Top 10 Skills Needed For A Digital Marketing Career In Malaysia

A mix of creativity and analytics, discover what it takes to launch a successful career in digital marketing as a Malaysian.

By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM

Updated on 2024-08-16 at 6:04 AM

Thinking of venturing into the world of digital marketing in Malaysia?

This Hiredly guide is all you need to launch a successful career in digital marketing with or without a Bachelor’s degree.

Read on for a rundown of what a digital marketer does, the skills you need to pursue a career in digital marketing as well as helpful online resources to get you started on the right track.

Understanding the Role: What to Expect as a Digital Marketer in Malaysia

To start, digital marketing (sometimes referred to as online marketing) is the act of promoting and selling to potential customers through the use of the internet and other forms of digital media. Digital marketing can take many forms, but the most common ones are email, web-based advertising, and social media.

Therefore, to start off your digital marketing career in Malaysia, familiarise yourself with these digital channels to create brand awareness, send a message, or promote products and services.

Must-Have Skills for a Thriving Career in Digital Marketing

Although a specific degree isn’t a prerequisite for a career in digital marketing, being on top of trends, strategies, and marketing tools is a must. Fortunately, learning the skills needed for a successful digital marketing career is easier with internet access. It’s no wonder you’ll meet many digital marketers with completely different academic or career backgrounds.

Here is a list of top 10 skills you need for a successful digital marketing career in Malaysia. We also included some helpful online resources to get you started:

1. Content Marketing

Content Marketing requires you to analyse and create shareable online content that stimulates interest in a brand, cause, product or service. Effective content marketing skills in Malaysia involve understanding your audience, developing a content strategy, and consistently producing high-quality content.

2. Copywriting

Copywriting is preparing text for ads, marketing materials or websites. Good copywriting effectively delivers the intended message and inspire action from your audience. It's crucial to have good copywriting skills as a digital marketer for online marketing campaigns, email marketing, and social media posts.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing is a form of Content Marketing that uses social media to bring awareness to a brand, cause, product, or service. What’s more, social media marketing is one of the easiest ways to try your hand at digital marketing! Think about creating content on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of your website when people search for specific information related to your brand or business. SEO strategies increase website traffic and ensure your website rank high on search engines like Google!

5. Paid Advertising

Paid Advertising or Digital Advertising is what many digital marketers in Malaysia focus on. It uses strategies to target potential customers based on their actions, interests, or previous interactions with the brand.

6. Email Marketing

Digital marketer mapping out email marketing flow on whiteboard

Email Marketing uses email channels to update customers or audiences on the latest developments, offers or services. It is a staple marketing funnel to build lasting relationships with customers and generate leads via email. Learn how to use marketing automation to keep your audience in the loop.

7. Web Analytics

Web Analytics help measure marketing effectiveness. It gives you a look into critical information such as customer behaviour or your online presence. Using tools like Google Analytics, you can gather data to improve future digital marketing efforts and optimise campaigns. For digital marketers, this allows you to make informed decisions based on real-time data, rather than relying on intuition or guesswork.

8. Customer Journey Design

Customer Journey Design is a critical part of the Customer Experience. Because of this, being well-versed in Customer Journey can help you provide a pleasant experience to your customers by understanding their needs and pain points. This skill is going to help digital marketers create personalised marketing messages and targeted campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments, improving engagement and conversion rates.

9. Affiliate Marketing

skilled career influencer promoting product for digital marketing

Affiliate Marketing refers to a program in which a business agrees to pay an affiliate a commission for driving sales of a product or service. Affiliates are usually other businesses or internet influencers like content creators or bloggers.

10. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) increases the percentage of users (or website visitors) to take the desired action by implementing effective ways of using elements on your website or app. It can include UX, page functionality and even recommendation algorithms and strategies.

How do you get qualified as a Digital Marketer in Malaysia?

When it comes to qualifications, getting tertiary certification in marketing or communications is the most straightforward way to get into the digital marketing field. Qualification in IT or web development may help too.

If you don’t have the formal qualification, don’t fret.

The digital marketing landscape in Malaysia is constantly changing. Thus, proving you are up-to-date with current trends and tools can prove more valuable than having a specific Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

Instead, micro-credentials in the form of quick, online courses are becoming more and more popular amongst digital marketers. It is a surefire way to keep up-to-date with current market needs while keeping you a competitive and employable candidate.

Recommended online courses and certifications to help you get started as a Digital Marketer:

iTrain Asia: The Certified Digital Marketing Specialist (CDMS) course
AirAsia Academy: Digital Marketing 101, Digital Marketing for eCommerce
LEAD: Growth Marketing 360
Akademi GA: Digital Marketing Bootcamp, Digital Marketing On-Demand, Digital Marketing Immersive
NEXT Academy: Digital Marketing Quantum Degree

Additional resources in Digital Marketing for Beginners:

Besides taking up courses or bootcamps, here are initiatives you can take to practice and prove your proficiency in Digital Marketing:

Start a blog or website and implement web and email marketing strategies.
Build a following on social media and market yourself and what you offer.
Volunteer to provide digital marketing services for projects in your community, school or workplace. You can then use these projects to gain experience and build your portfolio.

Set on starting a career as a digital marketer? Whether it will be your first job or a career change, make sure your resume is up-to-date with the help of our resume checklist.

When you’re ready, kickstart your career in Digital Marketing with jobs on Hiredly today!

By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM