Imagine you are leisurely scrolling through your Instagram feed. Suddenly, a video catches your eye — a cooking tutorial showcasing mouthwatering recipes tailored to your love for Italian cuisine. Intrigued, you tap on the video and are transported to a sleek website where the recipes are neatly laid out, accompanied by stunning visuals and step-by-step instructions. You seamlessly navigate through the site, moving from one recipe to another.
It is all the magic of digital marketing — from the captivating video on your social media feed to the extremey user-friendly website interface.
Digital marketing is a vast and dynamic field offering numerous opportunities for creative and strategic thinkers. LinkedIn currently lists around 35,000 open positions related to digital marketing, while Naukri has around 1,55,000 open positions. Entry-level job postings requiring 0-2 years of experience are abundant, making it an ideal field for freshers.
From search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media marketing to content marketing, email marketing, influencer marketing and analytics, there are multiple avenues catering to individuals with various interests and strengths.
Deepak Kumar Jain, co-founder of the 6months.in marketing agency in Gurugram, NCR, says, “One can work in multiple areas initially. However, one needs to eventually identify the area that matches one’s skills and interests.”
For example, someone with strong communication skills, creativity and a flair for storytelling could find a career in social media marketing rewarding. In this role, they would have to manage and produce content for social media platforms. Conversely, SEO specialists work to enhance a website’s ranking and traffic by optimising it for search engines. This job requires keyword research, link-building expertise, and a solid understanding of search engine algorithms and ranking factors.
User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) designers specialise in creating digital interfaces that are both visually appealing and easy to use. They possess a good understanding of user behaviour, a keen eye for design and proficiency in design tools such as Adobe XD or Sketch.
Individuals from various disciplines, including marketing, psychology, history, literature and computer science, can pursue careers in digital marketing. “It’s very technical in nature — there are many tools that you have to use, and you learn them on the job. One also has to have a bent of mind suitable to understanding the consumer. But we hire students from both marketing and non-marketing backgrounds. Young people are on social media and looking at their phones all day; it’s a major part of their lives. They understand the latest trends and techniques — so who better to get for the job,” says the head of marketing of an omnichannel retailer based in Calcutta.
This is echoed by Aditesh Bajaj, a BCom graduate from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. After completing his undergraduate degree, he took a short course in social media marketing on platforms like META, but it was his work as an intern at Team Pumpkin, a digital marketing agency in Delhi, that honed his skills. “Doing short programmes to understand the basics is very helpful. However, working on real projects and having practical experience, like running campaigns and analysing results, is essential for learning,” says Bajaj.
Numerous resources are available for learning digital marketing, both online as well as offline. Certain online learning platforms such as Digital Vidya, NIIT Digital Marketing and Simplilearn offer comprehensive courses on the subject while others such as YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning and Udacity provide a range of digital marketing courses taught by industry experts.
Some universities, colleges and professional associations also offer short-term programmes or workshops in digital marketing. In addition to their academic qualifications, students applying for internships and jobs can easily create a portfolio.
Joel Joseph, digital content officer for AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania) region at Nissan Motor Corporation, says, “India is a mine of opportunities. Freshers can work on creating a portfolio with examples of their work, such as content creation and media campaigns. Additionally, they can also create a personal website to showcase their work. All this will show their ability to drive engagement, analyse customer data and make them stand out to potential employers.”
Staying updated with the latest tools and trends is crucial in this field. Through industry publications, online courses, webinars and networking events, aspiring digital marketers can improve their skills and stay abreast of emerging trends.
Nina Mukherji is a career counsellor and certified psychometric assessor. She conducts workshops in various areas for students. Mail your queries to telegraphyou@gmail.com with “Ask Nina” in the subject line. Don’t forget to add the name of your school or college and a contact number
