How to become a digital marketer

Begin your digital marketing career

Over the next few years, the demand for digital marketers in Australia will continue to grow. At the time of writing, there were nearly 8,000 roles being advertised on LinkedIn! To become a digital marketer:

1. Complete a bachelor degree in business, marketing or social and digital media. 
2. Already have an undergraduate degree or want to make a career change? Enrol in a relevant postgraduate qualification like a Master of Marketing.
3. Keep your skills fresh or upskill in emerging areas of digital marketing with a short course. 

What does a digital marketer do?

Digital marketers are responsible for using digital channels to connect with customers, build brand affinity and generate leads. Popular methods are SEO (search engine optimisation), SEM (search engine marketing), organic and paid social media, email marketing, display advertising and content marketing.

Since the digital world is constantly changing, you’ll never get bored. The most successful digital marketers those who relish learning new things every day.

Duties and tasks

• Formulate marketing strategy based on brand, business and product or service objectives
• Select mix of digital channels on which to execute a campaign
• Analyse audience data and identify priority segments
• Collaborate with content creators to produce campaign material
• Evaluate campaign performance during and after a campaign period
• Optimise campaign activity based on live data
• Manage digital marketing budgets
• Align digital marketing activity with mainstream marketing activities

Industry bodies

Australian Marketing Institute (AMI)

AMI is the largest network of marketers in Australia and supports members at every stage of their career. As a member, you can raise your professional status with a Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) certification.

Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

IAB is the peak trade organisation for online advertising in Australia, and is one of 47 chapters worldwide. Members can access extensive resources and research case studies.

Internet Marketing Association (IMA)

IMA is a global internet marketing group that runs a yearly thought leadership festival called Impact. While tickets are necessary to attend in person, content is free for virtual attendees.

Digital marketing jobs

Between 2020 and 2021, online advertising spend grew 35.8%, partly because COVID sped up businesses’ digital transformation plans. In turn, more and more digital marketers are needed to help brands keep pace with their competition. 

With a degree in digital marketing, you’ll be preparing yourself for one of these digital marketing career paths:

• Content strategist
• Content marketer
• Community manager
• Digital marketing specialist/manager
• Performance marketing specialist/manager
• Social media specialist/manager
• SEO specialist/coordinator/manager

Building a career in digital marketing

There are two general routes you could take—work at an agency or in-house for a business. According to Candice Ayad, Performance Marketing Lead at BOQ Group, “In agency, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of digital platforms and media buying strategies. It’s a great way to stay across new ad units, platforms and opportunities for your client.”

“On the other hand, if you’re client-side, you’ll be involved in campaigns from start to finish. You’re working towards an overarching business need. Your projects transcend media buying. For example, you could be improving onsite personalisation, enhancing content amplification or building SEO equity,” she says. 

Digital marketers are more likely to start in an agency job before transitioning to an in-house role. The opposite route is less common, but like other aspects of digital marketing, there’s no hard-and-fast rule about how things work. So make it your own!