What is digital marketing?
Digital Marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and other websites to connect with current and prospective customers.
Why choose a career in Digital Marketing?
With more and more consumers coming online, the companies are also looking to exploit this end. The amount of time we spend connected to our electronic devices increases every day. This has made digital marketing more important and impactful than ever before. Digital Marketing industry is growing with vast opportunities and increasing demand.
Types of Digital Marketing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
A search engine optimization includes many factors from keywords within your content to links to your website around the web. It includes both on-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO refers to the steps you take on your own website to boost your SEO. Off-page refers to the relationships you make and actions you take outside of your website to fuel SEO.
SEO trends change as algorithms change to fit user needs. In this way, SEO is never about building a website for the sole purpose of ranking high on a list results. At its core, SEO is about crafting the best possible website for your user. If you stay on top of SEO trends, you’re that much closer to more visibility online and traffic to your site.
Search Engine Marketing and pay-per-click
Search Engine Marketing or SEM covers the ground SEO ignores, paid traffic from search engines. With SEM you purchase advertisement space that appears on a user’s SERP. The most common paid search platform is Google AdWords. Next, is Bing Ads.
The search engine charges a marketer a predetermined amount to display an advertisement in a number of places on a SERP generated from specific keywords or phrases. One example of SEM is pay-per-click advertising or PPC. PPC refers to a digital marketing method wherein search engines charge a company each time their advertisement is clicked.
Social media platforms began adopting PPC advertising in recent months. These ads show up in the news feeds of a company’s target audience. This system is a great example of how the different types of digital marketing bleed into each other to form a complete digital marketing strategy. In this example, SEM overlaps with social media marketing.
By now you know that social media is a crucial part of your marketing strategy. But do you know the ins and outs of social media marketing? Social media marketing gives you increased exposure. It allows you to connect with your consumers in a more intimate way. From this interaction, you can gain valuable customer feedback that allows you to improve your customer service, product, or service.
Using social media marketing you’ll gain more reach when you post quality content. Everything you do to increase traffic or business on your social media channels is social media marketing. Whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or LinkedIn these efforts all amount to social media marketing.
Most everyone benefits from social media marketing, but B2C companies stand to gain the most. Pay attention to what your target audience talks about on social media. Engage in the conversation. Use social media marketing as a way to gauge what content you put out does well by monitoring shares and likes. Shares equate to free advertising for you.
Content Marketing
This term denotes the creation and promotion of content assets for the purpose of generating brand awareness, traffic growth, lead generation, and customers. Content marketing refers to the practice of delivering a quality piece of content to your users to generate sales and leads. This content can live anywhere online. Tweets, a YouTube video, and blogs on your website all comprise content marketing. Content Marketing works because it melds together exceptional content with other types of digital marketing like SEO and Social Media Marketing.
Keep your audience in mind as you create content. Remember who you’re talking to and what they’re interested in. This will dictate the subject of your content. Consider the language your audience uses when they search online for information. Use these keywords to boost your SEO.
Affiliate Marketing
This is a type of performance-based advertising where you receive commission for promoting someone else’s products or services on your website. Many bloggers or e-commerce websites use affiliate marketing.
When you choose to use affiliate marketing ensure that all of your terms and boundaries are discussed beforehand. The affiliate represents your brand, so you want them to carry your brand’s message close to them. Think about the kinds of words you want the affiliate to use. Of course, you need to make the deal work for the affiliate, too.
Email Marketing
Email marketing allows you to update your email subscribers on a regular basis about your company. This fosters a relationship unlike any of the other types of digital marketing. Your email updates provide value to your consumer. As a result, you build brand trust and brand loyalty.
The best email marketing campaigns involve a list of subscribers earned by your content and company, not paid for by your company. People who opt-in to your email subscription prove more likely to become active buyers.
How do I get a job in Digital Marketing?
There are many different paths to pursue a career in digital marketing.
You can go for a bachelors in Marketing and Masters in Digital Marketing before getting a job in digital marketing. You can also get an internship and then follow up with a master to build a career in digital marketing. There are also blogs and online courses that can help you build a promising career in digital marketing.
What skills do I need for digital marketing?
The most important skill for a career in digital marketing is imagination.
Creative imagination is required to come up with campaigns to reach possible consumers. Content writing skills are also important to communicate with consumers on a personal level. There are many aspects of digital marketing and you need different skills to make in your selected domain.
Do I need a degree in digital marketing?
You do not need a degree in digital marketing but with the increase in the popularity of the profession, we suggest you should. You can opt for internships and online courses but a master's in digital marketing will help kick start your career.The demand for digital marketing professionals is rising at it’s peak. If you are not a graduate still you can start your career in digital marketing.
You can even also start you career in digital marketing along with your graduation.
You can start working as a freelancer/ part time by providing your digital marketing
services which would help you to enhance your skills. You can also start your Internship/ Full Time job in digital marketing field along with your graduation which would help you to build your experience in digital marketing industry.
(Source: Educentre Nagaland)