What Are The Most Important Modern Marketing Skills in 2018?

The last few months I’ve been working on curriculums for digital marketing workshops and certifications for an international company and a university, respectively. It’s been an incredible journey – deeply analyzing how our marketers are being prepared in their formal degree programs, and identifying gaps that will make their skills more marketable in the workplace.

Key to traditional degree programs is that the curriculae often take several years to be approved. Unfortunately, that puts graduates years behind as they enter the workplace unless they’ve had very constructive internships.

More important than learning the everchanging landscape of marketing technology platforms, marketers need to have a disciplined approach to planning, measuring, and executing any marketing initiative. It’s why I developed the marketing campaign checklist… it’s a thorough list that ensures your initiative will be as successful as it can be.

Technology and social media have made a profound impact on marketing over the past few years. So much so, that small business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers may need to update their skill sets to properly engage with he next generation of consumers (Gen Z) while effectively leveraging progressive technologies. Maryville University Bachelor’s in Marketing

Maryville University has put together this detailed list of skills necessary for marketers to succeed in the workplace. Be sure to read their full post with the below infographic, 11 Modern Marketing Skills for Business Innovators to Master.

Most Important Modern Marketing Skills for 2018

1. Content Marketing – Organizations of all types can use marketers who create original, engaging, and creative content. 86% of marketers use content marketing as a regular part of their strategy, whether they’re working for global conglomerates or small, local businesses  Tweet This! However, only 36% assess their content marketing expertise as mature or sophisticated. Content creation and management, web analytics, and digital project management are all key skills within this area.
2. Mobile Marketing – 219.8 million Americans – 67.3% of the U.S. population – own a smartphone. This makes mobile strategies vital to an organization’s marketing efforts. The opportunity to reach a wide audience via mobile is sizeable, as Americans look at their phones an average of 47 times a day. That number is nearly double for Americans ages 18 – 24, who check their phones an average of 86 times daily  Tweet This! Key skills within this area include mobile design, mobile development, and e-commerce analytics.
3. E-mail Marketing – E-mail marketing has been a staple strategy for several years and will continue to be. 86% of marketers use e-mail to distribute marketing content. Marketing automation, subscriber engagement strategies, and subscriber growth strategies are all important kills within this strategy.
4. Social Media Marketing – 70% of Gen Z buys products and services via social media, making social media marketing an essential tactic to reach the demographic  Tweet This! 69% of Gen Z use Instagram, making it the generation’s most popular social media platform. This is followed by Facebook and Snapchat, which is each used by 67%. On average, marketers use five social media platforms to distribute content. Key skills in this area include social media management, content strategy, and creative direction.
5. Search Engine Marketing – Acquiring traffic via organic and paid searches requires marketers to stay current with constant changes. For instance, Google updates its algorithm more than 500 times a year. Growing search engine optimization (SEO) and organic presence is the top priority among 69% of North American inbound marketers  Tweet This! SEO, paid search advertising, and website optimization are all key skills within this area.
6. Video Production – 76% of marketers produce videos as part of their marketing strategy  Tweet This! These videos can incorporate interviews, animations, and other storytelling styles. This is a vital component to reach Gen Z. 95% of the generation uses YouTube, with 50% of them saying they “cannot live without” the video-driven website. Key skills in this area include video editing, animation, and content curation.
7. Data Analysis – 85% of marketers use analytics tools in their marketing tactics. Analytics is the second-most difficult skill set to find in new marketing talent, with 20% of marketers stating it’s tough to find  Tweet This! Despite this difficulty, 59% of marketers plan to increase their digital business analytics skills at their organizations. Data mining, data visualization, and statistical analysis are all key skills within this area.
8. Blogging – 70% of marketers use blogs to distribute content for marketing purposes and blogging more frequently can boost traffic  Tweet This! Companies that publish 16+ posts per month got nearly 3.5 times more traffic than companies that publish between 0-4 monthly posts. Key skills within this area include creativity, copywriting, and originality.
9. Operational Skills – Strategic operational skills are the chief skill set that digital marketers identify as crucial in enabling them to meet their overall demands. However, it’s also been found to be the most difficult skill set to source in new marketing talent. Budgeting, organizational alignment, and ROI and metrics measurement are all key skills within this area.
10. User Experience Skills – User experience analytics is the most challenging trend for marketers. However, user experience specialists can shed light on customer preference and behavior and help design websites and apps to drive customer retention and sales. Research, providing customer behavioral insight, and coding are all vital skills within this area.
11. Basic Design Skills – 18% of marketers report design skills as difficult to find in new marketing talent, making it the third-most difficult skill set to find in new marketing talent  Tweet This! However, marketing content in all its formats still needs to be visually appealing, and these skills continue to be in demand. Key skills within this area include graphic design, creativity, and visual design.

Here’s the full infographic:

55: 5 Marketing Predictions for the Next 5 Years

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