Many jobs, especially those careers in digital marketing, requires a proper understanding of coding. This is a relevant skill that helps many digital marketers outshine their opponents in this field. Digital marketing is a career that allows you to make ambiguous plans as well as write smart copies. Having a basic understanding of a few programming languages can enhance your digital marketing skills.
But you might be wondering "does digital marketing needs coding skills"?
Necessary coding skills will be a great boost to a digital marketer. They enhance effectiveness in work thus giving you a better privilege to comprehend technology’s possibilities.
As today’s digital marketing platforms are largely data-driven, a digital marketer thereby requires some essential coding skills to stand the test of time. But what are these coding skills? Take a chill pill, don’t be up on the hill. You have just stumbled on the right article. An article that is centered on enlightening you on the top-notch coding skills you will require as a digital marketer. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s jack in!
Table of Contents
1. Data Visualization
2. Data Analysis
3. HTML
4. Scripting
1. Data Visualization
The presentation of information in a graphical format usually with the help of pictorial representation is referred to as data visualization. This coding skill is very essential for digital marketers. What does it do? As a decision-maker, you will be required to see analytics visually and derive significant conclusions at a glance. Data visualization helps you to that just. With data visualization, a lot of information is conveyed in an absolutely small amount of screen real estate.
Understanding how to come up with data visualizations is very important. It gives you the ability to convey to various stakeholders what you desire to do more conveniently and easily. With that, it will be very difficult for things to get lost in translation.
Data visualization will also be ideal;
When you want to illustrate an argument with the help of a graphic.
In content marketing
2. Data Analysis
When we talk of data analysis we simply referring to Excel and SQL. What do these two mean?
The kind of data held in a relational database management system is well managed by the use of programming language. This programming language is called SQL. They are characterized by the control languages, manipulation, and data definition. The main features of SQL that a digital marketer will interact with more often are querying and the manipulation language.
SQL is commonly known for quick and simple data queries and data analysis at large. It works even on multi-million-line datasets. How is this beneficial in the field of digital marketing? As a digital marketer, you will be required to run a series of advanced queries on Google Analytics data. You will also be required to have access to in-depth user data from your organization’s database. If you have SQL skills, you will be good to go.
SQL as a programming language enables the management of data that is stored in the relational database management system. As said, they have control languages, data definition, and manipulation. SQL solves real-world marketing problems by creating a lot of detailed and accurate reports.
Data Analysis can prove to be one of the digital marketing hard skills you learned. Excel may also be referred to as Libreoffice Calc. And what is this? It refers to spreadsheet programs that exhibit a data manipulation function. The use of this demands a bit of knowledge of Python or VBA in running macros.
The main thing in data analysis is to at least learn the manipulation of data. Have a glimpse of knowledge on how to query SQL. In case it is ambiguous for you and you can’t master it easily, use macros. SQL is capable of handling more complex queries and more complex data which is very beneficial when it comes to digital marketing.
3. HTML
Learning programming languages can strengthen your digital marketing technical skills. HTML is best at coding and designing the frontend of emails and web apps. It is beneficial in the field of digital marketing as provides a top-grade user experience via quality interfaces. It also doesn’t any services of a development team in conducting AB tests.
HTML tells the browser the ideal way to have the content displayed and defined. This is very essential when it comes to content marketing. HTML also prescribes ways to locate and edit title tags, keywords, and meta descriptions. What is the best approach if the software you are using to upload content does not have a WYSIWYG or Markdown interface? You should be worried at all. You should enlighten yourself on how to create images and lists, headings, hyperlinks, paragraphs, and spacing for ideal formatting.
CSS and HTML can also be used in encoding and designing an email frontend or a web application. CSS will polish things in different styles to make them as beautiful while the HTML help in structuring the website. The HTML also contains its data for content.
HTML solves real-world marketing problems by enabling digital marketers in defining the intent of their content. It also introduces beginners to the programming world.
In order to learn HTML and CSS, Udacity is a good option. They also have a course on Digital marketing, which has garnered very positive feedback among graduates.
4. Scripting
This coding skill may refer to Python, Perl, or even Bash. What is the difference between the three? Their notable differences are explained below;
Bash – A command-line interpreter
As a digital marketer, you will also be required to have a glimpse of Bash before you can count yourself as good to go. What is Bash anyway? It is one of the programming languages and is in-built into every Linux computer.
Learning Bash will assist a digital marketer in the automation of various market platforms via computers running on Ubuntu. Bash is also a popular programming language for most data servers.
Python – A dynamic language
Several aspects such as complexity levels and syntax compare Python to JavaScript. Python, a back-end programming language will be used by a digital marketer in server-side development tasks. This is the most popular programming language employed in most modern organizations’ marketing platforms.
With just simple coding, this is a very powerful language mostly used in the automation of several marketing strategies.
As a digital marketer you will involve yourself in juggling data from social media, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) campaigns, paid search among many other components that form part of the current marketing strategy.
Python coding in marketing is a completely new concept as python finds its applications in AI and Machine Learning. Python allows you to formulate a custom code critical in analyzing the millions and trillions of data from the various available marketing platforms. And the custom codes doesn’t stop there, they help in establishing the ideal digital marketing campaign, instilling efficient correct measures, and detecting fault lines.
JavaScript
Most analysts interact with this programming language while working with Google tracking codes. A digital marketer should consider using JavaScript if he or she desires to achieve immense granularity and accuracy of tracking with the use of ideal data quality.
This programming language is also essential if you need to come up with a simpler prediction that will enable your site to have a seamless conversation with Google.
Other beneficial attributes of JavaScript include;
Automating repetitive tasks in Google Ads.
Saves your money from unnecessary PPC campaigns.
Java
This coding skill is ideal in the building of web apps and also backend web systems. The skill helps a digital marketer in coming up with simple apps that make marketing duties simple. Java has a longer lifespan and can run on a variety of platforms and devices.
Java solves a variety of real-world marketing problems by enhancing software development. It is an essential tool in finding developers and solving emerging management problems.
Final Thoughts
To be a genius in digital marketing, you need to be well versed with a variety of programming languages and other coding skills. Coding for digital marketing is mostly underestimated but can be a valuable asset. Understanding API and multiple testing capabilities will also be an added advantage.