Nowadays, the term “digital marketing” has been watered down and discourages people from pursuing a career in digital marketing. There are many people who claim to be digital marketers without really knowing what digital marketing means. Being able to manage social media pages, write content or design a website etc is just a part of digital marketing. Digital marketing is like an umbrella that encompasses everything. Digital marketing aims to increase awareness of a business and build trust by publishing promotional materials and relevant content to attract new customers and retain existing ones

Regardless of these people, there are still those who hold up the name digital marketing. And this group of people is getting bigger every year. Being a digital marketer is a beautiful experience with wonderful benefits. Some of them are:

• There is a high demand for digital marketers, which means that you will be a “hot cake.”
• It is a fast-growing industry, so do not worry, your job is secure.
• With your digital marketing skills, you can start your own business or work as a freelancer.
• Digital marketing is needed regardless of the industry. This gives you the opportunity to explore different industries.
• You will be exposed to new tools and technologies that will help you grow.
• You can earn a lot (the salary structure for digital marketers is discussed later in this post).

Career Opportunities In Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing Manager

A digital marketing manager is responsible for planning and managing marketing campaigns to promote a brand, product, or service. The duties of a digital marketing manager basically include planning campaigns, analyzing metrics, and identifying trends. 

Content Marketing Specialist

A Content Marketing Specialist is responsible for creating and editing content needed for digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the content produced aligns with the overall goals of a digital marketing campaign, the Content Marketing Specialist must work closely with the SEO Specialist and digital marketing professionals.

SEO Specialist

An SEO specialist helps improve the search engine ranking of a company’s website by conducting research and analysis. An SEO specialist knows exactly how to get the highest traffic from all search engines and keeps up to date on keywords in the industry that can help the business rank in the search engines.

Social Media Manager

A social media manager oversees a company’s interactions with the public by implementing content strategies on social media platforms. A social media manager identifies trends and analyzes engagement data.

Web Designer/developer

A web designer/developer is responsible for the technical and graphical aspects of a website (how a website works and how it looks). They not only design a website but also maintain and update existing websites.

PPC/SEM Analyst

A PPC/SEM analyst plans, creates, and manages PPC campaigns across a variety of channels. A PPC/SEM analyst also conducts keyword research, all geared towards a successful campaign.

Other career opportunities in Digital Marketing include:

• Analytics Manager
• CRM Manager
• Email Marketing Manager
• Copywriter
• SEO content writer, etc.

Salary Structure In Digital Marketing

In Nigeria, the base salary of a digital marketer is estimated at 106,000 Naira monthly, which averages to 1.3 million Naira per annum

• Digital Marketing Manager:  A Digital Marketing Manager earns a salary between 150,000 Naira and 450,000 Naira monthly depending on the level of experience.
• Content Marketing Specialist: A Content Marketing Specialist earns a salary between 80,000 and 150,000 Naira monthly depending on the level of experience.
• SEO Specialist: As an SEO Specialist, you can earn between #150,000 and #300,000 monthly depending on your level of experience.
• Social Media Manager: the salary of a Social Media Manager ranges from #85,000 to #200,000 monthly depending on the level of experience.
• Web Designer/Developer: A web designer/developer earns between #180,000 and #300,000 monthly depending on experience level.
• PPC/SEM Analyst: A PPC/SEM Analyst earns between #100,000 and #250,000 per month depending on experience level.

However, the above amount is for those who work for a company or on a salary contract. If you are a freelancer, the earnings per project will depend on your agreement with your client.

How To Successfully Build A Career In Digital Marketing

Acquire necessary skills 

A warrior does not go to the battlefield untrained and without weapons. To build a successful career in digital marketing, you need to build your arsenal – acquire the skills you need. The basic skills you need as a digital marketer include;

• Data/analytics skill: As a digital marketer, you need to become familiar with tools and techniques for collecting data, organizing it, gaining insights from data, analyzing data, and storing data. Basic knowledge in this area can help you recognize the importance of data and gain insights from it so that you can make informed decisions.
• Problem-solving skills: Problem-solving skills enable you to assess situations, conduct appropriate research and propose solutions to brands or your clients. Problem-solving skills can help you carve a niche for yourself. In every aspect of digital marketing you are involved in, you become the ‘go to person’.
• Strategic thinking/planning: whether you are a social media manager, a content writer, an SEO specialist, etc., you need strategic thinking/planning skills to have a successful career in digital marketing. Strategic thinking/planning can help you determine the best approach to ensure market penetration of a brand’s products or services.
• Sales skills: as a digital marketer, you must always keep in mind that you are a salesperson – albeit indirectly and in subtle ways. Whatever you pitch for a brand must be compelling enough to trigger a buying response from the target audience.
• Basic design skills: You do not have to be a professional graphic designer – unless you are interested in graphic design – but you should be creative enough to come up with ideas and design wonderful concepts.

Be technology savvy

Digital marketing follows the trends of technology and innovation. As a digital marketer, you need to have a good knowledge and understanding of modern technology and keep up with the trends in the digital space. Without the knowledge of trends and innovations in the digital field, you cannot be successful in digital marketing.

Build experience

If you are just starting out as a digital marketer, you need to gain experience. The more experience you have, the better jobs you will be offered and the more you will earn. This means that as a beginner, you need to be open to entry-level jobs, regardless of how knowledgeable or qualified you are. Just do the best you can. This is how you build capacity and experience.

Have an online presence

Social proof is everything. How are you supposed to let the world know what you can do if you do not even have an online presence? If you want to successfully build a career in digital marketing, you need to step out of the shadows and become visible so you can be offered more projects

Build your network

In order for you to advance in your field, you need to surround yourself with the right people. You can join a community of digital marketers on social media platforms. You can also follow and connect with people you look up to in your field. Most importantly, though, you need to find a mentor to guide you and help you along the way

In conclusion, one constant in life is change. In the field of digital marketing, we call it innovation. In order to not only survive but thrive in the world of digital marketing, you need to keep up with trends, make sure you are educating yourself, and be open to change and innovation.