6 Ways to Clean Out Your Digital Marketing Strategy

The digital marketing world is always evolving, and you're always executing your strategy. This is especially true in Hong Kong, one of the most fast-paced cities in the world. You're getting inspired by new campaigns, making last-minute changes, and receiving feedback from your customers that has you tweaking each post, video, and email. The result might be a disorganised, unfocused mess.

Is it hard to see the big picture of your digital marketing strategy? That's no good because the best plans are focused on the goals and metrics that matter most to your company. Further, the best strategies are unified across platforms and create a stable brand that your customers can connect with.

It's time to pull a Marie Kondo - do a little cleaning. Just as you'd clean out your closet, you can clean out your digital marketing strategy. In the end, you’ll have a more agile marketing department that has a clear vision to propel your company forward. Here’s how:

1. Focus on Your Key Metrics

Your digital marketing strategy has to be guided by your goals and the key metrics that reflect them. A company’s goals are changing all of the time, so chances are your goals have changed since the last time you cleaned out your digital strategy.

Collect all of your goals and key metrics in one place, so you get a sense of the overall accomplishments you’re looking for in the next year. When possible, avoid vanity metrics like Instagram followers, unless you can show that they are closely related to achieving what actually matters to your business—like conversions.

When you’re reflecting on your business goals, throw out digital marketing goals that don’t advance the business, and create new goals that do. Get as specific as you can. “Grow our Facebook audience as much as possible” or “become a trusted source on industry topics” are both too broad. Build specific goals by reflecting on past performances. If last year you gained a thousand new email sign-ups, aim to double that.

Starting with a new platform or business that doesn’t have a past performance you can build on? Check out what your competition is doing to help you create long-term goals.

Also, be sure to include realistic timelines with your goals. If the goal is huge, like “create ten cornerstone content blog posts,” try breaking the goal up into smaller pieces so that you can track your progress over the next year. Include those dates and smaller goals in your content calendar. That way, if you slip behind, you’ll notice faster, and you’ll have a chance to catch up.

2. Collect All of Your Digital Strategies

Now that you know what you should be aiming for, you need to reflect on which tools you’re using, and if they are still advancing your goals. Create a list of the strategies and platforms you’re using to spread your digital marketing message, including:

Broader digital media strategies may include multiple blogs, social media channels, and more. It's important to evaluate the ROI you get for each. Have your SEO efforts gained you any 1st place keywords, and if not, why not? Have your Instagram efforts resulted in sales? When you’re cleaning, it’s a good time to invest in market research to better evaluate your efforts; you are even better off studying a good digital marketing course to learn how to use the various tools in better and more efficient way.

3. Check Each Strategy Against Your Goals

Many digital marketing strategies are easy to evaluate. Either your emails are being opened more often, and readers are following links back to your site, or they aren’t. Either you’re ranking higher for select keywords, or you’ve lost ground. You might be surprised at how your strategies have been performing, but at least now you’re informed and know where you should invest more.

On the other hand, your social media presence is notoriously hard to evaluate. Getting more likes on Facebook doesn’t necessarily translate to sales or even clicks back to your website.

So how do you analyse your performance on social media?

  • Reach: You always want your posts to reach your target audience, so expanding reach is a good sign that you’re moving in the right direction.

  • Clicks: Many people respond to Twitter posts or comment on Facebook without ever visiting your website or engaging with your brand off the platform, so it's essential to track clicks more than likes or even shares.

  • Emotional reaction: On Facebook, it’s simple to assess how your followers feel about your post because they can sort themselves by emotion by clicking "angry" or "wow." On other platforms, the ratio between comments and shares might be more helpful. A lot of comments and few shares is, generally, bad news.

4. Check Each Platform or Strategy for Change

Cleaning always has to focus on the new. With social media and other forms of digital marketing, keeping up with trends is absolutely essential.

Here are a few ways to gauge how things have changed online:

  • Has your audience moved? Social media platforms fall in and out of favour. Newcomers might present you an opportunity to beat your competition. Falling rates of engagement might mean you should reduce your investment, in both time and dollars, on the platform. For example, Facebook may be reducing your ability to reach your audience.

  • Are you pursuing video content? For 2019, video content should be a central focus in most digital marketing strategies. Did you know that 1200% more shares are generated by social videos than images and text combined?

  • Have you personalised your approach? Salesforce research has demonstrated that 73 percent of customers want a more personalised experience online. There are many opportunities for personalisation in digital marketing, from segmenting your email marketing efforts to hosting more targeting Webinars for specific segments.

  • Is your strategy mobile? Going mobile isn’t just for websites. You need to make sure that every aspect of your digital marketing is easily accessed on a mobile device, from email to webinars.

5. Check Your Competition

After a bit of cleaning in your digital marketing strategy, you may have cut several areas. Now you have free resources, in time and money that you can reinvest elsewhere. It might be the right time to start a new strategy you’ve always wanted to try. Or, it might be the right time to check in on your competition and see if they are investing somewhere you aren’t.

Start with just your top three competitors. Check out their website to find where they are active in social media and which other digital media strategies they are using. You can read through their social posts and emails yourself, but you’ll get more information if you use a competitive analysis tool.

You might consider:

Of course, you don’t have to do it all yourself. You can hire a professional competitor analysis company to can help you identify new opportunities and strategise about how to make your brand stand out, in voice and content.

Don’t make the mistake of simply moving your digital marketing strategy to match your competitors. If you only do what they are already doing well, you’ll always be behind. Instead, look for blind spots they might have. Also, invest in strategies where you think you stand a chance of surpassing your competition, not where you might just catch up.

6. Create a Calendar

Cleaning doesn’t last for long—neither in your home nor in your digital marketing toolbox—unless you implement some organisation. The best way to keep your digital marketing running well through the year is to have a robust, master calendar.

Too many of us have a separate calendar for each platform, plus one for our blogs, and another for our email marketing. If so, it’s hard to see the full picture. Remember, many of your customers are interacting with you through two or more of these channels, so they need to be synchronised and unified. You want to reach out to your customers frequently, but you don’t want to send them the same message several times a day.

Your master calendar should show you the publishing schedule for multiple platforms, and it should point to the key goals each effort is meant to target. In a way, your calendar is more like a brief guide that you can use to refresh your mind; something to remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. This will facilitate your goal of re-evaluating your digital marketing on a daily basis.

Repeat This Digital Marketing Cleaning Next Year

Cleaning for your digital marketing strategy will help you stay on top of your goals and the latest changes in the digital marketing world if you do it routinely. 

You may be able to get away with re-evaluating your content marketing strategy yearly, but other aspects of digital marketing, like SEO, change much more frequently. It's best to run through these steps every few months, so you know if your digital marketing strategies are working and optimised. If you are in Hong Kong, you also have a chance to hone your skills by learning from the industry experts by taking our certificated course.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

5 Things Not to Say to Your Digital Marketing Manager

One of the biggest challenges for many people in digital roles is they weren't necessarily intending to wind up working in digital marketing. There is a highly diverse mix of people that make up digital marketing departments. Often, there isn't even a digital marketing department per se. 

Regardless of what your digital marketing situation looks like, there is one thing you can be certain of: If you want to be successful and remain a member of that elite, highly talented team, then you should never utter any of the following words to your Digital Marketing Manager.

1. We’re out of money

This situation is often a given in digital marketing departments where the higher-ups fail to see the need for digital marketing. It’s hard to imagine in today’s digital world, but low budgets for digital marketing still exist. Instead of worrying about being out of money, a better approach might be to watch your spending.

It’s easy to lose track of spending, especially when you are using things such as pay per click in your strategy.

Here are a few ways to manage your spending more effectively:

  • Make sure you understand how PPC budgets work to get the most bang for your buck.

  • Get creative with your content making sure that you effectively repurposing it across all of your channels.

  • Use your in-house resources to provide content, talk to the experts in each area of the business, and leverage knowledge that will be helpful to your customers.

  • Don’t be afraid to look for influencers who might be willing to push your brand for free.

  • Learn to research more effectively for things such as free images and video to create posts and memes.

  • Get to understand analytics better so you can make knowledgeable recommendations on where best to spend your limited ad dollars.

  • Make sure you are using the right targets for ads, so you don't waste time and money.

2. Are you sure you want to go with PPC?

This one could not only tick your manager off, but it might also make them rethink why they hired you in the first place. According to Blue Corona, for every USD$1 spent on Google Ads, a company generates USD$2 and 63% of people said they would happily click a Google ad. PPC ads bring in close to 50% more conversions than organic traffic.

So how can this be? PPC has a huge learning curve, and it takes a lot of time and effort to get it right. It requires keen insight and a lot of time to make sure things are going as they should. If no one in the department gets PPC, raise your hand and offer to become the expert. Taking a course is a good start, and you will greatly improve your marketability when it comes time to make a career move. 

3. Something must be wrong with our Facebook Chatbot

There are more ways than ever to communicate with customers and find leads. Many people have benefitted from using Facebook's chatbot. It may work for you as well, but first, you’ll want to understand exactly how it can help you and how to get the most of it.

First and foremost, it only works when you are answering all the messages it generates. This can be done live, but there are other ways to make it more effective.

You can add a widget to your website so people can chat with you. The widget can keep track of and store those messages, as well as help you answer. Messenger chatbots also allow you to auto-respond, so you don’t have to be worried about falling asleep at the switch. This can allow you to capture leads and force them into the next step of the conversion funnel.

Messenger marketing known as chat blasts also outdoes email marketers with open rates as high as 70% to 80% compared to just 5% to 10% for email. So put that in your digital marketing pipe and smoke it.

4. I don’t think we’re doing so well on our campaign

Says who? If you don’t know how to use analytics properly, you are dead in the water. You better make sure you know how to prove you are failing, or show you are succeeding when it comes to digital marketing.

There is plenty of free analytics tools, and you should know some inside and out. Your boss doesn't have time to worry about it but will surely be in the mood to ask you how things are going someday.

According to Digitalist Magazine, analytics offers the following benefits:

  • Keyword insight to help drive traffic to your site

  • Insight into how your customers think when they shop or search

  • What channels you should be dedicating more time and money to

  • The quality of the pages on your site and channels and how they are working to get people further towards the end of their customer journey

  • Key insight into trends that are keeping people with you and sending them away

5. Looks like we’re going to miss our lead targets—again

This phrase is probably the worst thing you can say because it eats into your bottom line. As digital marketers, you need to harness the most successful digital techniques available for lead generation, including:

  • Gated content: Gated content generates between 19% and 45% conversions according to Unbounce. Create heavy duty white papers and eBooks that people have to request in order to access. That process collects email addresses for sales leads while helping to establish expertise. Larger, higher-quality content such as this can also be made into bite-size pieces to repurpose for other content.

  • Paid campaigns: If you aren’t one of the unlucky ones uttering words about budget issues, a PPC campaign on a professional channel like LinkedIn is a great option for B2B leads. According to HubSpot, 65% of B2B companies gain new customers using LinkedIn paid ads.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What is it Like to Work as a Digital Marketer in an Agency

Whether you’re talking Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), content creation, social media marketing, mobile strategy or multi-channel analytics - digital marketing skills are in huge demand right now in Hong Kong.

With the average business's main priorities being lead generation (63%), proving the ROI of their various marketing activities (40%) and securing ample budgets (28%) for their promotional activities, many modern brands are turning to digital agencies to enhance their efforts in a number of key areas.

Working with digital marketing agencies offers a business the opportunity to evolve their brand by gaining access to a wealth of niche skills, resources, and talent that aligns with their commercial goals. And if you’re a budding digital marketer looking for a rewarding, varied and potentially lucrative career path, working for a forward-thinking digital agency could be the answer.

But, what is working for a digital agency really like? In this article, we explore the benefits of working as part of a fast-paced marketing collective, as well as career progression within a dynamic digital agency.

The benefits of working for a digital agency

Working as part of a specialist digital marketing agency offers a host of potential benefits for any marketer looking to expand their skill set while working with an exciting mix of different clients:

A constant challenge

While digital marketers working for one brand might find that their role stagnates at times, working as a marketer in a digital agency will present a constant challenge, keeping you on your toes at all times.

Studies suggest that agencies between 10 - 20 active clients enjoy maximum profits with minimal operational issues. That’s a lot of different projects to sink your teeth into.

By working with a multitude of different clients, all with differing values, ideas, and business objectives, you'll need to morph your approach, mindset and tone of voice depending on the project.

In doing so, your role remains a constant challenge and as no two days will ever be exactly the same, you’re unlikely to become bored or complacent.

An ever-expanding skillset

We are living in the midst of a gaping digital skills gap. In fact, this particular deficit in skills could cost the UK economy alone up to £141 billion in incremental growth.

By upskilling your digital marketing abilities on a continuous basis such as digital marketing courses, you stand to enjoy a long and rewarding career in the field - and working in a digital agency is an effective way of honing your existing talents while acquiring fresh practical knowledge on a weekly basis.

Many modern agencies place a great deal of emphasis on driving digital innovation, and as such, many offer continuous learning opportunities as part of the job.

Moreover, by working with an eclectic mix of clients and wearing a multitude of hats on a regular basis, you’re likely to expand your skillset organically over time. Not only will this keep you motivated, but it will increase the likelihood of boosting your career prospects.

Creative autonomy

Naturally, the level of creative freedom or the autonomy you’re given to do your job is largely dependant on company culture - and that applies to every brand, business or organisation the world over.

But, due to the tight-knit and varied nature of being a digital marketer at an agency, your mix of clients will often look to you to come up with ideas and lead on campaigns or projects.

As such, most agencies offer digital marketers more job autonomy and creative freedom than they might enjoy at other companies.

If you’re trusted to use your skills and creative talents in a way that best suits the need your clients without too much micromanagement or scrutiny, you’re likely to remain engaged, motivated and flourish in your role.

The key qualities of an agency-based digital marketer

As a digital marketer working at a fast-paced digital agency, alongside a solid fundamental knowledge of digital marketing and ample experience in your field of expertise, you’ll need to work with to incredibly tight deadlines and wear a number of hats.

As such there are core attributes that you will need to work as a digital marketer in an agency setting which includes:

  • Self-motivated and are comfortable working to tight and often changing project or campaign deadlines.

  • A strong communicator that knows how to address different clients based on their outlook, values and organisational style.

  • Run on creativity; strategic and you enjoy collaborating on campaigns, projects and initiatives with a broad mix of different personalities.

The dynamics of working at a digital agency

It’s clear that working in a digital agency setting is varied, challenging and at times, high-pressured.

Most agencies will require their staff to have a comprehensive working knowledge of all of the key digital marketing disciplines, including SEO and SEM, PPC, content marketing, video production and data analytics.

That said, to even entertain working as part of a dynamic digital agency, you must gain experience and certification in all of these fundamental areas to stand a chance of survival.

Armed with a solid base knowledge of digital marketing, you will set solid foundations for career progression.

In addition, by choosing to specialise in a particular branch of digital marketing, you will thrive in a digital agency setting. Many agencies want their new recruits to jump in and start building client relationships as well as achieving results from day one. If you have an area of specialism, you’ll be able to delve deep into new projects and start making a difference straight off the bat.

If you’re able to make your mark, foster solid client relationships, and you make a distinct effort to hone and expand your skills both inside and outside the workplace, you stand to progress up the digital agency career ladder, working your way up to a lead account manager in your field of expertise, or even a strategic head of team.

Also, if you focus on gaining ample experience in managing budgets and creating data-driven strategies both for the agency and its clients, you could accelerate your career progression even further, rising to the status of a senior executive, decision-maker or in some cases, partner.

Unlike more formal work environments, there’s no 100% set career path or set remuneration package for a given role - these factors often depend on the size, success and model of the digital agency. But, to give you a rough guide of earnings, here’s an overview of some of the career options available in digital marketing and the average salaries.
 

"Once people reach that glass ceiling of ‘Director’ or ‘Head of’, the next objective is to work on other areas of digital marketing. The wish is easily granted, but this is often done myopically. " - Clarke Boyd

Potentially one of the greatest rewards of working as a digital marketer in an agency setting is that once you do progress to the top of the ladder the hands-on and entirely eclectic nature of the job will allow you the opportunity to evolve your skillset beyond your existing grasp.

As inherently, an agency must remain innovative, cutting-edge, forward-thinking and chameleon-like to survive, so must its staff. That said, if you do excel in an agency setting and reach ‘the top’, there will always be an opportunity to explore brave new areas of digital marketing or become an industry thought leader.

Also, as digital agencies are typically tight-knit and come with an ‘all hands on deck’ mentality, as an experienced agency professional with a wealth of tangible knowledge, your seniority will give you the chance to help others hone their craft and make their role more purposeful.

Final Thoughts

Working as a digital marketer in an agency setting comes with its share of potential rewards and opportunities. If you feel this is the path for you, by gaining a rounded fundamental skill set, gaining expertise in your preferred niche and asking yourself the right questions, you’re likely to enjoy a long and rewarding career.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What’s the Ideal Mindset of Today’s Modern Marketer?

Remember the good old days in Hong Kong, when getting a job just required years of experience or a trusty education to nail you the best positions in your chosen industry? Things were simple then, with clearly defined skills that made sense to the average HR person, not to mention to the people applying for the jobs.

However, today’s digital influences and technologies are changing the way we look at skills. A new landscape now dictates a new set of skills affectionately referred to as “soft skills.” In fact, soft skills have become a more valued skill set when it comes to digital marketing professionals. So just what are these high demand soft skills and what is the ideal mindset employers value in the modern marketer? Let’s take a look.

Hard versus Soft Skills: Who Wins?

The truth of the matter is that hard and soft skills work alongside each other to create a completely symbiotic set of qualifications the modern marketer needs. 

For a while, there was a strong pull towards technical skills as digital marketing began to grow. These skills included understanding how to work social media platforms, figuring out effective SEO tactics (white hat only please), and of course, understanding the cryptic world of PPC. 

However, as content started to influence digital marketing more and more, the hard skills from the technical side of the industry became less important. Instead, a new string of skills began to dominate the most effective digital marketers’ talents including:

  • Creativity: It is no longer enough to know how to work technology, digital marketers are now required to have a more creative mindset that will allow them to contribute new ideas and effectively interpret situations to better overcome the many challenges of modern marketing. This also means having a creative spirit that can turn a phrase with a keen understanding of the power of the well-written word.

  • Resourcefulness: Analytic minds thrive when they are more creative. Resourcefulness adds to this creative mindset allowing people to become more forward-thinking in their approach to access and use accurate sources of data for in-depth analysis that is more informed and insightful.

  • Adaptability: Today’s marketer never knows what might be coming down the pike and therefore the ability to make quick changes and adapt to new demands is a must. This is both for marketing strategies and marketing tactics.

  • Collaboration: The new mindset of the marketer has to understand the importance of collaboration. Many departments now work together to gain revenue, market share and the almighty followers who help generate leads. From sales to R&D and advertising to high-level executives, buy-in, teamwork, and shared insight are the new name of the game.

  • Leadership: Thought leaders must exist within organisations to lead effectively and inspire peers with new insights, shared valuable experiences and a hunger for innovation.

A New Complexity

This new mindset is arousing curiosity, leading to research across many different industries. According to Econsultancy their study on the new Skills of the Modern Marketer found that marketers are acknowledging the complexity of their roles. They are also seeing the value of soft skills and their importance in providing the right mix to work in hand with traditional expertise. 

This can be unsettling for both traditional marketers and marketers who have carved out a niche thanks to their hard skills. They are being out-skilled by marketers who combine the best of both worlds balancing hard skills with soft.

According to recent research by creative software icons Adobe, 40% of the marketers surveyed wanted to “reinvent” themselves. However, only 14% felt they knew how to accomplish this goal. This new complexity would suggest that the best way to achieve this would be to develop soft skills. 

Opportunities and Challenges

These changes to the industry offer opportunities for growth and learning. They also provide challenges to marketing professionals who find themselves lacking the skills required, but then don’t know how to improve.

 As well, these soft skills are less tangible and cannot necessarily be learned, especially if it’s being an intuitive writer or having a more creative mind. This calls for people who are self-motivated learners with a hunger to adapt their skills to work more effectively in a changing environment.

The opportunity you must embrace today is learning itself, as it allows you to be better equipped to focus on developing your own soft skills. Developing appreciation for the creative process and learning to integrate this new way of thinking into your strategy will allow you to become more adaptable. This adaptability will, in turn, allow you to embrace out of the box thinking to attack digital marketing with a more curious view. 

Adaptable Thinking and Creativity

Life-long learners hone their personal and professional knowledge to develop and evolve their skills. The hunger to know more about emerging trends and the latest technology provides a broad view of what is happening in the industry without the need to try and be an expert at everything. More importantly, constant learning allows you to become a better communicator so you can present your ideas and strategies in a manner that is clear to people of all different levels and backgrounds. 

You become an authority who is sought after as a problem solver, thought leader and trusted peer who people rely on to get results and meet goals. 

Effective Marketing in the Modern World

According to Econsultancy, there are broader skill areas that are also becoming significant for marketers in this modern world. The emphasis once again is on soft skills. Those interviewed stressed the need to combine the varying approaches and marketing expertise that are more qualities than qualifications. Those qualities included:

  • Adaptability

  • Articulation and persuasion

  • Hunger to learn

  • Collaboration

  • Creativity

  • Data-driven decision making

  • Empathy

  • Curiosity

  • Passion

Many of these qualities might sound familiar as they re-emphasise common themes including creativity, adaptability, learning, and collaboration.

 In a New York Times article, Laszlo Bock, SVP of People Operations at Google stated that the number one thing they look for when hiring staff was "learning ability." This hunger to learn is a very real but less tangible skill. It allows people to adapt on-the-job and identify value from a mess of information. This is the new thinking that creates self-motivated learning. 

The Skill of Articulation and Persuasion

The Econsultancy study also found that articulation and persuasion seemed to be the skill that came up most often. Participants found that marketers who are able to communicate their value clearly to others within an organisation can be more effective in their positions.

 This is because they not only know what they have to do but also understand the business requirements, allowing them to come up with digital solutions that meet business goals. They can collaborate with other people in the business including non-digital teams and traditional marketers so that these collaborators understand the importance of digital strategies. This gets all the important players on-board with their digital plans.

The Skill of Being Human

AI provides a valuable tool to marketers which is data. It can target data, collect data and sort data. However, no matter how sophisticated new technology becomes, it is human instinct and creative thinking by human minds that harness that information and use it to target customers. Humans come up with the content and digital marketing strategy that will create trust, nurture loyalty and earn brand love.

Emotion is needed to resonate with the prospects AI might send a sales team. Modern marketers have to learn to trust their instincts and find ways to leverage everything AI sends them. It is leveraging emotions to find value in data and personalise it to reach customers in meaningful ways. 

Technical skills change too frequently to hold value any more. Instead, soft skills have a longer life cycle keeping adaptability and learning at the top of the soft skills list.  

Remaining Relevant

Most of us secretly wonder what the future will bring. How can we remain relevant in a world where technology changes at the drop of a hat? What will the skill set of tomorrow look like?

 According to LinkedIn’s Emerging Jobs Report of the 20 fastest growing jobs in 2018, the top skills required to fill them included Marketing, Management, Sales, and Communication. This might come as a surprise. However, although technology might make mundane tasks redundant, it cannot replace soft skills.

The ideal mindset of a modern marketer requires the soft skills that can’t be automated. This is supported by LinkedIn’s data which listed the same soft skills we have mentioned again and again including creativity, persuasion, and adaptability. These are human qualities that have transitioned into skills.

Although science has shown that machines can learn, they can't combine technical and emotional skills. This adaptability allows us to be empathetic, emotional, and logical, using each of these skills to be results driven by knowing when and how to use each. Learning in hand with human emotion and marketing instincts create a super marketer who will always remain relevant and never become redundant. 


Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What is the Value of a Digital Marketing Certification?

Are you a new or seasoned digital marketer wondering what, if any value there is in obtaining a digital marketing certification?

If you have any knowledge of digital marketing, you know that you are always going to be seeking more. More knowledge, more skills, and more ways to show clients or employers that you can set their business apart. Adding a qualification to your resume is one of the best ways to do that while setting yourself up for success, especially in Hong Kong.

It's becoming a widely accepted fact that becoming a digital marketer does not necessarily require a four-year degree. It’s a field where proven ability supersedes four years of school—largely due to the fact that bachelor programs aren’t teaching the specific skills required to become a digital marketer. 

In fact, many would argue that digital marketing certification is even better than a college degree and may be the best way to demonstrate that you have invested time and energy into learning and mastering the skills of your craft.

What Makes a Certification Legitimate?

There have been plenty of courses, certificates, and certifications that have been sold by scammers trying to make a quick buck—so how do you know if the certification you are looking at is legitimate?

 Ask these questions to determine for yourself if the certification you are looking at will be beneficial to your career:

Are They Taught by Industry Professionals?

If the people teaching the courses are not adept at doing what they are teaching, you’re wasting your time and potentially money. Employers want their employees being taught real-world practical knowledge as it applies to this industry. And any good marketing institution respects that and hires top-notch teachers with a proven track record in the subject they are teaching.

Does It Offer Practical Knowledge?

Will you be able to take from this certification the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired and then apply them to the real world? Will it teach you new skills, or upskill ones that you already have? You want to look at how you will be able to translate what you learn into your career in digital marketing. If you can and will, then it’s looking good.

Is It Widely Accepted?

This might be harder to determine, but a little bit of research can help in this regard. What are former students saying after taking this course? Check for reviews. Unfortunately, not all programs are accepted equally so if you are looking at two that appear to meet the above criteria, this could be the deciding factor for you. 

What is the Difference between a Certificate and a Certification?

Certification

Certification recognises that you’ve taken a series of classes and passed an exam on the course material. The courses can be quite in-depth, covering a range of topics. Your certification may in some instances only remain valid for a set amount of time before you must recertify. Certifications can cost more because they are more in-depth than certificates, and you may have to pay a fee in order to take the exam.

Certificates

Certificates are given at the end of a course, usually covering a single topic. They are often given for participation in the course and not necessarily a reflection of merit. This does not discount their value if they teach you something useful. In addition, many are offered for free, so taking them requires only an investment of time. Plus, it doesn't hurt to add them to your resume.

What Are the benefits of Obtaining a Qualification/Certification?

The value of a digital marketing qualification to career development is immeasurable. Whether you have experience in the field or you’re just starting out, there is value to be gained. One of the more appealing aspects of obtaining a qualification/certification is that you don’t have to have prior educational experience or upgrade any courses to begin.

Some of the specific benefits of obtaining a qualification/certification include:

Staying On Top of New Developments

Certifications help you keep on top of new developments in the industry as they occur. With innovations in technology constantly emerging, continually upskilling will help you stay on top of these advances.

Employability

A recent study suggests that college graduates don’t seem to be as ready to enter the workforce as they think they are. Having certifications that show potential employers that you have the practical knowledge you need to succeed in your job is invaluable in this context.

Promotional Opportunities

Digital marketing involves such a diverse cross-section of skills. Adding one or two specialties to your niche can help you advance quickly in a company. For example, a content writer that masters PPC and SEO can easily become a content manager.

Demanding a Higher Wage

Your earning potential as a digital marketer is high. It is one of the top ten earning jobs that doesn't require a degree. Every certification that you add to your resume adds to your ability to demand a higher wage and gives you the confidence to know that you deserve it.

Set Yourself Apart From Your Peers

When all else seems equal, the number of certifications you’ve compiled will set you apart from your competition. It is not just that you have the certifications and the skills that come with them, but it demonstrates a drive for self-improvement that speaks highly to your character.

Offers Legitimacy

The reality is that there is still a lingering mentality that formal education is important. A digital marketing certification is where education and practical knowledge intersect. It meets the requirement of post-secondary education that focuses on teaching you the things you will actually need to know in the real world. 

How Much Does It Cost to Get Certified in Hong Kong?

That will depend entirely on what you want to become certified in. There are a number of free certifications available online for things like Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Facebook Ad Manager and more.

If you are looking to invest in your education, paid certifications are an incredibly valuable asset. We have a new course offering digital marketing certification, and much like traditional learning institutions, they have financing options available. A course that covers all of the fundamental elements of digital marketing in a way and demonstrates how all of the pieces work together will give you a competitive advantage.

The most exciting thing about this business is how accessible it is to those that are willing to put in the work to become an industry leader. If you want to become a digital marketer in Hong Kong, or you already are, adding qualifications/certifications to your resume is going to position you as a leader and an expert.

Many of the certifications available are very affordable, especially if you are comparing the cost to a college degree. This is making digital marketing an accessible option for those who are looking to change careers or upskill in their current one. 

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Thinking about Freelancing? Be a Freelance Digital Marketer in Hong Kong.

The demand for digital marketers in Hong Kong is growing at such a rate that there are more jobs than people with the necessary skills to fill them. This is making way for a new kind of entrepreneur, the freelance digital marketer.

There are a plethora of possibilities emerging in this field for those who are willing to dive in feet first. It is a fast-paced game with ever-changing rules giving the advantage to those that are able to stay on top of the changes and keep up with the pace.

As it becomes more difficult for companies to hire in-house digital marketing managers, especially in Hong Kong, and the demand for digital marketing services continues to rise—companies are being forced to outsource. If you can position yourself as an expert in even just one of the areas that need to be outsourced, it can be all you need to begin a rewarding career freelancing as a digital marketing manager. A good starting point is to take a digital marketing course.

One of the benefits of this type of work is that it gives you the freedom and flexibility to work from virtually anywhere in the world with an internet connection. 

What does a Digital Marketing Manager Do? (And Why Are They so Hard to Come By?)

A digital marketing manager is the person responsible for developing and implementing a company's online marketing strategy. This includes tasks such as:

  • Developing and managing marketing campaigns

  • Branding and enhancing brand recognition

  • Social media management

  • Content marketing

  • SEO

  • PPC

  • Customer acquisition

  • Driving website traffic

This is such a new and fast-paced industry; there just aren't enough qualified professionals to meet the demand. Digital marketing managers have so many aspects that make up the day-to-day requirements of their job, that in order to fill the gap between need versus availability, savvy freelancers are honing in on what they are good at and getting paid for it.

Lena Elkins, a freelancer who coaches millennials on creating successful businesses, encourages her clients to figure out what they are good at, and then focus on that. This is great advice if you are considering making a move toward freelance digital marketing.

As companies are forced to outsource to freelancers, this provides a unique opportunity for freelancers to narrow their speciality. You can learn from the experts to know the different tasks you may have to deal with, thus finding out which skills you are more interested in developing.

What Services Can I Offer as a Freelance Digital Marketer?

In the world of digital marketing, you are in the business of offering value. This requires a mind-shift. 

It’s a hard habit to break, but the question needs to be more client focused. Not what can you do, but how can you help? 

As a freelance digital marketer, you have to sell yourself by showing the client how you and your services are valuable to them. 

Specific Areas of Focus for Freelance Digital Marketers

Facebook Ad Management

Some businesses base their entire marketing strategy on Facebook Ads because it is a powerful tool. It can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but a master of this craft has unlimited potential to attract clients.

Google AdWords

Running and maintaining Google Ads campaigns for clients and showing them that you can use this tool to increase their revenue.

Google has an extensive amount of information and tools to get you started. 

Social Media Management

Are you a social media butterfly? Can you post relevant, exciting and value-driven content across multiple mediums several times a day? Then someone needs you. 

Handling social media accounts requires you to be a quick thinker. You must stay connected throughout the day and be ready to respond when your client's potential customers have something to say.

Content Marketing

Writing relevant, value-driven content using keywords. It is an in-demand skill as more companies recognize the importance of providing value.

If you have a way with words and can write knowledgeably on things you know nothing about, this is a lucrative service that can earn you a great freelancing income. You can set your own rates based on your experience and skill. But starting out, you can expect to make about .02 to .05 cents per word.

When you want to break into this field working for a content mill, it is a great way to quickly gain experience in a multitude of areas. This can help you get an idea of what kind of clients you want to offer your services to as you build your own freelancing business.

SEO Management

Search engine optimisation is not going out of style anytime soon. Organic rankings in search engines are one of the most powerful tools in the digital marketing tool belt, and mastering search engine algorithms will make you an asset to any business with an online presence.

PPC

Pay-per-click is a mystery to some, and a headache to others. If you have mastery of this art, you will have no trouble finding businesses in need of your services. The benefit to this is that since the client only pays when it works, you are able to quickly show your value with data-driven results.  


Salary Expectations and Job Outlook


The demand for digital marketers is growing at such a rate that there are more jobs than people with the necessary skills to fill them. This is making way for a new kind of entrepreneur, the freelance digital marketer.

There are a plethora of possibilities emerging in this field for those who are willing to dive in feet first. It is a fast-paced game with ever-changing rules giving the advantage to those that are able to stay on top of the changes and keep up with the pace.

As it becomes more difficult for companies to hire in-house digital marketing managers, and the demand for digital marketing services continues to rise—companies are being forced to outsource. If you can position yourself as an expert in even just one of the areas that need to be outsourced, it can be all you need to begin a rewarding career freelancing as a digital marketing manager.

One of the benefits of this type of work is that it gives you the freedom and flexibility to work from virtually anywhere in the world with an internet connection. 

Take your first step today and learn how you can become a certified digital marketing professional with us!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

10 Tips on How to Excel in Your Digital Marketing Career in Hong Kong

Have you decided that you are ready to launch your career in digital marketing in Hong Kong? No wonder, it is one of the fastest growing industries, growing three times faster than the pace of the United States GDP, and that growth is expected to continue.

There are a few reasons for this, a key one being that it’s one of the top 10 earning careers that can be started without a degree. More and more people are realising that the skills required to become a successful digital marketer are not necessarily being taught in traditional, four-year degree programs. And you can learn much more from the experts in an intensive course.

So what does it take to be a successful digital marketer? Read the following 10 tips to excel in your digital marketing career.

1. Never Stop Learning

If your thirst for knowledge is limited, then stop right here; this career is not for you. If you are going to excel in a career as a digital marketer, your schooling never ends, and that should excite you. If your desire to learn gets you out of bed in the morning and drives you all day long, then read on.

You are going to read everything that is written about the industry by anyone who is anyone. You will know who the top influencers are and absorb everything they have to share. Your inbox will be full of useful content that you are excited to open daily. 

All day, every day, you will be learning as you work and sharing that knowledge. 

2. Always Acquire

New skills, new ideas, new trends, new knowledge. As you are exposing yourself to industry news and exploring new ways to learn, you will be applying the skills you acquire on an ongoing basis. 

You are upgrading your certifications and updating your resume. You are always ready to take action. If there is a new way to market, you are the first to try it, make it work, and then report on it. 

You take advantage of new technology as it develops, and you’re always on the hunt for new apps that will help automate customer acquisitions. 

3. Build Your Personal Brand by Positioning Yourself as an Expert

If you want to be taken seriously as a digital marketer in Hong Kong, then your personal brand must be on point. Potential employers and clients are going to look for your online presence, and they are going to expect to find that who you are online represents what you can do for them. Having your own personal projects can help achieve this, and give you something to showcase.

What are you good at? What are your areas of expertise? Write down whatever comes to mind. Now think about how you can use what you know to help others.

There are three types of content you can create that will position you as an expert:

Evergreen Content

“Evergreen" means that it stays relevant. Something that you can share in five years from now and the information will still be valuable.

Case Studies

‘The proof is in the pudding,' so to speak. Show people that you have accomplished what you said you can, and how you did it. Nothing is more convincing than real, tangible evidence.

Books

If you have enough knowledge to write a book, do it. Saying “I wrote a book” can make you feel good, but it can also position you as an expert and validate your authority on a subject.

4. Don’t Neglect Social Media

Share. Share. Share. Everything you learn, you must share. Evergreen content? Share it, and then reshare it again. Case Studies? Share them. Did you write a book? Share that always! Social media management is a full-time job on its own, and you need to be the master of your domain.

Your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, blog, and website must all embody the principles of an expert digital marketer because that is what you are. People are looking for transparency; they want to know that your online persona is consistent with your real-life values. Use your social media as a tool to show the world your expertise. 

5. Network

Just because you can work from home in your pajamas does not exempt you from contact with other humans. A large part of digital marketing is good old-fashioned networking. And while you can do some of it online by joining Facebook groups, following industry leaders in Hong Kong, and engaging with your social media following, there is still an element of face-to-face networking that is invaluable.

Networking conferences are a valuable resource that put you in contact with people who are more experienced than you, who want nothing more than to teach you everything they know. Their insights alone are worth the price tag, but if you’re not quite there yet financially, you can watch interviews and other videos that will share all of their valuable advice and motivate you to get to the next level.

6. Provide Value by Being Customer Centric

Content is king. Everything you read online has to be written by someone, and if you can be the person who gives the target audience what they want, then they will keep coming back for more.

To understand the sales funnel in the digital marketing era, you must start with your customer. Understanding your customer (or “target audience”) is the first step of the process. Once you figure out who they are, you need to figure out how you can help them.

You are in the business of building relationships, and you need to nurture them. By being able to anticipate your customer's needs and provide solutions before problems arise, they will remember and remain loyal to you.

The good news is there are metrics you can use and data you can collect to help you understand all of your customers.

7. Understand Analytics

For some, this may be a skill that doesn’t come naturally. Not everyone is born mathematically inclined, and that’s okay. You don’t have to be a mathlete to garner a basic understanding of analytics, and a little knowledge in this area can go a long way.

Understanding what happens when people come to your website is how you evaluate the success of your campaigns, and analytics tools will give you that information.

8. Understand Industry Jargon

Everyone loves their acronyms, and digital marketers are no exception. If you are going to make it as a digital marketer, you have to know the lingo, and that means knowing a CTA from a CPC. When you immerse yourself in the culture, it will not take long for this to come naturally, but when you're getting started, it's worth having a cheat sheet for reference.

Acronym Cheat Sheet:

  • SEO - Search Engine Optimization

  • SEM - Search Engine Marketing

  • PPC - Pay Per Click

  • CPC - Cost Per Click

  • CPL - Cost Per Lead

  • CPM - Cost Per Thousand (M is the Roman numeral for 1000)

  • CTA - Call to Action

  • CTR - Click Through Rate

  • KPI - Key Performance Indicator

9. Add Certificates and Certifications to your Resume

There is a difference between certificates and certifications, but both will help you excel in your professional career.

A certification is something that you receive after completing a certain number of required hours of learning or training. It is earned by successfully passing a test or exam on the course material, thus proving your competence in the area.

A certificate is something that you receive after participating in a learning experience, like a course. A certificate is not always merit-based and therefore may not be as important for potential employers; however, everything you add to your resume shows your dedication to learning, and everything you learn helps you excel.

10. Just Do it

Go out there and become a digital marketer. Take all of the information you have gathered and start doing it. Action is the key to progressing in this industry, and you are ready. You are a bold, trend-setting leader with nothing standing in the way of rising to the top.

As you can see, all of these tips to excel in your digital marketing career work together to help build you a winning online portfolio—showcasing your online presence and proven success rate. If you are a highly motivated individual ready to launch yourself into an exciting career, these 10 tips to excel in your digital marketing career will set you in the right direction. 

Want to know where you are at now? Take a free digital diagnosis!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Do I Need a Course to Start a Digital Marketing Career in Hong Kong?

We live in a world that moves to the beat of a digital drum, and it is especially so in Hong Kong. Not only do four billion people - which is over half of the planet's population - use the internet, but increasingly, consumers use their smartphones, tablets and mobile devices to carry out research, connect with their peers and make buying decisions wherever they are.

As emerging technologies continue to present themselves and the digital world evolves, and with Hong Kong ever eager to surf the digital waves to success, it is only wise that brands, businesses and budding digital marketers, like you, move with the changes and keep up with the latest industry trends while boosting your skills on a regular basis. It is never safe to assume you are always digital-savvy enough.

Presently, 76% of businesses describe their relationship with technology and digital transformation as average or above average. This shows the ever-growing power of digital and that anyone who is slow to adopt the right digital skills or talent will probably not survive in the long run.

So, what does all this mean? Basically, it means that to thrive and survive in tomorrow’s increasingly competitive professional landscape, choosing the right digital marketing course is essential to help you and your company gain the fundamental skills you need to kick-start your career in digital marketing. 

The Importance of Taking a Digital Marketing Course

We are living in the midst of widening the digital skills gap. In fact, in the UK, almost one quarter (22%) of business owners believe a lack of digital skills in their workforce is preventing them back from meeting their full potential. With the right digital marketing course, you stand a real chance of gaining an all-important competition, offering a level of skill that others can’t and becoming a glistening needle in a giant digital haystack.

The right digital marketing course is not only a vital way of gaining a foundation in all of the essential disciplines of digital marketing, but it will help to provide you with a lot of other personal assets that will accelerate your long-term professional success.

While rich in information and covering a wide range of material, a good digital marketing course is pretty learner-driven as it allows a student to learn at a pace that suits their personal preferences and needs. This kind of support yet autonomous learning model will give you the abilities to continue your learning - a personal quality that is vital if you want to remain relevant and enjoy ongoing success as a digital marketer.

This continuous or lifelong learning will not only ensure you evolve with the digital landscape around you, progressing your career over time, but is also proven to be excellent for your long-term help and levels of motivation.

Plus, a digital marketing course will drill down into key skills based on search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing and affiliate marketing, among other disciplines, giving you an excellent fundamental knowledge of the field while helping you to decide the area in which you would like to specialise.

The Benefits of a Professional Certification

Up to 80% of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions.

Based on this insight alone, now more than ever, employers are looking to professional certifications as a viable alternative to university or college degrees as confirmation of the candidate’s digital proficiency and skillset in Hong Kong.

By successfully completing a digital marketing course and gaining professional certification, you are essentially validating your skills and abilities, proving that you have relevant knowledge in your field of expertise while demonstrating an ongoing willingness to learn and gain new, valuable skills in the future.

To summarise the importance of gaining an industry-recognised digital marketing qualification, here is a rundown of the key benefits:

  • Professional recognition: A digital marketing certification will give a potential employer the ability to recognise and understand that your skills meet a high professional standard.

  • Proof of quality: 90% of employers state that certified individuals are more likely to gain promotion than those without, while 89% feel that in general, people perform better than non-certified staff in similar roles.

  • Enhanced industry knowledge: As mentioned, gaining an industry-recognised certification provides a valuable qualification, but it also provides an enhanced level of niche knowledge in an increasingly specialist area - which in today's ever-evolving digital world is priceless.


Final Thoughts

"The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." - Bill Gates

To answer the burning question: Do I Need a Digital Course to Start a Career in Digital Marketing? Yes, absolutely you do, especially now than ever, especially when you are in Hong Kong.

While many of the foundations of digital marketing remain the same, this is an industry that keeps even the most knowledgeable digital marketers, spokespeople and industry-leaders on their toes - and if you’d like to get your career off to the best possible start with the experts in the industry in Hong Kong, gaining the skills, understanding, personal attributes and proven validation you need to thrive, kick-starting your career with a digital marketing course is not optional, it’s a compulsory tool for success.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

How Do I Get a Digital Marketing Job in Hong Kong?


Studies suggest that adults change career between three and seven times during their working life. And it's never too late to do it.

At present, there’s a notable digital skills gap across the globe and if you have the passion, drive and perseverance to gain the right competencies, a fun, rewarding, challenging and fruitful career in digital marketing could be yours.

If you are thinking of switching up your professional life and embarking on a career in digital marketing, knowing where to start and what to do is often easier said than done.

To help you get you off to the best possible start, here are the essential efforts you need to make to change careers and secure yourself a job in digital marketing.

Learn the Basics

Without a fundamental digital marketing knowledge and skill set, it's unlikely that you will be able to land yourself your first job in the industry.

That said, here are the essential areas you will need to study to get that all-important career change off the ground:

·        A grasp of Google Analytics (GA) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

·        A working understanding of fundamental Search Engine Optimization (SEO) principles.

·        A certain confidence and competency in copywriting.

·        A solid understanding of the key concepts of content and social media marketing.

Understand the Industry

To change careers and make a successful shift in digital marketing, it's important to have not only a solid skill set but also demonstrate a genuine understanding of the latest trends and news surrounding this ever-evolving industry. For example, reading these publications will help:

·        The MOZ Blog

·        The Social Media Examiner

·        HubSpot

·        The official Neil Patel Blog

Gain Experience

Before you get that milestone first fully-paid job in digital marketing, gaining practical experience will not only give you more confidence and knowledge, but it will also make you far more attractive to prospective employers.

To gain the practical experience you need for success, you should hone your skills by taking the following measures:

·        Offer your services to friends or family with personal brands or business, conducting digital marketing projects for free in return for experience, testimonials and more to add to your list of credentials.

·        Start a personal blog to showcase your content writing skills or niche industry knowledge to prospective employers, or pitch out to publications for guest blogging opportunities. Doing so will also demonstrate your passion and proactive nature - two important attributes that people look for in prospective digital marketers.

·        Actively take part in social media conversations, sharing your compelling thoughts and content through your social media accounts regularly to gain exposure, demonstrate your expertise and practice your skills

Get Qualified with a Digital Marketing Course

Without a doubt, one of the best ways to validate your skills, gain a solid understanding of the digital marketing essentials and tap into an invaluable community of tutors and learners, is enrolling on an industry-recognized digital marketing course in Hong Kong.

Not only will you earn a certificate the proves your skills and knowledge, but a digital marketing course worth its salt will provide access to a wealth of priceless resources while allowing you to study and gain a qualification as a pace, and time, that suits you.

Changing careers is a big decision that requires persistence, perseverance and commitment. While gaining the skills, confidence and knowledge required to break into digital marketing may be challenging at first, once you’ve taken those initial steps, you’ll soon realize just what a rewarding career that lies ahead.

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

What Qualifications Do You Need for a Digital Marketing Job in Hong Kong?

Digital marketing is in a state of constant flux which means that every year, innovations, technologies and disruptive concepts change the playing field, meaning, that to make it as a digital marketer in the long-term, you have to evolve with the times.

But, there are fundamental digital marketing skills, competencies and qualifications that largely remain the same - and getting these under your belt will kick-start your success from the get-go.

At present, digital marketing jobs are the most in demand for today’s marketing departments, with advertising and content abilities ranking as the most sought-after skills.

That said, to steer your success, here are the qualifications you need to land yourself in the fun, exciting and fast-paced world of digital marketing.

Why you should consider a Reputable, Well-Rounded Digital Marketing?

While there is no definitive set route to becoming a digital marketer or landing your first job in the field, most employers will want to see that you’ve validated your skills by successfully completing an industry-recognized introductory digital marketing course in Hong Kong, abroad, or online.

By doing so, not only will you earn the fundamental skills, knowledge base and confidence you need to embark on a rewarding career in digital marketing - and actually be of use in the workplace - but you’ll also obtain a working understanding of the key principles or areas that make up the vast majority of digital marketing jobs.

From there, you will quickly get a feel for the area of digital marketing that you’d like to focus on, enrolling on a sector-specific digital marketing course on disciplines such as:

·        Social media marketing

·        Social marketing

·        Digital strategy & planning

·        Content & inbound marketing

·        Email marketing

By taking on a more advanced digital marketing course or a qualification that focuses on a specific area of digital marketing, you will increase your levels of employability while opening yourself up to more potential brands or businesses looking for skilled upstarts to push their promotional efforts forward.

Consider Micro-Credentials

While not compulsory, micro-credentials or badges are a new, effective and widely-recognised way of gaining pockets of specialist digital marketing skills while gaining an all-important competitive edge on the competition.

And, a recent study shows that 60% of industry experts feel that more employers will move towards skills-based hiring by choosing a budding candidate, like you, based on what they can do, rather than a traditional degree or pedigree alone.

These miniature online courses allow you to learn at your own pace in a short space of time while gaining a reputable qualification in a niche area of digital marketing - and as the insights above shows - these are likely to help increase your chances of landing a rewarding digital marketing job, quite significantly.

Moreover, by reading industry publications regularly and remaining abreast of the latest trends, shift and changes in the digital marketing world, you will ensure your skills and knowledge remain relevant, giving you the best possible chance of a thriving, enduring and well-compensated career.

"In today’s era of volatility, there is no other way but to re-invent. The only sustainable advantage you can have over others is agility, that’s it." - Frank D’Souza, CEO of Cognizant

Final thoughts

In summary, while there is no compulsory qualification required for a job in digital marketing, by enrolling in and successfully completing a reputable, well-rounded digital marketing course in Hong Kong, you will enhance your chances of landing the digital marketing job of your dreams exponentially. Plus, by gaining credentials in more specialist areas or competencies, you will gain a real competitive edge on the droves of competition out there.

Source: Digital Marketing Instistute

 

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