Internet marketing is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to reach potential customers, build brand awareness and increase sales. With so many businesses competing for the same pool of online users, it’s important to know how to stand out from the competition. A competent internet marketer requires knowledge, skill and experience in various areas including web design, SEO (search engine optimization), content creation and social media marketing. In this article we will discuss steps you can take to become an expert who knows how to get results for your business.
Who is suited to the profession of an Internet marketer
The career of an Internet marketer is perfect for anyone passionate about advertising, marketing and business. Starting from the beginner level, it can be easily achieved at any age.
You can become an Internet marketer if you have the following skills:
- Communicativeness, the ability to negotiate with different people: clients, performers, bloggers, etc.
- Creativity, the ability to generate non-standard ideas, look for sources of inspiration.
- Developed analytical thinking, skills of working with data.
- Activity, determination, persistence, tendency to self-education.
- Attentiveness, punctuality, knowledge of time management.
Digital marketing isn’t for everyone, so if you possess any of the following characteristics then it’s not a good fit for you:
- Low stress tolerance, inability to manage large budgets, multitasking and deadlines.
- Unwillingness to work in a team, set tasks, lead, take responsibility for the collective result.
- Weak initiative, inability to make quick decisions or take criticism.
3 ways to learn digital marketing from scratch
There are different ways to learn internet marketing:
- By yourself from textbooks, videos from YouTube and articles from the Internet.
- At an institute or university, such as a marketing or advertising department.
- In online courses, where you can learn the career remotely from scratch.
The choice depends on your motivation, availability of free time, desire or unwillingness to invest money in education. We will tell you more about each of these forms of training and give recommendations for beginners.
On your own
Learning all the tools of digital marketing by yourself will take a lot of time. If you intend to learn on your own, it is better to choose one direction, for example, to start with SMM, contextual advertising or SEO. Training materials can be found on the Internet: textbooks on marketing, copywriting, SMM, video tutorials and screencasts on how to work in the advertising offices of social networks, tips from experts on search engine optimization, etc.
But in the process of self-study, difficulties may arise:
- There is a lot of contradictory, unreliable and outdated information online – you will spend time searching for up-to-date data.
- You’ll have to invest at least a small amount to learn how to run paid ads. The first few times will likely be unsuccessful.
- You won’t have any real tasks to practice, so you’ll be looking for jobs without a portfolio. Without an education, it’s hard to find a good job. You will have to make money on freelance exchanges or accept a low-paying position.
At university
As a rule, universities do not have faculties that train specialized digital marketers. But you can choose a similar specialty: marketing, PR, advertising, public relations or business management.
It is worth noting that it is possible to get the profession of an Internet marketer without higher education – practical skills are more important in it.
Full-time training in this area has more minuses than pluses:
- Lectures give a lot of theory, often outdated or irrelevant. You will learn the basics of classical marketing, but you will not learn the trends. But you will be forced to study secondary disciplines, such as history or philosophy.
- Few practical lessons – at university you will not learn how to set up contextual or targeting advertising.
- The long period of study. Higher education can be obtained in at least 4 years. All this period you will have to attend classes, prepare for seminars, tests, exams, including subjects that you will not use. But the most time-consuming activity will be writing essays and term papers. To complete this task Edu board essay writing service can be used.
Online courses
The most convenient and fastest format of training is to take online courses. They are taught by expert practitioners, so you’ll get up-to-date information and learn trends. You will also learn how to work with all the tools of digital: SMM, SEO, targeting, contextual advertising, email newsletters, etc.
Through this course, you will have the chance to create your own projects such as a business strategy or a case study on launching an advertising campaign. By completing the course, you will gain skills and knowledge necessary for creating a portfolio that is ready to present plus an education credentials document.
Let’s list the other perks of distance learning courses:
- You can learn Internet marketing in about 4 months, on your own time.
- It is possible to study on a flexible schedule – watch webinars online or in recordings.
- Schools provide unlimited access to video lectures, you will be able to review them repeatedly.
- You will have a mentor who will check your homework, give recommendations and answer questions.
- The HR Center will help with your in-state or freelance job search.
Ways to get experience
A novice Internet marketer can choose one of the options:
- Practice on simple jobs from freelance exchanges, such as setting up ads or thinking through a content plan.
- Seek internship opportunities at digital studios in their city or at large companies, such as Google.
- Get a job as an intern at a marketing agency.
A guaranteed way to get hands-on experience is to take an online school. After each class, you’ll have a homework assignment that you can do based on your own or a class project. These tasks require creativity, critical thinking, and research. Additionally, college essay writing services such as https://cheappaperwriting.com/cheap-college-essay-writing-service/ can help you improve your knowledge of the subject matter and hone your skills in writing.
From these, you’ll make cases for your portfolio. In addition, long courses usually include an internship at a real company, such as the school’s own studio or its partners.
What you need to become a digital marketer
Let’s list what topics an aspiring digital marketer needs to know:
- Marketing basics.
- SMM and targeting.
- Contextual advertising.
- SEO optimization in Yandex and Google.
- E-mail newsletters.
- Reputation management and community management.
Once you have a basic knowledge of these tools, you can begin to practice:
- Make your own website or a landing page.
- Carry out a SWOT-analysis, develop a promotion strategy and a content plan.
- Create advertising accounts in social networks and analytical services.
- Find artists (copywriters, designers) and make them TOR.
- Run advertising in search engines and targeting.
It is desirable that you have a real project – on the basis of it you will make a portfolio, and then you can start looking for work or customers on freelance.
Myths about Internet marketers
We have ranked the most common myths about Internet marketers:
MYTH #1 – It’s hard to find a good job because of the high competition
Difficulties arise only for professionals who are engaged in one area. On the contrary, marketers who are proficient in different digital tools are highly valued. Many companies are looking for universal professionals who can adjust the advertising on all platforms, conduct a site audit or make accurate conclusions and forecasts based on .
MYTH #2 – The job is too monotonous
Internet marketer has to do a lot of numbers, but his activity can also be called creative, such as when he comes up with a creative for an ad, TOR for bloggers, a presentation for a new product, etc. In his work, there is room for experimentation.
MYTH #3 – It’s hard to master all digital tools
Only if you try to understand them yourself. Often beginners watch lessons and screencasts on Youtube. But many services are updated, so it turns out that the interface of the advertising office looks different than on the video. It is best to learn from the experts, who clearly, with examples, show you how to work with popular online services.
Top 10 tips for beginners
We have prepared ten recommendations for beginners:
- Read professional literature.
- Upgrade your qualifications, get additional education. It is most convenient to study on distance learning courses. You will not only be able to make a flexible schedule, but also to communicate with experts.
- Design a resume, portfolio, cover letter template, and read how to prepare for an interview. Online courses cover these intricacies.
- Sign up for profile social networking groups and messenger channels, keep up with trends and try to incorporate them into your projects.
- Get an education. If you can’t study for a long time, take an express course. Having a certificate and a diploma will increase your chances for a good position.
- Develop soft skills. It is important not only to know your job technically, but also to have skills in persuasion, networking and negotiation.
- Master copywriting – the ability to write competent texts will come in handy in all areas: from SMM to SEO. To gain knowledge in writing, check out write my essay reviews to find the best resources and writers.
- Make plans and checklists, and use automation tools like spreadsheets or online organizers.
- Study your target audience, develop portraits as thoroughly as possible, learn the “pains” and preferences of customers.
- Broaden your horizons and network with like-minded people, such as in courses, workshops, or conferences.