If ‘how to start digital marketing’ tops your priority list this year, you’re in the right place. With the digital marketing industry projected to reach $786.2 Billion by 2026, now is the perfect time to get started as a digital marketer.
I know — starting your journey in digital marketing with zero experience might seem daunting, but hear me out. The secret to succeeding in this field isn’t what you already know, but what you’re prepared to learn.
That is why in this article, I lay out a no-nonsense, step-by-step guide that transforms you from novice to knowledgeable, without requiring any prior expertise. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Digital marketing strategy fundamentals
Search engine optimization
Social media marketing
How to create your first portfolio and set yourself up for a successful career in digital marketing
…and so much more exciting stuff! Let’s dive in.
Make sure you also read this post where I broke down everything you need to become a digital creator in extremely easy steps.
How to Start Digital Marketing with No Experience
When I started out, the landscape wasn’t as segmented as it is today. Back then, a digital marketing manager had to master multiple roles and responsibilities. Now, the field has evolved, and professionals specialize in specific areas such as content marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), email marketing, social media campaigns, and more.
Therefore, we’ll delve into the most important aspects of digital marketing and define each pillar of this profession. This way, you’ll get a better understanding of what a digital marketing career entails and what part of this creative field suits your profile best.
Understand Digital Marketing Fundamentals
Digital marketing is not that different from traditional, offline marketing. It involves using digital channels to advertise a brand to a target audience and create demand within a market for that company’s products or services.
Key Components of Digital Marketing
To truly excel in digital marketing, you must understand its key components. Here’s a breakdown of the essentials:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is both an art and a science, and it focuses on enhancing your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO is split into two key components: on-page and off-page SEO.
On-page SEO involves optimizing content and elements like keywords, meta tags, and headings, while off-page involves link building to improve rankings.
In a nutshell, a successful SEO strategy ensures that your site is accessible, and more importantly, easily discoverable to search engines and humans. Statistics show that 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, so digital marketing professionals invest plenty in honing this skill.
Content Marketing
It involves strategizing to create and distribute valuable, relevant, accurate, and consistent content that serves your target audience, grows your reputation as a thought leader, boosts brand awareness, educates consumers about your brand and your offerings, attracts traffic through SEO content marketing, and ultimately drive more sales.
P.S.: Did you know that companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month than those without?
Social Media Marketing
Many associate a digital marketer with social media marketing, but this aspect is only a small part of the bigger picture.
Posting on social media has three main purposes: to engage your audience, build your brand, and boost sales.
Keep in mind that this job comes with a keen interest in keeping up with online trends, engaging social media audiences, and developing your content and design aptitudes.
Check out my 2024 guide on how to become a digital creator
PPC (Pay Per Click)
Essentially, it’s a way of buying visits to your site, rather than attempting to “earn” those visits organically. PPC is a digital marketing model where marketers pay each time someone clicks their ad.
PPC can include search engine advertising, display advertising, and affiliate marketing. Google reports that search ads can boost brand awareness by up to 80%.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a powerful tool to communicate directly with potential and existing customers. This digital channel is used to nurture your audience and drive conversions while keeping your database warm and interested in your brand.
Email marketing is diverse, including communications like newsletters, promotional emails, company announcements and news, educational emails, and more.
Digital Marketing Analytics
If you think marketing is just for creatives, think again. For those who love digging into details, analytics is a great digital marketing career path. This area focuses on analyzing data from marketing efforts, channels, and campaigns to discover useful insights. This is how marketing teams figure out what works and what doesn’t and potential areas for automation.
Where to Start? Top 5 Resources for Learning
Here’s a list of top-notch materials and platforms where you can start building your foundational knowledge:
1. Popular Blogs
HubSpot Blog: A treasure trove of insights and tips, particularly for inbound and content marketing strategies.
Neil Patel’s Blog: Offers the latest advice on SEO, content marketing, and growth hacking techniques.
Content Marketing Institute: Provides in-depth articles on all aspects of content marketing, from strategy to execution and measurement.
2. YouTube Channels
Gary Vee: You’ve probably heard of this guy by now, but did you know about his YouTube channel? That’s where he provides motivational advice and practical marketing strategies for beginners and advanced digital marketers.
Moz: If you want to dive deep into SEO with tutorials and case studies from industry experts, this is the place to be.
Brian Dean: He offers actionable SEO tips and strategies that can help improve your search engine rankings.
3. Online Learning Platforms
A) Free Courses
Google’s Digital Garage: Offers free courses on digital marketing fundamentals, including data and tech, with a certification from Google upon completion.
HubSpot Academy: Free certification courses that cover everything from inbound marketing to social media strategy.
B) Paid Courses
Udemy: Features a wide range of digital marketing courses, from beginner to advanced levels.
Coursera: Provides comprehensive courses in partnership with leading universities and companies worldwide.
4. Books
When I first started out as a digital marketer, these were the books that had the biggest impact on my career:
“Digital Marketing For Dummies” by Ryan Deiss and Russ Henneberry
“Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age” by Jonah Berger
“Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
2. Choose Your Specialization
By now, you might be wondering “Which specialization should I pick?” – and that’s a valid question.
You know what they say: Jack of all trades, master of none. Choosing a specialization tailored to your strengths and interests is crucial. So, let’s go through three key factors to consider when making your choice:
Your passion and interest in a topic will drive your motivation and success. Choose a specialization that you find engaging and exciting.
Research the market demand for specializations through a quick LinkedIn, Indeed, or Google search. SEO and social media marketing, for example, are in high demand across various industries. Moreover, for a lucrative digital marketing career, you might want to consider learning AI engineering for content creation or AI for automation, as trends show that AI in marketing is an in-demand skill for a digital marketing specialist.
Consider fields that offer entry-level opportunities that can help you get your foot in the door. Specializations like social media may be more accessible without extensive experience.
3. Develop Practical Skills with Digital Marketing Tools
In the digital marketing landscape, theoretical knowledge only gets you so far. The real learning happens when you apply what you know to real-world scenarios.
To excel as a digital marketer, my best advice is to get familiar with key tools and platforms that have become synonymous with digital marketing. Here’s a look at some of them:
Google Analytics: The go-to tool for tracking and analyzing website traffic. It offers insights into user behavior, conversion data, and custom reporting.
Hootsuite: A top platform for managing social media, allowing you to schedule posts, interact with followers, and track social media performance across channels.
Mailchimp: An all-in-one email marketing platform that lets you create, send, and analyze email campaigns.
SEMrush: A powerful tool for SEO and marketing insights. Digital marketing specialists use Semrush in keyword research, competitive analysis, Google Ad campaign optimization, content marketing strategy, and more.
Hubspot: For automation, marketing analysis, or technical digital marketing, this all-in-one CRM, marketing, and analytics tool is a top player in the industry.
4. Build Professional Experience
Gaining real-world experience is a complex feat among digital marketing professionals. With a tight job market, AI advancements, and overall job uncertainty, many digital marketers are facing challenges in building their professional expertise.
However, if you know where to look and how to approach potential opportunities, you’ll differentiate yourself from the pack. Here’s my best advice on building hands-on experience and developing your digital marketing skills:
Internships and Volunteer Work
Check job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor for internships. For volunteer work, start with your local associations and see if they require help in their digital marketing endeavors. Platforms like VolunteerMatch and Taproot list opportunities with nonprofits that need marketing help.
Both internships and volunteer work give you hands-on experience and help you meet people in the industry. They also boost your resume and help you stand out to future employers.
Freelancing
Freelancing is almost synonymous with sites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr. Use these platforms to find your first small projects by building a professional profile. These platforms work by applying for jobs or waiting for clients to find you. Regardless, make sure your profile showcases your skills and your expertise with in-demand jobs.
In my experience, it’s best if you start with small jobs to build your reputation. As you get more positive feedback, you can tackle bigger projects. In time, you’ll also get invited to more jobs as your profile grows.
Practice with a Blog
You don’t have to be a blogger to start a blog. Read that again.
A blog is so much more than an avenue for your personal stories. Setting up and maintaining a blog is an in-demand skill, as it maps out directly to skills such as SEO and content marketing. Plus, it serves as a great asset to showcase your portfolio.
Start by setting up a blog on WordPress, Blogger, or any other service provider. Pick a topic you love and start writing posts that use your digital marketing skills, like SEO and social media promotion.
Contributing to Open-Source Marketing Projects
Look for marketing projects on GitHub that could use your help. These might be anything from crafting marketing campaigns to developing marketing tools.
How to contribute? Follow projects that catch your interest and understand their guidelines for contributors. You can contribute by using your marketing skills, suggesting new ideas, or even leading part of the project.
5. Create Your Digital Marketing Portfolio
To start building a strong portfolio, consider taking on projects that can help you develop your skills and use them to demonstrate your ability to apply digital marketing tools as a digital marketing expert. If you have a tough time finding projects, no worries – do a mock sample. Start by identifying the skill you’d like to develop, and pick an existing company, or invent one, for your scenario.
For example, if social media management is what you envision for your digital marketing career, head to Canva and plan out the next seven days of posts for your favorite brand. Or, develop an entire digital strategy for their Black Friday campaign. There’s no right or wrong in learning, so let your ideas run wild!
A strong portfolio must showcase two crucial aspects:
Your skills
Your results
Include diverse examples of your work, such as SEO results, content pieces, digital marketing strategies, and social media campaigns. Enrich your portfolio with case studies detailing the challenges, solutions, and outcomes. Adding testimonials from clients or colleagues and personal reflections on your projects will also give you a competitive advantage.
Resources to Create Your Portfolio
You might be wondering – how do I create that from scratch? Creating a digital marketing portfolio doesn’t have to be expensive or overly complicated. Here’s why:
Canva offers templates specifically for portfolios. You can create visual content like infographics, presentations, and PDFs of your case studies and work samples, for free.
WordPress or Wix offer various themes that you can tailor to look professional and showcase your digital marketing projects in a clean format.
When you’re freelancing, platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr allow you to create a profile that essentially serves as your portfolio. Many digital marketing experts turn to these platforms to showcase their work and build a solid client base. In fact, by 2027, the global freelance platform market is expected to grow to $9.19 billion.
6. Build Your Network and Personal Brand
You might’ve heard the saying “your network is your net worth” – frankly, it’s true. Connections are crucial.
My advice? Attend industry meetups and conferences to network in person, whether free, paid, or sponsored by your employer.
Online, engage as much as time allows on LinkedIn and X (former Twitter), where many digital marketers and industry leaders connect. Share your insights, comment on posts, and connect with professionals to expand your network.
After a while, you can start thinking about developing a professional persona online. Being a thought leader in your field can yield great results, but don’t be too quick to jump into that.
First, make sure your skills are well developed and your experience aligns with industry standards so that you can share valuable resources with your audience, not just post-recycled content from the internet.
Lastly, consider joining groups like Digital Marketing on LinkedIn or specific forums on Reddit. Engage in discussions, share your work, and ask for feedback.
7. Find Digital Marketing Jobs that Fit Your Skillset
Finding a digital marketing job starts with a good resume. What’s more – tailoring your resume for digital marketing roles is often overlooked, but highly important.
That’s how you can highlight specific skills such as SEO, Google Ads and PPC, content creation, running digital marketing campaigns, mastering Google Analytics or other digital marketing tools, and more.
Use metrics to demonstrate your successes, like percentage increases in engagement or traffic. Make sure your digital proficiency is clear—list all relevant tools and platforms you’re experienced with.
Write a cover letter that will kickstart your digital marketing career
Repeat after me: STAY. AWAY. FROM. THE. CLICHE. Your cover letter should grab attention, and not bore the reader with overly used statements and made-up stories.
Start with a compelling introduction that reflects your enthusiasm for digital marketing. Keep it real and authentic with specific examples and real-life situations that demonstrate how your experience aligns with the job requirements.
Another key aspect is to tailor each letter to the company. This shows that you’ve researched and understand their needs, not just copied and pasted the same reused letter for the 11th time.
Summary: Begin Your Digital Marketing Journey Today
Well done! You’ve worked through a detailed guide aimed at helping you start your digital marketing career from scratch.
You’ve learned everything from the basics of digital marketing and choosing a specialization, to getting real-world experience and building your network.
The digital marketing world changes fast, so whether it’s writing useful content, getting good at SEO, or managing social media campaigns, each step you take is building your skills and improving your chances of getting hired.
Think of this guide as your starting point. Now it’s time to use what you’ve learned. Start small—maybe with a blog or apply for a freelance gig. Every bit of practice will help you get better and feel more confident.
Keep in mind that digital marketing is about connecting with people meaningfully, not just selling. That’s how you create long-term demand.
Fortunately, with the tools and knowledge you’ve picked up here, you’re ready to begin telling stories that engage and inspire.
So, go ahead and dive in. But first, make sure to check out these top resources we’ve picked for you:
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FAQ
Is Digital Marketing A Good Career?
Yes, digital marketing is an excellent career choice, especially as the digital landscape continues to evolve. With the increasing reliance on the Internet for business transactions, advertising, and communication, the demand for skilled digital marketers is on the rise.
How Much Do Digital Marketers Make?
Digital marketers’ salaries range widely, starting from $35,000 for beginners to over $100,000 for experienced professionals in competitive markets. Factors influencing income include expertise, location, and role specificity. Freelancers may earn variably based on their clientele and project rates.
Can You Become a Digital Marketer With No Experience?
Absolutely! Many successful digital marketers started without formal experience. The key to breaking into the field is a willingness to learn and adapt. Beginners can gain essential skills through online courses, certifications, and internships. Building a personal brand and experimenting with your own digital marketing projects can also demonstrate your capabilities to potential employers.
How to Get an Entry-Level Digital Marketing Job?
To secure an entry-level digital marketing job, acquire foundational skills through online courses, build a personal portfolio showcasing your projects, and engage in networking. Internships and volunteer work can also provide practical experience and enhance your resume.
What are the most in-demand digital marketing skills right now?
The most in-demand digital marketing skills include SEO, PPC advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, data analytics, and email marketing. Skills in video production, graphic design, marketing automation, and CRM systems are also highly valued for their role in enhancing engagement and efficiency.
How to Start Digital Marketing From Home
To start digital marketing from home, focus on learning key skills like SEO, social media, and content creation through online courses. Set up a dedicated workspace, use free digital tools, and apply your skills on personal projects or freelancing to build experience and showcase your abilities.