The digital marketing field is rapidly growing, with a significant rise in demand for professionals skilled in the area. This makes it a great entry point for those looking for a career in the digital space.
Entry level digital marketing jobs range from content writing, social media management, and search engine optimization (SEO) to paid marketing and UX design. But which entry-level position is best suited to you, and what skills do you need to succeed?
In this article, we’ll explore the following questions to give you an overview of what’s out there and what you need to do to get started. Feel free to skip ahead to the section that’s most relevant to you.
- What is digital marketing?
- What skills do I need to work in digital marketing?
- Where to look for digital marketing jobs
- What are the best entry level digital marketing jobs?
- Next steps
1. What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is a critical component of any successful business marketing plan. It’s the process of using digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and websites to:
- reach a specific target audience
- build and nurture customer relationships
- promote products or services
- create an effective brand presence
- drive user engagement and conversions.
As a digital marketer, you’ll need to understand the nuances of each digital channel and how to use them to reach your target audience. This means having a deep understanding of the customer journey and being able to identify areas where digital marketing can have the most impact, such as search engine marketing (SEM) in the case of ecommerce stores.
Do you need a more in-depth look into digital marketing? Check out our comprehensive beginner’s guide on the subject.
2. What skills do I need to work in digital marketing?
As a digital marketing specialist, you’ll need to understand the technologies and techniques used in this field, including digital platforms, common digital marketing tasks, the latest marketing and analytics tools, and the ever-changing rules of SEO best practices.
Let’s only look at five examples of digital marketing skills essential to have as an entry-level candidate—but if you want more detailed advice on building your skill set, you can read our article on the 9 essential digital marketing skills to develop in 2023.
1. Content marketing
Content marketing is an inbound marketing approach focused on providing valuable, relevant content to attract potential customers and build long-term relationships with them. Apart from general communication skills, an entry-level position in digital content development requires you to understand content optimization techniques such as keyword research, SEO copywriting, and link building, as well as research skills to identify and analyze consumer interests, pain points, and needs.
2. Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO is a critical digital marketing skill for aspiring digital marketers. It involves optimizing websites and their content to appear higher in search results pages (SERPs), thereby improving visibility to potential customers. To stay current, SEO professionals need to understand the latest trends and best practices, such as keyword research, search intent analysis, and link building. This requires a deep understanding of the algorithms and functions of search engines, as well as up-to-date on-page and off-page optimization techniques.
3. Social media marketing
Another critical skill found in any digital marketing job description—entry-level or otherwise—is social media marketing. It’s the process of building and maintaining an effective social media presence across various channels. For this, you’ll need to know how to effectively target and engage your desired audience on each social media platform and develop creative campaigns to nurture them with personalized and visually appealing content.
4. UX design
With more and more companies investing in digital experiences, understanding user experience (UX) design is an invaluable skill for digital marketers. In a nutshell, UX is defined as the user’s interaction with and perception of a product or service, from aesthetics to functionality. To be successful as an entry-level candidate in this digital marketing area, you’ll need to understand the basic principles of UX design and user-centered design processes.
5. Paid advertising
Finally, the most successful digital marketing campaigns are those that combine organic and paid tactics. To master the art of paid advertising, you should know the different marketing campaigns available, such as per-per-click (PPC) and display advertising. Additionally, you’ll need to understand how to measure success and optimize your advertising campaigns to maximize return on investment (ROI).
3. Where to look for digital marketing jobs
Having a solid understanding of these digital marketing skills is just one part of the equation. You’ll also need to know where to look for entry-level job opportunities.
Here are four of the best job boards and websites to find digital marketing jobs as a beginner:
- Glassdoor is one of the most comprehensive job boards for digital marketing positions. It allows you to search for jobs by location, experience level, and industry.
- Indeed is another excellent resource for digital marketing jobs. It offers users a range of filters to help narrow down the search and delivers tailored job alerts based on your search criteria.
- As a social media platform for professionals, LinkedIn offers more than just job postings. It allows you to see where professionals in the digital marketing industry are working, what kind of roles they have, and who you could connect with to build your network.
- As the name implies, FlexJobs is dedicated to providing flexible job opportunities. It offers a range of remote digital marketing jobs with flexible hours and competitive salaries.
In addition, there are specific newspaper job sections you could scan on a regular basis, such as The Guardian’s Digital Marketing category for a UK audience or The Washington Post’s Marketing and PR section for U.S. job seekers.
4. What are the best entry level digital marketing jobs?
Before applying for an entry-level digital marketing position, you’ll have to decide which type of job is best for you.
While the job title digital marketing manager is the most common, there are two caveats to consider as someone who is just starting out in the industry: specialization and experience. Marketing managers are often expected to have some level of experience, as they typically manage multiple digital platforms and creative teams. So, it might be better to start off in a specialized entry-level position and then progress into a managerial role.
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Social media manager
This role involves managing an organization’s presence across multiple social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. As a social media manager, you’ll be responsible for:
- developing and executing engaging social media strategies
- creating content to promote products and services
- monitoring accounts for user comments/questions
- analyzing data insights to inform future content strategies.
Key skills: copywriting, content creation, analytics, social media management, customer service
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Content strategist and copywriter
Copywriting and content strategy are two closely related job functions found at the heart of any content team. Both roles involve planning, creating, and curating engaging content for multiple media sources such as blogs, social posts, and emails. Responsibilities include:
- researching industry trends and audience preferences
- developing strategic content plans around relevant topics, and
- producing compelling copy to drive engagement and conversions.
Key skills: market research, content writing, storytelling, content curation, SEO
Want to learn more about this digital marketing area? This article dives deeper into a content strategist’s everyday tasks and responsibilities.
Entry level digital marketing jobs: SEO specialist
This is another entry-level digital marketing job that offers a great opportunity for career progression. It’s all about optimizing content and websites to improve their visibility in search engine results. As an SEO specialist, your tasks will include:
- using keyword research to identify new optimization opportunities
- creating and optimizing content for Google search and other search engines
- analyzing website performance and user engagement data, and
- implementing link-building strategies to increase website traffic.
Key skills: keyword research, content optimization, technical SEO, website analytics, link building
Read more: SEO specialist salary guide
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Email marketing specialist
Next on the list is email marketing. This role is suitable for entry-level candidates with a knack for crafting compelling copy and optimizing user journeys. Email marketing specialists are responsible for:
- developing personalized email campaigns
- optimizing customer journey emails and campaigns
- tracking email performance and engagement metrics
- improving conversion rates through A/B testing.
Key skills: copywriting, email marketing automation, data analysis, customer segmentation, A/B testing
If you’re interested in this role, this article provides a detailed overview of the job responsibilities, skills required, and salary range.
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Paid marketing manager
As mentioned earlier, digital marketing managers usually have a few years of experience under their belt due to the broad scope of their job and its corresponding responsibilities. But there are some more specialized, entry-level manager positions out there. For example, paid marketing managers—also known as paid ads managers—are tasked with:
- running and optimizing ads on platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or Instagram Ads
- developing strategies to reach specific target audiences
- tracking and reporting on ad performance and ROI.
Key skills: PPC, analytics, budget management, customer segmentation, copywriting, data analysis
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Product marketing specialist
Product marketing specialists are responsible for creating campaigns to promote a company’s products or services. This involves:
- conducting market research and creating buyer personas
- developing product positioning that resonates with customers
- creating promotional content to drive sales
- tracking and reporting on product performance.
Key skills: market and product research, content creation, analytics, customer segmentation, copywriting
Entry level digital marketing jobs: Digital marketing analyst
And the final entry-level digital marketing job on our list is digital marketing analyst. This is an ideal position for those who are comfortable working with data, as they’re responsible for:
- collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data from different sources
- using Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track website performance
- identifying actionable insights and making data-driven recommendations
- offering support in decision-making based on analysis of marketing metrics.
Key skills: data analytics, reporting, problem-solving, data visualization
If you’re interested in this role, this article provides a detailed overview of the job responsibilities, skills required, and salary range.
5. Next steps
If you think any of these entry level digital marketing jobs are a good fit for you, you might want to know the next steps you should take to follow that career path. While each person’s journey to success will differ depending on their circumstances and goals, there are some general tips we can share.
Gain work experience
There are many different ways to gain experience in digital marketing, from taking on freelance projects or volunteering for a cause you care about to interning at an established company. Consider each opportunity and take on jobs that will give you the right mix of skills to build an impressive portfolio.
This article provides valuable tips on how to get a digital marketing internship and make your application stand out from the competition.
Take advantage of free resources
The internet is full of free resources that can help you hone your digital marketing skills and stay ahead of the curve. To help you get started, here are some great free digital marketing resources you can use:
- Blogs: To gain insights into the latest digital marketing trends, read these top-rated digital marketing blogs.
- Books: Gain knowledge from field authorities by checking out some of the most popular digital marketing books.
- Tools: Familiarize yourself with the latest digital marketing tools on the market.
Get certified
Although they’re not a requirement to land an entry-level job, professional certifications are a great way to demonstrate your commitment and proficiency in digital marketing. They range from introductory online courses to more advanced certifications, so no matter what your level of experience is, you should find something that works for you.
If you’re entertaining the idea of getting a digital marketing qualification but aren’t sure if online learning is right for you, you’re welcome to check out our free, 5-day short course. It covers the fundamentals of digital marketing, giving you a taste of what it would be like to take a more comprehensive course.
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