The Digital Skills You Need In 2021

The Digital Skills You Need In 2021

As we approach the end of 2020, we find the digital world which is ever-evolving. The trends that are set to grace 2021 are without doubt, to reshape the digital industry. The emergence of chatbots is set to increase, video marketing won’t be slowing down and artificial intelligence (AI) is a constant feature in the innovation we see and our day-to-day lives.

As the digital world evolves, it is also up to digital professionals and aspiring digital professionals to keep up with the skills in demand and stand out in a very competitive talent pool.

Due to the unfortunate circumstances of Covid-19, this has resulted in businesses having to restructure, loss of jobs and an increasing amount of candidates competing for the same positions.

Employers are seeking candidates with specific skills sets, who are open to both permanent and contract positions. It’s important that you firstly identify which sector you’d like to work in and the skills that employers are looking for.

We’ll take a look at some of the digital skills that are currently in demand:

Digital Marketing

An increased amount of businesses has now adopted a digital presence, to provide an alternative for their consumers. Businesses are always looking for different ways to promote their businesses and services; being familiar with the latest digital marketing tools will help you and your business provide the necessary value to your audience.

There are various areas in digital marketing, including: PPC, SEO, Analytics, Content – if you enjoy one of these areas, it could be a focus. Enhance your skills and take full advantage of the technologies and tools out there. Analytics, in particular, is an area where you are able to identify consumer behaviour and as a result, provide more of their preferences.

Photo & Video Editing

Photo and video content is driving most of the engagement on social media platforms. As businesses look for more ways to engage their followers, we’re seeing a rise in the amount of businesses that are using platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat.

Video content is appealing more to millennials as they spend most of their time on social media channels. Being able to connect with the audience in a different way, strengthens the relationship between brand and consumer.

There are various options, based on skill level, in regards to video creation software’s. These include: Adobe Premiere Pro, CyberLink Power Director and for Apple users, Apple iMovie.

Just live video content, imagery is also playing a key part in engaging audiences. Bounce rates and session durations are a key part of the analytics, and creative and ‘new’ imagery could be a way to keep people on your website for longer. Like video, there are a range of software’s for photo editing and creation. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightoom are amongst the more popular, also with Canva.

Photo editing has become a very valuable skill for employers. Create content which captures the attention of your audience!

Photo editing has become a very valuable skill for employers. Create content which captures the attention of your audience!

Organisational & Project Management Skills

Although technical skills are a necessity for candidates, the ability to be organised is also a key attribute that employers seek in talent. As you enter or progress in the world of digital, it is likely that you will be a part of or oversee projects. Whether you’re part of a team or leading one, you must be able to lead and direct internal and external teams to manage projects and deliverables. 

You must also possess the technical skills that are necessary, but project management involves being able to break down complex projects into sub-tasks and actionable steps. Communication also plays a key role in this. Being able to communicate effectively with those in the same team or external figures, will make overall progression much easier.

Covid-19 meant that workers had to operate from home for most of 2020; as a result, communication was conducted remotely. There are now technologies which help manage a project remotely, whilst maintaining the right level of communication.

If managing a digital project is next on the horizon, you will need to familiarise yourself with the range of tools available. Software’s include: Trello, Basecamp and Wrike. Experience using a CMS (Content Management System) and knowledge of agile development methods will also come in very handy.

Technical skills are important, but your ability to communicate effectively and manage tasks as equally as important towards project success. 

Technical skills are important, but your ability to communicate effectively and manage tasks as equally as important towards project success. 

Social Media Knowledge

It’s fair to say that in 2020, most people have knowledge of the social media platforms available to us and their capabilities as a user. However, digital marketers going forward will need to have a deeper understanding of these different platforms and how their audiences are behaving on them. Paid social, social chatbots and social media communities are set to rise even more in 2021. For example, more businesses are using chatbots to provide their consumers with the same level of service, wherever they may be in contact with them.

As user behaviour changes, it’s not always easy to understand the target audience. This will require some research and perhaps some experimenting to see which types of creative the audience responds well to.

Staying up to date with emerging platforms, such as TikTok, which was a success during UK lockdown, is important. Integrating social media and analytics will help understand the social campaigns that drive traffic and business. 

Voice Search

According to Quoracreative, 40% of the adults now use mobile voice search at least once daily. It is estimated that that by 2021, 70% of searches will be done with voice search.

Voice search is becoming more popular by the day; and as users seem to find it a more ‘convenient’ way to search and find answers to their query, it looks to be a key feature moving forward. With the increasing adoption of in-home smart speakers and voice-enabled devices, SEO strategy is shifting.

Voice search not only provides users with the links to websites, it also looks generates snippets of information that can answer queries directly. The challenge for digital marketers is creating content that search engines see as high-quality answers.

With voice search capabilities being built into our everyday technology, such as: phones, speakers, appliances, vehicles, and just about anything else you can think of, expertise with voice search SEO looks to be a crucial skill in the future.

Utilising Your Skillset 

The future of digital is an exciting one, whilst it remains unpredictable to a certain extent, there are emerging technologies that are set to transform the industry. Being in-tune with the digital skills that are currently in demand will not only boost your skill-set, but it will also make you more appealing to employers who are seeking talented individuals.

Whether you decide to go into permanent work, become a contractor or get into freelance work knowledge across various disciplines in digital, will reflect the work you are able to produce.

For the latest job opportunities within digital marketing and eCommerce, visit the jobs section of our website!