Economic Importance

Digital marketing is vital to the global economy and has been the fastest growing industry over the past two years. Digital marketing employs approximately 1.46 million people in the UK, and by 2020, that number is expected to grow by 5.4 %.

In addition to job growth in this sector, ad spend is rising. The UK is the standout ad market across Europe, with ad spend growing by 9.2% this year alone. Brands are lining up to get the jump on the latest advertising campaigns, tactics and technology. New grads are entering a digital boom, with exciting prospects ahead of them in an industry that shows no signs of slowing down.

Given such statistics, marketers are increasingly looking towards paid search, social media, and programmatic, to achieve their objectives. Brands are investing more in paid search advertising, and hiring the next generation of digital experts. Job growth in digital marketing will surpass all other job categories by 2020.

Seb Salter, Business Development Executive at NMPi, and recent graduate, echoes these sentiments. He chose a career in digital because he enjoys the fast paced environment, the innovation, and meeting new clients. He also likes the level playing field; lesser known companies have the opportunity to compete well against traditional big name brands if they have the right strategy in place. These advances, coupled with continued exponential growth, and tackling challenges head on, are a draw for new grads looking to start a strong, exciting and promising career straight out of university.

Career Progression

There are many diverse career streams within digital: PPC, Programmatic, Social, Analytics, Sales and Marketing, SEO, and Content Marketing. Digital marketing firms tend to invest in, and encourage, regular training to help staff progress in their chosen field. There are also plenty of opportunities for rapid advancement. Many industry newcomers find themselves taking on important roles as digital leaders within 5 years.

The industry, once traditionally male dominated, has seen a flood of women making waves in digital. The Drum annually celebrates The Top 50 Women Under 30, “Women who are disrupting the digital space”, making significant contributions to the advertising, and creating a welcome environment for up and coming female entrepreneurs. NMPi is proud to count our Head of Search, Sophie Kleiner, as one of 2015’s Top 50. Rapid upward mobility, coupled with strong equal opportunities for young women have made digital an attractive choice for university grads.

Social

Digital is appealing to young professionals because the work is not stuffy or staid. It’s well known for its sociable, friendly, informal, and upbeat environment. It is an environment that encourages close knit collaboration and bonds.

“I truly love working at Incubeta, not only do I get to do a job that is challenging and every day is different, but my team and the people I work with have become some of my closest friends. On Friday nights we will go out and grab a drink in the local pub, and each quarter we have a team day out to go do something exciting. For instance, last quarter we went mini golfing as a team and this year our summer party will be a boat cruise. It really is an environment that cares about the relationships you have, and for your personal development.” Lisa Rogers, Marketing Manager, Incubeta.

If you want to love going to work everyday, love technology, and want do something that you can be passionate about in an innovative environment, then welcome to digital.