Marketers ditch advertising to reskill for modern world

Half of all marketing professionals’ must-have skills have been ditched over the past seven years, with the likes of event management and planning, PR and sales being dumped in favour of more digitally-focused expertise.

That is the stark conclusion of a new global LinkedIn study, which reveals the top skills for professionals are still digital marketing and social media marketing.

Interestingly advertising and even online marketing are way down the pecking order, while search engine optimisation has gate-crashed the party.

With brands increasingly investing in digital marketing, almost every aspect of the profession now requires a background in digital.

Skills like SEO, content marketing (7th), Google Analytics (9th) and corporate comms (10th) are also rising in the ranks of skills for marketers today. These skills did not feature in the top 10 list in 2015.

The head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, UK & Ireland, Tunji Akintokun said: “As economic uncertainty looms, marketers are looking to demonstrate they have the skills businesses need to navigate the potentially choppy waters ahead.

“As companies look to do more with less, our data points to a growing demand for the ‘resourceful modern marketer’ – marketing professionals with a Swiss army knife of action-specific skills that can combine creativity and effectiveness in key areas like digital marketing to drive wider impact.

“Given that the top skills required for today’s marketing jobs have changed since 2015, it’s important that marketers continue developing their skill set so they can remain agile and help businesses adapt in the months to come.”