You have to play the game to learn it — this is the most appropriate way to start when preparing for a career in internet marketing. Unlike other courses on marketing that have a defined curriculum and syllabus, internet marketing is boundless. It keeps on increasing the boundaries almost every moment. The fast pace at which internet marketing keeps evolving makes it impossible to write books that can be considered to be most updated. There are books on internet marketing, no doubt; but it is more about the concept and some laid down practices that have become dated. It is pointless to refer to such books when you are preparing to take up internet marketing as a career. The right way to prepare for a career in internet marketing has been discussed in this post.
Educational qualification
Although termed as marketing, internet marketing does not call for any specialized education. Being a graduate even in journalism could qualify you for a career in internet marketing. There are several aspects of internet marketing like social media marketing; Best SEO for dentists, e-mail marketing etc and you can be suitable for any of these. However, you need to have a good understanding of the internet and have an inclination for pursuing a career in marketing. Being creative and computer savvy would be to your advantage.
Books do not help
The landscape of internet marketing keeps changing so fast that it is impossible for books to stay updated when it is published. Updates, change in features and algorithm changes keep happening almost constantly with Google and the social media led by Facebook. These updates can change the way how people use social media and initiate searches. Similarly, new social networks that can be quite impacting can crop up overnight. Books are just not meant to be the right resources for preparing for a career in internet marketing.
Get hands-on experience
So, how do you prepare for a career in internet marketing? Books can be referred to for the basic understanding but since you have decided to take it up as a career it means that you already have that in you. You know what it is all about and must also be aware of the traits you need to possess to make it well in the field. For learners, who want to pursue a career the only and perhaps the best way to learn is by gaining hands-on experience. Being an intern with a website for small business is a good way to learn the ropes. Get involved in activities like email marketing and other techniques of driving traffic to websites by using social media, organic search, and paid search.
Watch brands on the net
The more insight you gain the better you are placed to grasp the subject. The best way to gain insight is to select a few brands and start monitoring their activities with respect to internet marketing.
• Pay attention to website designs to understand how it is made compatible with mobile devices and user-friendly.
• See how the brands influence customers and push them towards buying on e-commerce platforms.
• Monitor the implementation of email marketing, what strategy is followed, how frequently emails are sent and what kind of call to action really works.
• Study their presence on social media platforms including the type of content they use and the platforms that are used.
Judge the activities and evaluate it to make your own assessment about how good or bad you feel about it.
Hone your writing skills
In order to pursue a career in internet marketing, you need to possess some writing skills. This is a basic necessity that cannot be compromised with. It does not matter if you are not good at it but at least you should have it in you. Then you can hone the skills to bring it to acceptable levels. Creative writing helps in marketing that can involve writing tweets or developing content for email marketing. Sometimes it might also be required to write copy for ads of paid searches. Therefore, you need to have a good imagination and creative thinking that can enrich the quality of writing.
Analyzing with Excel
Computer skills are essential to succeed in internet marketing that involves huge data dissemination and analysis. Plenty of data analysis has to be done by using Excel spreadsheets. Data may have to be tweaked to assist in testing various models of marketing. Ability to interpret spreadsheets is necessary to uncover the hidden meaning of assimilated data groups. Huge data that is amassed by tracking the activities of online marketing has to be used judiciously to judge the performance of the marketing efforts. It also points out about the weaknesses and gives the direction to move. Strategies are developed on the basis of the results of data analysis.
Make use of resources related to internet marketing
There are many opportunities for learning related to internet marketing that can be availed by exploring the resources from universities and schools. Be on the lookout for free technical courses that some universities offer. You can learn Photoshop or Excel and the knowledge can come handy when you take up a career in internet marketing. Students are also eligible for many other perks that can come in the form of discounts that are offered for events related to career development. You can join conferences and seminars, get attached to external groups for networking, be attached to some other learning platforms and even have access to software – all at discounted rates. It is a great opportunity of adding more value to your resume that can boost career prospects.
Self-learning is the best way to prepare for a career in internet marketing. Devote time to gain experience that exposes you to the different nuances of the subject. Having seen things happen before your eyes, you are more confident about your learning. All that you need is a mind that is creative and the ability for data analysis that can take you forward in your career.
