Why You Need to Study a Digital Marketing Course

The world today dances to the beat of a digital drum. Half of the planet’s population uses the Internet (this is over four billion people). Increasingly, consumers make use of their smartphones, tablets as well as mobile devices in order to:

• Carry out research,
• Connect with their peers, as well as
• Make buying decisions wherever they are in the world.

As technologies, which are emerging, continue to present themselves the digital world is evolving. This means that brands, businesses and up-and-coming digital marketers need to move with the times. You need to keep up with the latest industry trends while increasing your skills on a regular basis.

At the current moment, 76% of businesses define their relationship with technology and digital transformation as ‘average’ or ‘above average’. Not only is this a proof of the ever-growing power of digital but it also goes to showing that anyone who is not in a hurry to adopt the right digital skills or talent will probably not survive in the long run.

There is no disputing the statement that the digital marketing industry is on the rise. This means that digital marketing as a field of study has emerged in both academic and professional curriculums. Here are some excellent reasons why you need to study a digital marketing course.

Customers are online

South Africa’s population is 56,72 million people. A total of 20.9% of the population uses the Internet in some shape or form. Thus it is clear that customers are active Internet users. This means that modern marketers need to recognise how to communicate with their customer digitally

Social media is a constantly growing digital marketing platform

With social media, you can collaborate and connect with potential as well as current customers. No other channel has this ability. A good portion of the South African population is active on social media. The most popular platforms are:

• WhatsApp (49%),
• Facebook (46%), and
• YouTube (45%).

Mobile is a round-the-clock digital marketing tool

The pervasiveness of mobile devices is increasing in South Africa. This means that it is critical for businesses to include mobile phones in their e-commerce strategy.  Currently, there are around 90 million smartphone users in South Africa where, in 2016, this number was 16.42 million.

E-commerce

Forty-nine percent of South African Internet users visit an online retail store, 47% of South African internet users search online for a product or service to buy and 29% of these users bought something online using any device such as a smartphone or tablet.

These statistics stress the importance of e-commerce as well as the growing need for South African consumers to buy and sell online owing to the growth rate and reach of the Internet.  As a digital marketer, you will be well equipped to assist businesses with managing this virtual business of the future.

Study a Digital Marketing Course with the Digital School of Marketing

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

As you can see, skills in digital marketing are the skills that you need now as they will help your business grow into the future. At the Digital School of Marketing, we understand this which is why we’ve developed this bespoke course – which is based on the learnings of an experienced and qualified digital marketer. For more information, please follow this link.