As Internet usage continues to grow rapidly, the field of online marketing is following suit due to customer expectations that companies are visible online. Below are some of the knowledge and skills needed to help boost your credentials in the field of digital marketing.
Writing and Editing
To succeed in marketing, one has to possess detailed writing and editing skills, especially since the writing that marketers do is mainly geared toward persuading individuals of the benefits and value propositions of a specific set of products. While persuasion is a key component to successful marketing writing, another key aspect is making sure that you inform your audience of how to use the product and act as a resourceful one-stop shop for all matters related to the brand. Strong writing and sharp copy editing skills empower brands to build their authority and add to their existing following.
On the flip side, poorly written content that’s riddled with typos and grammatical errors can put a dent in a brand’s ability to come off as a subject matter expert, lowering the amount of trust potential buyers have – which could affect the bottom line.
Search Engine Optimization
Known as search engine optimization, strong SEO helps companies improve their visibility in search engines when terms are searched that could apply to a company or their product(s). Instead of users visiting the competition’s website, a strong ranking in the search engines allows a company to rank at the top or near the top of the results pages, leading searchers to their website. Of course, not all searches will yield the same results. Even though it’s a relatively newer field, the power of ranking well has been noted, as the ROI of SEO is undeniable especially in today’s digital world.
PPC
This acronym may sound unfamiliar but you’ve likely come across it before. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is a model of marketing that charges advertises every time their ads are clicked by website visitors. You have likely come across these advertisements on social media channels, or after you search a term into the search engines. Many companies allocate large portions of their marketing budget toward this channel because they are able to reach users on well-known platforms. The types of ads an individual sees depends on previously visited websites (based on interests) and search history among other things.
Analytics
Due to the unique opportunity that today’s data-driven world presents marketers, almost every campaign and page on a website can be tracked to a tee. Whether it’s measuring the amount of visitors that a website or certain pages experienced from a PPC campaign, or carefully analyzing user behavior once they land on the page, the popular web analytics tools allow all important metrics to be tracked. Through carefully tracking metrics, companies can decide what is and what isn’t working, then make important decisions to fine-tune future campaigns. Google Analytics is one of the leaders in Web analytics – and though it can get pretty advanced there are tools out there that provide a good starting point.
Coding
The job growth for developers is well known. Marketers don’t have to be professional coders, but having a baseline knowledge of the subject and knowing the basic language behind coding can put them in a position to be of great value, especially since they will likely work with web teams during the length of their career.
Education
While most marketing and advertising positions will likely require at least a bachelor’s degree, there’s a chance that c-suite positions may require a master’s. At CTX, you can earn a fully online bachelor’s in business or a fully online MBA degree to help get your business career accelerated in the field of your interest.