You are out shopping! Five years ago, say, you would have walked into a store, browsed the shelves and then gone up to the cash counter to pay for what you picked. And if there was a queue for the billing, by the time you walked out, the excitement to try out something new would have fleeted away.
Today, you probably shop from home; lazed out on your couch, sipping on your coffee and using just a finger to swipe through thousands of choices, and paying for them with just a few clicks.
Most people have gone online today; more than 4 billion people are on the web, either buying or researching about products and services. So, digital marketing has become an integral part of the marketing mix for every brand or company. Consumers prefer to gulp online content than reading from newspapers or magazines. The online brand visibility, social media popularity and references from other blogs and articles are some of the most important factors why a customer will trust the brand. These days, every business or brand can listen to their customers in real-time and can interact with them at every touch-point and so, a digital marketer plays the role of being the mouth and ears of a brand.
If you find web ads cool, social media engrossing and web content attractive, and imagine yourself crafting such creative things; then a career in digital marketing is calling on you.
But surprisingly, digital marketing is not as simple and straight-forward as it seems at first look. That’s why there is a surge in the demand ofexperts in digital marketing and the gurus are hard to come by. Which makes one wonder, “Can I become a self-trained digital marketing expert”?
To become a one, the first and foremost thing is to start researching and practicing digital marketing from today. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and a few pennies to spare to start with. Unbelievable? Here’s how you can achieve what you desire to:
1. Research and read everything about digital marketing:
There are many amazing websites featuring the latest and greatest digital marketing trends, like moz.com, inbound.org and more, which will help you get your basics rock-solid and keep you updated about digital marketing practices. From these websites, you will find your way to amazing blogs which cover the nitty-gritties of digital marketing pretty well.
2. Put your learning to test:
There are plenty of sites which help you test your understanding of various topics in digital marketing via interactive Q&A and quizzes. Take one up and see how you fare. Understand what you need to learn more and challenge yourself to do better.
3. Create your own website and get hands-on:
The best things in life are free; and so is WordPress. Create a WordPress website or blog on a topic which interests you and start practicing digital marketing for your own website. And you do not need any special skills to try this out, if you are willing to spend just a few bucks now and then.
4. Help someone with their web presence:
You can help out a start-up business or a non-profit organization improve or expand their digital footprint. This will familiarize you with the real world applications of digital marketing principles and practices.
5. Find yourself a mentor:
Look out for your favorite marketing blogger and ask them questions. An appropriate mentor is very helpful, especially when you get stuck or hit a wall with some scenarios of digital marketing.
6. Join a digital marketing course:
To know the best tricks of the trade, you can take up a digital marketing course. There are many options; online or classroom and week to month long ones. This will also help you interact with others to exchange ideas and discuss strategies.
Digital marketing is the newest and hottest thing happening on the web now. To take the deep dive, make sure you got the right skills and gear to explore this brave new world to the fullest.
