The barrier to entry was enormous 25 years ago if you wanted to start a marketing agency. The overhead of creating such an operation in such a primitive digital landscape was daunting and nearly impossible without initial investment. Aside from the startup costs, you were limited to physical and traditional media and the headaches that come with all but fabricating something that resembled ROI for your clients. Being “in the red” for an extended period was unavoidable.
It is not unreasonable to believe that a skilled individual or small team could build a fully operational digital marketing agency from the ground up in a matter of months with a little help. Companies are allocating a larger portion of their marketing budgets to digital advertising than ever before, and everyone wants a piece of the action.
As more businesses turn to the Internet to generate sales, the demand for digital marketing experts has never been greater. It’s a fast-paced, changing industry with many challenges and many rewards, including a potentially lucrative income.
Now is the time if you’ve been considering a career change to digital marketing. And fortunately for you, you don’t need a traditional marketing degree to get started, though some training will help you get your foot in the door. Here are the top 7 fundamentals to starting your online marketing agency:
1. Establish an Online Presence
When it comes to landing a job in almost any field these days, you might as well not exist if you don’t have an online presence. This is especially true in digital marketing for obvious reasons: a prospective employer will look online first to learn about applicants. If they can’t find you, they will move on to the next person who has a curated image. Make your digital marketing blog and social media accounts linked to websites you’ve built and portfolios and show them what you’re capable of.
2. Make Use of Your Imagination
You can use your creative abilities in various ways with digital marketing. There are standardized methods and systems for specific applications, but you can always add your flair to projects to make them creative and unique. Because digital marketing is based on creativity, try out any ideas. The more innovative you are, the more likely you will be noticed and hired for your dream job.
3. Discover the Most Recent Trends
Digital marketing is a career that is constantly evolving and changing. If you want to pursue it as a career, you must keep up with the latest trends. The needs of this industry change over time, and if you fall behind, someone else will step in. Attend virtual seminars, take online classes, and stay ahead of the game rather than just keeping up.
4. Understand Analytics
You must understand analytics to determine the success of your marketing campaigns. This is the data that shows how well or poorly a campaign is performing and assists you in determining how to improve things the next time around. You don’t have to go to college to get a degree, but there are many online classes you can take on your own time to learn about and understand how analytics work and how to use them.
5. Get Trusted Certification
Anyone can get into digital marketing without a university degree, but the candidates who are getting the best positions are those who have a certification in digital marketing. There are classes you can take that will help you prepare for the certification exams, and if you are serious about digital marketing as a career, you should get certified as soon as possible. This will make you stand out in a crowd of digital marketers who may be experienced but not certified.
6. Discover how to use Digital Marketing Tools
As you advance through the ranks and become a digital marketing manager, you will be in charge of a team of digital marketing specialists. Tools are the only way for them to evaluate their work and control the progress of multiple projects simultaneously.
A good tool will let you create dashboards for all channels and meaningful reports for management or clients. There are many useful tools available, and while they are not free, the monthly fee is an investment in your career and another great addition to your resume.
7. Make a Great Resume
Before applying for jobs, make a dynamic resume that demonstrates how valuable your skills are. There are numerous types of resumes, and you should not limit yourself to just one, especially if you work in a creative field like digital marketing. Examine various resume examples for digital marketing professionals online and model yours after them.
