You’ve decided to become a freelance digital marketer even though you don’t have any experience, but you don’t know where to start.
If you have never done freelance digital marketing before, it might be hard for you to get started.
Most people will tell you that you need to have worked at something for a few years before you can even think about going freelance.
Don’t let the fact that you haven’t done it before stop you!
You might think it would be hard to get into freelance digital marketing without any experience, but it’s not as hard as you might think.
On the other hand, there are some things you can do to start your career and show that you belong there.
What does a freelance digital marketer do?
A freelance digital marketer helps businesses promote their products or services and sell them online.
As a freelance digital marketer, you will be responsible for making digital content, running online marketing campaigns, managing social media accounts, and getting people to visit websites.
What skills do you need to become a freelance digital marketer?
You don’t need years of experience to work as a freelance digital marketer, but you do need to have certain digital marketing skills.
First and foremost, you need to know the basics of marketing and how the digital marketing plan works.
With this information, you’ll be better able to create successful digital marketing campaigns and figure out how to measure how well they work.
You should also be familiar with how to use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
As a digital marketing freelancer, you will set up and manage accounts on a number of social media sites. After that, you should learn about Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Last but not least, you should have some experience sending people to websites online. Search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising, and social media are all ways to get people to visit your site.
To be more specific, here are some examples of technical skills that a freelance digital marketer would find useful:
Content Writing and Copywriting
If you want to work as a freelance digital marketer, you need to know how to create content and be able to write copy that makes people want to buy something.
Part of developing content is writing headlines, calls to action, and blog posts that appeal to a specific audience.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a technique that search engine marketing specialists are adept at using to increase website traffic.
To achieve a high ranking in search engines, search engine optimization (SEO) entails optimizing the content, titles, and descriptions of a website.
Paid Advertising
You should be knowledgeable with digital advertising if you’re going to be working as a freelance digital marketer.
Sponsored ads can come in the shape of search engine marketing, social media ads, or any number of other digital formats.
Email Marketing
Promotion of businesses via email is yet another efficient method that can be done online.
You should be able to build and send email marketing campaigns if you want to work as a freelance digital marketer.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
It is necessary for you to have experience using social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
SMM entails setting up and managing accounts on various social media platforms.
Marketing & Web Analytics
The ability to accurately measure the effectiveness of marketing activities is essential for digital marketers.
Using marketing and web analytics tools to track metrics such as website traffic, lead generation, and conversions is required to demonstrate proficiency in this competence.
Digital Marketing Certifications
Getting a certification that is recognized by the digital marketing industry is a good way to show that you have the right skills but don’t have enough relevant work experience to start a successful career in the field.
Online, you can find a number of certifications for digital marketing. Some of them don’t get paid, but they get a lot of respect.
You can become a freelance digital marketer by taking courses in digital marketing.
These courses will teach you how to use the tools, skills, and knowledge needed for digital marketing.
Tips for Becoming a Digital Marketer with No Experience
Pick a niche
When you are just starting out, you might want to try to be good at everything. To be successful in digital marketing, you need to focus on one part of the field and become an expert in that area.
Also, if you become an expert in your field, potential customers who are looking for someone with the skills you have will be more likely to hire you.
Build Your Foundational Knowledge
If you want to work as a digital marketer, you need to know a lot about how digital advertising works and what the best practices are.
You can learn the basics by reading educational blog posts, watching instructional videos on YouTube, joining discussions on Reddit, and using free resources like this guide to SEO best practices.
For example, if you are new to the field of content marketing, you might find it helpful to brush up on your data analysis skills by using Google Analytics or a similar tool.
But if social media marketing is your specialty, you might want to learn more about how to measure social media with tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social.
Take a course or get a certificate
You may want to think about enrolling in an online digital marketing course or perhaps earning a professional degree to gain a more in-depth grasp of digital marketing. Both of these options are available online.
This is a wonderful approach to study the fundamentals of digital marketing and receive some practical experience utilizing the most recent technologies available for digital marketing.
Check out this post about the differences between degrees, bootcamps, and certificates in digital marketing if you are unsure what type of training to pursue if you are unsure what type of training to pursue.
Build a Digital Marketing Portfolio
Once you have a good understanding of the basics of digital marketing, it’s time to put your skills to the test.
The best way to reach this goal is to put together a portfolio of real marketing campaigns that you can show to potential employers.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads are great places to start because they deliver fast results that are easy to measure.
This will not only help you figure out how good you are at digital marketing, but it will also show potential employers that you understand how digital marketing works.
Gain testimonials and case studies
Getting testimonials and case studies from past customers is a great way to show how good your work is and bring in more customers. You could put these on your website or use them when trying to sell something.
Things like testimonials and case studies can be used as social proof. They show that other people have used your services and that they were happy with the results. Using social proof to build trust with potential customers is a good way to do business.
Build a website and showcase your results
You won’t have any trouble finding customers who are eager to pay for your services if you are able to construct a website that draws in visitors and turns some of those visitors into paying customers.
Network online and in-person
Make sure you network with other digital marketing experts, both online and in person, to improve your chances of getting your first job in digital marketing.
On many social media sites, like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, it’s possible to connect with people who work in digital marketing.
You might also get something out of going to digital marketing conferences and meet-ups.
These are great opportunities to meet more experienced people, make connections, and get your foot in the door of the IT business.
Look for agency and in-house jobs
To get your foot in the door in the competitive digital marketing business, it’s a good idea to apply for jobs at digital marketing agencies and in-house.
Working for a digital marketing agency in Singapore is a great way to gain valuable professional experience and work with a wide range of clients to build your portfolio.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing, you should consider working for an agency.
Consider related jobs to get your foot in the door
If you are looking for a different way to get professional experience as a digital marketer, you could take a similar job that will help you improve your technical skills and build your portfolio. Here are some jobs that have something to do with this field:
- Content Marketing Specialist
- Tech Sales Representative
- Social Media Manager
- Digital Marketing Consultant
- UI/UX Designer
- Content Writer
- Data Analyst
You will get useful insights and transferable soft skills if you work in any of these roles, which will prepare you for a career in digital marketing.
Build Professional experience with cheap freelancing
Using job boards and low-cost freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, it’s easy to find digital marketing jobs that you can do from home.
We don’t recommend this as a long-term choice, but it can be a great way to meet potential clients and build up your portfolio.
Build your brand
As a digital marketing freelancer, the quality of your personal brand is just as important as the results you get.
To get more customers, you’ll need to make sure you have a great reputation and a strong online presence.
Final words
As you learn more about digital marketing and get better at it, you may find that you have more control over the tasks you do and the projects you work on. As you get better at your job, this is something you can look forward to.
One of the most important parts of professional development is becoming more independent over time.
This gives you the chance to take responsibility for your chosen career path and grow your skills in a way that fits your interests.
