Digital marketing is an umbrella term used for all forms of electronic commerce, such as email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, online advertising, mobile marketing, display advertising, web analytics, conversion rate optimization, ecommerce, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, content marketing, podcasting, paid search, referral marketing, social bookmarking, syndication, video hosting, blogging, microblogging, news release distribution, native advertising, viral marketing, community building, co-branding, crowdsourcing, and so much more.
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the process of using multiple channels to promote products and services. This includes things like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Email Marketing, Display Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Online Video Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Web Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) and even offline marketing methods like Direct Mail, Trade Shows, Events, etc.
You can specialize in any of the areas mentioned above and pursue your career. For an example, If you like SEO, you can learn about SEO strategy, SEO Content writing, or even SEO project management. Digital Marketing as a whole include many fields which also branches out into many sectors.
Types Of Digital Marketing
There are two main types of digital marketing – paid and organic. Paid marketing involves spending money to gain exposure while organic marketing relies on free methods such as social media, search engine optimization, email marketing, and more.
Why you should start a career in Digital Marketing
1. You get to work at home
You don't have to commute to an office everyday. You can work from anywhere you want. You can even work while watching TV or doing something else. All you need is a computer and internet connection.
2. You get to learn new things
Digital marketing is constantly changing. There's always something new to learn. Every day, you'll be learning about how digital works and how people use it.
3. You get to meet new people
The world of online marketing is filled with kind-hearted people who love what they do. You'll make friends who share the same interests as you.
4. You get paid well
If you're good at what you do, you'll probably earn a decent income. And if you're really good, you could end up making a great salary!
5. You get to travel
There are many opportunities out there for those who want to work abroad. If you've got experience working online, you may find yourself working in Australia, England, or Singapore.
6. You get to set your own hours
You choose when to work. You can take time off whenever you want. You can also decide to only work certain days of the week.
7. You get to work flexible hours
You can work around your family's schedule. You can even work late nights and weekends.
How to start your Digital marketing career
In this digital world, you have millions of resources online which you can refer to learn anything. For a trending filed such as Digital marketing, it is comparatively very easy to find learning resources. Here I have listed few free resources which in my opinion should help you to grasp the basics.
Udemy – Free Digital Marketing Course
Top Reviews-Sri Lanka YouTube channel (Sinhala)
Apart from above free resource, in case you need a paper qualification, you must enroll to a university or an institute to get a diploma, advance diploma, degree or even an MBA. But since you are here to start things from scratch, here are some institutes in Sri Lanka who offers recognizable diplomas and certifications related to Digital Marketing.
All the above institutions provide you a great qualification to kick start you career. But if you have some extra money that you could invest in your education, Digital Marketing Institute offer some internationally recognizable qualifications. But the cost would be $1000+.
Like I mentioned in the very beginning, Digital Marketing is a dynamic field which you need to keep tabs and be updated on all the time. So here are some professional Digital marketing experts who you should follow and always read their content. These are both local and international level professionals.
- Bhanuka Harischandra – Founder of Surge Global
- Amitha Amarasinghe – CEO of APIDM
- Kevin Indig – Director SEO for Shopify
- Fery Kaszoni – MD of Search Intelligence Ltd
- Ryan Stewart – Managing Partner of The Blueprint & Webris
Please note that all of the above-mentioned professionals are my personal preference. There are many more Digital Marketing professionals who you can follow and acquire their experience and knowledge. And of course, if you are Digital enthusiast who wants to boost your career, you can reach out to me anytime. I'll do my best to help you and guide you through your journey.