Digital  marketing is a method of advertising a company’s goods or services  online through apps, sites, social media and search engines. This form  of marketing focuses on reaching consumers through their phone, laptop,  or any other smart device.  

Digital marketing is an ever-evolving field. Billions of people actively use the  internet, and because of that, marketing has shifted from traditional  commercial ads, billboards and paper ads to web-based approaches.  

We’re  going to dive into the basics of digital marketing for beginners, as  well as the different forms of digital marketing. If you’ve considered  starting a career as a digital marketer, or you’re simply interested in  the field, read on for our beginner’s guide to digital marketing.



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Strategies for Beginners in Digital Marketing

If  you’re just starting out in the field of digital marketing, the  landscape could feel overwhelming. How does one person learn to master  the art of gaining followers on Instagram, tracking traffic in Google  Analytics, and sending email blasts all at once?  

Well, you don’t. If you want to pursue this career, you need to first hone in on your interests and strengths. From there, you can start to build a  career – and learn more about the areas where you’re not as well versed.   Here are our tips for starting to learn digital marketing.  

  1. Maximize your strengths.

If  you’ve always been drawn to numbers and math, then you’re going to kill  it when you start learning about data analysis and optimizing ad  campaigns. If you’re more on the creative side, you’ll probably love  writing blog posts.  

There are plenty of areas where you can excel in digital marketing. When  you’re just starting out, choose one or two niche areas where you think  you’ll really thrive. Hone in on those so you can get some quick wins.  

2. Get on-the-job experience.

Once  you’ve decided on an initial focus area, put yourself out there. Apply  to freelance opportunities or part-time jobs. You can even reach out to  local businesses in fields you’re interested in, and offer your services.  

Maybe your favorite coffee shop is looking for a someone to manage their Instagram,  or a family law practice wants to improve their search rankings. It’s  your job to find those opportunities, and market yourself.  

3. Learn as much as you can.

Now  that you’ve got your foot in the door, you can start pursuing formal  education, or teaching yourself about the areas where you’re less  knowledgeable. If time allows, consider a structured marketing course.  

What Are The Benefits of Digital Marketing?

The field of digital marketing has expanded fast over the last decade,  and for good reason. Companies across the globe are interested in  finding the people who need their product. Digital marketing allows them  to find those customers, target them, and tailor a brand around their  needs.  

Sophisticated digital marketing campaigns allow companies to:

Clearly, if you pursue a career as a Digital Marketer, you’ll be in a position to make a lasting impact on an organization’s sales and overall financial health.  

Types of Digital Marketing

Now  that you have a basic understanding of digital marketing, it’s time to  dive a little bit deeper into the specifics. There are many areas of  focus when it comes to digital marketing, and each niche can be used for different purposes.  

If you’re looking to start a career in digital marketing, it’s important to have an understanding of all of these areas, although you can also make a career out of specializing in one specific realm.  

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

It’s  important that your website appears as high as possible in search  engine rankings, so that visitors searching for specific keywords  related to your site will find you.  

SEO  can be used for more than just general web searches. It can also be  used to rank images, videos, books, shopping, news and more.

Search Engine Optimization includes the use of keywords and keyphrases, image optimization, outbound and inbound links, and visitor engagement among other practices.

The strategies of SEO keep changing, and it’s important to stay up to date  with the latest practices. Some factors that can play a part in the  evolution of SEO practices are a change in search engine algorithms, a  change in consumer behavior, and an increase in competition.

The factors used to rank sites are a closely guarded secret. Search engines  like Google never reveal exactly how their algorithms work to avoid  manipulation and unfair practices. Instead, Digital Marketers should focus on creating a good user experience, and adding real value. Original research, insightful analysis, and quality content play a big part in SEO.  

2)  Search Engine Marketing (SEM):  

Search engine marketing includes SEO techniques, as well as paid search engine advertising.  

Frequently used services for SEM include Google AdWords and Bing Ads.

SEM is an effective method to display your ad to your target audience only.

SEM is synonymous with PPC or a pay-per-click business model. The cost-per-click varies depending on the competition.

When set up correctly, paid advertising can result in an extremely high return on investment (ROI) for companies. By only targeting relevant  keywords, digital marketing professionals can be laser-focused on their target users.  

PPC  campaigns can be activated and de-activated at the click of a button.  This makes them very dynamic. You can use trial and error to quickly learn which keywords, ads, and landing pages work best. You can easily pause under-performing campaigns that don’t convert to sales.  

3)    Email Marketing:  

Email  marketing can be as simple as thanking new customers for their  purchase, promoting new products, sharing monthly newsletters, sending  out exclusive content and more. Email marketing can also get quite  complicated if you’re launching a new product or service, or using email marketing as your main marketing tool.  

Luckily, there are many platforms that will help you automate your emails. You can use automation tools like MailChimp or ConvertKit for email marketing services.  

These tools allow you to track open-rates, and optimize your campaign. You can perform A/B split testing to maximize  results. This involves having two versions of your email. By sending a  different email to half of your subscribers, you can see which version  works best.  

You’ll need to keep an eye on open-rates, click-through rates, and ultimately sales.  

6) Content Marketing

An  important segment of any digital marketing campaign, content marketing  is used to gain customer loyalty and trust, improve SEO results and  promote products and services.  

Content marketing includes blog posts, videos, webinars, and more.

To improve SEO results, you should create  content that is useful to your audience and contains targeted keywords  and phrases, as well as internal and external links.

7) Social Media Marketing

Social media has become one of the primary ways businesses reach existing customers, and cultivate a new audience.  

Savvy  brands are strategic about their social media posts, crafting unique  content for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other  channels.  

Social media marketing consists of two main categories: organic posts, and  paid content. Organic posts are free, and typically only reach existing  followers. Paid social media campaigns are promoted to users who don’t  yet follow the brand, but fall into their targe demographic.  

How Is Digital Marketing Different from Traditional Marketing?

The first step in learning about digital marketing is to understand how it differs from traditional marketing.

Traditional  marketing involves methods such as building catalogs or printing ads in  newspapers, whereas digital marketing involves communicating with an  audience through methods such as social media, email, blogs and more.

There are more avenues to choose from when relying on digital marketing  instead of traditional marketing tactics. Traditional marketing is  limited to TV, radio, newspapers, and phone calls. In the digital  marketing landscape, there are numerous delivery channels such as  Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, blogs, apps, websites and more.  

Despite the differences in digital and traditional marketing, both methods have  similar objectives. Choosing which marketing channels to use entirely  depends on the purpose of the marketing. Both styles of marketing,  however, need to focus on the target audience first and foremost before  setting up any marketing strategy.

Resources for Learning More

Digital marketing is constantly changing, and that means you should never stop  pushing yourself to learn. Network with other marketers to find out what  works for them (and what doesn’t). Sign up for some marketing podcasts and blogs.  

And if you’re ambitious (as many marketers are), sign yourself up for an online course in digital marketing to achieve your highest salary potential.  

Your Future Digital Marketing Career  

Digital  marketing is a fast-moving industry that continues to grow and evolve every day. If you enjoy the challenge of generating traffic, grabbing the attention of users, and converting clicks to sales, a career in digital marketing could be perfect for you.  

One of the best ways to get started is by enrolling in our digital marketing bootcamp.  We teach you exciting career-ready skills and focus on practical  learning rather than tiresome theory. Our aim is to get you hired at a  top tech firm, fast.

And if you want to get a head start, start brushing up on some of the tools favored by Digital Marketers.

Wherever your path takes you – toward paid social advertising,  organic search or content strategy – you'll have a bring future in  marketing.    

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Learn the technical skills needed to build an audience, create a brand, and drive sales. Study with a flexible, online schedule, a personal mentor, and peer groups.



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