For major employers around the world, digital marketing is a crucial component of their business strategy, and companies of all sizes leverage digital channels to reach their target audiences effectively and drive business growth. By taking courses in this specialization, you will gain a deep understanding of online advertising, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, data analytics, and more.
Read on to learn more about this growing field and its many opportunities for international students.
What Is Digital Marketing?
This dynamic field uses different technology-centered techniques to promote products, services, and brands through digital channels and online platforms. Organizations run campaigns via websites, social media channels, emails, and search engines to reach and engage with their target audience.
Studying this marketing specialization equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the digital landscape, effectively engage with customers, drive an online brand presence, and achieve business objectives. With a strong foundation in this field, you can leverage data, analytics, and cutting-edge tools to create impactful marketing campaigns, build brand awareness, and cultivate future customers. Whether you are interested in marketing, business, or entrepreneurship, studying at a US university to build your skills and connections can help you achieve your career goals.
Let’s take a closer look at available courses and concentrations:
Digital Advertising — Digital advertising involves running paid campaigns across various digital platforms, such as search engines, social media, and display networks. This specialization focuses on ad campaign creation, targeting strategies, and ad performance analysis.
Digital Analytics — Courses cover topics such as data collection and analysis, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), implementing data-driven strategies, and using analytics tools to measure campaign success. This concentration may appeal to those interested in analyzing data, optimizing performance, and tracking trends.
Email Marketing — Email marketing remains a powerful tool for businesses to reach out and nurture leads with potential customers. An email marketing specialization will teach you about building effective email campaigns, optimizing email deliverability, segmenting your audience, and analyzing email performance metrics.
Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing (SEO/SEM) — SEO and SEM are essential for increasing visibility and driving organic and paid traffic to websites from major search engines (e.g., Google, Bing, and others). With this concentration, you can learn how to optimize websites for search engines, conduct keyword research, create ad campaigns, and analyze search engine marketing performance.
Social Media Marketing — Social media has revolutionized the way businesses connect with their target audience. Courses in social media marketing teach you how to develop effective social media strategies, engage with customers, create interesting content, and assess key metrics of your social media campaigns.
This is a fast-paced field, with new technologies, platforms, and trends emerging constantly, so it is important to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and best practices.
A US university degree equips you with the key knowledge, skills, and expertise employers require for roles in this field. Shorelight universities offer a wide variety of academic programs and hands-on training opportunities that can help you build the skills you need to become successful in your future career.
Digital Marketing Courses at Shorelight Universities
At a US university, your curriculum will cover strategic thinking, creativity, communication, data interpretation, and problem-solving. Through expert faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry connections, Shorelight universities offer a learning environment where students develop practical skills, participate in hands-on experiences, and gain a well-rounded education.
Hiram College
Ranked #13 in Regional Colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report, Hiram College offers a bachelor of arts in digital marketing through the Scarborough School of Business and Communication. This program provides a comprehensive understanding of strategies, consumer behavior, social media marketing, data analytics, and more. Gain hands-on experience through internships and real-world projects, and prepare for a successful career.
Louisiana State University
The Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University offers a major in mass communication with a specialization in digital advertising. Develop valuable expertise in different areas of digital advertising by learning about campaign planning, social media marketing, content creation, and data analysis. The university’s cutting-edge facilities, such as the Social Media Analysis & Creation lab, give you the chance to apply your theoretical understanding in practical settings.
Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University offers a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in digital marketing. Students can look forward to learning about content creation, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and digital analytics as they gain a global perspective on how this marketing specialization connects to business operations worldwide.
York College of Pennsylvania
York College of Pennsylvania offers a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in advertising and digital marketing, providing students with a strong foundation in marketing principles and specialized knowledge in social media marketing, web analytics, and ecommerce. Through practical experiences and internships, students can build a wide variety of transferable skills that help them stand out to employers looking for new hires.
Let’s take a closer look at several career pathways you can consider, whether you are interested in working for a multinational corporation, an agency, or even starting your own venture.
Career Opportunities
With a projected 20% job growth for digital marketing specialists in the next few years, employers are seeking skilled professionals who are capable of driving business marketing decisions and a willingness to stay aware of — and understand — constantly changing data, tools, and techniques. Students who become experts in this field can take advantage of a wide range of diverse career opportunities across various industries.
Here are some careers you might work toward, along with an estimate of their potential annual earnings in the US, Brazil, China, and India:
Social media manager
Average salary in the US
$55,774
Average salary in Brazil
R$42,000
Average salary in China
¥207,152
Average salary in India
₹344,858
Digital marketing manager
Average salary in the US
$72,369
Average salary in Brazil
R$162,664
Average salary in China
¥255,000
Average salary in India
₹576,690
SEO specialist
Average salary in the US
$50,598
Average salary in Brazil
R$96,000
Average salary in China
¥80,000
Average salary in India
₹302,072
Content analyst
Average salary in the US
$61,757
Average salary in Brazil
R$75,000
Average salary in China
¥120,000
Average salary in India
₹291,698
Source: Payscale.com
Beyond these careers, professional opportunities could include content strategist, account manager, email marketing specialist, market research analyst, and much more.
Shorelight counselors can also help you learn more about your degree program options and support you in finding the program that fits your goals, needs, and preferences the best. They can aid with application assistance, visa guidance, career development, English-language classes, and more as you work toward your degree in the US.
Embark on your educational journey with confidence and set yourself up for a rewarding career in the ever-evolving field of digital marketing with support from Shorelight every step of the way.
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