Digital marketing is invaluable to any company with an online presence. Marketing professionals have the digital marketing skills to inspire customers to buy, use or believe in a product or service. So it’s no surprise that more and more people want to learn digital marketing skills. But for entry-level marketing professionals, it can be hard to prioritize which in-demand digital marketing skills you need in 2023 to be a competitive candidate in the job market. To be successful in this field, one must understand and utilize various digital marketing tools and strategies.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 9 digital marketing hard skills you need in 2023. Remember, you don’t need to master every skill on this list. Pick some essential digital marketing skills to learn and add to your resume.
What digital marketing hard skills do you need on your resume in 2023?
1. Superior search engine optimization (SEO) strategy
A superior SEO strategy is key to achieving your company’s selling potential.
What is SEO? It’s the process of optimizing a website to get a high ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Why? Because you could have the best product out there, but no one will know if consumers can’t find your product online.
How does it work? Think about when you use Google or any other search engine. You enter a keyword or question into the search bar. Google will return pages with content relevant to what you’re looking for and other suggestions based on similar keywords. Pages with more relevant information rank higher and increase engagement rates for businesses high on result pages than those that don’t. Learning SEO will drive more leads to your website, and most web traffic comes from Google’s organic results.
Protip: There are tons of free courses online. Take a free SEO course to learn the fundamentals of theory, best practices, and most effective strategies.
2. Video
According to Hubspot, 80% of marketers claim video has directly increased sales. Video is the top investment for brands in 2023.
Why? Video content is engaging, personal, and current. People who see a face promoting a brand are more likely to trust that business. Video content can also be used across different channels, making it a versatile digital marketing tool.
Protip: You don’t need a trained video producer to create engaging video content. Most user-generated content (UGC) is successful because it’s authentic and less refined than a highly edited video. So, we recommend you learn the basics of creating video content and use free tools like Canva or iMovie to practice.
3. Content marketing
In 2019, over $400 billion was spent on content marketing alone. You can’t have an effective SEO strategy without content.
What is it? Content marketing is creating high-quality, SEO-friendly content for many channels. Examples of different types of content are social media, podcasts, videos, blog posts, white papers, emails, etc.
Why? Content, when done well, tells an excellent story that promotes your product, generates leads, builds customer loyalty, and indirectly boosts interest in your product or brand.
Protip: Learn how to create an effective content strategy to engage, convert, and retain audiences. To hone these skills, we recommend taking a digital marketing certificate program that spends a few weeks reviewing how to create a strategy and teaching you about content marketing. Read through the digital marketing program syllabi before you enroll to decide which certificate program is best for you.
4. Social media marketing
Social media goes hand in hand with content marketing and SEO. Digital marketers use social media channels to promote a product, service, or brand. But, great marketing professionals don’t just post and share content. They build a strategy that examines each channel’s different algorithms and audiences. By doing this, they convey relevant messages to relevant audiences, drive more traffic to landing pages and indirectly improve search rankings.
Protip: Become a social media superstar by taking a digital marketing certificate program. You want to find a project-based program that tests your new skills. Pathstream’s program includes hands-on labs where you learn how to work with social media influencers or create social media campaigns.
5. Marketing analytics
Marketing analytics is essential for digital marketers to tailor their services or product to fit the needs of current and prospective customers.
How does it work? Organizations have loads of data. If you’re passionate about robust marketing strategies and making better business decisions, you need to learn to extract customer insights using data analytics skills. Many analytical tools are available to help you learn about customer interests, choices, and preferences. You don’t need to become a data analyst, but you can learn the basics and how to use marketing analytic tools.
Protip: Suppose you want to learn how to use Google Analytics; take a free course online. But, if you’re going to learn a variety of marketing analytic tools, we recommend a project-based digital marketing program that covers: Google Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Google Sheets formulas, performance testing, and KPIs. Equipping yourself with in-demand digital marketing skills will make you a valuable asset to any organization. If data analysis interests you most, consider a data analytics certificate program.
6. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
What is PPC? It’s when advertisers pay a fee each time their ads are clicked. This means you buy visits rather than earning them organically. Many organizations use PPC to expand their reach, build brand awareness and generate high revenue. In fact, this type of internet marketing is so popular that specializing in PPC can help you snag one of the highest-paying digital marketing jobs.
How does it work? The role requires that you effectively create, optimize and report on campaigns using Google Ads, Google Analytics, or other tools. Digital marketers with strong analytical and problem-solving skills are successful in this role.
Protip: To excel at PPC, build up your experience by learning Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and taking a PPC course covering the fundamentals. You can start your journey with free tutorials and courses online:
- Google Ads tutorials
- Microsoft Advertising Certificates
- PPC courses
7. Basic design skills
Content performs better when accompanied by visuals. It’s essential to have basic design skills to create and edit visuals.
Why? A lot of marketing doesn’t require a graphic designer. For example, many companies will have digital marketing specialists and social media planners whip up images or short video clips for social media channels. It saves time and money.
Protip: You don’t need to be a Figma, Photoshop, or Adobe InDesign pro to create visual content. Tools like Canva are easy to use, and many free online tutorials are available to teach you the program.
8. Competitive research and analysis
You should know how to conduct competitive research and analysis to be hired as an entry-level digital marketer.
What is it? This research requires you to identify a brand’s major competitors and learn more about their sales, products, and marketing strategies. Knowing how you stack up against the competition helps you stay ahead of them.
How does it work? A digital marketer sets up online alerts to follow media coverage of their competitors, review advertisements, examine content published, and create reports for their team. These insights help your team develop better brand strategies.
9. Brand positioning
Once you’ve learned about your competitors, it’s time to describe how your brand is different from them. A successful brand has a defined identity and value proposition.
How to do it? A brand positioning strategy involves creating brand associations in customers’ minds. You do this by understanding your customer’s wants, your competitor’s positioning, and your company’s brand capabilities. Then you identify what will resonate with your customers and how it’s different from competitors.
Protip: Competitive research and brand positioning go hand in hand. The best way to learn these digital marketing hard skills is through education. Position yourself as an expert by taking an online certificate program.
Changes in Digital Marketing from 2022 to 2023
The digital marketing world is constantly changing as new innovations are made. In fact, it’s hard to keep up with all of the changes that occur each year. So, what can we expect from 2023? What will change and how should brands prepare for those changes? Let’s explore!
Increased Focus on Automation
Automation has been making waves in the digital marketing world for some time now, but brace yourself, it’s about to become an even bigger player in the game. Imagine having tools that can handle tedious tasks like email campaigns, social media management, and ad targeting for you. The ultimate goal? To save you time and increase efficiency, so you can focus on the fun stuff like strategy and creativity.
Higher Emphasis on Personalization
As the digital world gets increasingly crowded, standing out becomes crucial. And what’s the key to standing out? Personalization. It’s all about using data to create unique and tailored experiences for each and every customer. From customized content to personalized messaging, the little things make all the difference.
Personalization in digital marketing can be as simple as showing a customer that you truly understand them. Imagine browsing an e-commerce website, and as you scroll through the pages, you start to see products that align perfectly with your interests and previous purchases. It’s like the website is reading your mind! For example, if you’re a fitness enthusiast who frequently buys workout gear, the website could serve up personalized ads and promotions for the latest and greatest athletic clothing and accessories. It’s a win-win situation: not only does it make the customer feel special, but it also increases the likelihood of them making a purchase.
Increase in Artificial Intelligence Usage
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to increase dramatically in the next two years, with the technology being used in more industries and for more purposes than ever before.
AI is no longer just for the tech giants, it’s becoming more and more accessible for everyday business. And as it becomes more accessible, it’s also becoming more widely used in digital marketing. Imagine having chatbots that can handle customer service for you, or using AI for tasks like predicting customer behavior and targeting ads. It’s the future of marketing and it’s closer than you think!
Growing Need for CyberSecurity
As we dive deeper into the digital world, it’s important to remember that with all the power and reach we have, comes a great responsibility. And in this case, it’s all about keeping our digital marketing efforts safe and sound. That means fortifying our defenses with encryption and two-factor authentication, staying alert for any potential threats, and making sure our team is aware of the best security practices. By doing so, not only do we keep our digital marketing campaigns safe, but we also protect the trust of our customers. Additionally, having regular security audits and implementing a cyber security framework can also help businesses stay ahead of potential threats and protect their digital assets.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
In order to stay ahead of the digital marketing curve, you need to know what it is and how you can get there. The digital marketing world is constantly changing, and if you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to be in the know. That means staying up-to-date on the latest industry news, experimenting with new platforms and tools, and always testing and refining your strategies. And let’s not forget about being flexible and agile, so you can quickly pivot and adapt to new changes in the market. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve.
How do you gain Digital Marketing skills in 2023?
Aspiring marketing professionals prioritizing learning digital marketing skills will set themselves apart from their competition. Now that you know what in-demand digital marketing skills you need to succeed, what’s next? Learn more about the industry and the different career paths if you’re new to digital marketing. We also encourage you to seek out connections already employed as marketing professionals within your professional network. You can learn more about their role through informational interviews and better understand the job requirements. If you feel confident this is the right career for you, explore the Facebook Digital Marketing Certificate by Pathstream. Our expertly designed program is self-paced and available 100% online. You will only need to commit approximately 10 to 15 hours per week to successfully complete our program, making it easy to structure it around your other responsibilities.
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