New Year, new skills: Why it’s a good time to upskill in digital marketing

If you want to start the New Year with new knowledge that will set you up for the future, consider giving your digital marketing skills a boost.

Today’s brands are built at every touchpoint and every experience. And to truly understand how customers experience products and services, marketers must switch their mindsets towards strategies and tactics that combine digital and traditional channels – rather than thinking about them as two separate entities.

This means traditional marketers, who haven’t yet used digital in their career, need to develop their digital skills to be successful today and in the future.

“Everything that's foundational is still relevant, you just need to upskill and learn how other channels and digital touch points can also work,” explains ADMA instructor and customer experience consultant, Simone Blakers.

“Even if you're just starting out in marketing, you’re probably already often on digital tools. But you need to start thinking more broadly and diversely about digital’s part in the ecosystem of customer experience.” Digital upskilling can also help you secure your career in marketing. Demand for digital marketers continues to rise as more businesses focus on investing in growth – even despite economic pressures.

So what's the best way to build your digital skills? 

Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Be curious

Hands up if you’ve ever let fear stop you from asking a question. Yep, we’ve all been there (well, most of us anyway).

Fear can often prevent us from growing. But Simone suggests tapping into your curiosity and letting that guide toward becoming a more well-rounded marketer.

“No one knows everything, so just embrace curiosity,” she says. “Whether you’re working with an agency, data analysts or both, just keep asking questions until it all makes sense.”

2. Enrol in the right courses

The easiest and quickest way to build your skills is through training. Courses offer a safe and supportive environment where you can ask questions and develop your understanding of specific topics. They also give you the confidence you need to be curious.

“The main piece of feedback we get from people who complete ADMA’s Digital Marketing Certificate is around their new level of confidence that allows them to have the right conversations,” shares Simone.

ADMA’s world-class digital marketing courses are taught by leading specialists and top 50 CMOs, who share practical, relevant lessons from real-world campaigns – and help you apply them to your role instantly.

So if you’ve been wondering how conversion rate optimisation works, want to learn about different digital channels or anything in between, ADMA IQ will help you get there.

3. Test and learn

Digital is an incredibly vast field, so make sure you tackle one thing at a time and test and learn.

“You can do endless training on a million different things, but the challenge is to make sure you reflect on what has worked, what hasn’t and how you can do things differently next time,” Simone says.

With endless metrics to measure, it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re trying to do and why.

“Always keep an eye on the prize. You have to know your objectives and the needles you’re trying to move. That’s the only way you’ll learn from your campaigns and avoid getting lost in the weeds of measurement.”

4. Learn from others

Chances are you’re surrounded by a wealth of insights and knowledge that can help you build your skills – you just have to know how to tap into it.

Look around at work. Is there an experienced digital marketing manager who could help you learn about different digital tactics and strategies? Or perhaps there’s a more junior marketer who knows everything about the myriad digital channels and platforms out there. Invite them for a coffee and ask them to share some of their insights.

Consider joining one of the many industry groups and meetups, where you can learn from your peers and leaders in a more informal setting.

5. Read, read, read

There’s nothing you can’t Google these days, so you have no excuses. Reading up on digital skills you’re interested in can help you decide if you want to take the plunge and enrol in a course to learn more about it.

It can also help you grow your understanding of basic digital concepts and tactics. It’s an especially great way to get started if you haven’t built your confidence to ask questions yet. Just make sure you seek out reputable and reliable sources so you’re getting accurate and relevant information.

Check out our handy resources that include useful articles, tips and tricks, whitepapers, webinars and podcasts to help you get started on your learning journey.

And if you want to fast-track building your skills, explore our range of digital marketing courses and certificates today.