If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a diploma student yourself or someone who knows one. In either case, you probably already know the struggles that come with financing your studies. After all, paying for your tuition is only one part of the financial puzzle. You also need to budget for things like rent, books, and even a meal plan (if you’re living in a hostel). In addition to that, you’re constantly bombarded with advertisements for credit cards, travel insurance, and other forms of financial assistance.

Even then, it’s not easy. As a matter of fact, it can be a struggle just to survive financially as a diplo- student.

What if there was a way to fund your studies without having to worry about money too much? What if there was an easy way to make extra cash to pay for that second cup of coffee you need to budget for, or that flight to Paris you’ve been dreaming of?

Well, congratulations! You’ve found it. In this guide, you’re going to learn how to effectively market your diploma online. Although campus recruiting and class websites have made it easier for you to find the information you need, the digital world is always expanding, and so is the number of websites, apps, and social media channels that you need to keep up with.

Find Your Niche

Just because you have a diploma doesn’t mean that you’re automatically qualified to be a digital marketer. Chances are, you’re going to have to start out as an online marketer who works his/her way up to management, or you’ll never be able to prove your expertise. So, before you dive in, it’s important to find your niche. What is your USP (unique selling proposition)?

Your USP is your answer to the question: “Why should I buy your product or service?” In plain English, your USP is what makes you stand out from competitors. In digital marketing, your USP is what makes you different from simply having a strong social media presence.

To come up with your USP, you need to think about what you can offer that is special. Ideally, you want to come up with something that is memorable and that makes you stand out among your competitors. Do some research and find out what other businesses and individuals are doing, and how you can be different. What makes you special? What makes your product or service unique?

Determine Your Target Audience

Determining your target audience is all about understanding who you’re aiming your marketing efforts at. Basically, you want to find people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. In other words, you need to find your specific buyer persona. In a nutshell, a buyer persona is a combination of characteristics, such as age, gender, and location, that you can use to describe, and eventually, target your audience. Simply put, a buyer persona is a profile of a person who is most likely to buy your product or service.

If you’re still unsure of what a buyer persona is, think of a customer. You know, the person who walks in the door each and every time you open your store. That’s a buyer persona. A customer-specific persona is the profile of an existing or potential customer based on what you know about them.

The more you know about your target audience, the more you can tailor your approach to effectively reach them. Do some research and determine things such as what platforms they’re using and the demographics using those platforms. Then, start building your buyer persona. Keep in mind: You can never have too much information!

Curate Effective Online Marketing Channels

The very first step in creating a digital marketing strategy is to establish a list of the various digital marketing channels you’ll use to reach your target audience. These are the various places where you can reach your audience and encourage them to action (i.e., buy your product or service).

The first thing you should do is create a spreadsheet that keeps track of the various digital marketing channels you’re considering using to reach your audience. Be as detailed as possible. Include everything from social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to rental platforms like Netflix and Spotify. If you have budget restrictions, create a listing of the channels you can afford to use and those you need to avoid.

After you have your spreadsheet, you can start to establish a strategy. What is your target audience’s digital behavior? How are they engaging with content right now?

Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Once you have your strategy in place, you can start setting key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are benchmarks you’ll use to track the success of your marketing efforts. For example, you might set a KPI to indicate the number of leads your website receives each month. You can also choose to set a KPI for conversions, such as the number of users who make a purchase after viewing a product description or video.

When you set KPIs, you’re essentially gauging how you’re doing. Are you meeting your goals? If not, you might need to reassess your strategy. Setting KPIs doesn’t mean you’re compromising on quality. It just means you’re recognizing that there’s a way you can measure your performance, and that you should be measuring it. Once you have your strategy and KPIs in place, you’re ready to move forward.

Create a Content Calendar

Now that you have everything planned out, it’s time to create a content calendar. The content calendar is a roadmap of all the content you’ll create throughout the year, and it serves as a guide for your editorial calendar, which we’ll discuss next.

The purpose of the content calendar is to help you plan out a schedule of content you’ll produce. It will also help you coordinate with other departments within your company (e.g., sales, marketing, and design) to make sure everyone is on the same page and that the content plan is moving forward efficiently.

The content plan should include everything from the type of content you’ll produce (e.g., blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, e-books, or case studies) to the platforms you’ll use to distribute that content (e.g., website, social media, or email marketing).

While the type of content you plan on creating will determine the structure of your content calendar, the order in which you produce the content should be determined by your needs. Ideally, you’ll want to produce content that is most relevant to your target audience, and you can use various platforms, including your website, to do so. As you establish content, you’ll want to cross-promote with other platforms.

Your content calendar should include all your content, regardless of its format. While you’re adding content to your calendar, be sure to keep track of where the content will appear. Also, make sure you add relevant links to each piece of content so that your audience can follow the entire content plan, from start to finish. This way, each link will serve as a call-to-action (CTA), encouraging the user to take action (e.g., make a purchase, download a file).

Create an Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar is a schedule of editorial content, such as articles, blogs posts, and videos, that you’ll produce throughout the year. The editorial calendar serves as a roadmap of the various articles, blog posts, and videos you intend to create.

The purpose of the editorial calendar is to help you plan out a schedule of content you’ll produce. It will also help you coordinate with other departments within your company (e.g., sales, marketing, and design) to make sure everyone is on the same page and that the editorial plan is moving forward efficiently.

Like the content calendar, the editorial calendar should include everything from the type of content you’ll produce (e.g., blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, e-books, or case studies) to the platforms you’ll use to distribute that content (e.g., website, social media, or email marketing).

While the type of content you plan on producing will determine the structure of your editorial calendar, the order in which you produce the content should be determined by your needs. Ideally, you’ll want to produce content that is most relevant to your target audience, and you can use various platforms, including your website, to do so. As you establish content, you’ll want to cross-promote with other platforms.