How To Become A Certified Digital Marketer In 2024

Since you’re reading this on an electronic device, there is a high chance that you are already acquainted with digital marketing. Don’t believe us? Let’s see. 

You wake up and get a notification from Zomato or Swiggy, you check out your social media and come across ads, you open the profile of your favourite influencer who again is trying to sell you a product, you open your inbox and boom there’s a 50% off sale on Myntra! The crux of the matter is ads are everywhere in our digital space. Thus, the demand for skilled and professional digital marketers to curate and execute such ads is ever-increasing. 

If you’re passionate about making a career in digital marketing in 2024, this blog is for you! The best part is you don’t need to have any previous experience in traditional marketing or a formal degree. Although they may act as brownie points, all you need to become a successful digital marketer is a zeal to make it big in the field (and a laptop and internet too!). 

So, let’s dive into the blog straight away. 

Why Learn Digital Marketing?

The digital Ad Expenditure in India is expected to cross the mark of $5 billion in 2024. That means that businesses have not only understood the potential of digital advertising but are also spending hefty amounts on the same. Thus, the need for proficient digital marketers to manage their marketing departments is on the rise. 

Moreover, as per the Semrush data, there are 8.5 billion Google searches happening per day. There is a huge potential for your website to get higher online visibility and make profits. Digital marketing is the key to unlocking this growth.

It is robust and result-driven. Businesses can easily which platforms generate more leads and invest more in those platforms. 

Trending Jobs in Digital Marketing 2024 

  • Digital Marketing Manager
  • Social Media Marketing Manager
  • Email Marketing Specialist 
  • UI/UX designer 
  • Web developer
  • SEO Specialist 
  • SEM Specialist 
  • Viral Marketer 
  • Meme Marketer 
  • Content Marketing Manager 
  • Talent Managers for Influencer Marketing 
  • Digital Marketing Analyst. 

While this is not an exhaustive list as the digital marketing domain is quite dynamic, it will give you a fair idea of the subfields within the broader umbrella of digital marketing. 

Also Read – 10 Best Blogs You Should Follow To Learn Digital Marketing

What Does a Digital Marketer Do?

Wondering what the job profile of a digital marketer looks like? Not anymore! Below we have given a fair overview of the tasks digital marketers are expected to do. 

  • To set and work towards achieving the digital advertising goals of a client. 
  • To create, implement and audit many advertising campaigns including SEO, SEM, and SMM. 
  • To manage the content marketing campaigns
  • Coordinate with other creative heads such as copywriters, technical experts, and social media experts to ensure the best services to your clients. 
  • To update the social media profiles of your client’s business and analyse its growth.

Thus, you might have understood that digital marketing calls for a jack-of-all-trades attitude and that’s why generalists find a lot of success there. However, mastering one form of the art can also ensure you a steady business. 

6 Steps to Becoming a Digital Marketer in 2024

  • Learn the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is vast. There are umpteen digital marketing skills you can learn. From creative skills like writing and designing to analytical skills like SEO and Paid ads, you can first get theoretical knowledge about each domain and then choose which domain really excites you.

So, here’s what we suggest: 

  1. Do free courses from renowned platforms like Google. For instance, Digital Marketing and eCommerce Certification course and Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. 
  2. Follow industry experts and learn from them. For instance, you can learn SEO from Neil Patel and Brian Dean. 
  3. Watch YouTube Videos and make your notes. Taking forth our previous examples you can check Neil Patel’s YouTube channel as it’s a treasure house for SEO learners. 
  4. Learn by doing. Look out for internships and freelance opportunities and work with clients to learn and enhance your skills. 
  5. Copywriting is a crucial part of marketing. You can learn to write blog posts, and persuasive copywriting like social media captions, tagline for ads, etc. 

Did you know, you could Learn Digital Marketing in just 3 Months? That too in classrooms near you?

Checkout Proschool’s Digital Marketing Course

  • Acquire Certification 

Enrolling for a digital marketing course will allow you to learn from industry experts and mentors and join a community of like-minded learners, have a real-time curriculum and test out your skills. But beware of self-proclaimed digital gurus trying to sell you digital marketing courses without offering any substantial benefit. 

If you want to learn digital marketing from a renowned institute, check out IMS Proschool’s Digital Marketing Course. Offered in both offline and online modes, it offers a comprehensive syllabus that consists of theoretical concepts while also emphasising practical experience. The course is designed in a way that accommodates early as well as advanced learners to enhance their understanding of various topics such as Website and SEO, social media marketing, performance marketing, and more. With expert faculty, in-person classroom teaching and emphasis on soft skill development, the course is designed to make you ready to hit the job market. 

Also Read – 15 High Paying Digital Marketing Skills in 2024

  • Learn How to Use Digital Marketing Tools

There are certain basic yet important tools that every digital marketer must get their hands on. A few of them are as follows: 

  1. Canva for basic editing and designing.
  2. SEO tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and Yoast SEO for keyword research and SEO analysis.
  3. Email marketing tools like MailChimp or SendGrid.
  4. Social media management tools like Buffer, Later and Hootsuite. 
  5. Google Analytics and Google Search Console for tracking metrics like website traffic, position in search results, impressions, CTR and much more. 
  6. Google ads and facebook ads manager for running and tracking paid ads campaign. 

Remember, these were just a few tools you must acquaint yourself with. They would differ as per your area of interest and specialisation so, being updated about the recent trends and tools in the market is crucial. 

  • Build a Digital Marketing Portfolio

How do you build a marketing portfolio? If you too have been haunted by this question, worry no more. 

Here’s the thing: A content writer can simply show the blogs, product descriptions, articles, etc that they had written for clients. But, this is not the case with marketers, for they have to specify what they did in a particular ad campaign. For instance, if it’s social media marketing, did you plan the content? Did you write the copy or did you design the ad? The role must be specified and due credits should be given to your teammates (this would show that you’re a team player!)

But, where do you create a marketing portfolio? You can either create your own website and show your previous work, client testimonials, contact details, the services that you offer, etc on a single website. However, it might not be the most cost-effective option for many. Thus, you can simply use your social media presence to market yourself. 

Moreover, while doing so, be realistic, and add figures wherever possible to show what you brought to the table for your previous clients. 

Also Read – How Much Do You Earn After Pursuing MBA in Digital Marketing in India, North America, and Europe?

  • Develop Your Marketing Resume

Although digital marketing is a non-conventional field, it demands certain formalities of a conventional job, and a resume and cover letter are a few of them. 

Cover Letter is your best bet to show how you’re part of the crowd and how you can bring profit to your client’s table. 

Apart from that, as a marketer, you must also have a well-crafted resume that emphasises more on your marketing skills, certifications, technical knowledge, and previous work experience. You can even highlight your transferable and adaptive skills, such as designing, writing, creativity, problem-solving, and effective time management. 

Thus, while making your resume, keep it short, simple and attractive and, most importantly, keep it updated and relevant. Do NOT send simply copy-pasted resumes to a bunch of companies. Instead, do your homework and send personalised ones. 

  • Networking is the Key

Networking plays a pivotal role in expanding your clientele and knowledge base. Connecting with industry peers, joining webinars, and writing guest posts provide valuable insights and real-world experiences. These networking experiences are like your weapon to stay ahead, know the various digital marketing trends, and even make new clients or get a ew job opportunity. 

Also Read – 10 Best Blogs You Should Follow To Learn Digital Marketing

How Long Does it Take to Become a Digital Marketer?

When it comes to learning digital marketing skills, there is no hard and fast rule. It depends upon what kind of learner you are. A fast to moderate learner can learn hard skills quickly within 12 weeks. However, honing those skills is a lifelong process. Similarly, successful digital marketers have a bunch of soft skills that set them apart from the rest. They are leadership qualities, the ability to manage strict deadlines, coordinate with other specialists, etc and developing them are equally essential.