{"id":22859,"date":"2022-06-13T09:37:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T16:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/?p=22859"},"modified":"2025-01-27T04:34:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T12:34:51","slug":"is-digital-marketing-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/is-digital-marketing-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Digital Marketing Hard to Learn? [2025 Career Guide]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Digital marketing is an in-demand profession that offers strong career prospects, competitive salaries, and the chance to work in a rapidly evolving field. The profession also presents diverse opportunities across many different industries and specialization paths\u2014digital marketers can help companies launch social media campaigns, devise a content strategy, increase conversion rates through SEO, and reach potential customers in all corners of the internet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The allure of a digital marketing career has led many prospective digital marketers to ask about the catch. Is digital marketing hard to learn? And how challenging is it to get your foot in the door once you\u2019ve picked up digital marketing skills? Read on to learn more about what it takes to get into digital marketing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Digital Marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/what-is-digital-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital marketing<\/a> refers to advertising and marketing efforts that rely on digital technologies. This includes social networking and web-based publishing platforms, targeted ads for mobile devices, display advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and affiliate marketing. Digital marketing professionals use these digital tools and technologies to reach current and potential customers, raise brand awareness, increase web traffic, and ultimately help their companies achieve their marketing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Related Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/digital-marketing-importance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Why Is Digital Marketing Important?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Makes Digital Marketing Hard to Learn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/digital-marketing-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital marketing skills<\/a> generally fall into two broad categories: technical skills and soft skills. Whether an individual finds digital marketing difficult to learn will depend on their disposition in relation to those skills, background, and prior experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the technical front, some people find it challenging to learn multiple disciplines, which can include SEO, pay-per-click (PPC), search advertising, social media marketing, content strategy, influencer marketing, referral marketing, and data analytics. Although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/what-does-a-digital-marketer-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital marketers<\/a> aren\u2019t expected to have in-depth knowledge of all these disciplines, they need to be an expert in at least one, in addition to having a broader knowledge of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/digital-marketing-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital marketing channels<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The soft skills required for digital marketing\u2014communication, project management skills, and adaptability\u2014may come naturally to some people and present challenges to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can You Learn Digital Marketing on Your Own?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the skills required for a career in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/how-to-learn-digital-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital marketing can be self-taught<\/a>. For example, there are plenty of free online resources that teach digital marketing processes such as social media audits, creating video content, and SEO. That said, in order to develop core digital marketing skills and ensure that there are no glaring holes in your knowledge, you should consider enrolling in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/marketing-degree-vs-bootcamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marketing degree or online bootcamp<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the benefits of taking a course include structured learning, support from instructors and mentors, the ability to have your questions answered by an industry expert, hands-on work experience, and the chance to practice some of the soft skills required for the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips To Learn Digital Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many ways to go about learning digital marketing skills. Below are some tips to get you started.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utilize Free Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no shortage of free online resources that teach different facets of digital marketing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Google<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1780\" height=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/is-digital-marketing-hard-utilize-free-resources.png\" alt=\"Is Digital Marketing Hard to Learn - tips to learn digital marketing\" class=\"wp-image-24011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/is-digital-marketing-hard-utilize-free-resources.png 1780w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/is-digital-marketing-hard-utilize-free-resources-380x137.png 380w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/is-digital-marketing-hard-utilize-free-resources-380x137.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1780px) 100vw, 1780px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch Videos and Webinars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a question about digital marketing, Google can probably point you toward an answer. Whether you\u2019ve chosen to teach yourself digital marketing or you simply have a skill or knowledge gap you\u2019re looking to fill, a quick Google search will direct you to helpful resources.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video tutorials and webinars are particularly useful for explaining specific digital marketing tools (such as Google Analytics and Hootsuite), processes (such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/socia-media-audit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to conduct social media audits<\/a>), and platforms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read Blogs and Books<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital marketing experts often share best practices and teachable case studies in blog posts and books, which makes blogs and other published materials excellent sources of up-to-date digital marketing knowledge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen to Podcasts&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adstage.io\/resources\/ppc-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Podcasts<\/a> offer a window into the conversations digital marketing experts are having with each other and can be a great way to learn about digital marketing trends, pick up career advice, and stay on top of the zeitgeist.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Follow Digital Marketing Experts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/108-digital-marketing-experts-you-should-be-following\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital marketing experts<\/a> often share advice and hot takes on where the industry is going, which can be a valuable way to learn about the changing tides within the digital marketing field. Consider subscribing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/category\/business-and-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">industry newsletters<\/a> to get the latest takes sent directly to your inbox.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Online groups and communities offer information sharing and networking opportunities that are beneficial to both newcomers and seasoned professionals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Engage&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to learn digital marketing is by doing it. Instead of waiting for a job opportunity, be proactive and learn from your own projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create Your Own Blog<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting your own blog offers many learning opportunities: you can practice digital marketing skills such as content strategy, SEO, copywriting, content planning, and affiliate marketing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1382\" height=\"958\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/how-to-learn-digital-marketing.png\" alt=\"create your own blog\" class=\"wp-image-24014\" style=\"width:691px;height:479px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/how-to-learn-digital-marketing.png 1382w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/how-to-learn-digital-marketing-380x263.png 380w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/how-to-learn-digital-marketing-380x263.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start a Side Project<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a digital marketing side project will allow you to practice creating relevant content for a target audience and measure the results. For example, if you start your own campaign on a social media platform, you can learn to set campaign goals, create a social media marketing strategy, execute the campaign on different social channels, and iterate based on your metrics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Network With Other Professionals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Networking is one of the leading methods of hearing about job opportunities. It can also be an effective way to learn from others and potentially collaborate on future projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask for Help<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help. Whether you\u2019re reaching out to a mentor, an industry professional you\u2019ve met at a networking event, or posting a question to an online group or message board, the ability to ask for help is an important soft skill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consider a Course in Digital Marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While there is no set path to becoming a digital marketer, those who enroll in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/courses\/digital-marketing-professional-certificate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital marketing courses<\/a> have the competitive advantage of a structured learning experience, guidance from industry experts, mentors who can help them navigate the job market, and hands-on experience with both technical and soft skills.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Acquire Experience&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All work experience, whether acquired through personal projects or working with others, can be useful in bolstering your digital marketing skills.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Work on Projects<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Working on your own projects gives you the chance to practice valuable digital marketing skills such as content creation, engaging with different digital marketing channels, creating and curating social media posts, and developing a digital marketing strategy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Freelance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The digital marketing landscape has room for people with all experience levels. If you\u2019ve developed some digital marketing skills but are still filling in knowledge gaps, consider freelancing for businesses that need help with their digital marketing strategy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do an Internship<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Internships are a great way to be immersed in a digital marketing environment and to learn from experts. An internship might expose you to facets of digital marketing that are difficult to learn on your own, such as online advertising, app advertising, and business intelligence tools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Become an Expert On<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keyword research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google Ads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organic Social Media Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social Media Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data Analysis&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Get Better at Digital Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1106\" height=\"876\" src=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/learn-digital-matrketing.png\" alt=\"Is Digital Marketing Hard to Learn - how to get better in digital marketing\" class=\"wp-image-24015\" style=\"width:553px;height:438px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/learn-digital-matrketing.png 1106w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/learn-digital-matrketing-380x301.png 380w, https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/learn-digital-matrketing-380x301.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1106px) 100vw, 1106px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many digital marketers believe that it\u2019s easy to learn the basics of digital marketing, but hard to achieve mastery. Here are some tips on improving your skills and becoming a better digital marketer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pick a Specialty&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital marketers have to be familiar with most types of digital marketing disciplines, but it helps to have at least one area of specialization. For example, some marketers specialize in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/seo-best-practices-how-to-optimize-your-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEO<\/a> while others work exclusively in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/what-is-influencer-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">influencer marketing<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learn from Digital Marketing Brands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, the best teachers are other brands. Look at successful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/digital-marketing-campaign-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital marketing campaigns<\/a> and reverse engineer them. What did they do right? What can you draw from their campaigns that might be applicable to your own?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Up With the Latest Trends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital marketing is a rapidly changing industry. If you stop paying attention to the latest trends, you risk being left behind.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Replicate the Practices of Successful Digital Marketers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Find digital marketers you admire and learn from their practices. In addition to being the sincerest form of flattery, imitation can also give you practice with new and different digital marketing processes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Find a Mentor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/why-mentorship-is-important-for-digital-marketers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mentors<\/a> offer invaluable guidance, advice, and networking opportunities for digital marketers of all levels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earn a Certificate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online bootcamps and certificates<\/a> can give you a competitive advantage both when it comes to learning new skills and showing hiring managers that you are committed to continuing education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Attend Events and Presentations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital marketing events and presentations are a good way to connect with peers, learn about the latest trends, gain exposure to new tools and technologies, and feel like you\u2019re part of a broader community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Network With the Professionals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Networking with industry professionals\u2014whether through events or bootcamps and courses\u2014can lead to internship and job opportunities, help you meet potential mentors, and give you exposure to a community from which you can learn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs About a Career in Digital Marketing&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Still have questions about a career in digital marketing? We answer some frequently asked questions below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1654640376968\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is It Hard to Acquire Digital Marketing Skills?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Most industry experts agree that foundational digital marketing skills are not hard to learn. However, it can be challenging to master those skills and put them to effective use in digital marketing campaigns. This is why it\u2019s best to learn digital marketing in a supportive environment, whether through an online course, marketing degree, internship, or an in-person or online digital marketing community. It takes work, but mastering digital marketing can lead to a rewarding career.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1654640400731\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Do You Need a Degree to Learn Digital Marketing?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Although a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/marketing-degree-vs-bootcamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marketing degree<\/a> can be useful, it is not the only way to learn digital marketing. Many people have had success learning digital marketing through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/courses\/digital-marketing-professional-certificate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online courses and bootcamps<\/a> or by taking an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/business-and-marketing\/entry-level-digital-marketing-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">entry-level digital marketing role<\/a> that doesn\u2019t require prior experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1654640420571\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is Getting a Digital Marketing Job Hard?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>There are many entry-level digital marketing jobs that are open to people who don\u2019t have industry experience, and high demand for those who have experience under their belt. The application process can still be competitive, though, which is why it is useful to bolster your skills and highlight any relevant experience when applying to digital marketing roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1654640437245\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Do You Need the Experience to Work as a Digital Marketer?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Many hiring managers are willing to consider candidates who do not have any digital marketing experience. That said, having some transferable technical or soft skills from other related jobs and projects\u2014professional or personal\u2014can help you gain a competitive advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"rm has-background\" style=\"background-color:#efeff6\"><strong>Since you&#8217;re here&#8230;<\/strong><br>Want to bring your marketing skills into the 21st century? Check out our <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/resources\/learning-paths\/seo-learning-path\/\" target=\"_blank\">free digital marketing curriculum<\/a> for new ideas and insights.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Digital marketing is an in-demand profession that offers strong career prospects, competitive salaries, and the chance to work in a rapidly evolving field. The profession also presents diverse opportunities across many different industries and specialization paths\u2014digital marketers can help companies launch social media campaigns, devise a content strategy, increase conversion rates through SEO, and reach [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":22874,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[],"marketing_tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22859","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-and-marketing"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22859"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22859"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56468,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22859\/revisions\/56468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22859"},{"taxonomy":"marketing_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/marketing_tags?post=22859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}