Digital marketing is about connecting people and brands online. Digital marketing uses social media, display advertising, email, search engines, and other online channels to attract and engage customers, encourage them to make purchases, and build customer loyalty.

E-commerce refers to the trading of goods and services over the internet. E-commerce uses online platforms to buy and sell products and services, which includes designing an online store, crafting product listings, conducting market research, fulfilling orders, and analyzing store performance.

Digital marketing and e-commerce specialists perform a variety of tasks related to advertising and selling online. Different companies define these roles in various ways, but there is often overlap between them. Some common responsibilities include planning and creating ads and other content for websites, social media, and email; optimizing content for search engines; analyzing data to gain marketing insights; managing online stores; and creating and updating product listings.

During the pandemic, hiring for digital marketing and e-commerce related jobs boomed as more businesses moved online—between February and April 2020, e-commerce grew more than it had in the previous decade. Research shows that there were 40,000+ digital marketing and e-commerce job openings in the past 12 months in the U.S., and the number of available roles is projected to grow in the coming years. The rise of automation, machine learning, and new technologies in e-commerce and digital marketing means candidates will be expected to demonstrate knowledge in the use of digital technologies, which is currently a skills gap that leaves roles unfilled. People can prepare for jobs in these fields through this new entry-level Google Career Certificate.