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  You love the digital space and are at home when you’re exploring its many facets. So it’s a no-brainer that a career in digital marketing would be perfect for you. But you’re probably wondering how to become a digital marketer; what exactly should you do to launch a practice in that area?
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You’re right to be concerned about the details. If you’re going to strike gold in the digital world, you’ll need to be skilled at targeting audiences and delivering the content they want. Here’s cheery news: this article has got you covered. We’ll reveal what it takes to hit it out of the park as a digital marketer and the steps you must take to succeed.

What Does a Digital Marketer Do?

In simple terms, a digital marketer uses digital channels to connect with potential customers and promote brands to them. People who fill this role usually handle a combination of tasks, including the production and publication of digital content, and its distribution across several platforms; putting them in front of a large audience (organically or through paid ads); and monitoring the performance of such content.

What Skills Should a Digital Marketer Have?

The best digital marketers boast a range of skills, such as:
  • Content creation
  • Copywriting
  • Email marketing
  • Web design
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Social media marketing
  • Content Management Systems (CMS)
  • Data Analytics
Possessing these skills will make you a well-rounded digital marketer, and put you ahead of many competitors.

Steps to Becoming a Successful Digital Marketer

Thinking about how to become a digital marketer? Here are a few steps you can take to do just that—and excel at it!

Take Online Courses

There are myriad courses on digital marketing, so you’re not out of options here. You could check out the free courses on Coursera or similar platforms, and/or watch the lengthy guides on YouTube. Whichever one you choose, be sure to follow through till the end. Take notes where necessary, and be determined to put the things you learn into practice.
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Set Up Your Own Digital Marketing Suite

Here’s where practice begins. Set up a blog, run it yourself, and try to grow it. You could do this in any niche that interests you: food, finance, tech, real estate, fashion, or any other thing that you’re passionate enough about to sustain for the long term. Write and publish articles regularly, while following SEO principles. Create a page for the blog on a social media platform (e.g. Facebook), and share links to articles you’ve published on the blog there. You might also practice paid advertising by running ads on social media and search engines (e.g. Google search results pages).

Get an Internship

If you can, it would be a good idea to intern with a company that relies on digital marketing. While this isn’t a necessary step, it could help you become better at your work much faster. You’ll be taking on projects from someone else other than yourself. And you’d learn what effects your efforts produce for the organization that employs you. That’s a view of things you probably wouldn’t get from the outside.

Take on Assignments

When starting as a digital marketer, you will need to build a network of people who love your work and are willing to spread the word about it to other potential clients. You may have to take on assignments at discounted rates just to attract them. Then, when you have a few satisfied persons who are willing to refer others to you, you could begin charging proper fees.

Network with Digital Marketers

A big part of how to become a digital marketer is interacting with others in your field. They very likely know a lot of facts about the trade that you would find useful in your practice. They could also share opportunities with you. Your relationship with them must be mutually beneficial; don’t be afraid to help when you can too. Doing this would sustain such connections and bring the best out of them. Great places to find and begin engaging digital marketers would be LinkedIn and specialized meetups or conferences.

Stay Sharp and Up to Date

Digital marketing is dynamic. There are new tools, tricks, and strategies being birthed every other day. If you’re going to stay at the top of your game, you’ll have to keep tabs on the developments in the space. In practical terms, this means reading newsletters and blogs that cover the latest happenings in the world of digital marketing, taking refresher courses, and researching new tools.
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Final Words

The journey to becoming an excellent digital marketer begins with understanding what it entails, and knowing what’s required to excel at it. This article provides that information—at least the basics of it. Hopefully, you’ll take the tips we’ve run through here and apply them in your pursuit of a successful career in this field.
Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com

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This article was first published on 13th September 2024

ikenna-nwachukwu

Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.


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