My Tryst with Digital Marketing
After six months of regular hassle, a broken keyboard and an almost deficit bank account — here I am to share a rather unforgettable experience of my life.
Six months ago, I was this third-year engineering student with a keen interest in writing and telling stories searching for work that could pay me enough for my monthly expenses. Writing had always been my forte, and hence, I got into the world of Digital Marketing as a Social Media Manager in a Social Media Management firm. My work was to strategise content for the various clients my firm had, write content daily for the same and coordinate with the graphic designers so that the final product is something catchy, solid yet not too strong, subtle and inevitably a footfall-monger for the client's brand.
Easy, right? I thought so too. However, after working in the same pattern every day, putting up content at odd hours of the night so that it is available for the graphic designers in the early working hours of the morning. Taking calls from clients who want something specific on their Facebook/Instagram and all the while handling the constant bickering of your employers who were hell-bent on pedantic — is the agony of every content/copywriter out there. Frankly, it's draining, but this is how the world works, right?
You put in hours to get something done, and you are underappreciated for it when it's finally done. Be it any sector or phase of your life.
Working the Digital Marketing playground is all fun and jolly until that one dreaded call from your employer. Speaking of employers — I understand they need to cover a lot of ground to meet their profit margins, but why do you have to turn into German generals from World War II? Imagine going to bed after hours and hours of staring at a screen emitting light that's sooner or later going to affect your cornea, working on coffee and an almost negligible amount of serotonin because you were up all night putting content. Then you see your cell phone ring with a familiar but not-so-pleasant contact name on display. Yes, the sword of Damocles has fallen, and that's just an exaggerated way of saying that your boss or immediate superior is calling you. Now the call can be anything. They can appreciate you for a "part" of your work, or they can ask you to drop everything you are doing and get something done asap. Sometimes, their demands for a brand can be more absurd than the brand owners' actual needs.
This is the same boss who credits your salary, so you have to do what you are asked to do, no matter howsoever illogical that might sound. This is the same boss who says, "Call me if you have any doubts," and doesn't pick your calls when you do so or tells you to "research".
From my six months of professional experience in the field, I have learnt that the world is moving towards an augmented-reality based shop-owner-customer relationship that Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse is trying to bring over. The pandemic was just an essential catalyst, and Digital Marketing as a profession/business model will be standing high and tall.
However, it is essential to learn a work-life balance. I am writing this from my perspective. The world of Digital Marketing and Social Media Management gives you plenty of experience and valuable knowledge. You read and write about many things and retain a lot of it in your memory because of your thorough research on a particular subject to write content/make posts for your clientele's brand. Nevertheless, always say no to toxic work culture. Significantly, the ones who are just starting into this wild venture — it's not always your fault things didn't work out for you in your firm. No one can win against a toxic work culture. For example, when I finally decided to leave my firm — I wasn't paid my last month's salary. The money I rightfully deserved. I tried to fight them, but as I said, you cannot win against a toxic work culture and toxic people who command so in their workspace. I am lucky because I am still a learning student and has a solid backing to fall on, but that's not the case for many people.
Digital Marketing with the right firm can earn you millions, and there will always be a certain level of toxicity in your workspace. The motto is to set boundaries and give your best.
Do share your views in the comments below.
