Digital marketing is a vital aspect of business today. That said, if you think about it, it is not uncommon that it is not necessarily a well-mastered skill set.
In reality, there are few freelancers who truly understand how digital marketing works. This is a fairly new field when compared to other areas of expertise.
And, when considering those in their mid-career level, few people had any exposure to digital marketing while they were in college. Fortunately, it is something that is gaining more exposure for the up-and-coming generation.
Why does this skill set matter?
Digital marketing is important because it is one of the most effective and efficient ways to market to customers. Unlike other marketing channels, digital marketing does not cost a lot of time or money. Or, at least not when compared to other methods of marketing.
Now is the time to start thinking about how to improve your skills in this area. As more and more businesses are struggling to keep their businesses running in this next normal reality, digital marketing is more important than ever.
Now that we have selected our skill (digital marketing) and assessed its importance (or lack of importance) in our career or endeavors, we need to figure out how we can strategize to move forward in success with that skill.
In the case of digital marketing, here are some tips for anyone who wants to learn more. We have broken them down into strategy groups.
You can use these strategy group examples to develop your own task list and larger categories of tasks. What do you have when you have finished that? A full-fledged strategy (plan) for moving forward with your digital marketing! Hey success, we are on our way!
There are various online courses for anyone who wants to learn. Years ago (as in decades ago), we were lucky if we could find a book or what is called a correspondence course on a topic.
Fortunately, we now have all sorts of courses, in all different categories available to us online. We also have them in different skill levels and price levels, even free of charge.
In some cases, you may even be able to get your employer to pay for courses online. In the case of improving your skill sets, it doesn’t have to be a college-accredited course. That may help if you are going for a college degree, but the idea is to learn so that you have the opportunity to apply those skills.
Granted, if you have the opportunity to obtain a certificate, demonstrating that you have learned that skill, then that is also very helpful to demonstrate your success and your accomplishment.
If you are looking for the most bang for your buck, in other words, the best return on investment (ROI), you are looking at a certificate program that costs less than most college courses but gives you the advantage of providing a certificate as proof of your accomplishment(s) in learning the skill.
A few examples of great (and free/affordable) digital marketing courses:
Digital marketing courses are going to give you a strong base of knowledge to use in the future. These online courses are not difficult to complete, but they will require a lot of reading and research. Fortunately, programs like the one that Simplilearn offers, guide you through the process. You could even consider creating your own digital course to make money online.
Working in the field of digital marketing is the best way to improve your skills in this area. Nothing can replace practical work experience. There are many people who are willing to work in an internship in order to get more experience.
It is also an opportunity to put into play all that you have learned in your online course. You may even find it helpful to start the practical aspect while finishing up your course.
Digital marketing is a valuable skill in the economy today. Working in this field will open up many career opportunities down the road. Not only that, but you will be able to add a lot of value to the companies that you work for with these skills.
Not only are you gaining experience if you offer your skills, say, in a volunteer capacity, but you are growing your future and your future opportunities.
To help you out, here’s a step-by-step, very actionable guide on creating a social media strategy, and here’s how to create a doable SEO strategy.
Another way to improve your knowledge and skills in digital marketing is to get a mentor who has experience in this industry. There are many people who are willing to invest time and effort into the lives of people entering the field.
And, this is not something that is only for the young. Granted, oftentimes mentors are more eager to help the young (possibly for free) but that is probably because of their insecurities. If you are “mature” in age, don’t give up on trying to find that mentor! Many times, other “mature” mentors are willing to give a helping hand.
Finding a mentor will allow you to ask questions in a controlled environment. Over time, you can build up your knowledge and make a bigger impact in the community. Now is the time to start investing time and money into learning about this subject in order to improve your career.
Wow – time for a sip of that favorite drink you poured up during our Prep Steps. We are on our way to getting that list of mastered skills longer and accomplishing success! You have also put together a strategy and a plan that can be repeated again and again to continue to grow your success and that “mastered skills” list!
