It’s official: millennials have outnumbered Baby Boomers. In April of this year, the millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 – became the largest demographic in North America. This means the millennial demographic is dominating the workplace and the marketplace.
Over the next several years, the greatest transfer of wealth in human history will unfold.
Reports estimate that more than $30 trillion is currently being passed on from Baby Boomers to Generations Y and Z. If millennial consumers today are already wealthy as they buy Starbucks coffees, the latest iPhones and disposable clothing then brands can only imagine how much more they’ll consume with that enormous sum of money in their hands.
Brands, retailers and ecommerce websites want a piece of that lucrative pie. This will take a lot of digital marketing campaigns to attract younger consumers to their products and services.
For millennial graduates who are unsure what to do with their lives upon leaving college or university this spells out a tremendous employment opportunity. Brands want millennial marketers who know what the average millennial consumer demands from companies today.
The numbers show that the job outlook for digital marketers are on the rise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment outlook until 2014 for digital marketers is on the rise by nine percent, which is higher than average. The pay is also incredible: the median pay is about $60 per hour, or $125,000 annually.
Everything from a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist to a content manager, the digital marketing industry is rapidly growing and evolving. In today’s global economy and fast-paced environment, the opportunities are out there for millennials, particularly if they wish to work for themselves and to work from home, coffee shop or the park. It’s quite remarkable and exciting.
So, what exactly do millennials need to completely entrench themselves in the digital marketing industry?
Well, here are five tips for millennials who want to become digital marketers:
Stay Updated on the Trends
The Internet is always changing. This means that digital marketing has to adapt and change with the online world, too. The trends in the digital marketing realm are regularly being updated, modified, added or even erased. What worked yesterday may not work today. On the other hand, if it didn’t work yesterday then it may work today with a little bit of a facelift.
For instance, social media marketing is all the rage in today’s market, but email marketing is actually becoming very popular again, and perhaps even more so. Why? Because it was given a slight makeover. Moreover, mobile SEO is the next big thing for brands, while desktop SEO is just in the background for marketing organizations and their efforts.
In order to stay updated on the latest trends, you should regularly keep tabs on these websites:
Construct Your Personal Brand
The sudden realization that every freelancer, digital marketer and solo entrepreneur has made is this: you are your own personal brand. Your online reputation, your customer service, your work and your success are all what matter right now. Every assignment you complete and every email you send are imperative to the growth and awareness of your personal brand.
When you’re just starting out on the Internet, you need to focus on your personal brand, which can be hard to do for millennials today, especially if they have been naughty on social media.
Unsure how to build your personal brand? Here are several tips you can embrace right now:
- Understand what you wish to achieve and always be honest with yourself.
- Start your own blog, regularly update it and regularly post articles.
- Compose articles and try to publish it all over the web.
- Remain active on social media, engage with people and share interesting content.
- Always remain a student of your industry to know what the people want (see above).
Realize the Facts Behind Digital Marketing
Studying the digital marketing industry can be extensive and take a long time. Does it have it to be? Nope. Simply put: there are five facts behind digital marketing that you will need to know immediately, at least for the foreseeable future:
- Content is king.
- Mobile is a necessity.
- Attribution is as important as creation.
- Personalization is key in digital marketing.
- The Internet never sleeps.
Get the Certification
Yes, you’ve been given the rudimentary state of the digital marketing today. And, yes, you may have a strong acumen about digital marketing because you’ve taught yourself everything you need to know. But if you wish to really advance and succeed then certification is crucial.
Once you have digital marketing certification, you begin to present yourself as a serious industry professional. You’re not just some amateur who entered the industry on the whim. You’ve meticulously studied and examined the industry.
This is an asset to take advantage of by highlighting it promoting it to the rest of the world.
Be Trustworthy, Be Reliable & Be Eager
The Internet is a whole other world filled with unscrupulous, unreliable and dishonest individuals and firms. Whether they’re freelance writers or web properties that don’t pay their staff, oftentimes it can be like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to discovering trustworthy, reliable and eager individuals.
Well, this is where you come in.
If you want to have an excellent reputation and a steady stream of work then this is the person you must be. You have to be the one who is trustworthy, reliable and eager to learn or work.
Once you maintain this professional behavior, you will suddenly find that you’re being recommended by clients, you’re receiving top-notch customer testimonials and you’re becoming a hot commodity and high in demand. These are important traits to have on the Internet.
As Entrepreneur magazine wrote in September 2015:
“As you begin to sharpen your personal brand, the right opportunities will start coming your way. People will begin to see that you’re know what you’re taking about, and they’ll invite you to be a part of their stories or news pieces.
“However, don’t forget how important it is for you to have accomplished something yourself. You can’t talk about what you haven’t done, because that will take away from your personal brand. Be open about your shortcomings and weaknesses. This will make you all the more human and relatable.”
Final Thoughts
Digital marketing is constantly changing. Sometimes it’s really hard to keep track of what works and what doesn’t, what brands/clients want and what they don’t want. It’s always evolving.
There is an entire ocean of brands, and they want to be flooded with ideas that work.
Essentially, they want any concept that will give their sales a shot in the arm, and what will make them seem hip and cool in the eyes of the very important 18-to-35 demographic. This is where you’ll make a significant contribution and perhaps even a major impact.
You’ve studied the industry, you’ve generated ideas, you’ve tried out different technologies. It’s now up to you to employ everything you know and help brands emit their messages to millennials in a fun, unique and energetic way. Something that’s different from what we’ve been accustomed to for all of these years. You, as a millennial, can liven things up!
Andrew Moran 