20 Digital Marketing Specializations & the Skills Marketers Need to Master

Digital marketing specialization careers offer many benefits including the ability to specialize in a field where marketers enjoy working in, have a steady job, and progress in their careers.

As organizations spend more on digital platforms because digital marketing expertise is in demand. There has been a widespread tendency in the paid digital media advertising sector. Spending has reached $602.25 billion, and Statista estimates that it will reach $835 billion by 2026. Therefore it is the right time to have expertise in digital marketing skills and make a career out of it.

Why Specialize in Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing has many subspecialties that teach different online communication strategies and techniques and digital marketing specialization has many benefits. Different people enjoy different aspects of digital marketing.

Ideally, one should choose a digital marketing specialization so that professionals can use their talents in the right way. And do work that aligns with their personality so they can stay satisfied in their job.

Focusing on a digital marketing specialization can help marketers or aspirants become an expert, which would benefit them and their clients, and give them an edge over competitors with a broader skill set. And also help them stand out in the job marketplace improving their career prospects or service worth.

Aspirants can start by learning a wide variety of digital marketing skills and then choose a niche to specialize in.

Some Popular Digital Marketing Specializations

Here are some of the most popular digital marketing specialties and the abilities aspirants can master.

#1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO improves a website’s search engine rankings and visibility. And makes it more visible to search engines to increase organic traffic.

SEO experts need to learn technical skills, content generation and optimization, keyword research, link building, analytical skills, and know how to communicate successfully with clients, team members, and stakeholders.

To become an SEO specialist, aspirants must commit to lifelong learning and stay up to date on search engine algorithm updates.

#2. PPC Advertising

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising charges advertisers when their ads are clicked. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Google, and Bing use this advertising tactic.

To become a PPC specialist, one must master skills like keyword research and selection, PPC copywriting, landing page optimization, bid placement strategy, campaign analysis, and optimization. And should also know the best practices for each PPC advertising platform.

#3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social media marketing is all about using social media platforms to advertise, engage with customers, and build brand awareness. SMM professionals help businesses build a strong social media presence, interact with their target audience, and boost website traffic and conversions.

If one wants to master social media marketing, one must be familiar with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok. Moreover, understand each social media platforms, what content is best for each network, how to create compelling social media posts, and adapt to the ever-changing social media scene.

Aspirants must also have community management skills and know how to run social media advertising campaigns and analyze social media data for patterns, KPIs, and campaign efficacy.

#4. Social Selling

Social selling is the skill of building relationships with potential customers on social media to market products or services.

It requires social media competence, sales understanding, communication and relationship-building abilities, content creation, and analytical skills. To become an expert in this field, it is essential to integrate these talents in a way that resonates with the target audience and yields results.

#5. Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and distributing meaningful, relevant, and consistent content to attract and maintain a defined audience. Moreover, drive profitable customer behavior and elevate a company’s brand. Content marketing experts must have skills such as

• Content strategy
• Creative content creation
• SEO optimization
• Content publishing
• Dissemination to create and promote content
• Communicate with target customers
• Build brand awareness

#6. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a digital marketing technique that uses email to build relationships, advertise products and services, and drive conversions. It provides subscribers with helpful and engaging information to persuade them to take a desired action, such as:

• Buying a product
• Visiting a website, or
• Sharing content with their connections

To become an email marketing specialist, devise expertise to develop and manage email campaigns using:

• Email marketing software
• Email copywriting and design
• List creation and segmentation
• A/B testing and optimization, and
• Analytics and reporting skills

Be familiar with email marketing rules and regulations, such as the CAN-SPAM Act, and ensure that all campaigns comply.

#7. Lead Generation

Lead generation involves locating and nurturing potential customers with the help of tools and skills in digital marketing, sales, data analysis, research, communication, and creative thinking. Aspirants can combine these skills to efficiently find and grow new clients for a firm to become lead generation experts.

#8. Online Customer Support

Email, social media, chat, and other online platforms are used for digital customer support. Consumers expect to communicate with organizations via their preferred channels, often digital.

Digital customer service specialists must communicate concisely, and effectively across several digital channels including email, social media, chat, and messaging apps.

Overall, becoming an expert in digital customer care requires:

• Empathy
• Good communication
• Problem-solving skills
• Technological skills, and
• A passion for customer service.

#9. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

CRO is the process of improving the performance of a website, landing page, or email marketing campaign. CRO does it by increasing the percentage of site visitors, prospects, and subscribers who take a specified action. For instance, buying, filling up a form, or signing up for a newsletter.

It aims to improve the user experience and remove barriers to sales and requires a range of skills such as:

• Data analysis
• User experience (UX) design
• A/B testing and experimentation
• Web development
• Copywriting and graphic design, and
• Consumer psychology

#10. Mobile Marketing

This form of marketing uses cell phones and tablets to engage customers and encompasses mobile advertising, mobile websites, mobile apps, text message marketing, and push notifications.

Mobile marketing requires technological expertise and digital marketing skills such as:

• Mobile app development
• Mobile SEO and content creation
• Mobile advertising, & analytics
• User experience (UX) design, and
• SMS & push marketing

Also Read: Mobile App Marketing Strategy: An Ultimate Guide to Market an App Successfully

#11. Affiliate Marketing

Performance-based affiliate marketing rewards affiliates for bringing in new customers via websites, blogs, social media, and email.

Affiliate marketers need technological, marketing, and networking abilities as well as content creation skills. Whereas brand-side expertise involves finding, analyzing, and connecting with affiliates like bloggers, influencers, and content creators.

Affiliate marketers are adaptable, creative, and entrepreneurial. Therefore, success in this field requires staying abreast of industry developments, tools, and best practices.

#12. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing involves working with popular social media influencers to promote a company or product. So as to leverage the reach, reputation, and influence of the influencer. And also boost brand exposure, sales, and ROI.

Influencer marketing requires strategic thinking, relationship building, communication skills, creativity, data analysis, project management, adaptability, and industry understanding.

#13. Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising uses software, algorithms, and machine learning to buy and optimize ads, evaluate data, and decide which ads to show, when, and to whom.

It requires familiarity with advanced technology, data analysis skills, and knowledge of ad-tech platforms. Moreover, it requires real-time bidding expertise, ad creative development, industry trends, and best practices as well as attention to detail and strategic thought.

#14. Marketing Automation

Marketing automation automates and simplifies marketing tasks using software and other technology to personalize customer experiences.  Thus, marketing automation experts need technical, analytical, marketing, communication, and project management skills such as

• Customer segmentation
• Campaign management
• Data analysis and reporting
• Lead generation
• Lead scoring
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Project management

#15. Web Analytics

Web analytics involves monitoring a website’s performance and visitors’ behavior to improve user experience and marketing results by tracking website traffic, user activity, and conversion rates.

To become a web analytics expert it’s important to master online analytics tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Matomo, and also have skills like

• Data analysis
• Reporting
• Web development technologies
• Business competence to align data insights with the organization’s business goals

#16. Data Analysis

Data analysis in digital marketing helps marketers identify their target population, personalize their ads, evaluate their campaigns’ efficacy, and optimize their marketing methods.

It requires technical skills as well as strong analytical skills such as

• Data visualization
• Audience segmentation
• Tracking and analyzing campaign performance data
• A/B testing
• Predictive analytics
• Business competence

#17. Web Developer

Website designers and developers help create a website’s appearance, functionality, and technical aspects.

They must be skilled in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web development frameworks, and design tools like:

• Adobe Photoshop and Sketch,
• UX design,
• Accessibility best practices
• Content management systems (CMS)
• SEO best practices

#18. Brand Identity

The logo, typography, color scheme, and visual style of a brand are its identity. Brand identity involves creating and promoting a product or company’s brand image, personality, and visual identity. All by using features such as a company’s name, logo, slogan, and fundamental values.

Branding experts need expertise in consumer psychology, brand strategy, creative talent, strong graphic design skills, typography, color theory, design software expertise, communication, and collaboration. And must stay informed of the latest trends and technology in the branding and design industries.

#19. Graphic design

Graphic design is the creation of visual content – such as logos, branding, advertisements, packaging, and website design – to communicate ideas, emotions, and information.

Some essential skills for graphic design experts include technical skills in:

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• InDesign
• Sketch
• Figma

Also understand typography and layout, color theory, creative talent, communication, and collaboration skills.

#20. Video Editing

Video creation and editing are essential for video marketing and promotion on social media. This form of content development experts needs technical skills such as video production and editing. Also, needs creative skills like scriptwriting and storytelling. And also have good communication skills to ensure the results meet customer and team expectations.

Emeritus’ Digital Marketing Online Courses

Emeritus’ online digital marketing courses examine how digital economies develop and thrive. As well as how they will continue to affect people to leverage technology, consumer trends, and purchasing behavior.

Therefore study the fundamentals of digital marketing, including how to plan, analyze, curate, and build a long-lasting online presence. And learn useful sponsored search, performance marketing, SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, and other skills with an online digital marketing course from Emeritus.