What I Thought Digital Marketing Was… and What It Actually Is
Spoiler Alert: It’s Not Just Posting on Instagram! 
Let’s rewind a few months. I’m sitting on my couch, scrolling Instagram for the fifth hour straight (don’t judge me 
), when I suddenly thought,
“Hey! I could totally be a digital marketer. I know how to use Instagram. I’ve even made reels!”
If you’ve ever thought the same, trust me, you’re not alone. Many people including me once believed that digital marketing is just about posting cute pics, adding hashtags, and waiting for likes to roll in.
Easy, right?
Wrong. very wrong.
The Digital Marketing Illusion
Here’s what I thought digital marketing was:
Making a reel and adding trending music ✅
Writing 3-line captions and tagging a few friends ✅
Posting every day and watching followers grow ✅
Basically, if you had a smartphone and some WiFi, you could do it. Right?
Well… not exactly.
Sure, anyone can start. But not everyone sticks around unless they meet some real essentials like:
Creativity
Strategy
Consistency
Technical skills
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being persistent.
What Digital Marketing Actually Is
Let’s break it down.
1. It’s a mix of science and Art
You need the right ingredients like keywords, visuals, copy, SEO and you need to follow a method (strategy, timing, testing).
Don’t just throw flour and sugar and expect a chocolate cake. (I tried… It was tragic.) 
2. It’s about solving problems.
People aren’t scrolling just to see pretty posts. They want answers:
“How do I get more views on YouTube?”
“How do I grow my business online?”
“What is this AI everyone’s talking about?”
You become valuable when you solve real problems, and that’s where the magic happens.
3. It’s backed by data.
Yup, analytics. You can’t just post and ghost.
Tools like Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite help track what’s working and what’s flopping harder than my first blog post.
(Yeah… nobody read it. Even my mom skipped it. 💔)
4. It’s always changing.
What worked last year? Might be dead now.
For example:
Instagram is now all about Reels and Stories
SEO is changing with AI Search Results
Email marketing is more personalized than ever
And voice search? Huge! (According to Statista, over 8.4 billion digital voice assistants are expected by 2024!)
Funny Expectations vs Reality
| EXPECTATION | REALITY |
| I’ll become an influencer overnight. | Took me a week to figure out Canva. |
| I can work anytime I want! | Algorithms don’t care about my sleep schedule. |
| I’ll just copy trends. | You actually need originality. Trends get old fast! |
Let’s Talk Trend : The Data You Need
If you’re starting now, here are a few trends;
Short-form Video
Reels, YouTube Shorts, they’re not just fun, they’re effective. HubSpot’s 2024 Report shows that short videos have the highest ROI in content marketing.
AI Tools
Like ChatGPT, Perplexity help with content ideas and writing.
Personal Branding
People don’t follow brands, they follow humans.
Start showing your journey. That’s what I’m doing here
My Advice If You’re Starting Now
Here’s what I’d tell the “old me” and anyone just entering digital marketing:
Don’t be afraid to suck at first.
You’ll learn. You’ll grow.
Be a student. Always.
I learned everything from free YouTube videos, blogs, and a course at CDA Academy . You don’t need to go to Harvard. You just need hunger.
Take breaks.
Your brain is a creative machine; not a content factory. Chill. Dance. Touch grass. Come back fresh.
Use tools to your advantage.
Some of my favorite beginner-friendly tools:
Canva – For all my designs
Figma – For wire frame
Elementor (WordPress) – To build beautiful blogs like this one
Final Thoughts : Why You Can Trust Me
I’m not a guru. I don’t have a million followers yet.
I’m just a 24-year-old girl who thought digital marketing was easy…but actually it is not.
But if I can go from posting random memes to building a digital career,so can you.
I’m still learning. Still growing. Still making mistakes. But now, I’m doing it with intention ,and with a community like you cheering me on.
Thanks for reading!
If you’re also stepping into this exciting world of digital marketing, let’s connect. Drop a comment, share your journey, or just say hi. 👇
Because this world is big—but your story can make it feel personal. 💛
You can follow more of my journey and work at https://navaljafer.com/