Digital marketing continues to develop, and the necessary skill sets keep growing and morphing. A few key skills are here to stay, though, and you’ll need them to succeed. Email marketing, analytics, videography and search engine optimization together form the foundation upon which other areas of digital marketing are built. No amount of disruption in the industry will eliminate their usefulness. Let’s examine how they function and why you need them for success.
Email Marketing
You need to know the ins and outs of email marketing—not just how to write the campaign copy, but also how to effectively use email management tools. Today’s digital marketer must have skills in using Constant Contact, GetResponse and/or MailChimp. Building and managing email lists in a third-party application is also an important skill. Popular programs include Aweber and InfusionSoft.
Big data has become all the rage. You need to know how to use it. The proliferation of social media, smart technologies and the Internet allows organizations to capture more quantifiable data than ever before. However, collection of this raw data alone does not produce the meaningful insights needed to make strategic business decisions. Once you capture quantifiable data, you need to analyze it. Analytics turns collected data from social media, smart technology, surveys and point-of-sale registers into meaningful business information that can influence business decision making.
Data must be assessed for its value and viability. This includes identifying trends within it and gleaning insights. A combination of analytical skills and expertise with the relevant tools is required to process marketing data and turn it into successful sales conversions.
The days when digital marketing meant banner ads on a website ended long ago. Today you need comprehensive videography skills. That means knowing how to write scripts, storyboard, shoot video and edit it. You’ll need expertise with video editing software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization grows and morphs regularly. The SEO of five years ago differs radically from the SEO of today. The demand for expertise in SEO analysis, writing SEO web copy, keyword analysis, integrating SEO into websites, and more grows every day. As soon as Bing and Google update their algorithms, the SEO must adapt.
If you want to succeed in this industry, you’ll need these skills. Effectively marketing your company or product will require them. Professional digital marketing services can help a business reach new customers and retain current ones.