Digital marketing is here to stay – and the job opportunities are vast
The internet has revolutionised the way we communicate. But also how organisations and people tell their stories. When it comes to building brands and influencing perceptions, a BA (Hons) Digital Marketing degree can put you at the forefront of the operation.
In this blog post, Dr Elaine Rust, Associate Head of Marketing, explains what digital marketing is, why you should study it, and what jobs you could do in this ever-growing field.
What is digital marketing?
Marketing is core to any business. It involves identifying and meeting customer needs, showcasing a company in a positive light, building trust, managing reputation, establishing and predicting trends, disrupting industries, and ultimately, bringing customers on your journey with you.
Now, marketing takes place in a digitised environment. According to Data Reportal, 4.66 billion of the world’s population are online, with more than 1.3 million new users joining social media every day. So, as a digital marketer, you’ll work in the online marketing space. Here, everyone is a creator. And opportunities exist in every industry sector you can think of – private, public and non-profit.
You'll be involved in multi-channel communication strategies and work across several areas, or specialise in a few, depending on where you’re employed. You could work on pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), mobile marketing, email marketing or social media, to name a few.
"Nearly every marketing role has an element of digital or social media to it, and businesses across the board are looking to increase their digital marketing or ecommerce offering"
What jobs can you do with a digital marketing degree?
Digital marketers are central to business and there are many job opportunities, with a 52% rise in the demand for such roles in 2021.
A digital marketing degree will teach you how to harness your digital skills to connect with online consumers. You'll work on projects and modules that encourage the strategic and tactical use of digital marketing, ready for digital marketing roles like:
- Social media manager
- Search engine optimisation (SEO) executive
- Marketing campaign manager
- Content strategist
- Conversion rate optimiser
- Email marketing specialist
- Sentiment analyst
- Brand manager
Use your creative flair to craft websites and social media campaigns, become a content specialist and create videos or podcasts, get involved in user experience design and neuromarketing, or go into analytics to explore the power of data.
I like the way the course is being taught and the structure. It connects theory and practice so you have not only theoretical knowledge, but you are also able to apply the knowledge within the real business environment.
What can you do with a digital marketing degree?
1. Thrive in a fast-moving digital world
What makes digital marketing such a fascinating area for study is the rapid pace it evolves at. Technology continues to improve and advance and you can be on the front-foot of it all.
Studying a digital marketing degree will give you the tools and skills to design and deliver real-world digital marketing strategies and campaigns. You’ll gain industry-recognised certificates in things like Google Analytics, Google Digital Garage and social media platforms, while learning from teaching staff who are actively researching this rapidly changing field.
2. Work in any sector
Marketing roles exist in every kind of organisation across diverse industries. Virtually every company you come across uses digital marketing. There truly are hundreds of job descriptions and options to choose from, depending on your interests and skills. The exciting thing is, you get to explore and discover your favourite aspects of working when you study a digital marketing degree.
Learn by doing during your degree, then look to build a career in any industry – whether you veer towards the technical or creative end of the spectrum – there will always be digital jobs available.
3. Increase your earning potential and bridge the skills gap
The growth and ubiquity of websites, smartphones and social media has resulted in a skills and knowledge gap for many businesses, making it an exciting and lucrative career. So a digital marketing degree will enhance your skill set, and fill a talent gap in the jobs market.
And when a skillset is in demand, there are increased opportunities for work and greater earning potential. The average digital marketing salary is £33,248, according to the job review website Glassdoor – over £7,000 above the UK national average for all roles.
Dr Elaine Rust is Associate Head of Marketing in the Faculty of Business and Law.