Life After Study Abroad? Consider a career in online marketing

You’ve studied abroad, and if you are like most students you’ve spent a lot of time telling the world about it through social media and review outlets like Abroad101.   Maybe you should consider a career in online marketing.  Not all online marketers work in fashion, travel, finance or retail. Here’s why….

When people think about working in online marketing they automatically assume that they will be working for a large company. All of the large fashion designers, travel firms, finance companies and retailers reach out online to sell their products. But, these days, so does everyone else.

Firms selling signs for example need to be effectively marketed online just as much as a fashion house, hotel chain or retailer does. In the USA, 71% of small businesses already have a website and that number is growing.

Currently, there are around 28 million registered companies in the USA. Of those 22 million are classified as small businesses. That includes local plumbers, mom and pop retailers and crafters selling their wares.

The list of different types of business is an endless one. The travel, fashion and finance and retail industries are huge. But, the number of firms involved in those sectors is dwarfed by the number of companies providing other products and services. As a result, as an online marketer, you are just as likely to end up working for a firm that sells central heating as you are to land a job with a fashion retailer. Therefore, if you are considering a career in marketing it is wise to broaden your horizons a little.

So, many marketing students focus on what they perceive to be the biggest, most lucrative or glamorous industries, when studying for their degree. They spend time working as an intern in those sectors expecting to land a job in those industries when they graduate. Unfortunately, all too often, they are disappointed. The big retailers, fashion and travel industries have plenty of interns to call on and hundreds of applicants for every marketing job they advertise.

So, rather than focusing all of your efforts on securing work in those sectors, it is wise to diversify a little. If you do that, finding work or setting up your own online marketing firm becomes a lot easier.

However, you need niche down a little. For example, you could set your sights on working for health professionals. To be a successful marketer, you need to understand the business you are marketing.

It is essential to be familiar with their customer base. If you do not know how their potential clients think and feel your marketing campaigns will be ineffective. You also need to understand which social platforms they use when looking for products and services. If you focus on a specific niche you can grow your knowledge and be an effective marketer for firms that work in that sector.

Do not worry about not being able to find enough customers. As an online marketer, you can potentially work for any firm on the earth. For example, if you choose to provide online marketing services to dentists you will never be short of work. India has 197,000+ dentists, and the USA has 195,000.

If you are not sure what sector to get involved with, this list will help you to narrow down your options. It covers the USA, but it will still help you to identify what the biggest industries in your part of the world are likely to be.

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