Are you hurtling along the vocational path you dreamed of as a kid?
If you’re anything like the vast majority, the answer to that question is a resounding no, as the pressure to find a “real” job inexorably takes precedence over visions of a circus performer career.
Indeed, rather than taming lions, joining Nasa or breaking the world land speed record in a shopping trolley, it’s likely your youthful visions have been replaced with a dull role in middle management.
But help is at hand …
…. an exciting position in digital marketing.
Whilst you won’t be breaking in big cats or careering down Ben Nevis in a makeshift go-kart (unless you fancy it in your spare time), this calling can make you feel like a bona fide rockstar.
Here’s how …
Grab Some Qualifications
Although a fancy degree is far from essential in the quest to become a digital marketing rockstar, a university qualification is invariably a huge help. Whether you opt for an MA in Business Administration or a BA in Computer Science, a solid academic grounding should be your first step.
Typically, most digital marketing types will have gained some kind of further education, with the transferable skills earned during the course of a degree often a great advantage when dealing with the hectic demands of a marketing rockstar schedule.
Buff Up Your Content Marketing and SEO
Of course, content marketing and SEO go hand in hand, so whilst great content is essential, understanding how to optimise it correctly and get it in front of the appropriate audience is every bit as crucial.
Additionally, the ebb and flow of Google’s enigmatic algorithm has left many digital marketing bods rocking back and forth mumbling about black hats, penguins and pandas – so it’s important you don’t follow the same path by keeping abreast of developments in this ever changing industry.
Enhance Your Social Media Sparkle
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade, you’ve probably come into contact with some form of social media. However, in an effort to become a digital marketing rockstar, you’ll need to know more than how to update Facebook or Instagram with pictures of your lunch.
More explicitly, you’ll need to understand how social media increases brand awareness and helps generate referral traffic to your website. You’ll also need to have an understanding of how LinkedIn can help, as well as the intricacies of Google+, among others.
Develop Your Technical Abilities
Aside from a degree in your back pocket, a firm grasp of content marketing and SEO, and a handle on the mechanics of social media, you should be an expert in the typical software packages used by a digital marketing firm.
Whether it’s Google Analytics, AdWords, Hootsuite or WordPress, strive to become the go-to guy or girl your colleagues can call upon when things go awry – and a comprehension of the above will help when the time comes to negotiate a pay rise or a new role.
Now it’s over to you …
What other skills should a digital marketing rockstar have in their kit to ensure continued success? Let us know by leaving a comment below – we’d love to hear from you.