Digital marketing today is a booming industry and a goldmine career opportunity, with salaries increasing as businesses scout for better talent in the industry. After all, so many business metrics — sales, growth, conversion — finally come down to how effectively you are navigating the digital space as a marketer. Especially if you come with a marketing background and a business mindset, switching over to a digital marketing career makes perfect sense.
But at the same time, as more and more people move into the digital marketing niche, there is a corresponding decline in the quality of talent. What does this mean for you, and should it affect your decision to make a career switch?
On the one hand, low-quality talents means better opportunities for those with great skills. But at the same time, this is also indicative of the kind of deep experience and varied skill set that’s needed to really make a mark as a digital marketing professional in today’s crowded online space.
So, make sure you are well prepared for the challenges ahead and consider all the digital marketing skills that are a must-have before you make your career switch. Here are eight questions you should ask yourself to know whether you can make it in the digital marketing field.
1. Are you tech-savvy and digitally aware?
Do you spend a lot of time on the internet and know about all the latest updates and trends on digital platforms? Can you keep up with rapid changes in the market – new tools, social networks or algorithms?
2. Do you have the essential marketing and business skills?
Being well-versed in technologies is one thing. A keen business and marketing sense is a necessary complement to your digital prowess. It isn’t enough to be familiar – marketing should be something that interests you.
3. Are you ready to keep learning?
While the above two aspects can help you get that digital marketing job, being open to learning continuously is what will differentiate you as an expert. Are you willing to invest time and energy to constantly upgrade yourself? A digital marketer’s job involves lifelong learning as you need to adapt to the fast evolving web.
4. Can you think out of the box?
Offline marketing requires this skill as well, but if you can make your strategy exciting, innovative and fresh, you are likely to catch the eye of many more people on social media and other digital platforms.
5. Can you implement or execute well?
While learning and adapting are essential skills for a good digital marketer, here’s one that can really help you make it. Are you as good at implementing ideas as you are at coming up with them? If you can say yes to this one, then switching careers might just be the best decision you’ve ever made for your career.
6. Do you have good observation and listening skills?
Digital marketing involves some fly-on-the-wall behaviour, where you are part of communities, social networks, online groups and even competitors’ digital campaigns. You need to observe these to get an idea about the most effective marketing trends methods.
7. Do you have good analytical and research skills?
Digital marketing requires a lot of research and analytical skills as well, if you want to stay ahead of the curve. Would you enjoy studying market patterns, trends, and doing qualitative analysis? That’s how you can make the most of a digital marketing strategy.
8. Are you willing to take a pay cut?
While any career switch can demand a reduction in pay, if you are leaving your high-paying corporate job behind then you have to be willing to bear the financial burden when you switch to digital marketing — at least until you can build your new career and networks.
At the end of the day, if you possess the above skills and, above all, have the passion to keep learning and engaging with your job, then a career in digital marketing may be for you. In fact, we’d even advise you to quit your job and set upon your path — go all in! You can take up a digital marketing course to get started, or even intern with reputed companies to hone your skills.
However, if you’re unsure about some of the questions above, think twice. The digital marketing landscape is competitive — consider the risk before you quit your job. This doesn’t mean that you will never be a successful digital marketer — it just means that you need to spend the time to develop the skills you need before making it your go-to career. Our Integrated Digital Marketing Certification Program offers the perfect opportunity to do that. It is a well-rounded course led by our trainer and digital marketing expert, Sharan Kulkarni that equips you with practical knowledge about all aspects of digital marketing. You can read about the experiences of some of ex-students here.
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