Are you a social media maven who lives for likes, comments, and follows? Do you dream of getting paid to spend the day on Facebook and Instagram? Do you possess both an analytical mind AND creative flair? You could be a natural for a career in digital marketing! Whether you鈥檙e just starting out or looking for a career change, we鈥檒l show you how to get into digital marketing without a degree.
Digital marketing is not only an exciting career path, it's lucrative as well. The
2019 for an advertising, promotions or marketing manager was $135,900, and demand for
marketing professionals is projected to grow faster than the average for other professions.
As a newbie or career changer, you鈥檒l likely start at a more modest salary, but the
income potential over the course of your career is excellent. Let鈥檚 dive into what
you鈥檒l need to get started.
What Skills are Required to Get a Digital Marketing Job?
According to Digital Doughnut, some of the to become a rock star in this multi-faceted field include:
- Data analysis
- Writing and editing
- SEO and SEM
- Listening
- Email marketing
- CRM
- Social media
- Social media advertising
- Basic design
- Mobile marketing
If you already have a solid foundation in these 10 areas, bravo! If not, you鈥檒l need
to become proficient in at least a few of these before embarking on the job hunt.
Not sure how to make that happen? Read on!
Lay the Groundwork for a Successful Job Search
As a pretty successful guy named Louis Pasteur once said, 鈥渇ortune favors the prepared
mind.鈥� This is especially true when trying to break into a new field. Fortunately
(no pun intended), there are ample ways to upskill and show your value to potential
employers without earning a degree.
Build Your Credibility With Free Certifications
You can earn a variety of certifications that will look great on your r茅sum茅. Best of all, they鈥檙e FREE! These highly prized credentials are often preferred over a bachelor鈥檚 degree and demonstrate your knowledge in key skill areas.
With this free training, you鈥檒l learn all about search, display, video, and shopping ads, plus measurement of results. Many entry-level digital marketing jobs require this certification.
This free training teaches beginners and experienced users how to grow an online presence through data tracking and web analytics tools.
Through Hootsuite, you can earn industry-recognized social media certifications that will help you stand out from the crowd when applying for social media marketing jobs.
This free course covers the basics of inbound marketing, including drawing in customers, attracting leads, crafting engaging landing pages, writing strong calls-to-action, and growing an audience.
Learn the fundamentals of search engine marketing in this free course, from starting your first search advertising campaign to optimization and managing your budget.
This isn鈥檛 a comprehensive list, but these courses can help you obtain valuable certifications
that will impress hiring managers.
Prove You Can Do the Work
You can tell future employers all about your digital marketing skills, but it鈥檚 much more powerful to show them. If you don鈥檛 already have a website, blog, or social media channel, they鈥檙e great ways to start building your reputation with a solid work product. Alternatively, if you鈥檇 rather not toot your own horn, offer to help friends or family members with small businesses who need assistance raising their web or social media game.
To showcase your writing and SEO skills, try creating a writing sample and get it to rank high on Google for a particular keyword. You can without the need to create your own blog or website. If you鈥檙e invited to an interview, you could even write a spec blog post for the company and share it with the hiring manager for evaluation.
While all of these ideas involve some extra effort, they can prove to employers that
you know what you鈥檙e doing.
Follow the Digital Marketing Leaders and Trends
In a field that changes as often as the weather, what works today may not work tomorrow. To stay in the know on the latest trends, follow digital marketing thought leaders like Seth Godin or Neil Patel and sites like .
Once you progress to the interview round of your job search, hiring managers will
often ask which influencers you admire or follow online. Our advice? . Follow them on social media, listen to their podcasts, and watch their videos so
you can speak intelligently about industry leaders (and learn a thing or two).
Work Your Network
When it鈥檚 time to start applying for jobs, never underestimate the power of existing
contacts in your quest to become America鈥檚 Next Top Digital Marketer. Your network
has built up a level of trust and confidence in your work 鈥� use it! Request referrals
and recommendations. Ask about un-advertised positions or internships. Offer your
services on a freelance basis. One small opportunity is all you need to help get your
foot in the door and land your first digital marketing job.
The Bottom Rung Is a Good Place to Be
Wouldn鈥檛 it be great if you could throw yourself at the career ladder and land directly on top? It鈥檚 not an impossible feat, but to break into digital marketing, chances are you鈥檒l need to get some experience further down the ladder.
For best results, start your search by applying for entry-level positions like a marketing specialist or marketing coordinator. Apply even if you aren鈥檛 a perfect fit! Because you鈥檙e trying to break into a new field, use your cover letter to highlight your blog/website/social channels and any freelance work you鈥檝e done pro bono. Including results (like a top Google ranking for a particular keyword) can prove to hiring managers that you have the chops to handle the position.
Another idea to consider: Offer to work for free for a limited time, or apply for an internship position. By doing this, you can add to your resume, earn a recommendation for a job well done, make connections, and work with larger clients than you鈥檇 be able to land on your own.
Last, but not least, don鈥檛 forget to optimize your social media profiles before starting
the job hunt (update LinkedIn, remove sketchy pictures from Instagram, etc.). They鈥檒l
be under additional scrutiny when applying to digital marketing positions.
Enhance Your R茅sum茅 With a Digital Marketing Certificate From USF
For an affordable way to give your job search an extra boost, explore USF's new Digital Marketing Certificate program. In just eight weeks, you鈥檒l learn the foundations of digital marketing,
including search, social, video, display, and email marketing, and earn a credential
that helps you stand out as a candidate. Contact the Office of Corporate Training
and Professional Education online or at 813-974-0950 for more information.