Digital Marketing

[Strangethingshappen]

AIBU to consider a freelance digital marketing career?
I’m at a bit of a ‘crossroads’ and need to take up something new.
I need something flexible - my partner works shifts so I will be taking on the lion’s share of parenting duties (we don’t have children yet but we are hoping to start soon). I want something brexit proof (as possible) so I don’t want to embark on something and be an absolute newbie in an area likely to be hit hardest if we crash out.
I have run my own businesses and really enjoyed doing the digital marketing, online branding and social media presence side of the businesses (learning about content creation and SEO in the process) I’ve done similar for friend’s small businesses too.
I have found an accredited course at my local university, it is pricey but looks good quality. I don’t want to waste my money on a qualification that I won’t be able to use.

Am I being unreasonable to think it’s a good idea? Am I being daft to consider it when I don’t have a degree in marketing?
Grateful for any input :)

What do you envisage your career being? Is it as a developer, project manager or in client services? Would you run your own business and do all three?

Sorry, add designer to that list. They are all different roles.

tbh OP I wouldn't spend money on a course. I work for a huge global org in digital marketing and we use freelancers / agencies who have been made redundant by the company, or who have left of their own choice to become independent. A course is completely irrelevant, it's experience that counts.

However, if you are targeting small, local businesses, you may have more success, but you need to network. Join every local business / networking org that you can because that's how you will find work. Again, it's word of mouth and/or experience that will get you work - a paper qualification really won't amount to much, no matter how good it is.

As a small business we don't have a marketing dept, so we have previously paid for someone to set up our digital and social media platforms/marketing strategy and remotely look after it for a period. They also trained up the staff members to look after e.g. Facebook content that we update ourselves regularly. They are available for us to book sessions if we need more training, or to remote in to look after something we can't handle in-house (either through lack of knowledge or we don't have time). Is that the kind of thing you are thinking about?

I should qualify the above by saying that you obviously have experience, which is why I said what I did.

If you were a 21 year old newbie with no experience at all, then a qualification would would be a good thing.

As an add on to what TwitterQueen has said, the person we use has massive online presence, very regularly updating their own SM content and blogging about digital marketing. They get a lot of business through their LinkedIn etc

Not unreasonable at all but I agree it’s not worth doing a university course for - experience is far more relevant and you could always start with smaller businesses to build this up and the amount you charge accordingly. If you feel you need more training look at online courses like udemy and digital garage.

It’s also worth getting any relevant Google certificates if you can. They have courses and exams you can do online for AdWords etc.

Agreeing with Hoosier's post, I would start a blog OP - if you want to do digital marketing you need to be your own digital marketer / marketeer....

On your blog, offer basic tips for free on a weekly basis (and/or talk about basic errors, and create your own Twitter / Insta accounts too. IN other words, build up a strong, local, digital presence.

Huge area with huge competition. There are lots of FB groups where you might find really good advice. Own It Crush It, Goal Diggers Podcast, Location Independent Business Babes. Lots of well informed and experienced people there (there are LOTS of groups). Savvy something or other with Heather Crabtree. Amy Porterfield.

Don't spend money on a course! There is heaps and heaps of free training.

If you want to set yourself apart from the faceless hordes of social media management, learn a skill that only proper businesses need - I recommend Infusionsoft. Then you won't be wasting your time with the people who only have £100 a month to spend on their entire marketing campaign. Infusionsoft is huge, and lots of small businesses aren't using it properly and know it.

Marie Forleo's B-School is supposed to be great but that's already closed for this year. Her website and YouTube is a GOLDMINE. Not to mention her hair.

Certs in specific softwares offered by the company itself are worth he investment - AdWords as mentioned above, Infusionsoft. Just not vague unspecified training.

Wouldn't it be nice if the OP could be bothered to return to the thread and say thank you? Loads of great input here - clearly a waste of time....

Ha Twitter
I checked in this morning thinking the exact same thing.

Hi,
So sorry for only just getting back to this. I had an emergency to deal with and it completely left my mind.

Thank you so much! Lots of brilliant advice and information. When I have head space, I will persue all the options mentioned. I really am grateful :)