How many of us go through the daily rigmarole of life, exhausted with the hours, elated with the pay cheque, yet, never really knowing what we were born to achieve. A very thin line differentiates a job from a career, and a career from a fulfilling one.

Were you born to be a digital media baron and feel it in your bones?

Here are 8 signs that you were born to be a Digital Marketer.

You love creating and devouring words.

Content is on the rise. In 2014, Mark Schaefer projected that content on the Internet will grow by 600% by the year 2020. And he was right.

Content is the backbone of social media. If there are no words, there is no way of engaging users on the Internet. Digital media giants are born communicators – be it spoken or written. From penning down a termination letter to one congratulating the staff on achieving a milestone, from serious mortgage advice to doling out tips on choosing the perfect wedding ring, you will oscillate between many subject matters as a novice and an expert; but you, born to be a digital marketer, will never be short of useful words that will connect with the reader.

How? Because as much as you master at creation, you also devour content passionately, be it from social feeds of influencers or published books and articles, you respect and absorb content, in every form.

You are a born speaker.

Yes, but one who loves to listen. As a digital marketer, many times, you will be writing for someone else, and many times, you will be speaking for yourself or your company or your clients – on the podium, in the boardroom, explaining strategies, devising strategies or churning or defending ideas.

But great speakers and writers have two things in common, they enjoy reading (as I mentioned before) and are good listeners, too. Believe me, with millions of people shouting out their thoughts online and offline, a good listener will always find a story to share. And, if you are smart, you will keep your ears open to customer feedback, reviews and their interaction with competition, to engage better.

Never say die – Unless you have a good story to build on it!

As you would have already experienced, the life of a digital marketer is not a bed of roses. From Neil Patel to Rand Fishkin, everyone has tasted bad days and made mistakes, but never gave up. In fact, John Rampton, a top marketing influencer today, learned digital marketing while nursing a broken leg, not knowing whether he’d be able to walk ever again. Well, even I have had my share of struggles.

But that’s the real deal, on days you will be applauded for your content, on others, users may trash what you write, flooding you with criticism. There will be less time, low budgets, increasing competition and demanding clients, but you, as a digital marketer, will always focus on solutions instead of the ‘self-pity’ routine.

Curiosity … will only bell the cat!

Were you always the curious child asking ‘Why?’. Do you continue to wonder about ‘how’ and ‘why’ in every situation? If you just said yes, you are earmarked for a truly successful career as a digital marketer.

Digital marketing is a constantly evolving field. Thus, it is not only important to know what you do, but also crucial to understand why you implemented a strategy or suggested a hack in the first place and how it drove results (or did not) to understand the bigger picture and emerge as a strategist.

You teem with creativity and dabble in numbers.

I have often been called crazy for my ideas. Because I think differently, I dream of change; but a measurable change. I put my creativity in action to get measurable results, which is exactly what any digital marketer would do. In a continuously content cluttered space, only creativity can place you ahead of the competition. But creativity alone is not enough for a digital marketer.

Digital marketing calls for creativity and science. That’s where data kicks in, the veritable gold mine that must be analyzed and assessed for powerful marketing solutions.

Always on the ‘learn’

Digital media being a constantly evolving field, the only way to survive (or simply exist) is to learn continually. If you are curious, hungry for knowledge and always ready for the uptake, this game is for you to play. Grow your skill set, read more, spend time on social media, stay abreast of new trends, learn new strategies and hacks, read more, create more …

You don’t have to spend a single buck. The Internet is a vast treasure trove of knowledge only limited by your willingness to learn. Follow blogs of leading digital marketers, take online courses, attend webinars and never stop learning.

Solo worker and team player

Sounds contradictory, but isn’t. Every digital marketer must be comfortable working independently as well as in a team. Especially as a consultant, you would be thinking, designing and implementing strategies for your clients alone; brainstorming the obstacles and sharing the lessons only with yourself. This requires a high degree of self-motivation and discipline to achieve, especially when there is no team to help you. At the same time, you must be a team player because execution of strategies demands co-ordination with clients for a robust work relationship.

Passion – that thin line we spoke about at the beginning.

Do you love what you do? Are you passionate about technology? About helping young businesses take wings through your digital marketing strategies? Do you strive to learn continuously, to stay abreast of digital trends, to create content that helps your readers, to be a part of the digital revolution?

It is this passion that helps me and other digital marketers grow each day and realise our true potential. Without passion, there is no satisfaction.

In fact, if you have passion and love digital marketing, through perseverance, learning and experience you can imbibe and develop the above mentioned qualities for a thriving career as a digital marketer.