The Top Skills Needed to Be an In-Demand Digital Marketer

This informal CPD article ‘The Top Skills Needed to Be an In-Demand Digital Marketer,’ was provided by Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital, who specialize in creating training programs for small business owners, marketing departments, sales staff, advertising agencies and public relations departments.

Digital channels now account for 56% of total marketing¹ channel spend, and digital marketing skills and roles are in high demand. Digital marketing is considered one of the top career choices in 2023. According to LinkedIn, the “Digital Marketing Specialist” role is currently among the top 10 most in-demand jobs.

So, as a digital marketer (or aspiring digital marketer), what skills do you need to succeed? The digital skills needed fall into four main categories: strategy, content, channel expertise, and measurement.

Strategy

The starting point of all marketing should be strategy. There are so many channels and options in digital, and AI is making digital even more sophisticated. To leverage this, marketers need a stronger and more developed sense of strategy than ever before.

Connecting strategic objectives to digital tactics is vital today. There are so many digital channels that marketers could use; the key is knowing which channels provide the most strategic value. Starting with a clear strategy and knowing how to articulate and align it is vital in achieving digital marketing success.

Content

Content is the cornerstone of all digital marketing campaigns and efforts. Digital content is different than traditional marketing content. Traditional marketing content is only focused on creating content that sells a product. In digital, audiences have to opt-in to your marketing. Marketers must earn attention. This means you must create content that sells products and is attractive to your target audience.

Modern digital marketers need to understand content strategy and how to optimize content for digital platforms. This includes testing content and evaluating content based on results.

Channel Expertise

Digital marketers need expertise in the core channels they’ll use. A surface understanding doesn’t cut it. You need an in-depth understanding of the vital digital skills to grow in digital. The core channels to focus your digital learning plan on include:

• Website – The website is the center of all digital activities. It needs to be modern, use best practices, and be strategic. As a digital marketer, you need the skills and knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness of a website.

• Website Analytics – Since the website is the core of your online presence, understanding the analytics is vital to evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing. Understand how to interpret website analytics and assess digital marketing.

• SEO – SEO continues to be core to digital marketing success. SEO is also evolving as algorithms become more complex and user-centric. Be sure you understand how SEO works today and how to leverage it strategically.

• Social Media – Social media is a big topic and a significant contributor to online business growth. Social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and more are essential to growing a robust digital presence, and understanding how each of these works, the best practices, and how they drive business growth is vital as a digital marketer.

• Digital Advertising – Advertising online is flexible and effective. Knowing the core digital ad channels and how they work is important to understanding how to drive digital growth. Search Ads, Social Ads, Video Ads, Display Ads (or programmatic), and Affiliate Ads are all a part of a comprehensive digital marketer skill set.

• Community Engagement – This category includes several different aspects of digital marketing. This includes influencer marketing, community management, online PR, and digital marketing outreach.

• CRMs – CRMs are essential to connect with customers on a meaningful basis. They are a vital part of integrating a digital marketing strategy and targeting customers effectively.

• Email Marketing – While email marketing doesn’t get much attention these days, it is still an important part of any strategic marketing campaign. Email marketing skills include strategy, acquisition, best practices, and measurement.

• Mobile – These days, everything is mobile; however, mobile also represents unique opportunities. This involves SMS text message marketing, location-based marketing, mobile apps, and more.

Channel expertise is vital to connecting the dots and prioritizing digital marketing efforts. There is no shortage of what you could do in digital marketing. The key for a digital marketer is to have the channel knowledge to prioritize what you should do.

Measurement, Data, and Analytics

The final skills needed for a digital marketer are to understand how to interpret data and measure the impact of digital marketing. Assigning KPIs and measuring success on an ongoing basis is crucial to success. Understanding how to analyze data and use benchmarks and KPIs that link to an organization's strategic goals is vital. Digital marketers must know how to measure the right things to guide and execute strategic campaigns.

A modern digital marketer needs a variety of skills to be successful. Developing these skills can take time and involve formal and informal education. A digital marketing certification is a great way to ensure you have the breadth of skills needed to succeed.

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Boot Camp Digital, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

References

1. https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/topics/marketing-budget