With the growth of online markets and social media, the world of digital marketing has exploded. The ability to track and analyze user behavior across different platforms has enabled marketers to fully understand the value that each channel provides and how to use it effectively.

If you’re looking to enter the world of digital marketing, you might be wondering where to start. What is the essential requirement for a marketing specialist? What are the various specializations that one can pursue?

In today’s world of digital marketing, a marketer may work for a market research firm, advertising agency, media company, PR agency, social media agency or in-house at a brand or business.

Depending on your interest, you can further specialize in marketing analytics, strategy, or measurement. As the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, the specializations of a marketing specialist will continue to change with it.

What is a Marketing Specialist?

A marketing specialist, sometimes referred to as a digital marketer, can take on multiple roles across a brand or business. A marketing specialist may design email marketing campaigns, analyze traffic, or develop and execute marketing plans.

A marketing specialist may also specialize in analytics, strategy, or measurement. If you possess a specialized skill set in any of these areas, you can work as a full-time marketing specialist. Alternatively, you can gain experience by pursuing a specialization in marketing management or marketing research.

Why Become a Marketing Specialist?

If you’re looking to enter the world of marketing, you have multiple options. You can become a marketing specialist, gain experience, or find a job. Which one you choose depends on your interests and the type of work that you want to do.

If you want to become a marketing specialist, you might consider pursuing a degree in marketing or business administration. Alternatively, you can look for training courses that will develop your specialties or focus on marketing management. With the world of digital marketing growing at such a rapid pace, there is a wide demand for talented marketing specialists.

Where Do I Start?

As a newbie in the world of digital marketing, you’ll most likely wonder which channel to focus on first. There are so many different ways to get started, so let’s dive in and explore some options.

1. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing and remains one of the most effective. In fact, almost all large companies initially built their brand equity and gained market share with email marketing.

If you’re interested in learning more, start with HubSpot. They have a free trial and offer an in-house training program for their product. Once you’re familiar with the basics of email marketing, you can move on to other platforms that offer email marketing tools.

2. Instagram Marketing

Instagram is owned by Facebook, which makes it a potential goldmine for market research. More than 500 million people use the app each month and businesses earn billions of dollars from user engagement on Instagram.

As a marketer, you can develop strategies to grow your account and engage with users. You can also create and send out Instagram stories, which engage users and boost your credibility.

If you’re interested in marketing on Instagram, you can look for courses that will develop your strategy, find a mentor, or just dive in and start creating content.

3. YouTube Marketing

YouTube is the second-largest search engine after Google and the amount of time users spend watching videos has increased by 39% since 2017. More and more people are using YouTube to find information, entertainment, and education.

You can create a YouTube channel for virtually any niche and with a little effort, you can gain a following. From there, you can move on to other platforms like Twitter and Facebook to drive more traffic to your channel.

4. Blogging

Blogs are a great way to attract and retain customers. Since customers are taking notice of your blog, you’re able to develop a following and gain credibility even if you don’t have any previous experience. You can use your blog to educate your audience about your industry and the products you promote.

If you’re looking to start a blog, begin by creating a spreadsheet of the various platforms you’ll need to learn how to use. From there, you can find free blogs that you can use to build your audience.

5. Social Media Marketing

If you’ve ever been on Twitter, you may have noticed that many users tweet about products and services that they’re passionate about. Companies then pick up on this trend and begin advertising on the platform, resulting in a win-win for both the brand and the user.

If you’re interested in learning more about marketing on social media, you can look for courses that will develop your strategy or take advantage of what’s available in free communities like Hootsuite. With millions of users on social media, you’ll be able to find a platform that suits your needs and helps you to grow your business.

At the end of the day, none of these channels are reserved solely for marketers. Anyone with a digital footprint can participate in marketing and use these platforms to promote their products and services. It’s important to find your unique niche and develop your skillset so that when you do decide to join the world of marketing, you can take pride in what you produce and where you contribute.