What is Digital Marketing? Demand, Career, and Scope

1. What is digital marketing?
2. What does a digital marketer do?
3. Scope of digital marketing
4. Demand for digital marketing
5. Pros and cons of a career in digital marketing
6. Qualification required for digital marketing
7. Popular online digital marketing courses
8. Digital marketing jobs in India
9. Job roles in digital marketing
10. Digital marketing salaries
11. Digital marketing skills
12. Digital marketing tools
13. Digital marketing common career paths
14. Tips to get a job in digital marketing
15. Digital marketing blogs
16. Digital marketing books
17. Digital marketing Youtube videos and channels
18. Digital marketing forums
19. Digital marketing webinars
20. Digital marketing interview questions
21. Top companies to follow

Aiming to build a career in the field of digital marketing but don't know where to start?

Don't worry! We have got you covered.

In this blog, we focus on what is digital marketing and dive into its scope and popular online digital marketing courses to help you build a successful career.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is the marketing of products and services using digital channels to connect with a target mass audience.

Digital channels involve search engines, social media, email, and websites.

What does a digital marketer do?

In a general sense, digital marketers are responsible for driving brand awareness, generating traffic for the company's website, and lead generation through various digital channels.

A digital marketer can take up multiple roles and use various digital channels such as digital advertising, social media, email marketing, blog content, etc., to reach out to the customers.

For each digital channel, a digital marketer focuses on a unique objective to measure the company's performance across channels.

Scope of digital marketing

"Digital media is no longer a medium, but a way of doing business."
-Ashish Bhasin, CEO-South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network

Digital marketing has emerged as the fastest mode of promotion and marketing, reaching out to a wider audience.

Companies of all segments are focusing their investments in digital marketing activities.

According to Business Insider, India's digital economy is expected to touch $1 trillion mark by 2022.

A report in Indian Express suggests that 85% marketers are tracking revenues generated through digital marketing and 50% of them reported that e-marketing activities are contributing to more than 10% of their revenues.

Demand for digital marketing

With an ever-increasing scope of digital marketing, the demand for digital marketing professionals is also increasing rapidly.

Here are some hiring trends that give a clear picture of the demand for digital marketeers:

• The demand for Digital Marketing professionals will be more than 20 lakh by 2020. (Placement India)
• 69% of companies are planned to hire more marketers in 2018. The most in-demand expertise was digital advertising (45%), content creation and curation (42%) and content strategy (39%). (Marketing Trends 2018, MCKinley)

Pros and cons of a career in digital marketing

Qualification required for digital marketing

As digital marketing is a broad field, the qualifications can vary for different positions.

Usually, a bachelors degree in marketing, analytics, or related fields can be a good means to enter the digital marketing industry.

Note: Even if you are not from the marketing background, you can pursue a career in the field of digital marketing with the help of some certifications, online courses, and on-job skill training.

Popular online digital marketing courses

There are numerous options in digital marketing courses, both online and offline.

Some of these courses are free, while others are paid. There are also some courses that are free for learning but you may have to pay for the certification.

Here are some popular online digital marketing courses.

1. Website: Google Academy for Ads
   Course: Adwords Certification
   Price: Free
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

2. Website: Google Analytics
   Course: Analytics Certification
   Price: Free
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

3. Website: Udemy
   Course: Digital Marketing Masterclass
   Price: Rs.12,800
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

4. Website: Coursera
   Course: Digital Marketing Specialization
   Price: $474
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

5. Website: Hubspot Academy
   Course: Inbound Certification
   Price: Free
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

6. Website: Hubspot Academy
   Course: Email Marketing
   Price: Free
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

7. Website: Hootsuite Academy
   Course: Hootsuite University Certification
   Price: $99 to $2,20
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-paced

8. Website: Udacity
   Course: Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program
   Price: Rs.44,900
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: 3 Months

9. Website: Clickminded
   Course: ClickMinded SEO Specialist
   Price: $497
   Format: Online
   Learning duration: Self-Paced

10. Website: Facebook Business
    Course: Facebook Ad Certification
    Price: $300
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: Self-paced

11. Website: The University of Vermont
    Course: Digital Marketing Fundamental Certificate
    Price: $1695
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: 10 weeks

12. Website: University of California
    Course: Digital Marketing and Communications
    Price: $4765
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: 3-12 months

13. Website: Microsoft
    Course: Bing Ads Accredited Profesional
    Price: Free
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: Self-paced

14. Website: Digital Vidya
    Course: Certified Digital Marketing Master (CDMM) Course
    Price: Rs. 49,900 + service tax
    Format: Offline
    Learning duration: 6 months

15. Website: Edupristine
    Course: Digital Marketing
    Price: Rs. 24,000 for online, Rs. 36,500 for offline
    Format:Both Online & Offline
    Learning duration: 48 hours (For online), 60 hours (for offline)

16. Website: Delhi School of Internet Marketing
    Course: Masters in Digital Marketing
    Price: Rs. 56,450 + 15.00% S.T.
    Format: Offline
    Learning duration: 5 months

17. Website: Upgrad
    Course: PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication
    Price: Rs. 70,000 + 15% tax
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: 6.5 months

18. Website: Simplilearn
    Course: Digital Marketing Certified Associate Certification
    Price: Rs. 12,999 (self paced), Rs. 20,999 (Online)
    Format: Online
    Learning duration: Self-paced or Online classroom

19. Website: NIIT
    Course:Certified Digital Marketing Professional
    Price: INR 37,500 + 18% GST
    Format: Offline
    Learning duration: 33 hours

20. Website: Learning Catalyst
    Course:Integrated Digital Marketing Course
    Price: 25,000/- + tax (online), 36,650/- + tax (offline)
    Format: Both Online & Offline
    Learning duration: 2 months

21. Website: Learning Catalyst
    Course:Integrated Digital Marketing Course
    Price: 25,000/- + tax (online), 36,650/- + tax (offline)
    Format: Both Online & Offline
    Learning duration: 2 months

Apart from the above programs, there are also some executive courses in digital marketing offered by premier institutes:

1. Digital Marketing for business Growth by IIM, Bangalore
2. Digital & Social Media Marketing Strategies by ISB, Hyderabad.
3. Executive Development Program in Digital Marketing by XLRI, Jamshedpur.
4. Executive Programme On Digital & Social Media Marketing Strategy by IIM, Calcutta.

Digital marketing jobs in India

Let's take a look at the number of digital marketing jobs available in India.

Note: The data provided above was last updated in January 2019. It is subject to change.

Also read: Digital Marketing Interview Questions and Answers

Job roles in digital marketing

Here are some potential roles in the field of digital marketing and their responsibilities

Digital marketing salaries

Salary in the digital marketing domain can vary according to the area of expertise.

Data source: AmbitionBox

Digital marketing skills

Take a look at the typical skills that are required in digital marketing.

• Core skills:

| Skill | Details|
| ------------- |---------------|---
| Analytics | Efficient data analysis to understand market metrics to enhance the effect of paid and organic campaigns.
| Keyword analysis | Knowledge of keyword research and its incorporation into content
|Customer behavior | Understanding the target audience to market content & strategizing to fulfill long-term objectives.
|Customer engagement | Build an online community by creating personalized posts and address customer issues to make them feel that you care about them.
|Writing | Good command over the language to write engaging and grammatically correct content for website, ads, and social media posts.
|Result-oriented|Gauge the impact of campaigns and alter strategies on the basis of data.

• Soft skills
  Communication, Creativity, Critical thinking, and learning attitude

Digital marketing tools

Some of the common tools used by digital marketers have been mentioned below.

Digital marketing common career paths

Here are some common ways that can make your way to start a career in digital marketing.

A. When you have a bachelors degree in marketing:

Career Path 1:
Complete graduation in marketing → Gain online professional certification in digital marketing → Gain experience via internship or freelancing → Apply for a job or become a professional freelancer.

Career Path 2:
Complete graduation in marketing → Work as an intern → Take a masters degree in digital marketing → Build your own brand via blog → Apply for a job.

B. When you do not have a bachelors degree in marketing:

Career Path 1: Graduation (any specialization) → Get an online certification in digital marketing → Subscribe to blogs for free learning resources → Start a website or blog → Network → Find a job or work as an independent consultant.

Career Path 2: Graduation (any specialisation) → Masters degree in digital marketing or related specialization → Start a website or blog → Internship or job.

Note: The above career paths are just examples of common career paths. There is no fixed career path to start a career in digital marketing. The career steps can vary as per the background, interests, and skills of the individual.

Tips to get a job in digital marketing

Let us discuss some useful tips to help you start your career in digital marketing.

1. Build skills

To begin a career in digital marketing, acquaint yourself with basic skills, especially if you do not come from the marketing background.

Get hands-on experience with common tools used in social media, online advertising, email marketing, SEO, etc.

2. Build a blog

For an aspiring digital marketer, it is always a good idea to have an online presence.

Having an active blog on a topic that you are passionate about can be a good start to show your motivation.

You can build a personal portfolio on blogging platforms such as Wordpress or other ready-to-use publishing websites like Medium or Quora.

3. Get an internship

Internship experiences can increase your chances of getting a job in the field. It will also help you get a hang of the real job.

4. Professional certifications

These days, it is very easy to learn courses online and gain credibility through online certifications.

Choose a specialization of your choice and get a relevant professional certification to increase your chances of getting a job.

Some of the popular online portals for both free and paid certifications are Udemy, Lynda, Edx, etc.

5. Network

To get a job, you must network. Find out connections who work in similar fields, and reach out to them either personally or digitally.

Here is how you can get a job referral.

6. Follow Influencers

In the field of digital marketing, there are numerous influencers and bloggers who share important industry insights.

Follow these influencers and subscribe to popular blogs in your area of interest to learn about the industry insights.

Find and apply for digital marketing jobs

Digital marketing blogs

Here is a list of popular digital marketing blogs:

1. SparkToro

2. Neil Patel blog

3. Convince & Convert

4. Mobile Monkey

5. Hubspot

6. Copyblogger

7. Internet Marketing blog

8. Social Media Examiner

9. Content Marketing Institute Blog

Digital marketing books

Here is a list of popular digital marketing books:

1. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
2. Hug your haters by Jay Baer
3. Email Persuasion by Ian Brodie
4. Spin Sucks by Gini Dietrich
5. Measure what Matters by John Doerr
6. Non Obvious by Rohit Bhargava
7. The Webinar Way by Sherrie Rose
8. Don't Make Me Think Revisited
9. Digital Marketing for Dummies by Ryan Deiss

Digital marketing Youtube videos and channels

Here is a list of popular digital marketing videos:

1. Moz
2. Backlinko
3. SEMrush
4. Ahresfs
5. Chase Reiner SEO
6. Matthew Woodward
7. On-page SEO techniques
8. How to create landing pages that convert

Digital marketing forums

Some of the popular digital marketing forums are:

1. Reddit SEO
2. Digital Point
3. Growthhackers
4. SEO Chat
5. Wordpress Forum
6. Warrior Forum
7. SEO Mastering
8. Webhosting Talk
9. Youth4work

Digital marketing webinars

Most popular digital marketing webinars:

1. SEMrush
2. Search Engine Journal
3. Digital Marketing Basics
4. Unbounce
5. Hubspot Free Webinars
6. Marketo
7. Adweek
8. ConversionXL
9. eMarketer

Digital marketing interview questions

Once you start applying for jobs, it is the right time to start preparing for common digital marketing interview questions.

• Content writer interview questions
• Social media interview questions
• Adwords/PPC interview questions

Also read: HR interview questions and answers

Top companies to follow

Here are some companies that are doing very well with their digital campaigns and online presence.

Popular companies:
Amazon, Accenture, Flipkart, Capgemini, IBM, Cognizant, TCS, Infosys, Dell, American Express, Axis bank, Bajaj Allianz, etc.

Popular startups:
Zomato, Paytm, Ola, Airbnb, Booking.com, Makemytrip, Cashify, Urbanclap, Edureka, etc.

For more information on companies, check out company pages.

Digital marketing is gaining momentum by each passing day. As more and more people are getting online, the opportunities for digital marketers are immense.

The above information will help you start a career in digital marketing.

Let us know in the comments below your thoughts about a career in digital marketing.