10 Top Digital Marketing Skills You Must Have in 2023
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you know how important digital marketing is to businesses. So, if you’re looking to improve your digital marketing skills, you’ve come to the right place!
Let’s see what are the top digital marketing skills you could get to be on top of your game in 2023.
Which digital marketing skill should you focus on?
The above infographic shows that digital marketing skills are not limited to SEM or Social Media Skills. You could pretty much carve out a niche and become an expert in Email marketing.
There are many skills that are important for digital marketers to have, and the specific skills you should focus on may depend on your goals, your target audience, and the platforms you are using. Some common skills for digital marketers to focus on include:
1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a digital marketing strategy that involves optimizing a website or online content to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is not small business. According to ahrefs, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. The goal of SEO is to increase the quality and quantity of organic (non-paid) traffic to a website by improving its ranking in search engine results for targeted keywords and phrases.
SEO involves a variety of tactics and techniques, including on-page optimization (making changes to a website’s content and structure to improve its relevance to specific keywords), off-page optimization (building high-quality backlinks from other websites to improve the authority and credibility of a website), and technical SEO (optimizing a website’s technical elements, such as its speed and mobile-friendliness, to improve its visibility in search results).
SEO is an important part of any digital marketing strategy because it helps to increase the visibility and accessibility of a website or online business. By ranking well in search results, businesses can attract more qualified traffic to their websites, which can lead to increased sales and revenue. SEO is a long-term strategy that requires ongoing effort and optimization, but it can be an effective way to drive traffic and sales to a website or online business.
2. Search engine marketing (SEM)
Almost 93% of web traffic starts via a search engine, and Google accounts of more than 75% of that. SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, is a digital marketing strategy that involves promoting a website or online content through the use of paid search ads. The goal of SEM is to increase the visibility and accessibility of a website or content in search engine results pages (SERPs) through the use of targeted keywords and phrases. SEM campaigns are typically run through search engines like Google, and advertisers pay for each click on their ads. And in average, for every $1 spent on ads, an advertiser makes $8, which makes it a profitable business strategy once it’s well done.
SEM can be an effective way to reach potential customers who are actively searching for products or services online. By using targeted keywords and phrases, advertisers can ensure that their ads are shown to people who are most likely to be interested in their products or services. SEM can be used to target specific geographic locations, demographics, and interests, making it a highly targeted and cost-effective form of digital advertising.
There are two main types of SEM: pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and cost-per-impression (CPI) advertising. PPC advertising involves paying for each click on an ad, while CPI advertising involves paying for each time an ad is displayed (impressions). SEM campaigns can be managed through a variety of tools, including Google Ads and Bing Ads, and can be an effective way to drive traffic and sales to a website or online business.
3. Content marketing
Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. The goal of content marketing is to establish trust and credibility with an audience, and ultimately to drive profitable customer action. In fact, the top 3 goals of content marketers, according to HubSpot, are to build brand awareness, increase sales and increase engagement.
Content marketing can take many forms, including blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, social media posts, and more. The key is to create content that is valuable and relevant to the target audience, and to distribute it through the channels and platforms where the audience is most likely to consume it.
Content marketing can be an effective way to attract and retain customers by providing them with valuable and informative content that helps them make informed decisions. By establishing trust and credibility with an audience, businesses can build relationships with customers and drive profitable customer action. Content marketing can also help businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
4. Email marketing
Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves using email to promote products, services, or other content to a targeted audience. The goal of email marketing is to establish relationships with customers and drive profitable customer action by sending targeted and personalized emails to potential and current customers.
For you who think email marketing is dead, think again: 37% of brands are increasing their email marketing budget, and 77% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months, according to HubSpot. Email marketing campaigns can be used to send newsletters, promotional offers, event invitations, and other types of content to a targeted audience. Businesses can use email marketing to nurture leads, build customer loyalty, and drive conversions by sending targeted and personalized emails to their audience.
There are several types of email marketing, including newsletters, promotional emails, transactional emails, and automated emails. Each type of email serves a different purpose and can be used at different stages of the customer journey.
Email marketing can be an effective way to reach and engage with customers, especially when combined with other digital marketing strategies such as content marketing and social media marketing. By using targeted and personalized emails, businesses can build relationships with customers and drive profitable customer action.
5. Writing and copywriting
Did you know that 74% of web users pay attention to the quality fo the spelling and grammar on a website? Writing and copywriting are important skills in digital marketing, as they involve creating written content that is used to promote products, services, or other content online.
Writing in digital marketing refers to the general process of creating written content for a variety of purposes, such as blog posts, articles, social media posts, website content, and more. Writing in digital marketing requires a strong understanding of the target audience, as well as the ability to craft compelling and informative content that resonates with that audience.
Copywriting, on the other hand, is a specialized form of writing that is focused on creating persuasive and sales-driven content. Copywriting is often used in digital marketing to create ads, landing pages, email campaigns, and other types of content that are designed to convince the reader to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Both writing and copywriting are important skills in digital marketing, as they help businesses to create engaging and effective content that resonates with their target audience and drives profitable customer action.
6. Data analytics and visualization data
Data analytics and visualization in digital marketing refer to the process of collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data to inform marketing decisions and strategy.
Data analytics involves using tools and techniques to gather, process, and analyze data from a variety of sources, such as website traffic, social media, email marketing, and more. By analyzing this data, businesses can gain insights into their marketing performance, customer behavior, and other key metrics, and use these insights to inform their marketing strategy and tactics.
Data visualization is the process of creating charts, graphs, and other types of visual representations of data to make it easier to understand and analyze. Data visualization can be an effective way to communicate complex data insights in a clear and concise manner, and can help businesses to identify trends and patterns in their data that may not be immediately apparent.
Data analytics and visualization are important skills in digital marketing, as they help businesses to make informed decisions about their marketing strategy and tactics based on data-driven insights. By using data analytics and visualization, businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and better understand their customers, leading to improved results and ROI.
7. Social media
Social media marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves using social media platforms to promote products, services, or other content to a targeted audience. The goal of social media marketing is to build relationships with potential and current customers, and to drive profitable customer action by creating and sharing engaging and relevant content.
Why would anyone focus on social media? Well that’s easy to guess: it’s because that’s where most people are. In fact, according to Datareportal, 60% of the world’s population is on social media. And that number of growing at an annualised rate of 4.2%.
Social media marketing can be used to promote a wide range of content, including blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more. Businesses can use social media to reach a large and engaged audience, and to interact with customers in real-time.
There are many different social media platforms that businesses can use for social media marketing, including Meta (ex Facebook), Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, SnapChat, TikTok and more. Each platform has its own unique features and audience, and businesses can choose the platforms that best align with their marketing goals and target audience. These days, video seem to have the upper hand, with TikTok
Social media marketing can be an effective way to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive traffic and sales to a website or online business. By creating and sharing valuable and relevant content on social media, businesses can build relationships with their audience and drive profitable customer action.
8. Customer relationship management (CRM)
Customer relationship management, or CRM, is a digital marketing strategy that involves managing and optimizing the relationships between a business and its customers. The goal of CRM is to create a positive and engaging customer experience that leads to increased customer loyalty, satisfaction, and retention. Implemented properly, CRM can provide businesses with an ROI in excess of 245%.
CRM involves using technology and data to manage customer interactions and relationships throughout the customer lifecycle, from initial contact to post-purchase follow-up. This can include tasks such as tracking customer interactions, managing customer data and information, and analyzing customer behavior to identify trends and patterns.
CRM can be used to personalize the customer experience by providing personalized recommendations, offers, and other types of content to customers based on their past interactions and behavior. CRM can also be used to streamline customer service and support, by providing customer service reps with the tools and information they need to quickly and effectively resolve customer issues.
Overall, CRM is an important part of any digital marketing strategy, as it helps businesses to build and maintain positive relationships with their customers, leading to increased customer loyalty and retention.
9. Web design
Web design skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to create and maintain an effective and visually appealing website. In the context of digital marketing, web design skills are important for creating an online presence that effectively represents a business or organization and helps to attract and retain customers.
Some of the key web design skills that are important for digital marketing include:
HTML and CSS
These are the basic programming languages used to build and style websites. Knowing how to use HTML and CSS allows a web designer to create and customize the layout, structure, and appearance of a website.
Graphic design
This refers to the use of visual elements, such as images, typography, and color, to create a cohesive and visually appealing website.
User experience (UX) design
This involves creating a website that is easy to use and navigate, with a clear hierarchy of information and intuitive navigation.
10. Project management
Project management skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to plan, organize, and execute projects effectively and efficiently. In the context of digital marketing, project management skills are important for managing the various campaigns and initiatives that make up a digital marketing strategy.
Some of the key project management skills that are important for digital marketing include:
Planning and organization: can you develop and maintain a project plan, including setting goals, defining tasks, and allocating resources?
Time management: are you capable of effectively managing time and prioritizing tasks to ensure that projects are completed on schedule?
Budget management: can you manage and allocate resources, including financial resources, to ensure that projects are completed within budget?
Communication: can you communicate effectively with team members, stakeholders, and clients to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals?
Risk management: can you identify and mitigate potential risks and issues that could impact the success of a project?
Problem-solving: can you think critically and find creative solutions to challenges that arise during the course of a project?
Project management skills are essential for digital marketers, as they help to ensure that campaigns and initiatives are executed effectively and efficiently, and that they align with the overall goals and objectives of the business or organization. If you want to go further, you may even choose to study for the PMP Certification, which will give you the credentials you need to be recognized in your company as a project manager.
