How to Start A Career in Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is one of the fastest growing fields in the world, offering exciting opportunities for creative thinkers, data driven strategists and tech savvy professionals. If you’re wondering how to break into this industry, this guide will walk you through the essential steps, from learning the basics to landing your first role.
Understand What Digital Marketing Really Is
Digital marketing isn’t just about social media, which is actually a common misconception. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines including SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, PPC and analytics. knowing the different areas helps you figure out where to focus first and what skills to develop.
Learn the Core Skills
Digital marketing is a skill-based industry, meaning the more you know, the more valuable you become. Free resources like HubSpot Academy and SEMrush Academy are excellent starting points as they can teach you basic SEO & PPC concepts that you need in any digital marketing job!
Gain Practical Experience
Hands-on experience is key to landing your first role. Some ways to get started include:
Creating your own blog. This is a great way to practice SEO, content creation, and analytics firsthand.
Volunteer or Intern. I started at a non-profit. Non-profits are more willing to take on marketers with less experience & they offer fantastic experience.
Personal Branding. Grow your own social media presence to showcase your skills.
Build a Portfolio
Case studies are a powerful way to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities. For each project, outline:
The challenge you were tasked with.
The strategy or approach you implemented.
The results and measurable impact (e.g., increased website traffic, higher engagement rates, improved conversions).
Even small or fake projects, like improving the SEO of a personal blog or managing a friend’s social media campaign can be turned into compelling case studies if you focus on the strategy and outcome.
You don’t need years of corporate experience to create an impressive portfolio. Volunteer work, personal projects, or even mock campaigns can be highly valuable. The key is showing measurable results, strategic thinking, and creativity, even on a small scale.
