Marketing is a huge industry and one with a lot of different channels to success. And, with digital marketing, you get the option to work from anywhere, great career progression and the potential to earn well.
Almost every business needs to use some form of digital marketing, meaning plenty of opportunity. But if you want to get started with your digital marketing career and you’re not sure which way to go, we’ve put together this list of the best digital marketing jobs for both entry level and career progression.
1. Social Media Manager
Social media is an integral part of digital marketing. It allows businesses to reach their audiences and new customers on the most popular social media platforms and where they spend most of their time. It is also easy to get started with and cost-effective for businesses.
A social media manager can handle marketing on a specific social media platform, for example Instagram, or multiple. They may focus on both organic content or paid ads. This includes creating content and campaigns, putting in place strategies to increase follower counts, finding areas of collaboration with other online brands, monitoring analytics and creating reports.
Businesses and brands of all sizes often hire a social media manager to help build their organic social media following. They may also choose to work with celebrities and influencers who may be too busy to manage their own social media pages.
2. Community manager
Somewhere between social media manager and customer services is the community manager. The main role of the community manager is to respond to comments on social media that relate to the brand; or to find people asking questions on forums such as Reddit or Quora, and answer them as the brand.
A good community manager can raise awareness of a brands offering while answering questions. They may also handle negative press or comments on social media, and can in some ways win new followers too. For most community managers, their role will offered under the heading of social media manager, but some bigger companies may hire a dedicated community manager.
This is a digital marketing that is becoming much more important as people realise that they need to be active on social media, not just posting content.
3. Content Creator/Writer
Content is an essential and broad part of digital marketing as it is what enables content marketing. Additionally, content is everywhere online, from websites, emails, social media platforms and more. Well-written content can boost engagement, convince buyers, and improve a brand’s recognition and reach.
Content writing drives marketing efforts and requires effective writing skills so the writer can deliver the brand’s ideas and concepts effectively.
Writers are required to write for specific purposes such as educating or raising awareness. They may also be required to write persuasive copy for sales material. There is a growing demand for writers as more businesses look to take advantage of content and digital marketing.
To get started, you need sharp research and writing skills, the ability to find work by convincing brands and businesses to hire you, and the right setup. Writers can work from anywhere as long as they can meet deadlines, and having a laptop certainly helps with that. Writers can start with a PC for beginners and then invest in a more expensive computer down the line.
4. SEO Specialist
SEO, or search engine optimization, entails optimising websites so that they rank higher on search engine result pages using organic methods. SEO specialists are required to understand how search engines work, which strategies will get them the best results, keep up with trends in the industry and be able to test different strategies and methods. They also monitor analytics and create reports.
The main task of a search engine optimization specialist is to research keywords and to build a strategy to attract organic search content. They will need to use tools such as SEM Rush or Ahrefs to accomplish this as they need to do the research and access the data.
SEO is a specialised and complicated role and this is why it is so lucrative for specialists that can ensure the best results for their clients.
If you want to get into SEO as a career, most people start as content writers or build their own websites to understand how it works. And in time, as you build your portfolio of clients, you could run your own SEO agency!
5. Virtual assistant
The role of the VA or the virtual assistant, is to provide multi-faceted support across a broad range of digital marketing activities. This might include social media management, data entry, customer services, content writing, diary management, email writing or even managing a specific task or department.
As it is so broad, most virtual assistants will make it clear what they offer and may eventually specialise once they have found their strength. This may not be a specialised digital marketing career, but it can set you up with a strong foundation in multiple digital marketing disciplines.
6. Video producer
Video production is a key part of almost every companies digital marketing strategy, especially those targeting social media on Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat. As a digital marketing career, it is one that can command high fees once you get very good at what you do.
The role of video producer may also overlap with that of a social media manager, as often the videos are made for social channels.
If you have a passion for video, and you know how to edit using any software from Premier to Camtasia, then a video producer could be a great role for you.
7. Proofreader and copy editor
If you have a good eye for detail and you love to read, a copy editor could be a good step on the digital marketing career ladder. You will be required to read and correct a lot of written content, and you’ll be expected to be flawless with your spelling and grammar.
A proofreader or copy editor may also overlap with a content writer, although they are usually separate roles.
The bottom line
Digital marketing is a massive industry with lots of varied roles within it. You can find the right roles for you by looking at what your interests are and aligning those with the different roles that are available, such as by exploring the best digital marketing books for guidance.
You can also switch from one role to another, which is another benefit of working in this industry.
Oh and if you’re looking for a digital nomad job, then marketing offers some of the best options out there.