There is virtually no industry today that does not rely heavily on digital marketing to promote itself and gain visibility in the marketplace. Marketing has historically been the career choice assured of universal and constant demand. Today it is digital marketing. Choosing to study digital marketing abroad has a slew of benefits to offer. The qualification gives you a foothold in an industry with constant demand and also opens up opportunities in international markets. Here’s everything you need to know about pursuing the best digital marketing course options abroad.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing is the promotion of goods and services to your customers through digital channels. The world is connected online now more than ever before. People spend much of their awake time, scrolling through social media, listening to songs or podcasts or watching movies on OTT platforms. Even when they are out and about, people spend their time on their mobile phones and other digital devices. Hence it is only right to target customers over these channels.
There should be some techniques and tried and tested methods to achieve results from these marketing activities. This will be taught as part of a digital marketing course. It is not as simple as putting out some text accompanied by images. The font, font colour, size of the text, the colour palette of the image, the placement of text, and the time of posting ads – all these and more influence the success of your marketing campaigns.
Digital Marketing is an exciting subject to learn. It also needs you to stay on top of the latest developments in the field to build effective strategies. Delve deep into the aspects of studying Digital Marketing and take your call!
Best countries to study digital marketing
Some of the best countries to study marketing and digital marketing are:
- USA
- UK
- France
- Australia
Here are some of the institutions in these countries that offer Marketing-related courses.
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Popular universities where Indian students pursue digital marketing courses
Not all can get admission to these top-ranking universities. But don’t feel dejected. There are multiple other institutions which offer Digital Marketing courses. Here are the popular ones preferred by Indian students at the top student destinations:
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USA |
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UK |
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Canada |
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Undergraduate and postgraduate course options to study digital marketing abroad
The different options available for undergraduate and postgraduate courses include:
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Postgraduate courses |
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Digital marketing course fees
Business schools' fee structure is influenced by:
- The course format (full-time or online)
- The course duration
- Training opportunities offered
- Reputation of the school
However, you can expect the average fee to range between INR 13 to 20 lakhs per year.
Subjects covered in digital marketing courses
Some topics that will be covered when you study digital marketing abroad include:
- Social media marketing: Understanding how to leverage various social media platforms to maximise reach and brand impact.
- Data analysis: Collating and analysing data on audience behaviour and utilizing it to hone marketing strategies.
- Audience/ market research: Audience profiling is key to strategizing marketing moves so they reach the right people at the right time.
- Consumer behaviour: Understanding the consumer mindset is necessary to predict their actions and preferences.
- Content marketing: Using engaging, appealing and valuable content to not just attract but also retain a viable audience.
- Mobile marketing: Understanding how to communicate with mobile users who make up the majority of the target group now, with a focus on making the best use of their daily use of technology.
Some more subjects covered as part of the course include email marketing, analytics, PPC, SEO etc. Different digital marketing courses abroad may cover these topics in different ways depending on how they are structured.
Eligibility criteria for studying digital marketing
If you have identified the best institute for a digital marketing masters course, the next step is to verify if you meet the eligibility criteria for enrolment. While each institute may have slight variations in what it requires, these are the general criteria to fulfil:
- Graduation completed with a minimum of 50 to 55% scores. Most universities accept graduates from any stream to study digital marketing abroad through their master’s program.
- Check if the requirements include a specific percentage cut-off for your 10th/12th-grade marks, as some universities have this in addition to minimum graduation scores.
- English proficiency scores are also important. Most universities require applicants to score a minimum of 6.5 on IELTS or 100 on TOEFL. Look for the minimum required scores in each element of the English proficiency exam (most colleges require a minimum score of 6 in each of the reading, listening, writing and speaking segments). The IELTS/ TOEFL requirements will differ based on the course and university you choose. Some universities, such as Northumbria University, Newcastle, have a 5.5 cut-off for each IELTS segment. The University of Wolverhampton accepts students with a minimum TOEFL score of 79.
- The best digital marketing course from a reputed university may also require work experience of 3 to 5 years. Edith Cowan University in Australia is one such university that requires a 5-year work experience for admission to their Graduate Certificate of Applied Digital Marketing course.
Digital marketing specialisations
When you are opting for digital marketing courses abroad, one of the critical aspects to focus on is specialization. Choose an area you are passionate about and have skills in so that you can make the best of your career in this line. At the same time, ensure that the specialization is sought after by businesses across the world.
For example, choosing a course that focuses on data analysis is a good idea with Big Data in the spotlight right now. While most digital marketing courses online or full-time do cover all the core areas that are needed for a successful career here, you may be able to add credits in a specific area of your interest too. Here are some specializations that you can look for when identifying the best digital marketing course that matches your interest:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Copywriting
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Consumer behaviour
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)/ optimization techniques
- Advertising strategies and principles
- Email Marketing
- PPC
- Content Marketing/ Management
- Mobile Marketing
- Analytics (Data and Web)
While you will learn the fundamentals of all of these when you choose the best institute for digital marketing, specializing in one or a few areas will give you an in-depth understanding of how to leverage that aspect to create brand impact. It will upgrade your knowledge about the latest developments in your chosen niche and enable you to hone skills here while integrating these strategies with the overall marketing plan.
Career opportunities
The biggest advantage of choosing digital marketing as your career choice is that you have an unlimited playing field when it comes to employment opportunities. Almost every industry and business relies on digital marketing activities now to ensure it has a strong virtual presence and appeal.
Armed with your credentials from the best institute for digital marketing you can enter a world-class organization in any of the following roles:
- Brand manager
- Digital advertiser
- SEO specialist/ analyst
- Market research analyst
- Advertising manager
- Social media planner/ strategist
- PPC analyst/ marketing manager
- Link builder
- Content marketer/ writer/ strategist
- Copywriter
- CRM/ email marketing strategist
- Public Relations manager
In many organizations, you may be able to take on more than one of these roles as a Digital Marketing Manager. Doing so gives you exposure to varied aspects of marketing within this field. This kind of exposure will help you branch out as an independent consultant after gaining a few years of experience. Choosing the best digital marketing course with the right course content and specialisations goes a long way in ensuring that you have the most attractive career options opening up for you in India or abroad.
