The baby boomer factor and a shrinking workforce.
Singapore?s population has reached a significant turning point in 2012: the first cohort of baby-boomers ? those born between 1947 and 1965 ? will turn 65 and start retiring, leaving the workforce to shrink. The Singapore government projected the ratio of citizen in the working ages to each citizen to fall from the current 5.9 (in 2012) to 2.1 as the most business-friendly country in the world headed towards 2030.
Perhaps the silver lining is the pro-talent policies its Government has always preserved, the capital efficiency and the pro-enterprise landscape that makes it an attractive choice for startups.
But since among local startups, hiring budgets are typically constrained and that, along with the shrinking workforce problem, will lead to an increasingly pronounced trend in hiring decision. More businesses would be looking at all rounded professions. In hiring speak, both generalist and an incredible specialist.
Here are 13 professionals skills that would greatly enhance your professional value as a marketer this year.
i. General skill set
1. Research skills
As with any profession in today?s competitive business environment, resourcefulness is pivotal to long-term success. Speed to information is key especially to the digital marketing profession, as ability to execute on insight-driven campaigns become an ingredient of success is highly dependent on it.
The digital marketer of 2013 keeps a keen eye on local trends, and is able to extract and act on insightful data. His/her research tools are varied and complementary to each other.
2. Strategy development
Strategy development is a core asset for an all-rounded digital marketer, and this area of his/her profession skills will help the marketer devise a fitting framework for his/her organization?s digital marketing activities.
With this the marketer will then be able to build a sustainable and duplicable formula to inbound marketing success, generating higher returns on investment and a loyal base of brand ambassadors.
3. Project management skills
The ?lean business model? and ?agile project management? are systems designed to accommodate dynamic teams, one that the digital marketers of 2013 shouldn?t be unfamiliar of. If the organization isn?t lucky enough to boast a diverse team of digital marketers, each of varied roles, he/she would be the go-to person for anything between copywriting to PPC campaigns. Sound project management skills will keep the digital marketer?s sanity intact while he/she rotates between the different roles.
ii. Content Creation skill set
4. Photoshop skills
Digital marketers are communicators by default, and the greaters communicators have what it takes to pitch an idea, win eyeballs, and keep even the most easily distracted audience engaged.
From branded content to complex inforgraphics and interactive video, the savvy marketer of tomorrow has them covered.
5. Copywriting skills
The irony of this list building frenzy is that many do nothing with the list. Not that the digital marketer wasn?t trying. He just doesn?t see it as his role (or hers) to churn out copy. In 2013, the creative aspect of digital marketers will play a much significant role, and this new hybrid of digital content marketers will find themselves central to the organization?s inbound marketing strategy.
6. Video marketing and editing skills
Video marketing is the biggest trend in digital marketing 2012, with 76% of marketers reportedly cited video marketing as their top areas of investment this year ? a spot they had held on for a second straight year. It shouldn?t be any surprise to see this avenue growing in 2013, as more digital marketers hop on the bandwagon.
7. Content Management System
If the digital marketer is responsible for the development of content on organization?s blog, knowing the ins and outs of a CMS platform would be a huge advantage. Even more so if the organization is actively pursuing guest-blogging opportunities as part of its inbound marketing mix.
iii. Internet marketing skill set
8. Search Engine Marketing
On-page optimization, link building, paid advertising and other means to garnering more organic leads are all part of the digital marketer?s expertise. Since the largest source of commercial intent is still the search engine, where consumers most immediately thought of, or most intuitively go after, every time the intent radar is at its strongest, rock-solid SEM is still a remarkable contribution to any digital marketing team in 2013.
9. Social Media Marketing
The (possible) launch of Facebook Exchange in 2013 would introduce a new chapter into the way social media marketing has always work. Social leads, blogger outreach and other social avenues will find bigger platforms and a more reliable attribution system for tracking social conversions.
10. Email Marketing
Email marketing is still the most powerful tool is any sensible digital marketer?s toolbox. It harvest $40 ? $43 in revenue for every $1 dollar invested, a return of investment that puts search engine marketing ($22.24), internet display marketing ($19.72), social media marketing ($12.90) mobile marketing ($10.51) and catalog marketing ($7.30) to shame. If there ever is one way to quantify a digital marketer?s worth ? there isn?t ? email marketing performance will have to be it.
Oh, and 2013 would see deeper social integration in email marketing, and social sharing options will increasingly become a standard feature among email marketing providers. The ones that claim to have found the secret behind a 55% increase in click-through rates are the email-savvy marketers that have taken advantage of this rising trend.
11. Web Analytics
The golden rule in online marketing is to test anything and everything that can possibly break. The measurability nature of digital media means a wealth of data an information that would make for better judgement and refinement of techniques. In fact, one can argue that data and web analytics are the prerequisite to all notions of ?optimization? techniques and attribution system for multi-channel funnels.
Other valuable skills
12. Crisis management skills
The all-rounded marketer of 2013 has a complete sense of an online business. In the event of a social media crisis, the digital marketer would spring into action and uphold the brand?s character on all fronts.
13. E-commerce optimization
E-commerce used to be a niche and is still widely regarded as such but in reality, e-commerce is everywhere and everything we(brands) do online. As e-commerce progress into a more frictionless future in 2013, cart abandonment rate and other e-commerce metrics will find greater attention among the marketing community.
Samuel Chan is a digital marketer and brand publicist by profession.
He is the founder of new media company Evobar and has worked with national media conglomerates in the past. He writes about the renewed sensibility of advertising and content development on his personal blog.
His areas of expertise include content strategy? View?full?profile
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