Top Skills for Digital Marketers

Depending on which survey you read, the skills that you need as a digital marketer are either concrete skill areas (SEO, SMO, Google Analytics, etc), behavioral, or a mix of both.  Here are a few lists I'v run across recently.

STANDARD LIST OF DIGITAL MARKETING SKILL AREAS

1. SEO
2. Pay-Per-Click
3.  Mobile
4.  Email Marketing
5. Social Media
6. Content Management
7.  Analytics

(*Courtesy of the American Marketing Association)

I have deleted their descriptions, which were pretty straight forward, but these field specialties seem rather expected, no?

Now compare those points from America's leading marketing association, to this list, summarized from a Mashable survey of experts working in the field.

VALUABLE SKILLS FOR DIGITAL MARKETERS ACCORDING TO IN-THE-KNOW EXPERTS

1. Paid Social Advertising Expertise - Be able to develop campaigns and segment those campaigns with iterative customized creative, then run Facebook analytics and insights against those campaigns. They also need to understand the general social media landscape and advertising space and along with cost-saving advertising options.

2. Sales Skills - People with sales experience make much better marketers because they have the ability to turn potential customers into purchasing ones.

3. Specific Marketing Channel Expertise - Understanding how each marketing channel works is important, but knowing which business dynamic requires which channel, and having a deep knowledge of using that channel wisely will guide the marketer and business in being more successful in their pursuits.

4.  The Ability to Think Objectively -  Marketers put a lot of thought and emotion into building concepts that will connect with their customers on a impactful, personal level.  Perhaps as a result, the creative market can get overly invested in their ideas and need to be able to stand back and look at the project objectively, so as not to over-invest failing in initiatives, or 'fail quickly' and move on.

5. A Use of Analytic and Creative Skills - Today's analytical tools give creative marketers a unique opportunity to develop customized communications for each audience member, and to develop segments and test iterative concepts to win over audiences and individuals.  Great marketing can't focus only on a compelling product and campaign, it has to be grounded in good data that tells a clear story of how the customer is interacting with the website and a specific campaign, and be able to focus messaging and creative outreach, as a standard deviation away from good analytics and strategy.

7. Good Copy and Visual Story-telling Abilities - Good digital marketing requires good copy and visual story-telling abilities.  When you have seconds to pull someone's attention in, the digital marketer needs to have an instinct for what is catchy and what is not.

8. A Likable Personality - This is self-explanatory.  Anyone who is in a quasi-PR role pitching ideas to bloggers and media outlets needs to be both agreeable, but also noteworthy.

9.  An Understanding of Wordpress - Perhaps this is traditionally one area of 'necessary' expertise, and needs to remain on the table for the time-being, but I believe that its no longer as vital as this expert suggests.  Perhaps if you are a small agency it might remain so.

10.  Self-Promotion Savvy - You need to be able to promote yourself online, and do so tastefully.  Employers who want to hire digital marketers need to be able to see you can start with yourself first. (In truth I think any hiring manager or executive who suggests this to a digital marketer should look in the mirror.  If I can find the same amount of professional information about you as you are asking me to put out about myself, and that is acceptable professional behavior, all's fair.  If you are asking me to do it just because it makes your life easier, but degrades my privacy for no reason other than to make your job easier.  Perhaps just spend more time with me in the interview vetting my credentials and past projects.

11.  Understanding of Brevity - Gotta be pithy and to the point. (Perhaps I should have stuck to 600 word limit, ending at  point number 10?)

12.  The Ability to Analyze Quantifiable Metrics - Digital Marketers need to be able to prove their value with real data. The ability to work with in-page tracking, metrics software.

13.  Listening Skills - Understanding client needs is integral to be successful. You can't be packaging a pre-made solution.

14.  Agility -  Times are a changin' and you need to be flexible to change you ways at the pace that the digital marketing technologies evolve.

15. Basic Design Skills -  Digital marketers should have a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and Photoshop.