Pakistan seems to be seeing its fair share of the rise in the field of digital media in 2019. With different companies advertising their products and services online, the field of Digital Marketing in Pakistan will soon be at the peak of its bloom.
Yet, a very common question that arises in the mind of the general populace is still pretty much the same as it was some years ago “what is the scope of digital media in Pakistan?”. The field being vast and way too ornate, the answers can’t be short. Although, the following are some details will help you understand the field of digital marketing in Pakistan. furthermore, there are steps and tips listed below which you can embrace to ensure your career growth using digital media as well as a rough draft on the scope of digital media in Pakistan.
An Introduction
It won’t be wrong to say that digital media is soon to offer ten times more opportunities than any other field of the same perspective. The field as mentioned before, is vast and would take time to master, yet there are no hard and fast rules that you need to follow- this is the beauty of it, you can use any unorthodox means to conquer this realm. All you need to do is be mindful, creative and aware of the trends around you plus the interests and inclinations of your intended target audience. You need to be on your toes because the digital world is updating constantly; where techniques out-date each other faster than one can think, it is necessary to keep up with the pace.
Every day, hundreds of new people initiate their new start-ups and businesses. And 4 out of 5 new start-up owners are aware of the power of digital media. Some use it to extract leads from the internet to maximize their exposure, while others are inclined towards generating sales through improved customer engagement.
But where does a digital marketer feature? Although much of the general populace is aware of the term digital media, only a few possess the capability to strategize and implement a plan to reach the intended target audience effectively. This is when businesses and institutes contact and hire digital marketing firms and freelancers to take care of this task for them.
A good way to start your career is to get started on freelancing websites like people per hour, fiver and Upwork, etc. These sites will provide you with lots of opportunities to hone your skills as you would find hundreds of brands looking for digital marketers for various requirements and needs. Here you can master the skill to make it big in the field of digital media.
Give it your best shots to ensure a good reputation as well as a healthy relationship with your customers. Every satisfied client means another star on your profile and other potential customers will have an easy time trusting you with their work. 5 to 10 good jobs will be more than enough to get you started with a decent earning.
Potential Scope and Advantages of Digital Media in near Future
Above all, Pakistan, yet a pretty underdeveloped state in many aspects, battles with increasing inflation and unemployment every day. Hundreds of new graduates lay useless because of high unemployment rates. The digital market has created and continues to create many job opportunities for new graduates to come forth as entrepreneurs and freelancers, thus relieving the stress of the overall economy. Every day, more and more businesses, start-ups and institutions are joining the online bandwagon, creating a never-ending loop of opportunities. As job opportunities increase every day, so does the potential and scope of digital media, thus being directly proportional to each other.
A Wide Spectrum of Sub-Fields to Choose from
As mentioned before, the beauty of digital media is that it is much more flexible than other fields. The lack of rigidity is extant because there is a wide range of sub-branches and fields to choose from i.e. AdWords, email marketing, Facebook advertising, and social engines, etc. Instead of sticking your head in all of the fields at once, you can easily pick one or two of them according to your taste and skillset and exercise them until you have a complete grip on them. Switching between your mastered domains will give you a better shot at penetrating several fields at once and earning a decent income.
Higher Paid Profiles
The realm of digital media is all about your experience and skills. No degree or course can make you a professional overnight- you need time, patience and skills to master it. As you become a veteran with time, your profile would have good reviews and ratings from your prior clients about how good of a digital marketer you are. The higher your profile is, the better paid you get here, simple as that.
The following are some domains and key principles that you need to diagnose and have a clear picture of in your head before you dive headfirst into the immense sphere of digital marketing in Pakistan.
Understanding the Differences Between Digital and Traditional Marketing
Before you embark on the journey to become a successful digital marketer, it is vital to understand the differences between digital and traditional marketing. One of the most basic and foremost differences between the two is that digital media marketers tend to provide value to their customers through content and other channels. Whereas, traditional marketers are typically more inclined towards generating sales with their ad spots, instead of providing value. Furthermore, traditional marketing generally does not integrate direct interactions with customers while digital media offers a much higher level of interaction and engagement through various channels like emails, social media comments, and messages, etc.
SEO: Search Engine Optimization
Understanding the basics of SEO is crucial yet daunting, as it is awfully complex and requires a lot of practice to comprehend and overcome. SEO includes learning about ranking your website/blog higher on Google’s SERP (search engine result page). Keep yourself updated with algorithmic changes and updates to acquire in-depth knowledge of the domain.
SMM: Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has emerged as a very powerful tool for the promotion of brands and businesses, which is why it is high in demand nowadays. Social media marketing and management comprise of maintenance and management of official accounts, content creation, ad campaigns, and daily posting, etc. Companies nowadays are hiring fulltime and part-time social media managers on a large scale. if Facebook, Instagram or any other social media channel is your sweetheart, you’d fall in love with your job when you are appointed as a social media manager.
Facebook Marketing
An estimated 2.7 billion people are currently using Facebook worldwide. In Pakistan alone, almost 15 percent of the entire Facebook population, around 3,146,7000 people use it daily. With numbers this high, it is easy to understand why it is a great platform for brand promotion. However, it also requires the mastery and execution of successful campaigns. Comprehending the user engagement and effective implementation of ad campaigns is vital to achieving the desired results. The beauty of it is that you can work on various projects from new start-ups to well-known brands.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a very effective and well-known domain of digital media. Extra traffic can be brought into a website through this domain. Furthermore, the generation of good ROI through affiliated links is also accomplishable with email marketing. Creation and scheduling of emails and email campaigns for clients and potential customers can save a lot of time. Business owners nowadays are hiring professionals specifically for the job.
E-Commerce Marketing
Selling a product online seems like a piece of cake nowadays. But if a brand wants to do this, it needs to build a strong online presence that requires in-depth knowledge of its competitors. For this purpose, brands hire E-commerce experts (Digital Marketing Expert) with skills and experience to get the job done.
How to find and get a job in the field of Digital Marketing in Pakistan?
The first step towards a job in this field is a good portfolio and resume. Make sure to list all your prior jobs, internships, projects and experiences on the resume. Once you are done with it, find a suitable job portal like Olx, rozee.pk or indeed.com. Portals like these post jobs for digital marketers on a daily basis so you will find yourself appointed in no time. If you want to work as a freelancer, sites like fiver and Upwork are highly recommendable.
How to gain Experience in Digital Marketing
Experience is crucial. In order to gain experience, don’t shy away from internships or low paid jobs or contracts with small companies. Instead of focusing on how much you are earning, make sure you focus on what you are leaning. Small projects on freelancing websites will do just the same by providing you the necessary experience of the field. Take your time and slowly bring your game to the next level.
Where to start?
One of the best ways to take the first step in this field is to start learning from today, and even when you have cemented your name as an experienced professional, keep a lookout for new things to learn. If today, you are new to this field, do not get hassled, as you don’t need any background or degree for this field.
Understand and have a clear image of the idea you have on your mind. Search it online and explore further aspects of it. Think of it from your client’s perspective too. For instance, if you are a foodie, travel lover, thrill junkie, or even a fashion influencer, spend time learning social media tools and principles.
Learn Online
Google will prove to be your best friend for it would help you learn all you want online. There are hundreds of websites on the internet like YouTube which will provide you with hundreds of free tutorials about the techniques you want to learn. You can sign up at different websites like Coursera and Udemy, for paid digital marketing courses as well.
Stay Updated as Digital Marketer
As previously stated, the digital world is an ever-updating realm. Quite literally, you can find updates by the second, so with such a fast-paced domain, it is crucial to stay efficient when it comes to updates. This creates a constant room for learning and makes it a must to excel in this career.
Create Links, Explore and Share Knowledge
Professionals and learners of the digital world are linked to each other and are usually very open to sharing experiences and knowledge with their fellow digital marketers. This tradition lets everyone get a better hang of things. It is highly advisable to read and explore everything that is found related to the domain you are in. Sharing experiences online on forums as well as in a person is also a great way to learn and understand things better.
Doing an internship will also let you explore and learn new things about the dominion as you interact with people who are better connected to the field, while you learn how to handle the stress of working in a competitive environment. With every new professional you link with, you will come across a new experience, and every new experience will bring forth new techniques and strategies for you. Also, going for PPCs, growth hacking, web analytics, and Facebook advertisements will help your skillset grow by leaps and bounds.
Find a Guide/Mentor
Finding somebody who would show you the right path is nothing less than a blessing. Thus, finding a good mentor is like hitting a jackpot; you get to learn from his/her experiences, and you learn quickly as he has already walked the path you want to embark upon. If you want to kickstart your career, finding a mentor might be the best way to do it.
Never Stop Learning
The key to excelling in any field is the same here too, never stop learning. Once you think of yourself a guru, you hit a dead-end and stop learning, don’t do that. Practice new techniques, gain more knowledge and earn more experience, the money will come pouring in itself. every new day will bring a new opportunity to learn something new, be sure to avail every one of them.
Final Thoughts
For a final thought, try closing your eyes and giving a deep thought to what you want to achieve. Let your mind steer clear of thoughts like scope and earnings etc. Think only about the passion and love you have for the field. Search for the skillset you want to attain. When you start learning, do not jump to hasty conclusions, be patient, you will get there. Start from the basics, then move on to strategies and then finally to implementation. Learn how to turn things around when they hit a dead end. Remember, a good digital marketer is patient yet enthusiastic, committed and result oriented.