If you have heard about the promising benefits of digital marketing and want to take your piece of the pie from the billion-dollar market, you are at the right place. Digital marketing is estimated to reach a 24.1 billion market share by 2028 with a 32.1% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). In this article, we’ll discuss how to become a digital marketing specialist in the shortest time possible. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What Is a Digital Marketing Specialist?
A digital marketing specialist is responsible for designing, executing, and analyzing a digital marketing campaign to promote a company’s products or services. This role demands proficiency in website planning, SEO, SEM (Search Engine Marketing), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing(SMM), and marketing analytics.
Unlike digital marketing managers and entry-level digital marketing jobs, a digital marketing specialist is the implementation wiz who knows how to take a project from start to finish. He has practical command of digital marketing sub-domains like SEO, content marketing, SMM, SEM, and web analytics.
In this article, we’ll discuss the skills of a digital marketing specialist, his duties and responsibilities, salaries, jobs, and digital marketing tools. Following a self-learning approach, we’ll learn to become digital marketing specialists.
Digital Marketing Specialist Skills
Various hard and soft skills are necessary to become an effective digital marketing specialist. Some of the soft skills required for a digital marketing specialist job are as follows;
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Sales and persuasion
- Strategic planning
- Story-telling
Some of the hard skills needed for a digital marketing specialist job are as follows;
- SEO
- SEM
- PPC
- SMM
- Content marketing
- Web analytics
- Content creation
- Design skills
You can learn these skills from online platforms like Udemy Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera. Some venues offer expensive digital marketing courses like Udacity, Simplilearn, CXL, and Smart Insights, but their course quality is worth the price.
Read this article on digital skills to know more.
Digital Marketing Skills to Master in 2024
Digital Marketing Specialist Career
Now, let’s have a look at the various responsibilities of a digital marketer, along with the career scope and salaries.
What Does a Digital Marketing Specialist Do?
Digital marketing specialists can be generalists with a broad knowledge of all digital marketing subfields, or they can specialize in one or two fields like SEO, PPC, email marketing, or content marketing. Ryan Deiss has popularized a term known as ‘T-shaped marketer.’ A T-shaped marketer has a broad knowledge of all digital marketing fields but specializes in one or two areas like SEO or PPC.
The responsibilities of a digital marketing specialist include enhancing brand awareness, promoting the products and services of a business, and building connections with the customers. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketers fulfill this duty using digital channels.
They know how to research the market, learn about customers’ needs, initiate effective marketing campaigns, and bring them to fruition. They can translate business goals into marketing campaigns. A digital marketing specialist is adept at studying the market, reaching audiences on different digital media platforms, and developing core message campaigns to convert visitors into customers.
The tasks executed by a digital marketing specialist include;
- Crafting a compelling marketing strategy
- Create a marketing plan
- Create presentations and basic design
- Implement marketing strategy using marketing tactics
- Develop compelling content to be distributed on different digital channels
- Doing keyword research and on-page SEO of the website
- Running PPC ads on Google and other social media platforms
- Developing an editorial content calendar
- Developing a style guide for content writers and editors
- Staying updated with digital marketing trends and news
- Use digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, Ahref, and Semrush
As digital marketing people work with web developers, having basic knowledge of HTML and languages like CSS, PHP, Javascript, and Python will increase their value.
Digital Marketing Specialist Jobs
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses started adopting digital marketing as a core marketing channel. With this change, many new vacancies in digital marketing emerged. You can see several roles falling under the digital marketing domain;
- Digital marketing analyst
- Digital marketing specialist
- Digital marketing manager
- SEO expert
- SEO strategist
- SEO analyst
- PPC expert
- Email marketing expert
- Content marketer
- Marketing analytics expert
At the time of writing this guide, Indeed.com has listed more than 3,000 jobs for digital marketing roles. According to Indeed and Glassdoor, the average digital marketing specialist salary in the USA is $114,703 and $60,129 per year, respectively. This is a handsome salary package.
How Much Does a Digital Marketing Specialist Make?
According to Salary.com, the average salary for a digital marketing specialist is around $58,000 in the US, and most salaries fall between the $51,000 to $67,000 range. India’s average digital marketing specialist salary is 500,000 INR; most salaries fall between 2.5 lac and 13 lac per year.
According to Payscale.com, the average digital marketing specialist salary is $50,709 annually. According to their survey, the salaries increase with the number of years spent in the field.
The average digital marketing specialist’s pay concerning the number of years is as follows;
- One year – $42,000
- 1-4 years – $49,000
- 5-9 years – $58,000
- 10-19 years – $63,000
- 20 plus years – $63,000
The pay of a digital marketing specialist is directly proportional to his skills and experience.
Digital Marketing Specialist Job Description
The digital marketing specialist job description mentioned below is curated after reviewing the job descriptions of hundreds of job postings. These are the standard requirements and responsibilities needed of a digital marketing specialist.
Responsibilities
- Crafting a digital marketing strategy
- Creating visual graphics and content for digital marketing campaigns
- Managing content calendar
- Establish brand awareness and personality through marketing campaigns
- Tracking marketing campaigns’ performance using analytical tools
- Monitor Key Performance Indicators
- Coordinate with content writers, sales, development, and design team
- Maintain a consistent brand voice on social media
- Creating marketing reports for high-level decision-making
Requirements [qualifications, skills, and experience]
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field
- Minimum years of experience as a digital marketing specialist
- Experience with Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and Google ads
- Working knowledge of SEO tools like Ahref and Semrush
- Working knowledge of email marketing software like Mailchimp and GetResponse
- Working knowledge of content management systems like Magento, Drupal or WordPress
- Strong communication and written skills
- Advanced analytics skills
- Team management and time management skills
- Attention to detail and disciplined
- Ability to meet the deadline by prioritizing tasks
Digital Marketing Specialist Resume
Now, let’s look at an ideal digital marketing specialist resume. A solid digital marketing specialist resume should contain education, experience, skills, and courses related to digital marketing. Digital marketing is an efficient field, so a formal degree in marketing is unnecessary. However, it can be a plus if you have a marketing degree.
If you just started in the digital marketing field, you will not have enough experience to show on your resume. In such a case, enrolling in some digital marketing courses will benefit you greatly. Suppose you cannot spend money on buying an advanced-level digital marketing course. In that case, you can start learning from free resources—various YouTube channels, blogs, and proper online classes that you can access freely. In the later part of this article, I’ll mention some popular YouTube channels and blogs you should follow to learn advanced digital marketing free of cost.
Your skills should reflect your experience with digital marketing tools and soft skills like communication, problem-solving, time management, creativity, strategic planning, and writing. The technical skills should be;
- SEO and PPC
- Email marketing
- Google ads
- Facebook and LinkedIn ads
- Google Analytics
- Semrush and Ahref
- HTML and CSS
- Web design
- Canva
- Adobe Photoshop
- Content marketing
Your strengths should reinforce your skills. Mention your strengths that complement your soft skills.
To learn digital marketing from e-learning platforms, you should consider platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning. You can join Semrush Academy to learn SEO skills. Hubspot also offers free digital marketing and inbound marketing courses. You can pass their certification exam and mention the course name and platform in your resume.
Digital Marketing Specialist Interview Questions
If you want to prepare for a digital marketing interview, there are some resources you can consider.
I have given links to these videos so as not to waste your time searching for resources.
Practical Steps to Become a Digital Marketing Specialist
There are the following steps to become a digital marketing specialist;
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Learning Digital Marketing Basics
You must get familiar with digital channels like websites, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Learn how each platform works and its role in overall marketing strategy.
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Read Books and Watch YouTube Channels
You can learn about digital marketing through books and YouTube channels related to this field. Read more about famous books and YouTube channels in the upcoming part of this article.
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Enroll in the Best Digital Marketing Courses
If you want to learn from industry experts who walk their talk, you should enroll in reliable and credible online courses for digital marketing. Some of the platforms on which you can get beginner- and advanced-level digital marketing courses are Udemy, Udacity, Simplilearn, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera.
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Learn Essential Digital Marketing Tools
A digital marketing specialist will need to monitor and evaluate digital marketing campaigns, which is impossible without learning the key digital marketing tools. These are the tools you will need to understand completely;
- Google Analytics
- Google search console
- Google data studio
- Semrush or Ahref
Apart from these fundamental tools, having a working knowledge of email marketing software such as Getresponse and CRM software such as Pipedrive will make you stand out among the crowd. Another important suite of tools is related to social media management, and the best tools for this purpose are Hootsuite and Buffer.
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Establish a Solid Portfolio
Suppose you are just starting and don’t have experience; there is no need to freak out about this. Developing a digital marketing portfolio is not easy; you will have to show your processes and outcomes instead of a finished product.
You can start your website or work for local clients to develop your portfolio free of cost. Once your portfolio is created, you can pitch clients on freelancing platforms to get good-paying clients.
Talking about numbers is preferable. You can say, ‘I was able to generate 150 qualified leads through paid Google ads in the 2nd quarter of this year,’ or ‘I got top 10 rankings on five keywords through my SEO efforts for four months.
Once you have enough experience running paid and organic campaigns, professionally show their results on your portfolio website. Remember that your online presence impacts your branding. So, keep your website, blog, and social media channels creative and professional.
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Network with Peers, Mentors, and Seniors
LinkedIn is the most extensive network for professionals worldwide, giving an immense opportunity to connect with peers and colleagues. Besides that, you can have Facebook groups dedicated to digital marketing. Another way is to attend offline conferences held quarterly or annually, giving you a lot of exposure.
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Start Your Blog/Website
This part is a bit overwhelming for beginners. Still, it should not stop you from gaining maximum benefit from what dot com offers. To start your website, you must select a niche, pick a suitable domain name, and buy hosting from a reliable hosting company. Then, you will need to choose the right theme and plugins if you are using WordPress (which is recommended). It will set up your website to go live on the internet. The latter part is beyond the scope of this article.
If you want to read more about this whole process, read the article below;
https://dollarsgain.com/how-to-start-a-blog
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Promote it through SEO, PPC, and Social Media
This is the part where actual practice starts. You have your digital asset, website, or blog, and you should promote your website on social media or through email marketing. There are a few tools that can help you in this promotion part.
The most commonly used social media scheduling and management tools are Hootsuite and Buffer, and the popular email marketing software is Mailchimp and Getresponse. Knowing the functionality of these tools and the best practices of email marketing and SMM will be an excellent addition to your resume.
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Do Content Marketing
In marketing, content has gone beyond just written words, including images, audio, and video. If you want to make yourself stand out among the crowd, you should develop content marketing skills. Content marketing is cost-effective compared to paid advertising and suitable for the long-term branding of the business. However, it requires a lot of skill and time.
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Get Digital Marketing Certification
After learning the essentials of digital marketing and getting familiar with digital marketing channels and tools, it is time to certify your skills and knowledge. Enrolling in some accredited course or exam is the best way to authenticate your skills. At the same time, professional certifications offered by AMA and OMCP are expensive for a beginner. You can take a start from the free certification courses provided by Google and Hubspot. LinkedIn Learning is also an excellent source for certification after completing the coursework.
To read more about digital marketing certifications, both free and paid, read the article below;
Digital Marketing Courses with Certifications
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Stay Updated on the Latest Digital Marketing Trends
Google keeps tweaking its algorithms, and Facebook keeps changing its features for a better user experience. Digital marketing is challenging because it brings new technology and tactics to pass the time. If you love taking on challenges and like to work in a dynamic environment, you should consider staying updated on digital marketing news and trends.
Subscribe to the newsletters of popular digital marketing blogs. Checking in the following blogs should be a part of your daily routine.
You can opt for four ways after learning digital marketing skills;
- Work a 9 hours job in a digital marketing agency.
- Work as a freelance digital marketing specialist,
- Work as a solopreneur running your blog, YouTube channel, and social media channels.
- Start your digital marketing agency.
By following either path, you can become a digital marketing specialist. It is a practical field, so you need much hands-on experience. A fine balance of theory and practice will make you a successful digital marketing specialist within a year.
Digital Marketing Books
Almost all successful entrepreneurs and multi-millionaire business people read books, giving us in-depth content on a topic. If you want to learn digital marketing, there are plenty of excellent digital marketing books you can read to enhance your knowledge.
I have curated a list of the best digital marketing books that can guide you from beginner to advanced level.
- The 1-page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
- Digital Marketing for Dummies by Ryan Deiss
- Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi
To read more about digital marketing books, read the article below:
https://dollarsgain.com/best-digital-marketing-books/
Digital Marketing Courses
Those who do not prefer reading books can benefit from digital marketing courses. The revolutionary e-learning technology lets you watch high-quality videos, get assignments and worksheets, and interact with your mentors online. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and edX give you access to written guides, resources, worksheets, and ebooks to supplement your learning through videos.
There are plenty of standard digital marketing courses available in the market. I have curated a list of online digital marketing courses and training.
- Digital Marketing Nanodegree by Udacity
- Digital Marketing Specialist Course by Simplilearn
- DigitalMarketer Lab Plus
- Reliable soft digital marketing course
- CXL digital marketing courses
- Digital marketing learning path by LinkedIn
- Coursera digital marketing course
To read more about these programs in detail, read the article below:
Digital Marketing Tools
It is essential to get your hands dirty using digital marketing tools. Below are some of the most commonly used tools you will need to work as a digital marketing specialist.
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Semrush
- Ahref
- Canva
- WordPress
To learn more about digital marketing tools, read the article below;
https://dollarsgain.com/best-digital-marketing-tools/
Digital Marketing Blogs
The following blogs are essential to stay updated regarding digital marketing tactics, strategies, and the latest research-based content.
- Moz
- Search Engine Land
- Marketing Land
- Search Engine Examiner
- Search Engine Journal
- Backlinko
- Neil Patel
- Digital Marketing Institute
- Convince and Convert
Digital Marketing YouTube Channels
I have found following YouTube channels immensely helpful in learning digital marketing; I hope you will like following media.
- Neil Patel
- Brian Dean
- Ahref
- Simplilearn
- WsCube Tech
- Matt Diggity
- Hubspot
- Marketing Fundas
- Anik Singal
Conclusion
Digital marketing is a highly lucrative career, but you will need a lot of learning and experience to start earning big bucks with digital marketing. You do not need a formal degree in marketing to break into this field. Self-learning through books, YouTube videos, and blogs can be best for beginners.
However, enrolling in paid courses is highly recommended if you are an intermediate-level digital marketer. Remember, digital marketing is a practical field, so getting practical experience by starting your website will benefit your career.
