British Academy of Digital Marketing tutor Mafalda Araujo discusses a career one-eighty and authenticity in the world of digital marketing.
We live in a digital world, and we have never been more connected than we are today.
Most of the planet has access to the internet and so much of our personal and business lives have become completely dependent it. So, with all this connectivity, the next logical step is to recognize and explore this golden opportunity; and people have done just that. The result is a global culture of digital marketing in business.
So, what is digital marketing? It is simply marketing in a digital world. Email, social media, and search engines have opened a new world where the tracking of consumer behavior can directly inform businesses. Strategies can be fine-tuned to suit individual needs and businesses can access data that will direct their focus to precisely where they need to be. It also connects businesses to each other, to competitors and to the market. Never before have we been in a position to track consumer behavior more accurately.
Image source: Pexels
Fascinating
Before embarking on a career in digital marketing, Mafalda Araujo spent years in academic research labs. Although she has a PhD in biomedical sciences and holds a BA in microbiology, her head was eventually turned from micro to something a little more macro.
As a researcher and “seeker of evidence,” Mafalda was already hard-wired to track the performance of a media campaign so from an analytical point of view, it wasn’t a huge departure. But she knew she was going to need to nurture what began as a curious hobby. Mafalda trained herself online with Google learning tools and then cut her marketing teeth by marketing healthcare products before moving on to a digital creative agency.
She finds the ability to track consumer behavior fascinating but it was the analytical tools that help make informed marketing and business decisions that were the cherry on top for Mafalda!
Image source: Pexels.
Authenticity
When starting out Mafalda turned to marketing guru Neil Patel for inspiration and he helped her to make the career shift but these days, it’s Tesla she has admiration for. It’s their authenticity that speaks to her and even when they fail, they embrace their failures. Elon Musk may divide opinions but as a marketer, he is undeniably talented. Mafalda recognizes people’s need to know the human face behind a brand. We need something to identify with.
But Elon Musk aside, there are also certain skills that are vital to a successful digital marketer. Mafalda believes that strong writing skills are important as content is king and there is always content to be created. Data analysis is also vital. The data can be gathered but without the ability to read it, it is a wasted asset. It is this data that will inform businesses and drive campaigns so, the ability to be data literate is key. Search engine optimization or SEO skills are also essential but crucially, Mafalda recommends you must be an “avid consumer of information and digital marketing content in order to be always up to date and relevant.”
Image source: Pexels, Neil Patel.
Boost
One personal experience Mafalda shares about starting out was when she was working on the population census. She found the most unexpectedly rewarding takeaway was in fact dealing face-to-face with people. They were mostly concerned about getting it right and many were keen on ensuring Mafalda achieved her goal.
Another digital marketing experience that makes her proud was when she worked on a campaign for a travel agency. The company was providing weekly travel promotions and the digital marketing team needed to research keywords and create travel guides and blog posts based on what they found. The content must be entertaining and relevant as it is published on their website and social media. As a result of her work, they achieved a massive increase in social media followers and a boost to traffic on the site.
Mafalda learned that high-quality visuals coupled with tailored copy drew larger numbers of clicks and subsequent followers.
Some people have an instinct for marketing but once you move into the digital world, there are skills that must be learned. Mafalda says that when you are starting out you need a “good basic knowledge on all major digital marketing areas” and then you will need to earn an accreditation by taking on a certified qualification. After that, the world is yours!
Image source: Robert Hanashiro, Reuters.
Mafalda is a freelance digital marketeer helping businesses make the transition to the digital space and promoting their services and products online. She has experience helping businesses from different sectors and operating in B2C and B2B business models. She is passionate about digital marketing and helping students leverage digital tools and tactics to upskill their careers.
To find out how you can become a professional digital marketer, visit our courses page.