New-age skills digital marketers should adopt to get an edge in the industry

The digital industry has revolutionised marketing strategies and customer behaviors, and the digital marketing skills and tools you need to thrive in the workplace are constantly evolving. Professionals must possess skills such as practical knowledge of new-age digital marketing tools, and database administration to achieve success in their careers.

Sonya Hooja  Co-founder & CEO of Imarticus Learning, tells how they are coping up with the increasing demand for the skilled consumer insight analysts, by training and grooming  professionals for this new age career. Excerpts:

DQ: Elaborate on the Imarticus Learning platform. Highlight USP and other key offerings

Sonya: Founded in 2012, Imarticus Learning is famed for its industry-first approach to bridging the gap between employment and academia. Working in alliance with world-renowned organizations and industry experts, the institute offers its learners professional certifications and job placement opportunities that sculpt the workforce of the future. Its mission is to upgrade the quality of human skill capital to meet current and emerging employment demands.

Imarticus Learning is renowned for its unique teaching methodology which includes immersive live lectures (both classroom and online), peer-to-peer discussions, industry-oriented seminars, and guest lectures, rigorous training exercises, and projects, soft skill improvement sessions, mentorship by industry stalwarts, and much more.

With its vast course catalog that encompasses meticulous training in cutting-edge subjects such as Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Web Development, and many others, Imarticus Learning aims to mold highly skilled employees for various industries, functions, and job roles.

Imarticus Learning also offers a Digital Marketing program. The certified course has been designed by industry experts to provide learners with hands-on experience via several industry-specific projects. The cutting-edge curriculum for the course, developed with current marketing trends, provides numerous growth prospects in the digital marketing field.

The program equips learners with job-relevant skills with in-class, industry-oriented projects that give a real-life experience along with certification.

The Prodegree course also provides a well-rounded and polished curriculum that allows learners to gain in-depth insights. The course is offered both online and in a classroom setting. The curriculum spans over 120 hours with 10 core modules including key digital marketing concepts such as landing pages, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, advanced analytics, and more.

Imarticus Learning's programs are best suited for those who have completed their graduation and are about to step into the corporate world or those who already have some experience and are looking to upskill themselves or change their career path. All of Imarticus Learning’s courses are placement-driven and the Digital Marketing Prodegree follows the same blueprint.

DQ: What are the skills required for a career in digital marketing?

Sonya: Marketing has become an impact driver for companies in today’s world. Undeniably, highly skilled Digital Marketers add immense value to a company’s growth and profitability. Today, businesses are going to great lengths to assemble a skilled Marketing team who can formulate and efficiently execute marketing strategies that build/enhance brand awareness, penetrate new markets, attract new customers and retain existing ones, and overall act as the brand’s voice.

In a world powered by technology, new-age  Marketers must possess skills that are in sync with what the industry demands. The skills can be segregated into two categories – hard skills/industry-centric skills and soft skills. Let’s take a look.

Brand Development and Branding - In today’s digitally driven world with crowded online markets, certain industry-centric Digital Marketing skills are crucial to business success and brand identity and development are at the forefront of this.

Content Strategy-  Crafting a strategic approach in terms of content for marketing is another vital skill for a Digital Marketer to possess. While marketing content often comes across as self-promotional to the common man, it is quite the contrary. Content Strategy and Content Marketing are specific skills for Digital Marketers to develop/hone to create content and deliver it in a way that captures the customer’s attention and sparks their curiosity and interest. Simply put, Content Strategy isn’t about hard sales; it tells a story.

Data Analytics - Today, data is perhaps one of the most valuable assets to brands, and Data Analytics empowers Digital Marketers to garner in-depth insights into customer preferences, behavior, brand development, and more. An abundance of readily available analytical tools has given businesses across verticals the means to predict trends surrounding customer interests, preferences, and behavior.

Although Data Analytics may appear to be negligible for the Digital Marketing world, it is one of the must-have skills as it allows brands to better understand the customer’s preferences and tailor their services to cater to customers’ requirements more efficiently.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) - It’s common knowledge that the world today revolves around technology and AI and ML have become integral parts of our everyday lives as well as business operations. Particularly for the Digital Marketing landscape, AI and ML play an instrumental role in day-to-day functions.

Digital Marketing professionals leverage AI and ML-based tools to identify significant trends on social media, conduct customer research, and analyze and evaluate vast amounts of data. Digital Marketing professionals need to be adept at utilizing AI and ML tools to connect with customers as well as gauge data to improve their products/services.

Empathy - As much as technical and industry-centric skills are necessary, soft skills play an instrumental role for Digital Marketing Professionals to climb the ladder. Experienced and highly skilled Digital Marketers truly understand and connect with their target audience. A nuanced understanding of customers’ primary concerns and requirements stems from a vital skillset – empathy.

Digital Marketers can harness their empathetic skills to gain an in-depth understanding of what their customers seek and craft a marketing campaign that offers the brand’s products and services as a solution. Forging a connection between a brand and its consumers is done by being empathetic.

Persuasiveness - A large chunk of marketing revolves around the professional’s ability to persuasively communicate with customers. When a Digital Marketer understands how best to convince their target audience to trust the brand and its products, they will automatically reach new heights in their career. However, professionals must also be aware of the fine line between misleading customers and persuading them.

Communication - Perhaps a cliché, communication has been talked about widely in any topic surrounding skillsets, but with good reason. Digital Marketing professionals need to be exceptional communicators. Communication is one skill set that never becomes redundant and today, every employer values strong communication skills. Robust communication lays the foundation for developing a strong bond with co-workers, customers, as well as building the brand.

The Digital Marketing landscape has evolved immensely in recent years. Both aspiring and existing professionals are required to be highly proficient in the aforementioned skills to build a strong career and progress towards greater heights.

DQ: Across which verticals/sectors are these being used?

Sonya: Today, there is a growing focus on preparing the workforce to embrace digital technologies and understand the vital role digital will play in the near future. Besides, digital marketing itself is transforming with the rapid pace of innovation across functions.

Growing technological advancements have opened up new avenues for the growth of digital marketing leading to fresh thoughts and innovation in content packaging and delivery.

Moreover, businesses across the board are also increasingly looking to leverage social messaging platforms, including WhatsApp or Facebook messenger, to have more personalized engagement with the end-user.

With changing business dynamics, digital marketing professionals need to upskill themselves to adapt to the latest trends, technologies, and tools. As things progress, the digitization of businesses will accelerate in the coming years. All brands/corporations will have to embrace and invest in building capabilities/skills concerning digital marketing to grow and stay relevant.