How to Become a Digital Marketer: An Independent’s Guide 🚀
- Marketing
Discover how to become a digital marketer and thrive in the remote work era with Contra, a commission-free platform for freelancers.
There’s no denying the advent of remote work has transformed our day-to-day routines, blending the boundaries between living and working spaces. In this climate of change is the opportunity to consider a shift toward a work-from-wherever lifestyle, which is rapidly becoming the new norm.
As a freelance digital marketing expert, you can swap your morning commute for a morning coffee on your back porch — and achieve success outside the typical 9-5 while you do it. This comprehensive guide will explore how to become a digital marketer, with steps to building a thriving freelance career, and introduce you to Contra, a game-changing platform empowering Independents to land their dream jobs.
What does a digital marketer do? 💻
A creative digital marketer is the driving force behind a company’s online presence. They’re responsible for promoting a business and its products and services through various digital channels. Their primary goal is creating and maintaining a robust digital footprint to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
Key daily tasks for digital marketers include:
Content marketing strategy ✏️
Digital marketers devise and implement content marketing strategies. These strategies involve creating and distributing valuable and relevant content like blog posts, infographics, and articles to attract and retain target audiences. Engaging content marketing strategies drive customer interest and loyalty — they’re vital to the sales funnel.
Social media management 📱
Managing their client’s social media presence is another crucial task for digital marketers. From TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts, boosted Facebook ads, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, and Instagram ads, they create and schedule content, engage with customers, and monitor performance across social media platforms. By doing so, social media managers develop and maintain a consistent brand voice, fostering a solid online community.
Researching online trends 🌐
Digital marketers stay ahead of the curve by continuously researching consumer behavior. This involves analyzing data, tracking competitors, and staying up to date on industry news. Examining the trends allows these professionals to make data-driven decisions, helping businesses stay competitive and relevant.
Why should you become a digital marketer? 👇
If you’re an Independent seeking a future-proof career, consider becoming a digital marketer. As companies continue allocating higher budgets for these types of campaigns, demand for skilled freelancers is increasing. This shift is driven by rapid advancements in digital marketing technologies, which is creating a need for businesses worldwide to keep up with the pace of innovation.
Specialize in digital marketing to position yourself at the forefront of an industry offering job security and the possibility of working with exciting clients across diverse sectors.
Essential digital marketing skills 💪
Mastering a range of essential skills is critical for excelling as a digital marketing manager. These core competencies allow marketers to effectively manage their workload, adapt to changes, and provide the best possible services to their clients:
- Strategic thinking. Successful digital marketers have something in common — a strategic mindset. It allows them to create and execute effective marketing campaigns aligned with their client’s business goals, make informed decisions, and anticipate challenges.
- Data analysis. Digital marketing and data go hand in hand, and that’s why being able to analyze and interpret this information is crucial. Data analysis skills enable digital marketing professionals to evaluate campaign performance and metrics and identify trends to improve outcomes and maximize return on investment (ROI).
- Flexibility. New digital marketing tools, platforms, and strategies are constantly emerging. Digital marketers must be flexible and open to learning new ideas and techniques to stay ahead of the competition.
- Time management. Digital marketers often juggle multiple projects and clients simultaneously, making effective time management essential. This skill allows them to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
- Communication. Clear, effective communication is one of the most important soft skills for digital marketing. From articulating ideas to presenting findings and collaborating with others, strong communication skills build productive relationships.
How to become a freelance digital marketer 💡
Freelance digital marketing is a rewarding career path, and, to kickstart your journey, we’ve compiled a list of essential steps to help you get there. Following them will help you establish yourself in the field, so you can make a lasting impact on clients’ businesses.
Here’s how to get a job in digital marketing:
Learn the basics 🔨
Understanding the basics of digital marketing is key to success. Pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in digital marketing, or enroll in online courses or certifications to familiarize yourself with the industry’s strategies, platforms, and best practices. Then, work on developing the skills outlined above.
Choose an area of interest 🤔
Choose your digital marketing specialization and master its key tools. Some essential tools every digital marketer should know include Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Semrush, and Google Ads. Proficiency in these tools helps you stand out and deliver the kind of results clients are looking for.
Build a digital marketing portfolio 🎨
Showcase your skills and experience with an amazing personal website. Contra’s Portfolio tool allows you to easily design a unique and effective portfolio for free, using cutting-edge templates. This is essential for demonstrating your expertise and attracting potential clients.
Join a digital marketers’ community 👪
Join a community of like-minded professionals to learn from others in your field and grow your network. Engage in discussions and share experiences to expand your knowledge and forge mutually beneficial relationships. Try Contra’s Slack community to start.
Gain experience 👔
Look for digital marketing jobs to hone your skills. For beginners, consider tackling small projects or interning at a marketing agency to gain real-world experience. If you’re a seasoned professional, seek more challenging marketing positions to continue growing. Contra’s commission-free platform helps you promote your online marketing services and connect with clients while efficiently managing your business.
Digital marketing specializations 💌
Digital marketing is an umbrella term encompassing various subfields, each with a unique focus and requiring a specific skill set. This diversity provides independent digital marketers with multiple career paths based on their interests, education, and expertise.
Here are a few of the most popular digital marketing specializations:
Search engine optimization (SEO) 🔍
Search engine marketing improves websites’ visibility in search engine results. To do this, an SEO specialist uses keywords and other methods of optimizing website content, structure, and metadata to rank higher on the results pages of search engines like Google and Bing. These digital marketing campaigns drive organic traffic to clients’ websites.
Social media marketing 🪜
Social media marketers specialize in promoting their client’s products and services on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. This type of digital marketing strategy involves brainstorming and creating engaging content, managing advertising campaigns, and interacting with target audiences. The end result is increased brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.
Email marketing 📧
Email marketers develop and execute email marketing campaigns. These email campaigns aim to reach specific audiences and accomplish goals like boosting conversions and building lasting customer relationships. They craft compelling messages, manage email lists, analyze performance data to optimize campaign impact, and more.
Content marketing 📓
Content marketers create and distribute content that helps clients achieve their business objectives. They develop strategic content plans, brainstorm, and produce content like blog posts, videos, advertisements, and eBooks. They also measure the effectiveness of their work to drive success.
Your independent journey awaits 💫
Becoming a digital marketer is an excellent way to break free from the 9-5 grind. It offers excellent opportunities for growth and professional fulfillment that can’t be beaten. By honing the essential skills and staying ahead of industry trends, you can carve out a thriving, dynamic digital marketing career as an Independent.
Get started on your freelance journey in the digital marketing industry today with Contra, a commission-free platform designed by and for Independents like you. With our help, you can find dream projects, collaborate with clients, manage your business, and grow your career, all while keeping all of your funds.
