New to Digital Marketing? Here’s How to Succeed, and Fast

I’ve been doing my thing in the new media space for 25 years. Entrepreneur, consultant, executive, teacher, author. And I’ve had my share of successes and failures, good partners, bad partners, great gigs and crummy gigs.

The one thing I’ve learned, no matter what role I’m in, is that success comes from keeping a positive mental attitude, having a plan and putting it into action (especially when change is involved). After awhile, you’ll develop a comfortable process that works for you. Execute that process with precision over and over and over again and you’ll reap huge rewards. Guaranteed.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many bright, motivated and driven people. One question that comes up quite often is if I have any advice regarding breaking-in to the digital marketing business. I can tell you this – it’s not quite as glamorous as breaking-in to the music business, but the process that gets you there is the same. And like I said, the rewards can be great.

So, for those of you  seeking a career path in digital marketing, whether you’re just getting started, transitioning from traditional marketing or just want a change of pace from whatever the heck you’ve been doing for the past 10 years, here are four tips to help you succeed, and fast:

Know the business – the biggest value, to you and a prospective employer (or clients, if you’re doing your own thing), comes from having a 35,000 foot, end-to-end view of the digital marketing business. You need to have a generalist view of the whole shebang, from developing a digital product(s) to collecting payment on an invoice and everything in between. Product development, sales, operations, creative, production, technology, finance…it’s a big (digital business) world out there. You need to have a big, broad knowledge base to work from.

Figure out what you’re passionate about – there’s going to be something that really turns you on (and maybe it’s more than one thing – that’s cool). When you figure it out, do a deep dive and learn all you can about the topic. Remember, technology, new media and the business of digital marketing itself are constantly changing. You can’t be a guru and shouldn’t try. The minute you think you’ve got it all in hand, that’s when you need to step back, take a deep breath and dive back in, because there’s always something new to learn.

Narrowcast, don’t broadcast – the broadcast model is dying a slow death. Your edge will come from focusing on niche verticals and the companies within them. Smaller companies are better for a number of reasons. First, they generally do things faster and without the pain  and overhead of the bureaucracy inherent in the larger companies with lots of managers, execs and others who might just be ascending the ranks via the Peter Principle. Second, you’re more likely to be dealing with the decision makers in a small organization instead of going through layers of waste to get your ideas heard (or to get what you need to do your job).  Find a small, progressive, wicked smart company to work for…or start your own.

Seek out the right people – surround yourself with people you aspire to be like. Successful, smart, into the digital space and loving it. The more top talent you can get next to and spend time with, the more (and faster) you’ll learn. You need a mentor. Read the trades, speak to friends and colleagues, and find someone you can look up to for guidance and inspiration while you ramp up – and don’t give up until that person agrees to help you.

There you have it. Four tips to not only help you get into the digital marketing business (or any business), but really do well once you’re there. Do you have other tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you.

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Tagged as: business, career advice, career paths, Digital Marketing, digital products, marketing, new media, traditional marketing