The digital revolution in India has triggered a change in how a business operates. Marketing has evolved and reached a point where marketers need to know how they can promote a business digitally.
A significant influence of technology on marketing gave way to a new branch called Digital Marketing. It has become the need of the hour for firms to digitise their businesses and marketing strategies. And so, the demand for digital marketing professionals in India is on the rise.
Before we get into the professional skills needed for digital marketing, let’s look at who digital marketing professionals are.
Who is a Digital Marketing Professional?
Digital marketing professionals specialise in social media, display media, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). They are experts at understanding and using digital channels to increase brand awareness and promote a brand’s products and services.
Let’s look at what skills are required at each career stage of a digital marketer.
Career Journey & Average Pay-Scale of a Digital Marketing Professional
Both offline and online marketing holds equal importance when running a company. So, while the career stages for both are similar, the skillsets required by a digital marketer are quite different.
Here’s an overview of the career stages of a digital marketer and their average pay scale:
- Entry Level: ₹2,50,000 – ₹4,00,000
- Experienced Professionals (Specialists/Team Leads/Managers): ₹4,00,000 – ₹15,00,000
- Expert Professionals (Head of Digital Marketing): ₹35,00,000 – ₹50,00,000
Career Levels of a Digital Marketer and Required Skills
● Entry Level Positions
If you’re kick-starting your digital marketing career, the skills that are a must-have include SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and other basic social media marketing skills. .
You can start with a diploma in digital marketing, which will help you understand the concepts better. You will also get hands-on experience in implementing these concepts for your business or the company you will work for.
At this stage, the main purpose is to understand the business’ goals, its target audience, and the market. Cultivating strong communication through content is also an important aspect for entry-level professionals.
● Experienced Professionals
Experienced Professionals need to have the expertise in understanding the market and strategies. They must be able to analyse the market situation and accordingly plan the marketing strategies for the company. At this stage, social media advertising, ad-buying, etc., are some of the skills one needs. So, apart from experience, one needs to opt for various online digital marketing courses.
● Expert Professionals
Heading a company’s marketing department typically takes 10-15 years of experience; a digital marketer must therefore be phenomenal in what they do. Besides their expertise, most expert professionals are well-versed with the latest in digital marketing.
They need to know everything – from strategising and supervising ad campaigns to leading market research and analysis, forecasting, and inspiring leadership. Moreover, skills like marketing automation can help them boost the business, and in turn, their careers.
If you’re planning to start a career in digital marketing, there are plenty of courses, to begin with. As long as your concepts are clear and you can apply them in your everyday work life, you can opt for diplomas, certifications, and short-term programs.
Earn a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing
NMIMS offers a 2-year distance MBA Program in Marketing Management and specialisations like a 1-year Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing that can help professionals build a strong foundation in the domain. Led by esteemed faculty members (IIM and IIT alumni, founders of renowned companies), the diploma program aims at building fundamental digital marketing skills. These comprise social media marketing, programmatic ad buying, marketing automation, Google Ads, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram marketing.
