A decade ago, people considered themselves a DJ when they got themselves a MacBook Pro. Today, it seems like anyone who has done an online webinar and a 2-day course is a digital marketing expert, but are they really?

In a world dominated by eCommerce, digital marketing is 'the new black' career-wise as start-ups, SME's and big business dive headfirst into an online world of marketing and social media that a few decades ago was only in its infancy.

With the digital world expanding, the demand for digital marketing experts has blossomed – making it the perfect time for individuals looking to jump into this exciting industry.

We've put together our five key steps to get you set and racing in your new digital marketing career, and they don't involve dropping a small fortune on a marketing degree!

Follow industry influencers

To set yourself up for success, start seeking out those who are the best digital marketing influencers in the industry. Why not jump onto LinkedIn and follow some of the industry top dogs of marketing or follow industry heavyweights such as Gary Vaynerchuck, Seth Godin or Silicon Valley-based author Guy Kawasaki. Sign up for industry white papers, tools and seminars to keep you in the loop. Digital marketing companies such as Marketo and Top Dog have access to some of the worlds best and brightest digital experts – find them, follow them and reach out to them.

Meet and network

It's vital if you are going to step out into the digital marketing world that you meet some people and do some professional networking. Networking and meeting with industry contacts to chat about the industry, gain insights and 'shoot the breeze' will help you to nurture your career in digital marketing. Groups such as Interactive Minds and the Australian Marketing Institute hold industry events across Australia.

Learn and train

Getting your head around SEO, Adwords, PPC, and social advertising is all part and parcel of being in the digital marketing game. If you haven't already, expand your knowledge base and brush up on your skill set with Google Analytics training, SEO training, Facebook Blueprint and Google Garage to ensure you're ahead of the game in the digital space.

Get some experience

Explore the idea of an internship to get the skills, knowledge, and experience you need to get your foot in the door. One of the key pitfalls of trying to start out in a new industry is getting experience – after all, you need experience to get a job, but a job to get experience – a real chicken and egg scenario. An internship for a month or two will give you the experience of working in a real digital marketing firm and get you in the game. Check out job sites such as Indeed or LinkedIn for internship opportunities.

Stay on top of it

Digital marketing is a fast-moving beast. You need to ensure that you're staying on top of not only digital news, but also marketing news, blogs, insights, posts, techniques and tips. To be at the top of your game, you need to be informed in both digital marketing and also your client's industries. Sites such as Moz and Neil Patel are fantastic resources for tools, guides and tips for smarter digital marketing.

Marketing and more specifically digital marketing is an extremely rewarding job. Whether you are in-house, working for an agency, a freelancer or have dreams of setting up your own agency in the future, it doesn't matter – digital marketing is an exciting and ever-evolving industry that is in demand globally.