With this high demand comes high competition in what is a dog-eat-dog world, it takes a certain level of determination, self-drive, and serious a can-do attitude to become a successful digital marketer. Not everybody makes it but for those that do the rewards are endless, those who apply themselves and put the work in will certainly reap what they sow in this profession.
One of the fundamental things you should do is to create a positive web presence for yourself, one of the first things most employers do is check out a potential applicant’s LinkedIn or Social Media profile.
Always present a good image of yourself online, with a good professional LinkedIn profile and respectful images on your social media channels, it is also very beneficial to create a blog about a topic that interests you, and show that you have a passion for this kind of work and keep yourself active daily.
There’s no better experience than the real world, everything sounds easy in theory, but it is only when you’re right there in the thick of it you can get a proper taste of what Digital Marketing is all about.
The bottom line is, Digital Marketing is a hectic fast-moving business, it is NOT as straightforward as it seems in a classroom environment, you need to adapt to recurring Social Media and technological trends, news and constant market changes. You can only learn these things by being in a proper working environment.
It is also important to find a placement that suits the path you want to choose, for instance, if you want to learn a bit about everything then you should apply to a full-service Digital Marketing agency, however, if you want to work for a charity or a large corporation try to aim for their marketing department instead.
Building a good network of contacts is a must if you are to survive the hectic world of Digital Marketing. The more connections you make and circles you join the better.
Always try to surround yourself with people more experienced than yourself, leverage any advice you can and utilise it wisely. Always make sure to attend Digital Marketing events and conferences, there you can meet some really influential figures in the Digital Marketing world who can offer you the best guidance you can get in the long term.
As competitive as Digital Marketing is, there will always be someone out there to help, as long as you help them in return, golden advice from those in the know is a fair exchange for a bit of hard graft. The more you help and show your value to someone the more enthusiastic they will be to help you in the long run.
The pace that Digital Marketing moves at is astounding, every day there’s some level of change so it is important that you keep on educating yourself to what is going on around you, the more in the know you are the more valuable you will become to an employer.
The work doesn’t just stay in the office, it extends to exams as well, there are a number of valuable certificates to start with out there such as Hubspot and Google Partners, make sure to take them at every update, Furthermore, always analyse the latest trends and news in your field.
For example, if you’re working in the marketing department of a large fashion store keep up to date with seasonal trends, if you’re working for a charity then stay in the loop with World news and events. Always remember Knowledge Is Power, and in the world of Digital Marketing the more you possess the more valuable and influential you will become.
These steps are mostly based on my own experiences, since I joined this agency as a DM intern in June I have learned a lot more in the space of six weeks than I could have ever dreamed about in college.
Yes it has been tough at times but that’s what it’s all about, keep your head up and keep flying, the more you learn the easier it becomes and the more adept you will become at the pace.
If I could offer one more piece of advice it would be this, never ever be reluctant to ask questions, if a task seems too daunting there is no shame in reaching out for help, learn from those around you and the task won’t seem so daunting next time around.
Interested in Digital Marketing? read what we do at Matrix HERE
By Matrix Internet
By Conor McCaffrey