One can be a digital marketer from various ways like self learning, opening own business, doing an internships or learning practically from best digital marketing training in nepal.
When you perform a Google search for “most in-demand jobs” or “high-paying jobs,” you’ll discover that Digital Marketing Specialists are among the top 10.
This is because every business today needs to establish an online presence.
Digital skills like storytelling, visual communication, tech knowledge, and strategy are needed to capture attention in today’s world.
People from all backgrounds with different skillset have now made their careers in Digital Marketing.
This blog will cover the roles & responsibilities of a Digital Marketer and the path you can follow to pursue a career in Digital Marketing.
In recent years, Digital Marketing has made remarkable progress, becoming a mainstream career choice.
With the rise of social media and an increase in internet users worldwide, the demand for Digital Marketing grew significantly.
People’s attention shifted to digital devices, providing businesses with an opportunity to reach and sell products/services to them. This gave rise to Digital Marketing.
Digital Marketing involves marketing activities on digital devices like phones, computers, and tablets. Though the definition is straightforward, the work within this domain can be complex.
Digital Marketing comprises Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Search Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing, and more.
Who are Digital Marketers & what do they do?
A Digital Marketer can be referred to as a person who practices Digital Marketing.
While a Digital Marketer may do a specific role only as per the company or experience, the range of different activities Digital Marketers do on a day-to-day basis includes
- Create a long-term strategy connecting marketing efforts with Business Goals
- Ideate and Create content ideas to promote a product and service
- Write captions, blogs, and emails to attract an audience
- Design visual elements such as graphic posters, promotional videos, and social media banners to promote business
- Run Paid Advertisements on different social media platforms and online platforms to increase brand awareness
- Handle different profiles of the company across the internet and regularly update them to keep them up-to-date
- Optimize social media channels
- Create landing pages on the website to promote a specific campaign
- Collect and store information about customers and potential customers
- Build profiles and link all over the internet to make the website accessible
- Run Email Marketing campaigns to convert email lists
This is just a list of activities a Digital Marketer may have to do regularly. Based on different job roles within the Digital Marketing domain, individuals may be responsible for some or all of the activities mentioned above.
Skills Required to Be a Digital Marketer
Digital Marketing consists of a wide variety of activities and to conduct them successfully, you will need specific skills. Some of the skills that will help you become a digital marketer are as follows:
- Research Skill:
One of the skills you need to become a Digital Marketer is research skills which means the ability to find the right information and create insightful interpretations from the information received.
As a Digital Marketer, you need to stay on top of the trends, learn what your competitors are doing, know the best practices as well as add relevant data to your marketing strategy.
All of this can only be done when you know what to search and where to search for it
- Creative Skill:
Creativity is at the core of Marketing.
Creativity allows a brand to stay relevant ahead of the competition.
Creativity is what catches the attention of people and makes them stop scrolling.
To be a digital marketer, creativity is essential for presenting your marketing message effectively. This includes skills in writing short and long-form content, creating visual elements, crafting compelling videos, and more.
- Managerial Skill:
Digital Marketing usually consists of multiple channels with multiple individuals involved.
Moreover, it is a continuous activity where efforts need to be made on day to day basis.
To stay on top of all your marketing responsibilities, you need to be able to manage yourself and your team.
- Technical Skill:
Digital Marketing is different from traditional marketing as it offers different tools and techniques to promote your brand.
To work as a digital marketer, you need to know the technicalities of running paid advertisements, optimizing your website for visibility as well as working around different project management and scheduling tools.
- Communication Skill:
Marketing at its core is communication; communication with the audience.
As a digital marketer, having strong written and verbal communication skills is crucial to effectively address your customers’ needs through messages and calls.
Moreover, communication skills will also help you work better with your team members and leaders.
- Analytical Skill:
Digital Marketing provides the advantage of getting precise data and information about your marketing efforts.
Thus, as a digital marketer, you need to develop analytical skills to assess performance as well as create meaningful insights from the information.
Why to be a Digital Marketer in Nepal?
We have already established that Digital Marketing is one of the most in-demand and high-paying jobs in 2022 and beyond. But, let’s dive into detail about why you might consider becoming a Digital Marketer in Nepal.
- You don’t need a degree:
While you need a degree to become a lawyer, an engineer, a doctor, or even a banker, you don’t need to have a specific degree to become a Digital Marketer. People from all backgrounds can work as Digital marketers if they learn the fundamentals of Digital Marketing and started.
In Nepal, many people with IT, Engineering, and Management backgrounds work in Digital Marketing. Countless professionals without degrees thrive in the field, relying on their technical and creative skills.
Typically, a degree is not required to work as a Digital Marketer.
However, in Nepal, some academic institutions offer Digital Marketing degrees such as BBA in Digital Marketing at King’s College and Sunway College, and Digital Marketing Institute Certification at GIHE.
While not mandatory, these degrees can provide fundamental knowledge, technical skills, and a valuable certification to enhance your resume as a Digital Marketer.
- Easy Barrier to Enter:
Adding on to the first point, Digital Marketing has a very low barrier to entry.
A 16-year-old sitting at home in Surkhet with access to the Internet can start working as a Digital Marketer if they learn the skill.
All you need is a good digital device (laptop/phone) and access to the internet. And, the best part is that all of these skills can also be self-learned.
1000s of resources are available on different websites, including youtube, TikTok, and Instagram which can help get anyone started.
- Growing Job Market
Globally, and in Nepal, the demand for digital marketing jobs is increasing year by year.
According to Linkedin, there has been a 47% growth in demand for technical roles and a 25% growth in demand for creative roles in the last 5 years. The numbers are only increasing and are bound to increase.
Plenty of Digital Marketing jobs are available in Nepal, like Content Writer, Digital Marketing Executive, Graphic Designer, SEO Specialist, etc.
Just a quick search on LinkedIn and the Nepali Job portals is enough to tell this.
More businesses have started adopting Digital Marketing. However, there is also a trend where companies are hiring in-house Digital Marketing teams.
Even for normal marketers, Digital Marketing as a skill has become a must and this is here to stay.
So, if you are thinking to become a Digital Marketer then you can be assured that you will get a good job placement if you gain the right skills.
- It is a Dynamic Industry
Digital Marketing as an industry is dynamic as new tools and techniques are constantly evolving in different platforms. Moreover, the trends of the customer are also constantly changing. What was working a year ago does not guarantee the same result today.
The dynamic nature of the industry makes it a challenging feat for individuals which will ensure they are always learning and growing. Similarly, digital marketing encompasses multiple domains so if you are interested in a particular area, you will find a role in Digital Marketing.
If you are a creative person that likes storytelling, you can work as a Content/CopyWriter. If you are an artistic person then Graphic Design is suitable for you. If you are more into the technical aspect, you can work as an SEO Specialist.
If you like playing with numbers and data, you can work as a Paid Ad Expert. If you enjoy management, you can work as a project manager. If you love media then you can work as a Photo/Videographer, video editor, etc.
There is something for everyone with Digital Marketing.
- Freelancing
Whether it be working on multiple projects at the same time or simply working a side hustle along with your main job, is possible with Digital Marketing.
On a local level as well as on a global level, you could work on a project basis for clients providing a small service or a whole suite of services.
Within Nepal, you could leverage your network and help small/big businesses create an online presence.
Freelancing on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer offers time flexibility and good income potential.
How to Become a Digital Marketer in Nepal?
As the digital marketing industry is independent of degrees, there is no set-in-stone path to becoming a Digital Marketer. However, if you follow the steps below, it will be easy for you to start your career in Digital Marketing.
- Learn:
The first step to becoming a Digital Marketer is to gain knowledge and insight into the industry. You need to know the fundamentals of how different domains of Digital Marketing operate.
You need to know how to create content, how different platforms work, how advertisement works, how to create a strategy, and more.
Learn different skills like graphic designing, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing and many others.
To learn, one of the best places is Youtube where countless videos are available on the topic. Moreover, there are endless blogs as well explaining the topic from fundamentals to specialization.
However, if you are looking for more structured learning, you should opt for Courses. Different free and paid courses are available on the internet which will help you get started in Digital Marketing.
Some of the free courses and certifications we recommend are
These courses also offer certifications that are recognized globally.
In the context of Nepal, Digital Gurkha provides a wide range of resources on our social media channels. You can also enroll in free and low-priced courses on our website.
We highly recommend you start with this video about Digital Marketing.
Also, if you are a learner who learns best with physical interaction, Digital Gurkha offers 3 Months Digital Marketing Course in Nepal.
If you want to learn SEO in Nepal, including content marketing courses online, Digital Gurkha got you covered.
- Practice:
Once you have the basic knowledge of Digital Marketing and different terms used in the industry, you need to practice it. Hoarding blogs and courses is not enough to become a Digital Marketer as it is a dynamic field that can only be learned through practice.
To practice Digital Marketing, you can either start a blog or start a social media profile. This could be a personal profile/blog where you document your journey of learning or you can create a profile/blog related to your area of interest.
While creating a profile and promoting it, you will learn how to create content, how to attract the audience as well as the technicalities of different platforms. Moreover, this will act as your portfolio as well to provide services to others.
- Offer Service:
The best way to test your Digital Marketing skills is to put them into practice for an actual client. You can start small by offering content writing or design service or page handling services.
A good rule of thumb always to get your first client is the 3F technique – Friends, Family & Fools.
Start your service journey by offering to help the businesses of your friends and family at a nominal rate. People you may know may own a business, and you could help them build an online presence with things you have learned and practised.
Moreover, countless business owners know the importance of Digital Marketing but lack the insights on how to implement them. You could start by helping them. At this point, your primary focus should be to provide service and create a portfolio rather than trying to earn money.
This is also a good idea as not all businesses can afford the high service charges agencies may charge.
- Join an Agency
Agencies refer to companies that offer marketing services to other companies. It is always a good idea to work for a Digital Marketing agency while starting your career as a Digital Marketer.
The main reason is Digital Marketing agencies handle multiple clients which allows you exposure to multiple industries strengthening your skillset.
Moreover, a lot of Digital Marketing agencies in Nepal are always short on manpower which means you may have to work in multiple roles. This will allow you to grow your skill and specialize in multiple domains within Digital Marketing.
However, I don’t recommend working in an agency in the long term unless you are a workaholic that thrives under pressure. Also, in Nepal, we find that a lot of companies delay payment to agencies which eventually affects the reimbursement for employees of the agency.
- Explore
Once you have ventured into the field of digital marketing as a professional, there are endless opportunities for you.
You can specialize and grow as a Digital Marketer. In-demand specializations include Content Creation, SEO, Paid Ads Management, and Project Management for digital campaigns.
Another route you can take is implementing Digital Marketing to grow your own business. Whether it is a product eCommerce or a service, you can implement the knowledge and skill you gain to become independent and grow your business.
Similarly, Dropshipping & Affiliate Marketing which have been popularized as one of the best techniques for passive income can also be pursued with the knowledge of Digital Marketing.
Many professionals also opt for consulting businesses where they help other companies grow their business through Digital Marketing & Sales. This can also be translated to providing training and courses.
Conclusion
Digital Marketing as an industry is growing and is bound to grow for years to come. Anyone willing to become a digital marketer can easily start today by learning and implementing what they learn.
As a digital marketer, career options are endless. You could opt to work for an agency or work on in-house marketing teams or do freelancing independently. Moreover, you can use your Digital Marketing skills to boost your own business which could be an agency or eCommerce, or any other business.
However, you need to work on gaining and harnessing the skills mentioned above. If you have reached the end of this blog, I hope you have understood the scope of Digital Marketing and will take the necessary steps to start your career in Digital Marketing.
