This time of the year, most of you must be grappling with the dilemma called “What Next?” No wonder, with the host of career options thrown open in front of you, combined by the pressures from peer and family, it has made you more confused and indecisive.
I am here to talk to you about a career option that rightly fits into the scenario and needless to mention, it shall also be liked by your interest buds. The reason is simple; it involves two things that have become part and parcel of your life: i.e. Internet and Mobile.
Ever wondered, who posts the brand messages on the Facebook or the Twitter every day. Ever wondered who forms and manages Websites like Sunsilk Gang of Girls or Lipton Challenge – World’s Largest Puzzle. Ever felt curious to know who puts the sponsored links whenever you search for something on Google.
They are all Digital marketing / media professionals who work together to bring the brand in contact with the digital clan (i.e. you) in various forms.
OK so now you must be wondering “Why Digital Media, what is it all about etc.?” So let us answer your questions one on one:
The ‘What Why’ of Digital Media as a Career Option:
What is Digital Media all about?
Digital Media refers to electronic media. For us we need to keep 2 things in mind: Internet Mobile.
Digital Marketing is the business of promoting products or services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner.
So why should you choose it as a career option?
Even when the world is slowing down, Digital Media is running at a much faster pace each day. In fact, with more and more organizations opting for digital media campaigns, the media is growing by leaps and bounds. With this, is growing the number of agencies that are offering 360U services under digital domain. And this in turn is opening up multiple job avenues.
However, with each day it is becoming more complex and hence a thorough understanding of what, why, when, where and how of it shall empower the digital media professionals to come up with innovative ideas, thereby, breaking through the clutter.
Digital media is an apt career option for the young and enthusiastic tech savvy generation (you again). It is this young generation that accesses the digital media the most, and spends majority of its time understanding the digital parlance, finding out newer and fresher ways to communicate and connect.
Hence, as this media is still evolving, it provides immense opportunities to you to prove your mettle. All your entrepreneurial skills can be tried, tested and nurtured here. However, the media being complex, a course in digital marketing / media as a specialized domain shall help aspirants to hone the requisite skills to deliver path-breaking solutions.
So, what exactly does a digital media professional do?
Various Things.
To begin with a digital media professional has wide array of functions to choose from depending upon his / her area of interest.
Strategy:
Strategy is the knowledge warehouse of the organization. It encompasses thorough research pertaining to the brand, competitors, category consumers, which thereafter is used to generate insights that lead to formulating campaigns that not just last long but last forever. So if you are inquisitive, observant and enjoy analyzing, then this is the right option for you.
Client Servicing Business Development:
Love talking to people, meeting them, and networking? Then, this is the department to be in. You need to be a good listener and a good speaker. Not to forget, you need to know how to balance between being calm or aggressive. Getting work done aptly summarizes the role of a professional in this department.
Technology:
Seek logic explanation into everything? Enjoy creating something on your own? The tech team has people just like you.
Creating websites, widgets, applications and other such stuff is what these guys primarily do. You need to be enjoying working on programming languages (, PHP, and JAVA, to name a few) to be here.
Creative:
If things like imagination, designs, colors, beautiful statements rule your world then you got to join the bunch of creative guys. Art to think through forms, situations or categories is what you need to develop.
Thinking, thinking different and creating something unique is an obvious expectation out of a creative fellow.
Search / Social Media Marketing:
Social networks, search, videos, blogs take major time of your day? So much so that your family and friends feel the need to have a social network profile to get in touch with you?
Two things would summarize what people do here:
*Enjoy conversations, reading them, initiating them, managing them and placing brands into the conversational game.
*Understand why and what does one search for and how to link a brand to the relevant search.
Media Planning:
Numeromaniac. Is that you?
Numbers define the media planning world. Love for numbers is a must; else, you may not survive.
Following trends, consumers, and new developments is the second major function of a media planner. Follow anything and everything; know who is doing what and why.