Whether you’re looking for a career in marketing or currently demonstrating your capabilities within the sector, it’s important that we keep up with the ever-changing trends and skills. It is also important to understand the skill that are required to pursue and succeed in your career as a marketer. 

Although there are different sectors and focuses within digital marketing such as: SEO, Social Media, Analytics and a content-focused position, the characteristics for a digital marketer are fairy similar. 
 

By understanding the digital marketing skills in demand, this will give you a better understanding of your own skill-set and what you need in order to progress and develop. 

As well as technical skills, you cannot discount the core and soft skills that are equally as important. Core and soft skills come in equally as handy; especially when it comes to working in a team or overseeing projects. The ability to manage time and communicate are fundamental skills when it comes to success. 

Which core skills come in useful? 
 

There are technical skills which you can develop as a marketer; however, there are also skills which cannot be taught. These are qualities and traits you should possess within, in order to be successful. 

Some of these skills and traits include: 

A passion for learning - This is a skill you cannot be taught. As we mentioned previously, the digital world is always evolving along with the technology that informs it. No matter what stage of your career you are in, you are always learning. Some of the ways that you can keep yourself regularly informed include online courses and events and conferences. 

Strong Communication Skills – Communication within marketing is not only having the ability to communicate with your audience and build relationships, but also utilising these skills internally. Being able to work and communicate effectively within a team is important. As we see current changes to the way we work, businesses have had to adapt accordingly – opting for a more ‘digital’ approach. Being able to adapt and communicate through different channels will make life much easier. 

Reliability and dedication –  Being dedicated to your career is a must. In Marketing, reliability is a big thing. Project managers and co-workers must know that when you receive a project, it will come back at a good standard. This will also be down to you to ensure that you are dedicated in a bid to attain digital marketing excellence in general. 

The Skills in Demand 

2020 saw huge change to the way businesses conducted their activity and as mentioned previously, due to new innovations, understanding and possessing the current digital skills in demand is crucial to landing opportunities. 

Online traffic has boomed and in a bid to retain customers, thousands of businesses have geared up to ensure they’re providing the best service possible on a regular basis. With online competition at an all-time high, there’s a major need to catch the attention of customers. By adapting to the new normal and embracing digital marketing skills, your brand can leverage the online marketplace for future success in 2021 and beyond.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
 

Having knowledge of SEO provides a strong backbone for all digital marketing skills that you can learn. 

Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of increasing not only the quantity of your web traffic but also the quality of the traffic. Businesses are always looking for ways to grow their target audience and that requires digital marketing strategies to be built around SEO as well as the content that is being produced. 

Ideally businesses will be looking for SEO specialists that know how to work with developers and designers in order to optimize the online experience and increase conversions. However, if you are  familiar with SEO, that becomes invaluable when it comes to developing a content strategy that will increase searching rankings. 

Analytics 

In 2021, data has become more powerful and also more available than ever before. Being able to analyse and measure the performance of your marketing strategy is important when identifying successful trends by consumers. 

As a marketing professional, if you’re solid in your handling with data, you could stand out from the rest. Companies need to utilize skilled data analytics professionals who break down the data into useful insights; and those who are able to make accurate predictions and judgements, will be highly sought after during their digital marketing career. 

There are various analytics tools you can get your teeth stuck into including: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics and Hubspot reporting allows you to track important metrics like bounce rate and the click-through-rate. 
 

Social Media Marketing 

Having a social media presence nowadays for businesses seems like a no-brainer. With the amount of time users are spending on social media platforms, businesses are finding new ways to engage with their target audience. As more businesses look to take an online approach for the foreseeable, they will be on the lookout for social media marketers to set the tone online. 

Social media marketers must understand their customer base, what kind of content they search for, and how to get people talking about your brand. As well as organic campaigns, paid social media marketing campaigns and influencer marketing are effective ways to enhance content strategy in 2021 and beyond. 
 

Web Design & Development 

The beneficial thing about web design in 2021 is that you do not need to have great knowledge of programming, but good knowledge of HTML, CSS and other coding languages. A website determines the credibility of a business and making that first impression is crucial. 

If you have the necessary skills and knowledge of a web design and development, that allows you to make changes to the front-end and back-end of a website without needing a dedicated web developer. UX and UI designers will be in high-demand during 2021; especially for businesses that have had to adopt an online presence due to the high-street and retailers suffering due to restrictions. 
 

Video Content Creation 

Video content is no doubt one of the most popular and effective forms of content across websites and social media nowadays. Videos have become an important part of marketing campaigns and they have also become cheaper to create with many options. Videos can help when breaking the wall between consumers and businesses – building the relationship. 

More specifically, adding a video component to your website can significantly increase your traffic and move up the search engine results. Tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, allow you to create long and short videos. If you are a skilled video editor, then you could be in demand during 2021. 

In 2021, mobile marketing is everything and mobile users are addicted to quality video content and your next role in video could be closer than you think. 
 

Copywriting/Content 

Content is an important part of a marketing strategy. The quality of content not only retains the audience that you currently have, but it also attracts more to visit your website and ultimately find out more about your product. 

The quality of the interface is important, the actual words must make a difference. Consumers nowadays want to know the story behind a brand before they consider before buying. Quality content marketers can do just that by forging a brand narrative and knowing which platform to share it on.

In a bid to engage with their audience more frequently, companies will be seeking quality copywriters. If you’re considering another avenue in marketing, copywriting could be a very valuable skill for you! 
 

Conclusion 

The great thing about digital marketing is that there are so many areas that you  can pick up skills and specialise in. There are a range of resources available online for you to get stuck into, including online tutorials. 

If you are part of a marketing team, or a digital marketing manager, 2021 is a time of great opportunity to learn and thrive as the business world grows increasingly more integrated with online marketing tools.

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