Digital marketers and their clients know that digital marketing is a must-have for companies who want to remain relevant in the modern age. But with so many things going on in the world of digital marketing, it can be difficult for companies to keep up. We’ve put together a list of ten people who should learn more about digital marketing, people who are known to have a large influence on others via social media.

Contrary to what you might think, digital marketing isn’t just for IT people and businesses. While it is common knowledge that digital marketers are responsible for creating ads for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, there are other important ways that your company can promote itself online via these sites.

         For example, purchasing an ad through one of these channels could get rid of the headache of having to create it yourself. Some companies hire employees to handle their ads on multiple channels while others outsource this job entirely. Either way, not every business has the staff or budget to do this themselves. In short, knowing how digital marketing works gives a person a leg up in whatever industry they looking at getting into since many companies and employees will not know as much as those who have studied it.

         Digital marketing isn’t just important for companies and marketers, however. As more businesses bring their advertising onto social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, these sites’ users are becoming an increasingly valuable audience for companies as well as individuals looking to promote themselves as brands.        

         It’s common practice now that politicians or celebrities release a statement through their social media accounts before they do it over traditional news outlets like television networks and newspapers. People with large enough platforms can essentially make a business come to fruition by endorsing them on one of the many digital marketing platforms available online today.

1. Business owners  – Unfortunately, according to Forbes, only six percent of small businesses use social media as part of their lead generation plan. Granted, they’re not all going to see a large gain from social media efforts but even a few extra sales per month would make getting set up worth it!  

  2 . Celebrities  – Say what you will about celebrities, but they do have an enormous amount of influence over the general public. The same report by Forbes states that thirty-one percent of consumers follow brands on social media because they’re run by a celebrity. There’s no way that isn’t going to translate into sales!

  3 . Politicians  – Most people already know about politicians and their advisors using social media (or at least attempting to), and with the 2016 Presidential race beginning, now is as good a time as any for them to hop aboard social media!

4 . Parents   – Parents are known for trying to stay abreast of every trend out there, so it just makes sense that they should take up digital marketing as well. Even if social media isn’t their forte, having at least some knowledge of what’s going on in the industry would benefit them greatly.

5 . Teachers  – Not only do teachers have to sift through new educational materials all the time, but they also need to be up on what’s trending in terms of pedagogy and technology use. Digital marketing is one facet of that equation they should look into!

  6 . Nonprofit workers   – Social media can be used to reach people who are interested in donating items or money to a certain cause. The more outreach companies are able to get, the better off they are!

  7 . Celebrities  – I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating: celebrities influence a lot of people, and they should keep up with the trends if they want to maintain that sort be relevancy.

8 . Trendsetters  – While “trendsetters” might seem to be a vague term, it really does encompass those who have a lot of social media influence. Of course, this would mean an increased engagement rate as well as sales!

  9 . Teachers  – In addition to being informed about how digital marketing works, teachers should take the time to familiarize themselves with all kinds of digital marketing plans so that can help their students craft a successful one for whatever project or assignment they’re working on.

  10 . Anyone who wants to improve their business skills  – Digital marketing is just one part of modern business, so learning about tactics and strategies will do everyone some good.