If you want to build your career in digital marketing then you are at the right place. Digital marketing is a rapidly growing industry. Companies and businesses of all sizes invest in digital marketing to reach and engage with their target audiences.There is a very high demand for skilled digital marketers, and this demand is expected to continue to grow in the upcoming years. That means there are plenty of job opportunities and room for career growth. Digital marketing jobs in India are projected to grow by 10%-30% annually.
It is a flexible field, it allows you to do remote work and freelance work, and it also provides flexible working hours. This flexibility can be especially attractive to those looking for work-life balance. Today’s world is moving towards online systems, everyone is using their phones and personal computers every day.All businesses want to target their potential customers online so that they can sell their products or services to them. So here comes digital marketing to save their day.
Before jumping into getting the full guide on- how to start a career in digital marketing, we should get a little knowledge about digital marketing first. Digital marketing is a type of marketing that uses digital technologies to promote and sell products or services online. It has become very popular in recent years due to the rise of digital technology and the internet.
All businesses want to build an online presence so that they can target their potential customers through different online platforms. In short, digital marketing involves using various digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and mobile devices to reach, target, and engage with potential customers.
What includes in digital marketing?
Let’s take a deep dive into learning more about digital marketing channels so that you can know what exactly you are dealing with.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization means optimizing your website’s content according to Google’s guidelines so that Google crawlers can crawl your website pages and index them. This process helps in getting your website in the search engine result pages also known as SERPs and improves your overall ranking on the SERPs.
SEO involves different types of activities like Keyword research, On-page SEO, Off-page SEO, and Technical optimization. Keyword research involves finding the keywords and phrases that users search for in search engines like Google and including them in the website’s content to improve its relevance and visibility to those searches.
On-page SEO means optimizing the whole website’s content, structure, and HTML code to make the website more accessible and user-friendly to users and search engines.
This activity mainly includes optimizing page titles, descriptions, headers, and images, as well as improving the website’s load speed, mobile-friendliness, and user experience. Off-page SEO involves backlinks-building from other websites to make your website’s ranking higher. Backlinks can improve a website’s authority and visibility in search engine results pages.
Technical SEO means optimizing and improving the overall website’s technical aspects like site structure, navigation, URL structure, and sitemap so that the search engine crawlers can crawl and index the site easily. Overall SEO is very important for online businesses and companies to grow their online reach organically.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing is an inbound marketing approach that only focuses on creating and providing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience, and ultimately to drive desired actions from the customers.
The main goal behind content marketing is to provide useful and relevant information to the target audience whichever marketing funnel stage they are at, instead of directly promoting a product or service. The idea is that by providing valuable content, businesses can build trust with their audience, establish themselves as experts in their industry, and ultimately drive more sales.
The content can be blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media posts, infographics, e-books, and more. The content can be created in-house or outsourced to a content marketing agency.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing means doing online marketing through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram to promote products or services. This involves creating social media accounts, building an online presence for your business, engaging with followers, creating and sharing content that resonates with the target audience, and doing social listening.
This type of marketing typically involves creating and sharing content on social media platforms like posts, videos, and images, which are designed for the target audience.
Social media marketing can be very effective for building brand awareness, generating leads, driving website traffic, and increasing sales. It can also be used to nurture relationships with customers, respond to inquiries, and provide customer care support. It is a part of inbound marketing also.
Email Marketing
Email marketing involves sending promotional and personalized emails or newsletters to a list of subscribers. Through email marketing we create personalized messages, segment the email list, and use email automation tools to send targeted messages to a targeted audience. Email marketing is often used to retain existing customers.
The main goal behind email marketing is to build relationships with current and potential customers and to encourage them to take a desired action like making a purchase, signing up for a service, or downloading content. Email marketing is a very powerful tactic if you want to grow your business and keep your presence in the market.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC Advertising)
Pay-per-click advertising (PPC advertising) involves placing ads on search engine result pages or social media platforms through Google ads and Facebook ads and paying each time someone clicks on the ad. This involves targeting specific keywords, demographics, or interests to reach a specific audience that a business wants to target. One of the most widely used ad platforms is Google Ads.
Google Ads allows advertisers to bid on keywords relevant to their business, product, or service. When a user types in a search query that matches the advertiser’s chosen keyword, the ad appears at the top of the search results as a sponsored one.
Other popular PPC platforms include Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and LinkedIn Ads, which allow advertisers to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. These ad platforms target users on social media. The ads are totally curated according to their interests, behaviors, and demographics.
A career in digital marketing requires a diverse skill set, including skills in search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, PPC advertising, email marketing, and analytics as we have discussed earlier. This means that digital marketers have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills constantly that will ultimately lead them to grow in the future.
Google Ads
Digital marketing also allows for creativity and innovation in developing campaigns and strategies to engage with the target audience. It has a great potential for earning High Salaries. Digital marketing jobs can offer a high salary, especially in leadership positions. According to Payscale, the average salary for a digital marketing manager in the US is $78,232 per year.
And according to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Digital Marketing Manager in India is around INR 8,00,000 to INR 12,00,000 per year. Senior positions like Director of Digital Marketing or Head of Digital Marketing can earn significantly higher salaries, ranging from INR 15,00,000 to INR 50,00,000 per year or even more in some cases.
That concludes that digital marketing is a highly rewarding career and there is also a high demand for digital marketers in India because digital marketing is a new field and all online businesses and companies want to hire digital marketers to market their products and services online.
Overall, a career in digital marketing offers a promising future with a high job demand, diverse skill sets, flexibility, creativity, and the potential for high salaries.
Digital MARKETING JOB roles and salaries
Digital marketing is a growing industry in India, with a wide range of job roles and salaries. Here are some common job roles and their corresponding salaries in the Indian digital marketing industry:
| S.No. | Digital Marketing Job Profile | Salary (per annum) |
| 1. | Digital Marketing Manager | Rs. 7,00,000 – Rs. 12,00,000 |
| 2. | SEO Specialist | Rs. 3,00,000 – Rs. 6,00,000 |
| 3. | Social Media Manager | Rs. 3,00,000 – Rs. 6,00,000 |
| 4. | Content Writer | Rs. 2,00,000 – Rs. 5,00,000 |
| 5. | PPC Specialist | Rs. 3,00,000 – Rs. 6,00,000 |
| 6. | Email Marketing Specialist | Rs. 2,00,000 – Rs. 5,00,000 |
| 7. | Performance Marketer | Rs. 3,00,000 – Rs. 20,00,000 |
| 8. | Web Developer and Web Designer | Rs. 2,00,000 – Rs. 9,00,000 |
| 9. | Copywriter | Rs. 2,00,000 – Rs. 8,00,000 |
Digital Marketing Manager
A Digital Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and implementing a company’s or client’s digital marketing strategies. They work closely with various teams, such as content writers, social media managers, SEO specialists, and PPC specialists, to achieve the company’s or client’s goals.
The Digital Marketing Manager is responsible for creating and executing digital marketing campaigns that align with the company’s or client’s goals, managing budgets for digital marketing campaigns, analyzing the campaigns’ performances, collaborating with teammates and other cross-functional teams, and staying up-to-date with the industry and digital marketing trends.
To become a digital marketing manager, you need relevant experience in the field of SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and digital advertising. In addition to this, you also need a variety of skills like strong communication skills, data interpretation, data analysis, interpersonal skills, knowledge of digital marketing tools and technologies, creativity, and project management.
Typically employers look for candidates with at least 3-5 years of experience in digital marketing. The average salary for a Digital Marketing Manager role is around INR 7-12 lakhs per annum.
SEO Specialist
An SEO specialist is responsible for improving a website’s ranking and visibility on search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Their job is to use various techniques to optimize a website’s content, structure, and design to improve its search engine ranking and drive traffic to the website.
The key job duties of an SEO specialist are to do keyword research to identify relevant keywords to target for a business, optimize website contents like titles, meta descriptions, heading, and images, generate high-quality back-links by implementing link-building strategies, analyzing website traffic and improve some tactics to get more traffic.
The other advanced duties of an SEO specialist are collaborating with content creators, developers, and other stakeholders, staying up to date with the industry trends, marketing trends, and search engine algorithms, and changing or adjusting strategies according to the algorithms and the trends, conducting SEO audits, and creating reports.
To be successful in this role, an SEO specialist should have a strong understanding of search engine algorithms and ranking factors, and should also have experience with various SEO tools and techniques. They should also be analytical, creative, and collaborative, with excellent communication and problem-solving skills. The average salary for an SEO specialist is around INR 3-6 lakhs per annum.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager is responsible for managing a company’s or client’s social media accounts. This role is responsible for managing a company’s social media presence across various platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others. The main goal is to increase brand awareness, engage with the audience, and drive traffic to the company’s website.
To be successful in this role, a social media manager should have a strong understanding of social media platforms and their respective audiences, as well as experience with social media management tools and analytics. They should also be creative, adaptable, and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The average salary for this role is around INR 3-6 lakhs per annum.
Content Writer
A content writer’s job is to create various types of content for digital and print media, such as blogs, articles, social media posts, email newsletters, whitepapers, and other marketing materials. His or her job is to write high-quality, engaging, and informative content that meets the needs and interests of the target audience.
To be successful in this role, a content writer should have excellent writing skills, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation. He or she should also have a strong understanding of content marketing, SEO, and digital marketing principles. Additionally, he or she should be creative, adaptable, and able to work independently and collaboratively.
The average salary for a content writer is around INR 2-5 lakhs per annum.
PPC Specialist
A PPC (pay-per-click) specialist is responsible for managing and optimizing paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and other ad campaigns. This role’s main goal is to increase website traffic, generate leads, and drive conversions while staying within the allocated budget.
The main responsibilities of a PPC Specialist are:
- Developing and executing PPC strategies that align with the company’s goals and objectives.
- Conducting keyword research and selecting relevant keywords and phrases to target in paid search campaigns.
- Creating and optimizing ad copy, landing pages, and other ad elements to maximize click-through rates (CTR) and conversions.
- Managing and monitoring ad campaigns, including bid management, budget allocation, and performance tracking.
- Analyzing data and metrics to identify trends, insights, and areas for improvement.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as marketing, design, and analytics, to align PPC efforts with overall business strategies.
- Staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices to continuously improve PPC strategies and tactics.
- Creating reports and presentations to communicate PPC performance and progress to stakeholders.
PPC specialist has a strong understanding related to PPC platforms and their advertising models, and experience in using PPC management tools and analytics. They are analytical, and data-driven, and have excellent problem-solving and communication skills. The average salary for this role is around INR 3-6 lakhs per annum.
Email Marketing Specialist
An email marketing specialist is responsible for developing and executing email marketing campaigns to promote products, services, or events, and drive engagement and revenue. They use email marketing software to manage email lists, design email templates, create email content, and track email metrics. Some typical job duties that an email marketing specialist has to do are:
- Developing and executing email marketing strategies that are aligned with the company’s goals and objectives.
- Creating and managing email marketing campaigns of the company and building email lists, and segmenting the email lists according to the different audiences.
- Designing email templates that are optimized for different devices and audiences.
- Writing and editing email content, including subject lines, headlines, body copy, and call-to-action.
- Testing and optimizing email campaigns by conducting A/B tests for deliverability, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
- Analyzing data and metrics to identify trends, insights, and areas for improvement.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as design, content, and analytics, to align email marketing efforts with overall business strategies.
- Staying up-to-date with email marketing trends and best practices to continuously improve email campaigns and tactics.
- Creating reports and presentations to communicate email marketing performance and progress to stakeholders.
An email marketing specialist should have a strong understanding of email marketing principles, best practices, and regulations, such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
They should also have knowledge and experience with email marketing software, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or HubSpot, and have excellent writing and communication skills. The average salary for this role is around INR 2-5 lakhs per annum.
Performance Marketer
A performance marketer is responsible for developing and executing data-driven marketing strategies that focus on achieving measurable results and ROI. They use various digital marketing channels, such as search engine marketing, display advertising, social media advertising, email marketing, and affiliate marketing, to drive traffic, generate leads, and acquire customers.
Some typical job duties of a performance marketer are:
- Developing and executing performance marketing strategies that align with the company’s goals and objectives.
- Conducting market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and insights for performance marketing campaigns.
- Creating and managing performance marketing campaigns, including budget allocation, bid management, and optimization.
- Analyzing and reporting on performance marketing metrics and KPIs, such as cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), conversion rates, and customer lifetime value (CLV).
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as design, content, analytics, and sales, to align performance marketing efforts with overall business strategies.
- Staying up-to-date with performance marketing trends, tools, and best practices to continuously improve performance marketing campaigns and tactics.
- Creating reports and presentations to communicate performance marketing performance and progress to stakeholders.
A performance marketer has a strong understanding of performance marketing principles and should know the best practices, and tools, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, and data visualization software. They are data-driven, and analytical, and have excellent communication and problem-solving skills. According to payscale.com, the average salary for a performance marketer in India is around INR 5,76,000 annually. However, salaries can range from INR 2,40,000 to INR 20,00,000 per year depending on some factors.
Web Developer and Web Designer
Web developer job profile usually includes designing, developing, and maintaining websites and web applications. A web developer uses programming languages like HTML, CSS, javascript, etc to create web pages and web designs. The average salary for this role is around INR 2-9 lakhs per annum.
A web designer creates visual and interactive elements of a website, including layout, color schemes, typography, and graphics. He or she works closely with web developers to ensure the design elements are seamlessly integrated into the website’s code.
Web designers also need to have knowledge of user experience (UX) design, which focuses on creating a positive experience for website users. The average salary for this role is around INR 2-6 lakhs per annum.
Copywriter
A copywriter is a professional who creates engaging copies for a business or company to target audiences for buying the company’s products or services or getting valuable leads.
This role involves creating written content for advertisements, marketing campaigns, and other promotional materials. Copywriters are responsible for crafting persuasive and engaging messaging that captures the attention of the target audience and motivates them to take action.
The salary of a copywriter can vary depending on several factors such as experience, location, skills, and company size. According to the data from Glassdoor, the average salary of a copywriter in India is around INR 4,50,000 per annum, with entry-level copywriters earning around INR 3,00,000 per annum and experienced copywriters earning around INR 8,00,000 per annum.
How to start your career in digital marketing
Starting a career in digital marketing can be exciting and rewarding, but it requires dedication and continuous learning. You can first educate yourself by taking free online courses on digital marketing. There are a bunch of free courses that are available online, you can try some of them:
- Fundamentals of Digital Marketing by Google Digital Garage (for overall learning of digital marketing and basics),
- Google ads certification courses by Skillshop-Google,
- Google Analytics certification course by Skillshop-Google,
- Social Media Marketing course by Hubspot Academy,
- SEO certification course by Semrush,
- And Inbound Marketing by Hubspot Academy.
- Or if you want to get a more deep knowledge about digital marketing and gain hands-on experience then you should apply for Digital Marketing Course by Digital Computer Classes.
You should build your skills including analytical thinking, creativity, and communication. Focus on building these skills by practising on your own projects, volunteering to help small businesses with their digital marketing, or working on personal projects like creating your own WordPress blog website, writing a blog, doing keyword research for your blog, etc.
After doing the above-mentioned, start gaining more practical experience by interning or working for startup companies and digital marketing agencies. This will allow you to get hands-on experience by working on real projects, building your portfolio, and developing industry connections.
Get certified by the above-mentioned courses and try to keep updated about changing trends in digital marketing. The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, so it’s essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, tools, and technologies. Attend webinars, read industry publications, and continue to take courses to keep your skills relevant and in demand.
Conclusion
Starting a career in digital marketing requires smart work, dedication, and continuous learning. But with the right skills and knowledge, you can have a successful and fulfilling career in this fast-paced and exciting field. A career in digital marketing can be a rewarding and challenging path for those who are interested in utilizing their creativity and analytical skills.
Digital marketing involves using various online channels and tools to promote products or services and reach a wider audience. It requires skills such as data analysis, content creation, social media management, and search engine optimization.
Those interested in building a career in digital marketing can pursue education and training programs, gain experience through internships or entry-level positions, and stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes. A successful digital marketer should be adaptable, innovative, and constantly learning to stay ahead of the competition. Wish you luck in your digital marketing career journey.