A quick guide to digital marketing for newbies

What is digital marketing? While this might be an easy question to answer for digital marketers themselves and the rest of us are left scratching our heads. The one thing we do know is that it can get pretty technical at times, but it is vital for the survival of any organisation hoping to remain relevant in the upcoming new-normal marketplace. We’ve asked a few common digital marketing questions, and answered them in layman’s terms, below:

What’s digital marketing?

It’s the way in which people use online digital platforms to promote businesses and execute advertising campaigns. You come into contact with digital marketing every time you scroll Facebook (look out for posts that say sponsored). Remember that email you received from that affluent Saudi Prince? That’s direct digital marketing (though not very good). It’s about getting brands in front of people on the digital devices they use.

What tools are used?

There are a number of tools used to execute digital marketing. For one, both the marketers and the target audience member need an Internet connection. Other than that, most digital marketing activities can be done on a mobile phone – even graphic design and video editing. There are also online programmes that most marketers use. These range from project management suites like Monday.com, to social media automation systems like Hootsuite.com and other programmes.

How does it benefit a business?

People spend a large amount of their time on the internet. They’re either messaging instantly, or Google searching something. Maybe they’re scrolling through their social media feed. We live much of our lives on our devices, so where better to promote a brand than on these devices and websites.

More and more businesses are being made and broken because of social media community groups, online forums, and other organs of the court of public opinion. If a brand is visible online, they are remembered offline.

Is digital marketing expensive?

This is a tough question to answer, with the only reasonable response being that it depends. The digital marketing industry is filled to the brim with copywriters, graphic designers, web analysts, SEO ‘experts’ and others. Freelancers are often more affordable than going with full-scale agencies, but cheaper isn’t always better. There are diamonds in the rough, tough, but brands with a budget and ambitious goals to achieve are likely best partnered with seasoned, credible digital marketing firms.

What qualifications do digital marketers need?

Digital marketing, if we’re completely honest, is more about the experience than about qualification. This is why many digital marketing qualifications are experiential in nature, and ensure that a student is equipped with the hands-on knowledge needed to hit the ground running when completing their studies. Digital marketers looking to work for agencies will likely require a tertiary qualification in marketing or a related field.

Digital marketing is as exciting as it is technical, and is massively rewarding when everything comes together nicely.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Take a leap of faith into a new marketing career with an accredited Basic Digital Marketing Course from DSM! Alternatively, contact us and we’ll help you choose the best marketing qualification for your goals and aspirations.