry jargon.

Work On Personal Projects

It is essential to try out new ideas on your own.

As a digital marketer, you must be creative enough and come up with individual projects to test out some of the theories advanced.

Personal projects in digital marketing industry could focus on many topics including pay-per-click (PPC), content marketing, Email marketing, social media, and SEO.

When handling such useful projects, you must also be able to take complete responsibility for the overall success or failure of your projects.

Individual projects prepare your mind up to new ideas. Such ideas can be shared even with others to help understand the latest trends in the industry.

It may also be used as an advantage mileage over other digital marketers to increase your ability and allows you to build a personal brand.

Who knows, even your personal project can make you recognized personality in the industry and get a better career in digital marketing.

In fact, In my early career stage, I started this website in the year 2006 as my personal website and its turned as my full-time career nowadays.

So, Why not your personal project can help to build a career in digital marketing?

Always Be Willing To Learn

The digital economy is growing much faster than the traditional economy, and the digital marketing industry has been rapidly developing a challenging and competitive field.

In fact, it is easy for companies and businesses in general to prove the difference between individuals who seem excited and eager to learn and those who just need to go with the flow.

Always remember, the digital marketing industry requires people who feel passionate about marketing and want to make a promising career.

Get Out There And Network

Surround yourself with people more skilled in Digital Marketing.

It is important to connect with some real people who are works in the digital marketing.

Along, keep growing your digital marketing contacts network to get opportunities on career development and learning from their experiences. 

Moreover, enhance your skill set by in-depth workshops and presentations. You can attend industry meetups, webinars, and Digital Marketing Conferences to build relationships with other digital marketers.

Get Trusted Certification

If you decided digital marketing as your career, definitely you should get possible digital marketing certifications.

Professionals with certifications are given priority in the shortlist process. So, earning digital marketing certifications can keep you stand out in the crowd.

Also, having specialization in a particular area will surely make your CV stand out from other professionals.

Digital Marketing certifications equip you with the precise knowledge and understanding of the part of learning and introduce a level of proficiency in you.

Find Out What Your Strengths Are

It used to know which aspects of Digital Marketing you are best in this field.

Once you know what you are good at, explore those qualities. Try to implement these tips to help ease you into the industry. This also will assist you to get a career in digital marketing.

There are growing opportunities out there for skilled Digital Marketers; it’s just a matter of finding the right one for you.

For example, if you are a chatterbox and interested in community participation, you may plan your career in Social Media Marketing.

Else, if you are a born writer, or extremely good at writing and creative brainstorming, you can wear the Content Marketing hat.

Decide On Agency vs. Industry

There are two main career paths when it comes to digital marketing.

You can be an in-house digital marketer (working in a specific industry), or you can also serve for an agency and handle multiple projects. That’s not to say you cannot switch later on but deciding where you would like to focus can provide you a good head start.

Apart from all these things, its mandate to have skills including communication, analytics and of course a good taste of common sense. Hence, these unique skills will shape your digital marketing career gloriously.

Conclusion

Digital Marketing has a flourishing future! It does not only provide you with an individual identity but also benefits you to grow professionally.

I hope my blog post will be helpful for people who are looking to start their career in Digital Marketing.

All The Very Best👍

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About the Author

Punith Alex

Punith Alex is a professional Digital Marketing Consultant and Blogger. As a consultant, he works with businesses to generate leads, sales, and achieve business objectives.

5 Comments

  1. Ritika Goswami

    Such a good kind of information really helpful thank you for it keep sharing

    Reply
  2. Global Digital Ad Agency

    Thank You for the Informative Article
    As the world is going digital, all the businesses are also coming on digital field and following Digital ways of Marketing. This is creating a big careers for everyone in Digital Marketing Industry

    Reply
  3. Arnav Sharma

    I have ever seen such a clear explanation of digital marketing and carrier in this field. I have been following the articles of Entercerebrum since 2015 and this article suddenly geared up me. Thank You.

    Reply
  4. Esther

    “Digital Marketing Manager is INR 4,12,492 per annum in India” sounds very less 🙁

    Reply
    • Punith Alex

      I believe the data is true when we look from avg. perspective. Along when it comes to counting, Small business are more comparing to corporate organizations.

      Reply

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