These days it feels like every company has an amazing website, sends regular email blasts and pops up on your social media feed with targeted ads. All of this is part of a good digital marketing strategy. However, seeing so many companies succeed with digital marketing can make figuring out where to start feel intimidating.
Learning how to start digital marketing is not as overwhelming as it seems. With the right plan and an understanding of the basics, even a small business owner or an independent contractor can create their own digital marketing strategy and generate leads.
Table of Contents:
- Why Should You Start Digital Marketing?
- Build a Foundation For Success
- Create Real World Experience Through Internships & Freelancing
- How to Start Digital Marketing By Identifying a Lucrative Niche
- Tools To Start
- FAQs About How to Start Digital Marketing
- Conclusion
Why Should You Start Digital Marketing?
Before we talk about how to start digital marketing, let’s answer the question, “Why?” Aside from what I just mentioned, research shows that brands with documented content marketing strategies are roughly 3x more likely to report success in digital marketing. That means creating a real, measurable plan will get you closer to hitting your business goals.
This year, 667.6 billion dollars are expected to be spent on digital advertising worldwide – a 10.9% jump from 2023. With that much money being invested in the digital marketing industry, this growing field offers career opportunities for nearly everyone.
Whether your focus is getting more sales for your brick and mortar storefront or increasing sign-ups for your new online course, the vast world of digital marketing offers an incredible return on investment, especially when compared to traditional advertising. You will also learn a new set of valuable and transferable skills.
Build a Foundation For Success
So, how do you start digital marketing successfully?
As a digital marketing expert myself, I can tell you firsthand that there is no single formula to find instant success in digital marketing. However, having been in this business for over a decade, I have some observations about what contributes to consistently building a successful marketing campaign. I like to think of these things as essential ingredients.
1. Assess Your Digital Marketing Skill Set
Digital marketing is a big field encompassing many specialties like social media management. Some people spend years specializing in a single, narrow aspect of this wide field. This is where assessing your skills, and even just as important, your passions, comes into play.
Think about the tasks you really enjoy doing. Do you have a knack for understanding how search engines work, or are you obsessed with learning how to use SEO tools? Are you obsessed with creating fun, engaging posts for Facebook and Instagram? Perhaps creating eye-catching logos and crafting concise marketing slogans come easily to you? Each of these skills relates to different aspects of digital marketing.
| Skill | Digital Marketing Area | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Analyzing Search Terms & Ranking Factors | Search Engine Optimization | This area of digital marketing helps companies organically improve the amount of traffic going to their website from search results. |
| Crafting Catchy Headlines and Engaging Body Copy | Content Marketing/Copywriting | This skill focuses on writing different types of content such as articles, website copy, and email sequences meant to inform or persuade readers. |
| Creating Compelling Visuals and Concise Marketing Slogans | Brand and Logo Design | Professionals in this area blend visual communication skills with marketing savvy. They might be tasked to design websites, brochures, logos, or even merch. |
While understanding different types of digital marketing is good, your journey to figuring out how to start digital marketing begins by determining the marketing aspect you are best at, or enjoy learning about the most. From there, you can begin creating a solid plan.
2. How To Choose Your Niche
Focusing on a smaller area, at least at first, will keep your task list manageable. Also, most marketing skills are transferable, so branching out will become a more organic process. It can also help prevent burnout, a very real concern when starting a new venture.
3. Formal Education or Independent Learning?
Knowing which digital marketing skills are most beneficial will help you assess what types of training or digital marketing programs you should invest your time and energy (and probably money) in. Luckily, you have options.
These days there is an almost overwhelming number of digital marketing educational opportunities. Everything from intense 18-week digital marketing boot camps, multi-year programs at colleges and universities as well as independent study plans for those looking to specifically target certain digital marketing skills. There is sure to be a solution out there for everyone. Each offers different learning environments and investment levels, making independent learning a great first step.
Don’t underestimate the impact self-directed learning can have. Some of the biggest names in digital marketing are self-taught and learned their craft using this exact approach. Creating your own marketing blog where you practice digital marketing skills as you are learning them not only gives you real-life experience but gives potential clients a way to assess your skill.
Create Real World Experience Through Internships & Freelancing
Another thing that makes learning how to start digital marketing successfully tricky is this: you need to gain experience working with clients, but you can’t do that unless they hire you.
Don’t get discouraged. There are two excellent options for gaining that experience and learning how to manage social media for a business:
Internships
Although the idea of an internship might feel a bit outdated, it’s a tried and true method that offers aspiring digital marketers an invaluable way to refine their marketing skills, gain experience with different marketing tools, build out their marketing portfolio and forge professional connections. Don’t discount the importance of finding a mentor. The insights a mentor can share about things like how to conduct themselves during meetings, build trust with new clients or set reasonable deadlines and boundaries can drastically shorten your learning curve.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you are an intern. You don’t need to pretend like you know everything. Remember, as an intern, the people you work with don’t expect you to know how to start digital marketing on a large scale, but by taking initiative and applying yourself, you are showing them (and proving to yourself) that you are serious about this career. These people you will work with are the beginnings of your network, so building rapport now, while they are investing their time in teaching you, could easily result in a job offer or even project referrals later on.
Freelancing
Although the accessibility of the internet makes it incredibly easy to learn how to start digital marketing independently, actually attracting and obtaining freelance marketing gigs has an equally challenging learning curve. Building out your professional digital marketing resume through working with clients (as a freelancer or through internships) showcases this valuable experience to future clients, helping you build rapport and get jobs.
Although platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr allow beginners with little experience to find jobs, it often results in working for pennies. Resist the urge to undervalue yourself. Remember, in any professional industry you get what you pay for and working with someone willing to charge rock-bottom prices to handle potentially complicated work is a risky business decision.
In fact, requiring higher pay often dissuades less-than-serious business owners or entrepreneurs, making it less likely for clients who haven’t thought their business plans through enough to contact you. Also, by joining well-known social media platforms for professionals (LinkedIn) or attending online or in-person digital marketing meetups and conferences puts you in the position of becoming seen as someone in the know. You can begin to develop customer relationships, build your brand, and learn more about search engine optimization.
Building connections and showcasing your marketing expertise with colleagues can lead to unforeseen collaborations or even partnerships with like-minded professionals. It will also help you find out if a marketing job or a marketing agency is the right fit for you. You may even decide that a digital marketing job or starting a digital marketing agency is the path you want to pursue.
How to Start Digital Marketing By Identifying a Lucrative Niche
Because digital marketing changes so rapidly, and job openings are expected to grow at an above-average rate, a whopping 7% increase by 2029 (compare that to a mere 4% in other job sectors.), it is important to have a plan.
So how do you start digital marketing when there are so many potential opportunities?
According to CareerOneStop, the number of jobs for marketing strategists is projected to grow 26% by 2026. Couple that with recent wage data showing that the median pay for digital marketing specialists was $72,750, there is an enormous amount of money to be made. There are many digital marketing jobs available.
Think about choosing your niche the way an entrepreneur assesses what type of company to build: they focus on fulfilling a specific need. Think about areas in your life where your interest consistently leads you to seek information and resources online. There is no doubt that your personal network likely contains people just like you who share those same passions.
Tools To Start
Learning how to start digital marketing successfully means learning how to leverage powerful tools that help you quickly complete mundane tasks so you can better focus your energy and attention on those things you do best – the creative stuff. Some tools such as Google Looker Studio even help visualize campaign successes, track your progress and give you information that allows you to make changes in real-time to continually improve and refine your campaigns. Here are just some of the tools digital marketing professionals use to simplify their workload and ensure they are spending more time focusing on high-impact tasks.
| Type | Platform Name | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Analytics and Research | Semrush | Semrush is an all-in-one tool that provides insights to help you make data-driven marketing decisions. |
| Free Reporting and Data Analysis Tool | Google Looker Studio | This is an amazing free tool by Google that seamlessly works with other Google products like Google Analytics to gather website traffic information. The results can then be created into custom reports with visually appealing interactive charts and graphs. |
| Digital Marketing Project Management Tool | Hootsuite | Hootsuite not only provides tools that help schedule social media content across several social media platforms, but it is designed to help teams more efficiently collaborate. Imagine your content calendar, approvals, performance analysis, all stored and displayed on a centralized, easy-to-understand dashboard. |
While these are just some of the digital marketing tools out there, these represent good foundational examples. Keep in mind that these are just tools, using them alone will not magically result in success. They merely speed up those behind the scenes, repetitive and mundane (but necessary.) marketing tasks, giving you back more time for big-picture thinking and planning.
FAQs About How to Start Digital Marketing
How Do I Begin in Digital Marketing?
Begin by familiarizing yourself with various digital marketing avenues. Discover your niche by choosing one area to specialize in, such as search engine optimization or social media marketing. Cultivate your skills through courses, webinars, or books. As your abilities grow, consider offering your services on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. And remember, consistently applying your knowledge is key – get started.
Can I Start Digital Marketing On My Own?
Yes, you can kickstart your digital marketing journey independently. A great way to get started is by offering your services on freelance platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork. These platforms provide opportunities for hands-on experience, building your skills, and acquiring positive reviews along the way. Don’t underestimate the power of applying your expertise. Dive right in and witness the growth firsthand.
How Do Beginners Learn Digital Marketing?
Beginners can embrace various methods to learn digital marketing effectively. Online platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and Google Digital Garage offer an array of courses to learn at your own pace. Supplementing this with hands-on experience, either through internships or freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, can solidify understanding. Remember, knowledge is most potent when applied. Start creating content, experiment with social media strategies, and witness the impact.
Is Digital Marketing Easy to Start?
While diving into digital marketing offers a relatively accessible entry point, especially considering that starting doesn’t require substantial upfront investments. Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight. Embracing a consistent learning mindset and continuous improvement are crucial elements. Challenges will emerge, yet it’s through tackling those hurdles that true marketing proficiency emerges.
Conclusion
You may feel intimidated or even scared at first as you are thinking about how to start digital marketing but once you have successfully brought a new client onboard using your specific marketing skillset, that fear melts away to excitement and enthusiasm. Keep in mind, you are using this newfound knowledge to solve real problems and fulfill an urgent need your clients have. By helping these clients succeed through your dedication to continuous learning and marketing mastery, you are not only establishing yourself as the “go-to” person, but creating an income stream with practically unlimited earning potential that provides stability, freedom, and hopefully fun, for years to come.
