How to become a digital marketer

With the increasing importance of the internet in our daily lives, businesses rely on digital marketing strategies to reach and engage their target audience. Could this be the career for you?

CAREER PROSPECTS CHOOSING A COURSE CHOOSING A UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE

Tamsin Mosse 20 Jul 2023

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Routes to becoming a digital marketer
Skills you’ll need
Finding work experience
How to get a job as a digital marketer
What it's like to be a digital marketer

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Routes to becoming a digital marketer

There are many routes into digital marketing including working your way up the ranks at an entry level position. However, in this competitive and fast changing industry, most people have an academic qualification and digital marketing graduate schemes tend to require applicants to hold a 2.1 or above. So what are some of the ways into this sector?

Undergraduate degrees

Many universities offer specific digital marketing courses. You could consider other related degrees such as creative design, journalism and general marketing. Entry requirements vary but typically range from 96–168 UCAS points. Undergraduate degrees take between three and four years to complete depending on whether a foundation year or placement is involved.

You can learn more about what to expect from a digital marketing degree in our subject guide, including what topics you’ll cover and how you’ll be assessed.

GO TO
Find an undergraduate digital marketing degree

Degree apprenticeships

A degree apprenticeship involves working while you study. You’re paid for your work and spend less time at university. You’ll learn a wide range of skills and put them into practice, tasks will include assisting with the running of campaigns, developing basic skills in the Adobe Creative Suite and creating and upload copy and images for websites and blog pages. Once you’ve successfully completed your apprenticeship you could be offered a permanent position with your employer.

You can find available digital marketing apprenticeship opportunities via Find an apprenticeship.

Postgraduate degrees

A postgraduate degree might be worth considering if you have a non-related degree or have experience in the industry and want to develop your skills and knowledge to progress your marketing career. This type of qualification takes a year to complete full time or two years part time.

GO TO
Find a postgraduate digital marketing degree
Types of degrees in the UK

Skills you’ll need

As well as having great attention to detail and knowledge of social media platforms, you’ll also need:

Strong communication skills
Confidence around IT
Ability to create high quality content
Analytical and evaluation skills
Presentation skills
Teamwork
Creative thinking
Problem solving
Strategic planning
Project management
Self-motivation
Ability to work well under pressure

Finding work experience

Having some work experience will be a great advantage in this competitive world. Not only will it give you something to use at interview, you’ll feel confident that this is the right job for you.

Try looking for work by:

Shadowed someone in a digital marketing company
Volunteered with a charity to support their digital communications
Creating your own online presence that showcases your skills and understanding of techniques

How to get a job as a digital marketer

Digital marketers are in demand in all sectors as most businesses and organisations want a digital presence. You could therefore apply for jobs within a medium or large company doing in-house projects or alternatively work for a marketing agency supporting a number of clients.

Specific job sites to look at include Marketing Week Jobs, Simply Marketing Jobs and Campaign Jobs as well as more general job pages such as Guardian Jobs, Indeed and Totaljobs.

Some digital marketers set up as self-employed although this is easier once you have experience and industry contacts.

What it's like to be a digital marketer

In this role, you’ll use your skills to communicate with your target audience via a variety of digital marketing methods. Depending on your role and specialisation, your tasks could include:

Writing and co-ordinating marketing campaigns via email
Creating different types of content such as text, images, video
Uploading content through various media channels
Communicating between clients, partner organisations and media outlets
Managing company social media accounts
Organising databases of company contacts
Negotiating with digital advertising agencies to get the best deal for your clients
Using web analytics software to assess website performance and suggest new strategies
Staying up to date with emerging digital trends
Researching new technologies and online opportunities
Finding new project leads

Professional organisations like the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) or the Institute of Direct Marketing offer membership as well as training and networking opportunities.

Assistant digital marketer salaries range from approx. £22,000 to £25,000 and with experience could go up to £28,000. In a senior management role this could increase to approx., £48,000 depending on geographical location and size of the company you work for. Some companies offer performance related bonuses and other benefits like private healthcare.

Is a role as a digital marketer right for you?

If you’re confident navigating the digital landscape and want to help businesses succeed in the ever-evolving online world, a role as a digital marketer could be for you.