How to Become a Professional Digital Marketer in Nigeria

In this guide, I will show you how to become a professional digital marketer in Nigeria. Digital marketing jobs are one of the most paid jobs in Nigeria.

The world is getting more digitized every day. Technology is everything in this era because it has pervaded every sector including marketing.

There is no denying that marketing has gone beyond the traditional, offline advertisement of goods; marketing has gone digital. This we call digital marketing amongst other terms like online marketing, data-driven marketing and so on.

Digital marketing is the promotion of brands and products using digital technology mainly on the internet. It involves the use of devices such as mobile phones, computers, and other internet-enabled devices to market products, services and businesses online.

While the internet is the major platform for digital marketing, there are others like text messaging (SMS, MMS), electronic billboards, radio and television broadcast, podcast and so on.

Digital marketing is a comprehensive term that comprises of techniques such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Social Media Optimization (SMO), Pay-per-click (PPC), Content marketing, Inbound marketing and so many others.

The prevalence of digital marketing over the offline traditional marketing is attributable to the ever-increasing number of internet users and the need for businesses to reach their potential customers online to either sell a product or create awareness.

In turn, the demand for digital marketers has increased. If your dream job combines creative thinking, analytics, and a passion for social media, digital marketing could be a perfect fit for you.

WHO IS A DIGITAL MARKETER?

A digital marketer is one who has the technical know-how and experience of what digital marketing entails. He must have studied and must have undergone intensive training in the art of marketing products and services online.

Unlike a traditional marketer, a digital marketer monitors things like what is being viewed, how often and for how long it is viewed, the sales conversion rate of products, what contents works and what doesn’t.

Digital marketers know your customers, they gather and analyze customer preferences and expectations across different marketing channels – internet, TV and radio broadcasts, social media – and then convert the information into lucrative ideas that will increase sales and keep the business afloat.

Digital marketers simply put you ahead of competitors. In fact, a business without a digital marketer in this era cannot thrive. This is why they are in high demand all over the world including Nigeria.

How Much Do Digital Marketers Salary ?

According to Glassdoors.com, digital marketers earn an average salary of $100 000 and rank among the highest paid professionals since 2015.

Considering a move into digital marketing? Do you want to use your analytical and tactical skills to help grow and develop new opportunities for businesses? Digital marketing is the way! If yes, read more…

How to Become a Professional Digital Marketer in Nigeria

Nothing good comes easy; becoming a digital marketer is not easy; becoming an expert digital marketer is no mean feat. It demands a huge investment of time, mental energy and resources. But if you have the passion, there won’t be a problem. To become an expert, one has to combine both self study and professional training.

1. Understand the Profession

First of all, you must read and learn everything you can about digital marketing. As earlier stated, digital marketing is comprehensive – it is an umbrella term for so many techniques.

As a digital marketing prospect, it is advisable to get familiar with all the techniques; know their similarities, spot their differences and be able to harmonize them.

An advantage here is that you get to know what really interests you – is it SEO? SEM? Just read up! There are various resources available online including paid and free ones. Resources like MOZ, Search Engine Land, HubSpot, Coursera and Udemy are really good.

2. Enrol for professional training

Self-study is good but since the goal is to become an expert, professional training is necessary. Most of the leading digital marketing firms in Nigeria like Wild Fusion, Giga Lagos, WebCoupers, BytSizeng and Intense offer regular trainings at affordable prices.

Advantages associated with this include acquiring hands-on experience alongside learning the theoretical aspects of marketing; building a professional network with both your trainers and fellow trainees and getting certifications.

3. Stay up-to-date

Digital marketing is also called data-driven marketing for a reason – it is all about data. And the data is ever-increasing, you just have to stay up-to-date.

Keep in touch with your network, follow websites like Inbound.org, HubSpot, Growthhackers.com and the websites of the aforementioned top Nigerian marketing firms.

A strong online presence is necessary – be active on social media. You don’t want to get left behind.

4. Do Internship in Digital marketing Firms:

Truth is, there is no end to learning as a digital marketer. Once you stop learning, you become redundant and your career suffers. Interning at a digital marketing agency is wise.

It exposes a learner to the real professional life of digital marketers. During internship, it is advisable to focus on the aspects of digital marketing which most interest you.

Specialization starts here. Another advantage of internship is that it makes your Curriculum Vitae (CV) more appealing to later employers.

5. Practice what you have learnt

Having amassed a lot of knowledge, it is necessary to put it into practice. You can use your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to market products and services for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Setting up a blog is another good idea – update your blog with viable contents that are optimized for search engines so as to attract traffic.

Bring up your blog and make it an advert and marketing hub for brands and businesses. You will make a name for yourself and some decent cash too.

6. Get certified

Professionalism is all about certification. It is not enough to have the knowledge, you need to be certified too. Most customers want to see that you have had a formal education and training in your area of expertise and certification is a proof of that.

Certification also expands your career opportunities by rendering you employable and representing you as a consultant, competent enough to train people in your area of expertise.

Some notable certifications include Google AdWords certification, Google Analytics certification, HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification, HootSuite social media manager certification etc.

7. Acquire More Experience

Join a reputable digital marketing firm and acquire more experience on the job.

The gist is that becoming a professional digital marketing is a gradual and continual thing. You keep learning and earning.

You will succeed if you have passion for it… Success!

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