There are several ways in which one can become a Digital Marketer. Some Digital Marketers begin with traditional marketing roles and go on to specialize, but that’s not necessarily the way it has to be. Shocking right? But it is true, there is no specific background experience needed to be done for you to be a Digital Marketer; all you need is just a specific set of skills.

Many African freelancers transition into digital marketing from all kinds of different roles, including Copywriter, Webmaster, or even Influencer. So you might not be too far away from learning the skill. Having a skill is fantastic, even a graphic designer needs some basic skills to be at the top of their game. 

Depending on how much experience you have now, you may be able to acquire the skills you need to be a Digital Marketer in about 12 weeks. But it can take years to master many of the skills and techniques, especially the soft skills that can only be acquired through experience, such as leadership and communication. 

This article is to help you start on your most anticipated path to becoming a digital marketer. Let’s get right into it! 

What Digital Marketing Entails

Digital marketing involves using websites, applications, mobile phones, social media, search engines, and other digital systems and tools to promote and sell products and services to targeted customers. It uses many of the same principles as traditional marketing and is now viewed as an important way for businesses and brands to reach consumers and gather information about consumer behavior. 

Nowadays, most African businesses use both traditional and digital marketing strategies in their respective business strategies. What this means is that your desire to become a digital marketer is one that you might want to fan into flame; it is a highly demanded skill. Digital marketing gained popularity with the widespread internet adoption during the 1990s. Marketing is a general class of techniques and media used by firms to advance their goods and services to potential consumers and grow their market share. It requires a mix of advertisement and sales intelligence to succeed. 

These roles are performed by professional marketers either in-house at individual firms or externally at advertising agencies that may represent a dozen or more different clients. So you can work as a freelancer or as an agency. 

Previously, marketing was done through advertising in print, TV, and radio. Although those channels still exist, the internet opened up another way for companies to connect with consumers, which gave birth to digital marketing. 

Smartphones like the highly competitive iPhone and Samsung Android devices now make it easier for companies to showcase their products and services to consumers, no matter where those consumers may be. Latest research shows that online purchases have increased; there are lots of opportunities for you to choose online digital marketing. 

Steps to Become a Digital Marketer 

The basic knowledge for digital marketing doesn’t just fall like magic, it can be learnt. The expert digital marketer you admire also started from somewhere, a place where you currently are. So you might be asking, “How do I become a digital marketer?” We’ve got you covered with all that you need to know right here. 

Pick a Niche 

This is the very first step you need to know to become a digital marketer. The digital world is vast, and that means the marketing side would also be vast. There are aspects of digital marketing that you can pick from and begin to grow your specialization from there. 

The various Niches in digital marketing include: 

1. Search engine optimization (SEO).
2. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
3. Social media marketing.
4. Email marketing.
5. Content marketing.
6. Influencer marketing.

Get Foundational Marketing Knowledge 

To become a digital marketer, you’ll first need to build a firm understanding of digital advertising concepts and best practices. Educational blog posts, YouTube tutorials, Reddit threads, and other free resources available on the internet are excellent ways to build your foundational knowledge in digital marketing. 

For example, as a new content marketer, you may have to refresh data analytics skills with Google Analytics or another analytics tool. You can also sign up for courses and bootcamps; they have a way to help break down the content of the skill well. 

Learn About Digital Marketing Tools 

The more digital marketing tools you know, the faster you will be able to become a digital marketer. This comes before you start to think about the gadgets to use. Google Analytics and Google Ads, for example, which allow digital marketers to measure and monitor digital marketing campaigns and initiatives’ performance, are tools that you must learn to use. 

SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush are also highly important. They allow Marketers to search for pertinent keywords, view backlinks to the business website, and audit competitors’ SEO.

Familiarity with an email campaign tool like MailChimp or SendGrid is also a plus while you seek to become a digital marketer. This is in addition to knowing about customer relationship management (CRM) applications like Salesforce and Hubspot.

There are tools, dear freelancer, learn them! 

Build a Marketing Portfolio 

Before even learning how to ace that next interview, your portfolio is the first thing to work on as soon as you get the hang of the necessary skills in digital marketing. The strategic way to build a portfolio is to include real marketing projects and samples you can show potential employers.

Consider utilizing a PPC advertising channel, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, as a fantastic place to start because they provide immediate results that are easily measured. This will be an amazing learning experience for your digital marketing capability and show employers you understand digital marketing concepts.

Network and Make Connections 

This should not come as a surprise: establishing a wide network as a Digital Marketer begins online. In addition to having active social channels or blogs that showcase your skills, you may begin your industry-specific newsletter to display your original content, build thought leadership as a digital marketing expert, and release your work while developing your platform. 

Various networking events, both offline and online, are also available for digital marketers; all of these open additional possibilities to network in your newly founded career path. 

Final Thoughts 

Your online presence will be a significant part of your journey to becoming a digital marketer. You can also consider gaining expert knowledge of the world of digital marketing directly through networking, both offline and online. You can join communities like ours to help you connect with other industry experts.