The short answer is yes, with the right strategy you absolutely can become a digital marketer with little to no previous experience. However, as with any career journey, the going will be easier if you have some prior digital marketing knowledge and experience to help you, and so that simple yes might be slightly misleading in the sense that chances are you’ll probably have to get some experience before you can land a top job. The point is that it really isn’t as hard as you might think to break into the industry. Digital marketing is a growing field and there’s plenty of opportunities to go round, so with the right can do attitude, you can absolutely set your stall out to build your skillset and succeed. The good news is that there is also a whole host of top tips and useful resources swimming around and many different routes that you could go down, even if you’re just starting out.

A digital marketer needs to have an in-depth understanding of the online marketing landscape and up to date digital marketing knowledge of all the technology and processes involved.  There are many ways to try and get a foot in the door and get an entry level digital marketing job with no prior experience.

• Build Your Foundational Knowledge

An understanding of digital marketing concepts and best practices is essential to becoming a digital marketer. You can build your foundational knowledge through educational blog posts, YouTube tutorials, webinars and other free resources.

• Get Qualified

If you’re new to digital marketing one of the best ways to start your career and gain the skills you need to eucceed is to undertake a digital marketing qualification. Studying digital marketing can help you quickly get to grips with the theories and platforms behind it and give you a more comprehensive understanding of the field and a chance to gain hands-on experience. Qualifications from a renowned accreditor, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing are highly respected by employers and can give you a significant advantage when it comes to securing jobs.

• Build a Digital Marketing Portfolio 

You don’t have to wait until you’re in a job, there’s no time like the present to put your digital skills to use. You can showcase what you’re already capable of by building a portfolio of marketing projects that you can showcase to potential employers through freelancing sites or volunteering for smaller companies on an unpaid basis. The more experience you have and the more you can demonstrate to employers that you are willing to put the work in, the better your chances of getting noticed.

Getting familiar with digital marketing platforms such as Pay Per Click advertising platforms like Google Adwords or Facebook Ads on your own time is an effective way to impress employers and get ahead. This will show employers that you can understand digital marketing concepts and will give you an early start in developing your digital marketing skills.

• Networking

Sometimes it is just about who you know, it’s important to start networking with established digital marketers. If you want to be a digital marketer then its all about connecting with people, so why not kill two birds with one stone and test your abilities by using LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to reach out to digital marketing experts.

Digital marketing conferences and other events can offer excellent networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to meet more experienced professionals and make connections.

• Pick a Specialty

A great way to make yourself an attractive hiring prospect to digital marketing employers is to specialise. While you’ll need to be an all rounder as well, there is a wide variety of digital marketing areas and many employers will be impressed if you develop your specific skill set – specialise- in one and prove yourself an expert in that area.

You could specialise in:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Digital marketing planning and strategy
• Social media marketing

Many centres may even offer qualifications specifically in these areas. These specialties are also essential to a company’s overall marketing strategy, so it’s a win win, choose a specialty that you find interesting and engaging and chances are there will also be an employer looking for someone who knows all about just that.

• Look for entry-level Agency and In-House Jobs

You can break into the digital marketing industry by applying for jobs at both digital marketing agencies and in-house marketing departments. In addition to gaining valuable professional experience, working for a digital marketing agency will enable you to build a diverse client portfolio.

Yes! You don’t need a degree to become a digital marketer.

A degree in marketing or a related subject might be a requirement for some digital marketing jobs or courses depending on what academic and experience level they are operating at. However, prospective employers will value far more a candidate who can demonstrate they have good knowledge of the different aspects of digital marketing and relevant skills and experience.

Most employers realise an unrelated degree won’t teach you the digital marketing knowledge you need or give you hands-on experience in the same way that a digital marketing qualification will and instead will look for candidates who show drive and ability rather than a specific level of formal education.

Whether you have a degree or not, there’s nothing stopping you from gaining experience by offering to work on a voluntary basis or setting yourself up as a freelancer and honing your digital marketing skills.

If you’re starting out in the field and have little prior experience, there are plenty of entry-level digital marketing jobs that you can take a look at which don’t require a marketing degree or working experience.

If you are thinking of entering in to marketing or digital marketing but you feel you want to complete a degree first, some of the best suited degrees in relevant subjects and fields include:

• Digital Business & Management
• Digital Management
• Media Management and Digital Marketing
• Bachelor of Science in Modern Marketing
• Marketing
• Bachelor of Applied Business Administration in Digital Marketing
• Degree in Business Management.
• IT
• Media
• English