The face of digital marketing is continuously changing. Digital transformation has been an ongoing project for many companies over the past few years and is high on the agenda for others. Companies are more willing to expand and build on their digital capabilities so there has never been a better time for Marketers to upskill and adapt.

2018 is set to be an enormously exciting year for digital marketing, according to a recent MediaCom’s Survey. Although the survey uncovered that marketing budgets are to remain largely unchanged across Ireland throughout the year, we are likely to see an increase in many digital marketing channels, with a 49% increase in social media investment, 28% in content marketing, 25% in search, 24% in video and 24% in online display/programmatic advertising.

Along with other changes set to take place this year including the GDPR compliance deadline, approaching in May 2018, the future of digital marketing is set to see some key changes, which in turn, will require marketers to adapt and tailor their skillset to match accordingly.

Outlined below are six of the core skills we feel are going to be vital for digital marketing professionals throughout the year.

1. Social Media Management

Already highlighted in the recent MediaCom’s Survey, social media as a digital marketing tool continues to rise. According to Statista.com, by 2020 social media members are expected to rise by 3 billion, therefore, this is a marketing opportunity we must take advantage of.

We are likely to all have someone in our office who is social media savvy but it is important to remember that social media is forever developing and changing.
Smart Insights give their Top 5 social media trends for 2018 you need to include in your marketing strategy. These trends include video, influencer marketing, augmented reality, ephemeral content and last but not least, chatbots to improve your brands customer service response time and engagement.

Whatever your 2018 marketing objectives are, being social media literate and ahead of the game when it comes this continually evolving platform, will set you above the rest.

2. Video

We are seeing more and more video marketing online. It’s a definite eye catcher and digital marketers are seeing some great results, as 52% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. But, when it comes to creating fresh and engaging video content for your audience, there are some important elements that need to be considered. Not only do you require the skills to produce and edit your video, you also need to produce a video marketing strategy that is going to kick-start your campaign.

3. Content

We all know that content is king, but there is a big difference in just producing ordinary content for your website, social media channels or email marketing campaigns and generating content that is going to engage with your audience, bring them back to your company again and ultimately grow your business.

A skilled content writer will have the ability to create unique content with the potential to greatly improve your SEO and send your content viral.

4. Website design

You are unlikely to find a business without a website in today’s world but once again, there is a big difference in having a good website and great website that encourages users to engage with you.

Visitors to your website are more likely to hang about longer and ultimately, contact you if your site achieves two key objectives: 1) It is user-friendly and 2) is aesthetically pleasing.

Mobile optimization is also a key factor to consider, as the majority of internet users spend more time viewing content, making daily transactions and browsing the web on their mobile than any other device. HubSpot’s latest research shows that people between the age of 18 to 44 are more likely to use their mobile for browsing. For us to provide the ultimate user experience for this audience, we need to attain to their needs and ensure websites are optimized for mobile users, which will in turn increase conversions and online transactions as a result.

Not sure if your website is up to scratch? A skilled UX designer can ensure your users enjoy a pleasant experience when visiting your website. Learn more about the benefits of hiring a UX designer here.

5. SEO

SEO is one of those processes that we all know and agree is a vital tool to direct traffic to our website but it is also something that few of us can confidently claim to be experts in. It is also more important, now than ever that we gain skills in SEO following Google’s search algorithm changes back in 2016.

Some of the statistics on SEO are not surprising. A whopping 93% of all online experiences start at a search engine and 75% of those users will never scroll beyond the first page of results. If that’s not a reason to get clued up on SEO, we don’t know what is!

6. Email marketing

We are not new to the world of email marketing but there are some important new skills we need to consider for our campaigns in 2018. Email marketing is no longer just about sending fancy emails, according to Econsultancy’s report, marketers feel that email marketing delivers better ROI than any other digital channel.

Another important element of email marketing that many of us are guilty of ignoring is database management. However, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, due to the pending GDPR compliance deadline this year, there is really no time like the present to take control of our client database. From May 2018, all controllers and processors of data will need to abide by the GDPR. To gain a clear understanding of this new law, we have put together everything marketers need to know about becoming GDPR compliant.

On a final note, it is important to remember with all methods of digital marketing, analysing our marketing efforts is not something we should overlook.

When it comes to core digital marketing skills for 2018 the list is varied and compelling. This profession is an ongoing learning process and as the digital age evolves – so does your career.

Looking for a New Role in Marketing? Check out our latest Jobs:

1. Head Of Digital Marketing
2. Digital Marketing Specialist
3. Corporate Communications Manager
4. Corporate Sales Executive

Author: Lorraine Fretwell

Lorraine has partnered with some of the biggest names in the UK & Ireland, delivering key talent for the most challenging roles. She has built and developed large teams in several agencies and has a proven track record at finding the unfindable when presented with the quirkiest of job briefs.

email: lorraine@talenthub.ie

Tel: +35316344883