The digital marketing industry is one of the most fulfilling industries someone can get into if they are creative, data-driven, and ambitious. With that being said, it can also be a bit tough to find a spot and get your foot through the door.
To help with this, I talked to Jurgen Cautreels so I could garner some advice for you on how to break into digital marketing. Jurgen Cautreels is a record-breaking marketer and one of the most respected in the industry.
Jurgen Cautreels agreed to sit down for an interview and give some exclusive tips on how to become a digital marketer, and now I’ll show you what he said:
When someone wants to break into the industry, should they be a jack of all trades or pick a focus?
Well, there are so many facets of digital marketing, and I believe that it is important to pick a focus. You don’t have to do this at first, of course, because how can you know what kind of marketing you enjoy if you haven’t experienced any?
I recommend doing some reading on the many different career paths you can take in marketing and trying to find one or two that really stick out.
Which are the easiest to get into?
Well, I wouldn’t say any careers are particularly easy. I think that’d be insulting for me to say. They all have their own difficulties, but they also all have their own advantages.
There’s marketing analysis if you’re into math, statistics, and even coding. There is social media marketing if you’re into interacting with others. There’s brand management if you like thinking of the big picture.
There are so many options, and they’re all great. The easiest to break into without any experience may be social media management or content creation for small companies.
How could someone get their first job in social media management or content creation?
Well, freelancing is the best way to get the first job in any industry, especially when writing is involved. There are websites like Upwork and Fiverr where freelancers can get on and find work pretty fast.
The disadvantage is that these platforms take a fee, and there is also a lot of competition. With that being said, even if you can find a job making one or two social media posts a week for a small business, you can learn a lot and show you have experience.
It’s all about setting foundations and getting your foot in the door.
So it sounds like you don’t need a college degree, right?
Absolutely not. A degree is not required. However, I will never, ever disparage the importance of education. I believe that someone can learn a lot about communication and marketing in college, and if you have the means to go, then it will never be a waste of time.
The important part about learning is to learn. You don’t want to memorize things like you’re playing a game; you want it to be engrained in your mind.
How about learning outside of college? Is that important?
Of course! I always give this advice: look for marketing everywhere you go. Analyze advertisements you see and constantly be updated on current internet marketing trends.
Spend time browsing through the Twitter pages of big companies like Walmart and Wendy’s. Look at what they are posting and think about why they are posting those things.
These are professional marketers, and you can watch what they’re doing up close just by looking at their pages. Learn to analyze these posts beyond the surface.
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