9 Digital Marketing Jobs + How to Get One

Digital marketing in 2023

Digital marketing refers to using the internet and digital technologies to reach audiences. It is a rapidly growing and evolving industry. 

According to HubSpot’s 2022 State of Marketing Trends Report, the top three marketing channels for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) brands are social media, email, and web/blogging [1]. Statista reports that global digital ad spending in 2021 was $521.02 billion and projects that spending could reach $876.1 billion by 2026 [2].

Benefits of becoming a digital marketer

Becoming a digital marketer can be a rewarding career move for several reasons, including:

• Using the latest marketing technology and methods

• Having a variety of career options with attractive salaries

• Leveraging a broad range of skills and experience, including creativity and strategic thinking 

Read on to discover nine digital marketing jobs and steps you can take to land a position you love. 

9 digital marketing jobs

We’ve categorised the following list of digital marketing jobs in India by the level of seniority—entry-level, mid-level, and senior—to give you an idea of the variety of job titles and potential for career development in the digital marketing industry. 

For each digital marketing career, we’ve included the average salary in India, typical responsibilities, and qualifications based on information from Glassdoor and Naukri as of February 2023. Use this list as a model to help guide your research process.

Entry-level digital marketing jobs

1. Digital marketing assistant

What they earn: ₹16,080/mo.

What they do: Support the digital marketing manager and team; conduct research and report findings; help craft digital marketing campaigns. 

General qualifications they need: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field; familiarity with digital marketing, social media, and e-commerce.

2. SEO (search engine optimisation) writer 

What they earn: ₹15,363/mo.

What they do: Develop SEO content for websites; conduct keyword research; update existing content; monitor web pages' rankings in search engine results.

General qualifications: Knowledge of search engine optimisation and how search engines work; research skills and knowledge of research tools, writing, proofreading, and editing skills; familiarity with social media.

3. Social media specialist

What they earn: ₹25,000/mo.

What they do: Create and publish social media content on behalf of an organisation; maintain an organisation's social media pages; track analytics; build relationships with social media followers.

General qualifications: Understanding of business applications of social media platforms; knowledge of social media metrics; may need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field.

Read more: What Is a Social Media Marketer? And How to Become One

Mid-level digital marketing jobs

4. SEO/SEM (search engine marketing) manager

What they earn: ₹44,426/mo.

What they do: Research and implement methods to increase website traffic; monitor competitor SEO/SEM strategies; refine a website’s keywords, layout, and content; execute PPC (pay-per-click) techniques.  

General qualifications: Analytical skills; understanding of SEO/SEM tools and techniques; basic web development skills; and writing and communication skills; may need a bachelor’s degree or marketing courses.

5. Content manager

What they earn: ₹7,00,000/yr.

What they do: Create content to raise brand awareness; manage a content team; gather data about target markets; implement content marketing strategies.  

General qualifications: Agency experience; understanding of SEO best practices; knowledge of content management systems; may need at least a bachelor's degree.

Read more: What Is Content Marketing?

6. Digital marketing manager 

What they earn: ₹6,50,000/yr.

What they do: Oversee an organisation’s digital marketing strategy; manage marketing campaigns and evaluate performance; develop new digital marketing strategies.

General qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field; experience using content management systems; project management skills; certifications in social media and Google AdWords.

Senior-level digital marketing jobs

7. Digital marketing director

What they earn: ₹25,20,081/yr

What they do: Oversee an organisation’s entire digital marketing strategy; analyse the success of marketing campaigns; stay up-to-date on marketing trends. 

General qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field; data analysis; comprehensive knowledge of digital marketing, from social media to e-commerce.

8. Executive director of marketing

What they earn: ₹20,00,000/yr

What they do: Oversee marketing operations; manage an annual budget for allocating marketing resources; build and manage relationships with media outlets; set marketing department goals; implement new technologies. 

General qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business or related field (MBA or PGDM preferred); team leadership; marketing management; marketing technology knowledge.

9. Chief marketing officer

What they earn: ₹23,66,834/yr

What they do: Oversee an organisation’s marketing programme; supervise marketing managers; establish departmental procedures; drive strategy and planning; maintain marketing industry knowledge.

General qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field (MBA or PGDM preferred); leadership experience; extensive marketing knowledge.

How to get a job in digital marketing

1. Obtain a marketing education.

There are many starting points for a career in digital marketing in terms of the education and training required. Do you need a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field to apply for jobs, or can digital marketing certifications, coursework, and experience land you the position you seek?  

A February 2023 search for "digital marketer" on Naukri reveals that employers are hiring marketers with varying levels of education. Job candidates will find some positions available to applicants who have yet to earn a degree from a university as long as they have the necessary skills or work experience. A degree can improve your job prospects, as some companies prefer workers with a degree in a related field. For some advanced roles, job candidates need a master’s degree like a Master of Business Administration or a Post Graduate Diploma in Management.

According to research from the Digital Marketing Institute, the top techinical skills employers seek in digital marketers are customer experience (CX), data and analytics, and strategy and planning/brand management. The top workplace skills employers desire are technology, creativity, and analytical thinking [3]. However, it also notes that demand for specific skills can vary in different countries. Delhi School of Internet Marketing lists data analytics, content creation, SEO, and social media marketing among essential skills for digital marketing professionals [4]. 

Taking courses in digital marketing or getting a certification can be a great way to learn skills that are in demand and earn a credential employers value. For some digital marketing positions, employers may emphasise experience and skills over university degrees.

2. Gain digital marketing experience.

In addition to getting a marketing education, you’ll also need to gain some experience in digital marketing, even for entry-level positions. Common ways to gain experience include internships and working freelance or on contract.  

To find contract or freelance work in digital marketing, you can:

• Reach out to your network to seek referrals and discover opportunities to offer digital marketing services. 

• Search job sites like Naukri, Indeed, or LinkedIn specifically for contract and freelance opportunities. 

• Create a profile on various freelance platforms to promote your services and find gigs. Start by exploring these sites: Fiverr, Fixnhour, Freelancer, Rockerstop, and Upwork.

TIP:

For each contract or freelance project you complete, ask clients for referrals and testimonials to keep up the momentum.

3. Build digital marketing skills.

Through your education and experience, you’ll want to build in-demand digital marketing skills. ZipRecruiter’s Career Keyword Mapper, which tracks the top skills in job descriptions, indicates that digital marketers should prioritise the following skills: 

• Social media marketing 

• Google Analytics

• Search engine marketing 

• Search engine optimisation 

• PPC

Read digital marketing job descriptions for roles that interest you to discover additional skills tailored to your interests. Then, prioritise the skills you want to focus on.

Read more: 4 Ps of Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

4. Compile a digital marketing portfolio.

An online portfolio makes it easy to showcase your digital marketing experience in a visually appealing manner and easy to share. Basic portfolio components include:

• An "About" section

• Samples of your work or case studies 

• Your contact information 

Several platforms for building a portfolio website are available to us in a range of pricing and offering a variety of features and templates, including:

• Wix 

• Shopify

• Squarespace

5. Optimise your online presence. 

As a job seeker and digital marketer, optimising your online presence is essential in your job search process. Your online presence is your personal brand and has the potential to express your values, interests, abilities, and what you can offer a potential employer. 

Here are five ways to optimise your online presence:

• Use your social media profiles to post content about digital marketing and remove any outdated or irrelevant content to your job search. 

• Shift social media content to posts about your industry, general digital marketing trends, experience, or create. 

• Update your LinkedIn profile with your experience, education, and skills. 

• Consider expanding your portfolio into a more extensive website or blog.

• Link everything to your resume so potential employers can explore your online content. 

6. Look for digital marketing jobs. 

Search general job sites such as Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor for digital marketing positions and sites focusing more specifically on marketing or creative jobs, such as Behance and Marketing Jobs.   

Collect job listings matching your experience level, career goals, and salary expectations. Gather everything you need to complete applications. Create a schedule for applying. How many jobs will you apply for per week? What tasks must you complete for each one, including tailoring cover letters to each position or producing work samples? 

Build digital marketing skills with Coursera.

Online courses can be a great way to build skills in digital marketing, discover career opportunities, and become job ready. Consider the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate programme on Coursera.  This self-paced programme covers valuable digital marketing skills, including SEO, customer awareness, and marketing analytics. You can earn the certificate in as little as six months.