How to Get Started in Digital Marketing in 2024 (Step by Step)

Digital marketing has changed a lot over the years. It started with simple online ads and emails, but now it includes social media, content marketing, SEO, and data analysis.

In the past, businesses used broad strategies that didn’t really connect with individual customers. But today, consumers want personalized experiences that meet their specific needs and preferences.

So in 2024, being a successful digital marketer means understanding these modern strategies and having the right skills to keep up in a fast-changing environment.

If you want to enter this exciting field, you’ll need to learn the skills that help businesses succeed by creating targeted campaigns that speak to their audiences.

At Digital Marketing Skills Institute, we have a comprehensive training course and our digital marketing blog that will help you build the skills you need to advance your career.

In this article, I will guide you through the key steps to begin your journey in digital marketing, covering important concepts and practical skills that will set you up for success in this dynamic industry.

What is Digital Marketing?

There are different definitions for what is digital marketing, but I want you to know that they all mean the same thing: leveraging online platforms, tools, and strategies to reach, connect, and convert audiences into customers.

Digital marketing is the process of promoting products or services using online tools like websites, social media, email, and search engines. With more people spending time online, digital marketing has become very important for businesses of all sizes. It helps businesses reach their customers directly and interact with them in meaningful ways.

At its core, digital marketing includes different strategies, such as improving website rankings (SEO), creating useful content, using social media, and sending email campaigns. With each of these methods has its own purpose, but the overall aim is to make the brand more visible and increase sales.

Additionally, one of the key advantages of digital marketing is its measurability. You can track engagement, conversions, and return on investment (ROI) in real time, enabling you to adjust your strategies as needed.

Why Digital Marketing is a Great Career

A career in digital marketing is a great choice for anyone who enjoys working in a fast-moving, exciting field. As more and more things happen online, businesses need skilled digital marketers to help them succeed. One of the best things about this career is that the skills you learn can be used in many different industries, like e-commerce, small business or tech companies.

The demand for digital marketing jobs is growing quickly, which means there are lots of job openings and competitive salaries. As companies focus more on their online presence, jobs like social media manager, SEO specialist, and content creator are becoming very important. Since technology is always changing, there’s always something new to learn, which keeps the job interesting.

So if you are interested in learning digital marketing skills, you can register for our next digital marketing cohort to gain practical knowledge, hands-on experience, and certification in digital marketing, and take the first step towards boosting your career or growing your business.

How to Become a Digital Marketer – 10 steps

If you want to become a digital marketer, it involves a combination of learning a few skills and gaining hands-on experience to succeed in this dynamic field. This will help you build a strong foundation and develop a versatile skill set that can be applied in various roles and industries, leading to a rewarding and challenging career in digital marketing.

Below are some of steps to become a digital marketer:

Understand Your Learning Style

When you want to start learning digital marketing, it’s important to know how you learn best. Do you like a structured classroom setting, or do you prefer the freedom of online learning? Both ways have their benefits, and choosing the right one can make a big difference in your learning experience.

At our marketing institute, we understand that everyone learns differently, so we offer online classes designed for different learning styles. Our courses include videos, quizzes, and hands-on projects, so you can learn at your own speed.

If you’re a visual learner, you’ll enjoy our video lessons. If you prefer to learn at your own pace, our interactive lessons let you study when it’s convenient for you.

So what you need to do is choose the best learning style that fits you, it will help you improve your skills and also help you build your skills and confidence in this exciting field.

Learn the basic Digital Marketing Skills

To be a successful digital marketer, you need to learn different skills to keep up with the changes in the online world. So if you want to learn about digital marketing, you must start with the basics.

I started my digital marketing career in 2020 after finishing my NYSC. I took courses to learn the basics of digital marketing, and I applied for an internship opportunity to practise everything I learned from the courses I took online.

So, if you want to learn about digital marketing, the foundation is where you must start. It will equip you with skills and introduce you to some elements of marketing that work together to help businesses reach their goals.

Some basic skills in marketing to learn include:

• Social Media Marketing: It involves learning how to create interesting posts and grow your followers on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): it is the process of improving your website so it ranks higher on Google and other search engines.
• Email Marketing: It involves sending messages to your audience via email to promote your products, services, or brand.
• Content Marketing: is a way to attract and engage your audience by creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC is a way to promote your business on search engines and social media platforms, where you pay only when someone clicks on your ad.
• Digital Strategy: This is a plan that helps you achieve business goals using digital channels like search engines, social media, email, and websites.

So if you want to learn about digital marketing, you can take our courses to learn these skills. You will get the opportunity to work on real projects and it is really helpful because it lets you practice what you’ve learned. Also, you can keep up with the latest trends in digital marketing by reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and watching webinars.

When you put in effort to learn the basics of digital marketing, it will help you acquire and improve your skills, which can open up many career opportunities for you in today’s job market.

Work on a Capstone Project

A capstone project is a great way to put your digital marketing skills to use. It lets you create a real marketing campaign from start to finish, which gives you hands-on experience that employers value. You can start by picking a topic or business that interests you. This could be a made-up company or an existing one that needs help with its online presence.

As you work on your project, focus on important areas like market research, understanding your target audience, and planning your campaign strategy. Also implement various digital marketing techniques like SEO, social media, and email campaigns to help you achieve your set goals for the campaign.

When you are working on this project make sure to document your process and results, and be sure to note what worked well and what you learned. This is a great addition to your portfolio, showing that you can achieve real results.

Also, this will show potential employers what you can do, and also boost your confidence in creating and running marketing strategies.

Find a Place That Helps You Learn (Internship)

After learning the basics of marketing, the best thing you can do for yourself is to find a plan to practice the skills and knowledge you have acquired from the course.

Finding a place to intern will help you turn your theoretical knowledge into practical. So, start by looking for a place to start your digital marketing career.

There are different ways to start your career plan, you can look for opportunities at agencies, startups, or as a freelancer if you want to practice and each offers different ways to learn.

If you work at an agency, they can give you the chance to work with many different clients and projects. You’ll learn how to adjust your marketing strategies for different businesses, which will help you gain a lot of valuable experience. Plus, agencies often have experienced people who can guide and teach you.

Working for a startup can also be a great option. In a startup, you might have to take on many different roles, so you’ll get hands-on experience in many areas of digital marketing, like social media or content creation. Startups are fast-paced and encourage creative thinking, helping you build a wide range of skills.

Freelancing is the most flexible among the options listed. It allows you to pick your own projects and clients, allowing you to focus on areas that interest you most.

So no matter which path you take, make sure it challenges you and helps you keep learning. This will set you up for a successful digital marketing career.

Create a Digital Marketing Portfolio

When you acquire marketing skills, you have to work on projects that allow you to get your hands dirty by implementing what you have learned from the courses.

The next stage is to document and keep receipts of the results you have gotten from your client or projects you worked on. This is where a portfolio comes in.

A digital marketing portfolio is an important way to show off your skills and attract potential employers or clients. Your portfolio highlights the projects you’ve worked on, proving your experience in different areas of digital marketing.

To start building your portfolio, start by adding any relevant work from internships, freelance jobs, or personal projects you have done in the past.

If you’ve worked on social media, created content, or improved websites, include examples of these experiences and share measurable results—like higher engagement or more website visitors.

Additionally, adding visuals like screenshots or graphics can make your portfolio more interesting for employers to see your results.

You can also include case studies that explain your thought process and the strategies you used for specific campaigns. This will showcase your skills and also demonstrate your ability to think critically and adjust to different challenges.

Showcase Your Skills Online

If you are into digital marketing or in the tech space, one of the best ways to maximize your opportunities is to take advantage of digital platforms to attract quality clients to work with and get a good offer.

In today’s world, you don’t have to be silent with what you do, it’s important to show your skills online to build your personal brand as a digital marketer. The platform you will use or focus on will depend on the skills and services you offer.

You can use social media to connect with other professionals and share what you know.  Websites like LinkedIn, and Twitter are great platforms for posting your articles and newsletters for people to read them.

For graphic designers or content creators, you can use Instagram to post your videos and infographics, or even short videos about digital marketing.

When you post your marketing materials online, you should interact with people who comment on your posts and join conversations that are related to your field.

If you have years of experience in the field already, consider making a professional website or blog where you can share your ideas, projects, and examples of your work. This helps show what you can do and your ability to create interesting content.

By posting your content and regularly sharing your skills online, it will help you get noticed and grow your network of contacts who can support your career, and you’ll build a reputation as a knowledgeable digital marketer ready for new opportunities.

Create a Strong Marketing Resume

When you are applying for a marketing job, recruiters or employees want to see what you can do and your experience in the field.

A good marketing resume is one of the most important elements in getting your first job in digital marketing. Start by customizing your resume to showcase your skills and experiences and make sure it matches the job you’re applying for.

If you are a digital marketer, make sure your resume showcases your knowledge in areas like SEO, social media, content creation, and data analysis. This will help send a message to potential employees about what you can do and the results you can help them achieve.

When you are creating your resume, you can also include any internships, freelance work, or projects that give you real-world experience. Also, don’t just list out your achievement, use numbers to show your impact, like “increased website traffic by 30%” or “boosted social media engagement by 50%.”

Additionally, be sure to add any certifications or online courses you’ve completed and organize your resume with clear headings and bullet points to make it easy for employers to spot your strengths.

Lastly, double-check your resume for mistakes because attention to detail is important in marketing. With a clean, well-organized resume that highlights your skills, you’ll be ready to land a job in digital marketing.

Apply for Marketing Jobs

When you have built your portfolio and updated your resume, it will make it easy to start applying for marketing jobs.

You can start by looking for companies that match your interests and values. Whether you prefer working at a startup, an agency, or a large company, knowing where you want to work will help you focus your job search.

You can also use job boards, like Linkedin, Jobberman, Indeed and many more to find job openings. Also if you have a company you would like to work with, you can check the career page of the company website to see if there is any vacancy that fits your skills.

When you see a job you are qualified to apply for, make sure you tailor your application perfectly to help you stand out and get a better chance of being called for an interview.

When applying, make sure to personalize your cover letter for each job. Don’t list out everything you have done, because some might not be useful to the job you are applying for.

Ensure you highlight only the experiences that match the job description and show your excitement for the company’s goals. If you have any relevant projects in your portfolio that can increase your chance of getting the job, include them to show what you can do.

Networking to Build Connections in Marketing

Networking is an important part of becoming a digital marketer. Your connections can lead to job opportunities, advice, and helpful industry knowledge.

Start by going to events, workshops, and webinars where you can meet other marketers and professionals. When you get to this event, talk with people at these events to help you build strong relationships.

Online platforms like LinkedIn are also very useful. You can join marketing groups, take part in discussions, and share helpful articles or ideas with the community to build relationships with others.

Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to people for informational interviews, many professionals are happy to share their experiences and tips.

Finally, remember networking is not just about what others can do for you, it’s also about how you can help others too.

Market Yourself for More Opportunities

If you are in the digital marketing field, you need to know how to sell and promote yourself well to get better opportunities.

You can start by building a strong personal brand that shows off your skills and values. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram can be helpful to share your expertise. Start by posting helpful content about digital marketing trends, tips, and real-world examples that show what you know.

You can also write blog posts or make videos about your projects and successes. This builds trust and helps you get noticed by potential employers or clients.

When you are selling yourself, don’t forget to ask colleagues or mentors for recommendations. These people know you more than anyone and they can vouch and mention your name in a room where there is opportunity and this can make a big difference.

By actively promoting yourself and your abilities, it will open up more chances for job offers, collaborations, and growth in your digital marketing career.

What Are The Career Opportunities in Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is growing quickly, and 2024 offers many career opportunities for people interested in this field. As businesses use more online platforms to reach customers, there is a higher demand for skilled marketers.

Some of the roles you can consider:

• Digital Marketing Manager: This job involves planning and overseeing online marketing campaigns, leading teams, and creating strategies to boost a brand’s online presence.
• SEO Specialist: SEO specialists focus on improving a website’s ranking on search engines. They analyze data and use strategies to bring in more organic visitors.
• Content Marketer: Content marketers create engaging content like blogs, videos, and social media posts to attract and keep customers.
• Social Media Manager: This role involves managing a brand’s social media accounts, interacting with followers, and developing content strategies to grow the brand’s presence.
• Email Marketing Specialist: Email marketing specialists design and send effective email campaigns to build relationships with customers and increase sales.

Others include:

• Influencer Marketing
• PPC Specialist
• Marketing Analyst
• Brand Manager

With more remote work and freelance opportunities, digital marketing offers flexibility in where and how you work. Whether you want to join a company, work for a startup, or even start your own business, digital marketing has endless possibilities.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Digital Marketing in 2024?

Learning digital marketing can take different amounts of time based on your background, how much effort you put in, and how deep you want to go.

For beginners, it usually takes about 3 to 5 months to understand the basics if you spend a few hours each day studying and practising. During this time, you’ll learn some important topics like SEO, social media management, content creation, and analytics.

If you want to become more skilled, expect to spend 6 to 12 months. This time will let you work on real projects, internships, or freelance jobs, which will help you understand the material better and build a portfolio of your work.

I want you to keep in mind that digital marketing is always changing. Even after you learn the basics, it’s important to keep learning to stay updated with new trends and tools. Whether you choose formal courses or self-study materials, the key is to stay consistent and be ready to adapt as things evolve.

Learn Digital Marketing with DMSI

If you want to learn digital marketing, our course at DMSI (Digital Marketing Skill Institute) is a great starting point. We offer a complete and practical way to gain the skills you need for success in this exciting field.

The courses are well structured, combining theory with hands-on experience, so you not only learn the concepts but also how to use them in real situations.

DMSI covers many topics, including SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and many more. You will work on projects that mimic real marketing campaigns, allowing you to apply what you’ve learned right away.

Plus, you’ll receive personalized support from experienced coaches who will guide you throughout your learning journey and get a certificate at the end of your program.

DMSI also encourages networking with other students and industry professionals. This community aspect is invaluable for making connections and staying updated on the latest trends in digital marketing.

So if you are ready to begin your career in digital marketing, you can register at our institute to get started today.

FAQs

Is digital marketing a good career in 2024?

Yes, digital marketing is a great career choice in 2024. More businesses are using online platforms to reach their customers, which means there’s a growing demand for skilled digital marketers. With new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis becoming more common, companies are looking for people who can work with these tools. Digital marketing also offers many job opportunities in different industries, making it a promising field for anyone seeking a varied and rewarding career.

What is the future of digital marketing in 2024?

The future of digital marketing looks bright in 2024, with several key trends shaping the industry. One big trend is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer interactions and create more personalized marketing. Marketers will also need to understand changing consumer habits, focusing on tailored content and real-time data. As privacy rules become stricter, businesses will rely more on their own data (first-party data) instead of third-party cookies to track customers. Staying updated on these trends will be important for success in the field.

Can I teach myself digital marketing?

Yes, you can teach yourself digital marketing! There are many online resources, courses, and guides available, some of which are free or affordable. These courses cover basics like SEO, social media marketing, and email campaigns. You can also practice by working on your own projects or taking internships. The key is to stay curious and keep learning, as digital marketing is always changing.

Can I start digital marketing with no experience?

Yes, you can start a career in digital marketing even if you have no experience. There are many entry-level jobs available for people willing to learn. You can start by taking online courses to build your knowledge and then gain hands-on experience through internships or freelance work. Networking with professionals in the field can also help you get advice and job opportunities.

Pros and cons of working in digital marketing

Working in digital marketing comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. Understanding these pros and cons can help you navigate your career path effectively.

Pros

• Diverse Career Opportunities: Digital marketing offers various roles, from content creation to SEO and social media management, allowing you to choose a path that aligns with your interests and strengths.
• High Demand and Job Security: As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of online presence, the demand for digital marketers continues to rise, providing strong job security.
• Attractive Earning Potential: With experience and specialization in high-demand areas, digital marketers can enjoy competitive salaries and performance-based bonuses.
• Creative and Analytical Balance: This field allows you to blend creativity with analytical skills, making your work both engaging and rewarding.
• Flexible Working Conditions: Many digital marketing roles offer remote work options and flexible hours, promoting a better work-life balance.

Cons

• High Competition: The popularity of digital marketing means that standing out in the job market can be challenging without unique skills or extensive experience.
• Rapid Pace of Change: The industry evolves quickly, requiring continuous learning to keep up with new tools, trends, and algorithms, which can be overwhelming.
• Dependence on Technology: Digital marketers rely heavily on technology, which can lead to issues like technical failures or algorithm changes affecting campaign performance.
• Long Exposure to Screens: Working long hours in front of a computer can lead to health issues such as eye strain and back pain.
• Client Expectations: Managing client expectations can be stressful, especially when results take time to materialize or when campaigns don’t perform as anticipated.

While a career in digital marketing offers exciting opportunities for growth and creativity, it also demands adaptability and resilience in the face of challenges.

More Resources

Top 10 Digital Marketing Skills You Need To Make Money Online

How To Get A Tech Job As A Digital Marketer in 2024 – 10 Best Tips

How To Use LinkedIn To Get A Job In 2024 – 20 Best Tips

How to Get A Digital Marketing Internship in 2024 [16 Easy Steps]

How to Transition into a Digital Marketing Career from an Unrelated Career