Remember the simpler times when marketing was all about ATL, BTL, and TTL? These acronyms mean above the line and below the line, through the line respectively. This basically means when you had to do the marketing of the products on big billboards, television, newspaper, and via flyers.
Then came the 90s and the term Digital Marketing was introduced. The introduction of the internet marked the rise of the digital age. However, marketers were not sure whether this “digital marketing” will get popular or not. This was because the internet was relatively new and it hadn’t seen widespread deployment. They were right with respect to the fact that the internet wasn’t accessible to all.
In the year 2004, digital marketing in USA alone brought in $2.9 billion. The very first steep surge came in when Google’s traffic grew about 6.4 billion in a single month! That’s when marketers realized the potential of digital marketing.
Digital marketing as a concept is years old but as a profession relatively new! Now, since the profession is booming there are various ways for marketers to get customer data and target them accordingly. But, to target the customer the marketer needs to know what platform they need to target? What are the tools required? And, most importantly, what skills should they possess? Know about the skill assessment tools that can help you find a right hire
Let’s begin with a simple question….
What Is Digital Marketing ?
In layman’s language, it is the marketing of products and services on the internet. This may also include mobile phones, displaying ads, and other digital mediums. Digital marketing channels like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, and Instagram have been impactful in engaging customers and scaling businesses.
As a matter of fact, 83% of businesses said that their digital marketing efforts help them to achieve their goals.
Why Is Digital Marketing Important?
The Internet is the fastest way to promote your brand/product or anything for that matter. It takes seconds for content to go viral. Even the media isn’t that fast!
Nowadays everyone has accessibility to the internet. In the US alone 97% of US adults under the age of 65 use social media at least once a month.
76% of Facebook users and 51% of Instagram users use it every day. With these numbers, it isn’t shocking to know that social media marketing is preferred by businesses 81% more than the rest of the channels.
It also levels the field for all the players, i.e., gives the exact amount of visibility to all the businesses organically! Analytics are easily available with apt results, so you know what’s working and what’s not, so you can act upon it accordingly.
What Does Digital Marketing Include ?
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine.
2. Pay Per Click Advertising (PCC)
Pay-per-click, also known as cost per click, is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked.
3. Content Marketing
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
4. Social Media Marketing
It refers to the techniques that target social networks and applications to spread brand awareness or promote particular products. It is perceived as a more targeted type of advertising and is therefore believed to be very effective in creating brand awareness.
5. Email Marketing
It is the use of email to promote your business. It is used to cultivate relationships with potential customers, keep current customers informed and updated on your brand, offer coupons to encourage customer loyalty, etc.
6. Web Designing
The website is the place where most people will interact with your business. Your marketing activities will most likely send users to your website. Hence the quality of the website leads to the success of your digital marketing strategy.
What Are The Job Roles & Skills Related To Digital Marketing?
1.Digital Marketing Executive
Digital marketing executives look after the online marketing strategy of a company. They are involved in planning and executing digital marketing campaigns (including email). They also design, maintain, and supply website content for the organization.
Skills Required-
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Google Ads
- Google Analytics/ other web analytics platforms
- Social Media Marketing - Paid and Organic, including:
- Facebook Marketing
- LinkedIn Marketing
- Twitter Marketing
- Other Social Media Platforms
A digital marketing analyst combines search engine optimization and link-building skills to raise the profile of their company's online content.
Skills Required-
- Research and Analytical skills
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Google Analytics/ other web analytics platforms
- Social Media Marketing - Paid and Organic, including:
- Facebook Marketing
- LinkedIn Marketing
- Twitter Marketing
An SEO or Search Engine Optimization specialist analyzes, reviews, and implements changes to the website as per Google’s SEO guidelines. Their aim is to improve the ranking of a page within the search engines, so that maximum traffic lands on the page.
Skills Required-
- Market & Competitor Research
- Keyword Research
- On-page and Off-page Optimization
- Link Building
- Indexing
- Content Writing
- Google Analytics/ other web analytics platforms
A social media marketer is in charge of a company's social media presence. This means they handle the company’s social media pages, reply to queries and feedback. They also run campaigns on various social media accounts.
Skills Required-
- Social Media Marketing, Paid, and Organic, including:
- Facebook Marketing
- LinkedIn Marketing
- Twitter Marketing
- Creative Strategy
- Content Writing
- Social Media Tools (Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.)
- Google Analytics/ other web analytics platforms
5. Content Marketing Specialist/Executive
Content marketers provide organizations with effective web content, giving users a compelling reason to visit their website. As users come to value a site's content, the site experiences growth and an increase in page ranking.
Skills Required-
- Writing and Grammatical Skills
- Strong Research Skills
- Knowledge and Understanding of Latest SEO Trends
- Editing & Proofreading
6. Senior Analyst SEM/PPC
A senior analyst is responsible for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Search Engine Marketing (SEM). He/She is also responsible for administering and creating the Pay Per Click marketing strategies for clients.
Skills Required-
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.
- Paid Social Platforms (Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, etc.)
- Google Analytics/ other web analytics platforms
- Reporting Skills
