The reality is that most modern marketing relies on digital outputs such as web ads, social media and email marketing.
Most marketing is digital or at least has a digital equivalent these days. Experts like Marketing Week columnist, Mark Ritson, ask "Is it time to drop the D?” - i.e. simply call it marketing, as digital marketing is just effective marketing using digital tools.
Even in print media, every magazine, newspaper or flyer has a digital equivalent or element, such as a website to activate digital content.
Automation and social are all-encompassing
Most big businesses now run automated campaigns, with social media in particular powered by automation.
Marketing professionals use the media which is most popular with their target audiences. And, brands have followed their increasingly tech-savvy audience onto digital platforms and social media.
Social media has condensed the timeline for marketers, allowing for quick responses to existing trending topics online, e.g. incorporating topical memes into their content.
Digital and tech skills have become crucial to these marketing processes, as well as an understanding of automation and tools which demonstrate return on investment (ROI). ROI is essential to measuring the success of your campaigns and to decide how to improve them, so time and effort isn’t wasted.
User experience, user interface
An important issue to touch on is the death of essential marketing skills in key areas. New skills are in demand following the regular use of digital technology, and companies would benefit if these were learned as part of initial marketing training.
Over the past few years, there has been a consistent lack of UX/UI experience at junior level. There are plenty of candidates at senior level, mainly contractors, but a not enough fledgling graphic and digital designers are upskilling themselves in the area. A better understanding, and perhaps better training, in user experience and user interface is needed among junior or less experienced candidates.
Digital marketers should be strong in SEO
SEO is another area you’ll find a shortage of candidates. For digital marketers an understanding of this skill is a must, but not all candidates go out of their way to learn or develop their knowledge.
Everyone using social media, writing a blog or developing a website, wants their content to be seen. This requires them to have a basic understanding of SEO. Good SEO techniques will improve the success of your content by making it visible to as many people as possible.
In turn, this makes extracurricular learning a must. Even if you aren’t learning new skills at work, you can teach yourself by watching videos, vlogs, reading blogs and even practising on demo software. This helps you to develop a well-rounded CV, which is desirable to employers in our industry.
If you are looking to recruit for a digital marketer, or perhaps you are looking for a job in digital marketing, contact your local Reed office for more information.
