5 Skills Every Internet Marketing Specialist Needs to Learn

Being an ‘Internet Marketing Specialist,’ it’s a bit hard to explain to those not familiar with the field. Let’s face it, our job description changes by the minute! One day it’s all about a huge SEO optimization project and the next day you’re rushing for a last minute sale. I mean, is it even possible to keep up with an ever-changing industry? It better be!

When I transitioned from offline to online marketing around 2013, my first role was as a copywriter. I used to write anything from blogs to landing pages and even the occasional infographics. Of course, I quickly realized that wasn’t enough. To do a good job as a copywriter, you have to understand SEO, marketing objectives, industry trends, and more importantly… your client’s business!

Little by little I immersed myself in the digital marketing world. I started learning about social media, design tools, metrics, keywords, video, and so on. The truth is, you never stop training.Because if you do, to put it in Michelle Branch’s words, goodbye to you.

WANT TO BE AN INTERNET MARKETING SPECIALIST? HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Let me start by pointing out that each role may have different requirements. I’ll list what I think are the very basics. You may find that you need to learn more about one area than the other. Or, you may not agree with me at all! But here it goes.

#1 SEO

Even if you are not the designated SEO expert in your company, it is essential that you at least understand what it’s all about. Likely, you will be working on strategies to optimize your client’s website and increase their ranking. This will only work if you know what you’re contributing with.

The good news is that there are plenty of online resources to learn from. Start with MOZ’s SEO Learning Center and take it from there.

#2 CONTENT MARKETING

Here’s my personal favorite! Creating exciting and useful content is what will help you connect the right audience to a brand. This goes beyond writing a good ad or sending a coupon. Content marketing is about somehow becoming a part of your target market’s life. What are they reading? How are they making their decisions? You’ll need this info to create something appealing and create something engaging.

Please keep in mind that content can be much more than blog posts. Try videos, graphics, audio, e-books, quick guides, and any format you think can work out. And to be clear, you are not to spam your audience. Your goal is to become their go-to resource on your field. Conversions will be a happy consequence, even though the tough part is explaining this part to management!

#3 BRANDING

Unfortunately, internet marketing specialists and business owners sometimes make the mistake of forgetting about branding when conducting online efforts. Remember if you can find discrepancies between the website, social media, and offline world, your audience can see them too.

We should not only learn about branding in general; we should take the time to learn everything there is to learn about the brand we’re representing. Online users can quickly jump from one platform to the other, and they expect to find consistent information, the same brand image, and same brand voice.

#4 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

More often than you would believe people have told me “so, you do social media huh? That’s so cool, program a couple of posts and you’re done.” I sincerely hope you’re not one of those people. Please, don’t be one of those people.

The primary purpose of social media is to connect people. In the case of marketing, you try to connect people to your brand. Usually, you would combine organic and paid efforts for better results.

#5 MARKETING DESIGN

OK, you don’t have to be a graphic designer. However, it helps if you know about design for marketing purposes. Learn about all available tools and keep track of the trends. This will make your life easier while working with graphic designers. Also, it’s an extra tool for you to communicate your ideas for a campaign.

When designing for marketing, you need to trigger an action and drive attention to the brand’s message. There are lots of detail to consider beyond the aesthetics. I particularly like to use Canva as a tool for that. Their templates are optimized for different formats and objectives, perfect for marketers!

TIME TO DIVE INTO DIGITAL MARKETING!

Please know that those five skills will be an excellent start, but you’ll quickly realize there’s a lot more to learn.

Be open to new knowledge opportunities and don’t be afraid to experiment. There is no perfect marketing campaign and the only way to know if it works, is trying!

How about you? What skills do you find most useful in your career? Let me know in the comments below!