10 Digital Skills That Can Make Students Instantly Employable in 2023
During the course of the last ten years, businesses in a wide variety of sectors have been digitizing their internal operations and procedures. Even at this very moment, companies are putting artificial intelligence (AI) to work to improve the efficiency of their workflows and supply chains. As a direct consequence of this, job seekers in today’s market need specialized talents in order to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Many schools are having trouble providing the fundamental knowledge and abilities that their pupils require, despite the fact that certain colleges, universities, and training providers have altered or expanded their curricula in order to satisfy the increased demand for digital know-how.
In this blog post, we will discuss the top 10 digital skills that educators should teach their students to guarantee that they are competitive for the best digital jobs available in a variety of fields.
What are digital skills?
Let’s have a look at what digital employability skills are before we get into the specific abilities themselves. Because an increasing number of individuals conduct their research, look for information, and make purchases online, businesses of varying kinds and scopes require employees who are proficient in using, promoting, and communicating via the internet. The acquisition of digital skills is essential for companies operating in any sector that seek to expand their market share, improve the quality of the social customer care they provide, generate more leads, and boost their revenue.
The term “digital skills” originates from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), and refers to “a variety of competencies to use digital devices, communication apps, and networks to access and manage information.” People are able to achieve their potential for productive and creative self-fulfillment in life, study, and work, as well as in social activities, through the creation and sharing of digital information, communication and collaboration, and the solving of problems.
Students who acquire digital skills not only increase their employability but also future-proof their careers by gaining an awareness of the most important digital platforms.
So, let’s get right down to business and find out which ten skills are the most in-demand among both companies and students.
1. Social Media
A recent study found that there are 4.2 billion active social media users around the globe. [Citation needed] 4.15 billion of these consumers are actively engaged on their mobile devices. According to these statistics, the number of social media users around the world increased by 13.2% in just one year and shows no signs of slowing down.
Every professional should equip themselves with the fundamental and highly marketable talent of being able to comprehend and make efficient use of social media. Understanding the dynamic interaction that exists between businesses, influencers, and consumers is essential to successful social media marketing. This goes well beyond simply tweeting or updating a status on Facebook. To put it more succinctly, companies need to reach out to their target audiences in ways that will bring visitors to their website—or product—for the possibility of conversion. Because so many customers use social media to voice their concerns or voice their opinions, it is now also an essential component of providing satisfactory customer service.
Educators who acknowledge the power of social media should be familiar with the nuances of each social media platform, from YouTube to TikTok marketing, as well as the potential of each to maximize community engagement and equip students with skills that are both valuable and applicable in the real world.
2. Marketing using Search Engines (SEM)
In addition to social media, search engine marketing, also known as SEM, is rapidly becoming one of the most important disciplines that marketers rely on. To put things in perspective, 81 percent of internet users look for a product or service to buy online, and Google receives 70 percent of the traffic that results from such searches.
Paid advertising is the primary method through which students who have experience in search engine marketing (SEM) can boost the visibility of a company’s website on a search engine (such as Google or Bing). If the company follows these steps, the search engine results page will provide valuable web traffic to the company’s website.
Students will be able to seize valuable organic search traffic outcomes if they use search engine marketing (SEM). Because of this, marketers, content managers, and webmasters devote a significant amount of their effort to optimizing websites, in particular for mobile and advertising campaigns, in order to achieve the highest potential conversion rates.
The vast majority of enterprises are engaged in the business of selling goods or services, and these businesses want to distinguish themselves from their rivals so that they can be located more readily online. The number of customers who made their purchases online increased significantly when the COVID-19 epidemic was going on, which resulted in an increase in the amount of e-commerce transactions. According to Statista, the number of people who visited online retail sites increased to approximately 22 billion in June of 2020, up from 16 billion in January. In addition, there are no indications that this pattern of online behavior will change after the release of the Covid.
This indicates that job searchers with a working grasp of search marketing will be highly beneficial to firms, as they will be able to ensure that they are searchable and visible with their help.
3. Data Analytics
The use of data-driven precision marketing fell out of favor among many marketers during the Covid-19 conference, thus many resorted to adopting mass messaging instead. This was a blunder on our part. One company that deals in consumer goods forecasted that there would be an upsurge in demand for beauty products after people were allowed to leave their shelters, as reported by McKinsey. They concentrated their media spending by keeping track of re-openings and employing analytics, which resulted in a sales rise that was in the double digits.
What did you learn? Your students can gain access to a variety of information through the usage of data, which, when applied appropriately, can lead to successful marketing efforts that increase conversions, sales, and revenue.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” is a quote attributed to Peter Drucker, a prominent figure in the field of management education who is also frequently referred to as the “father of contemporary management.”
Students are essentially given the ability to make educated judgments that are driven by data in order to provide superior business insights through the use of data analytics. The numbers indicate whether or not a campaign was successful, as well as to what percentage it was successful. The most important thing is to be aware of what data should be gathered and measured in order to make the subsequent campaign more successful. Businesses don’t want to throw away significant marketing funds by acting on hunches or following the latest trends. It is important to get the best return on investment possible while also maximizing the effectiveness of each campaign.
Because analytics and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand, having both sets of abilities allows a company to better understand what its customers want and how to capture and keep their attention.
In order for your students to gain a deeper understanding of what data analysis entails, direct them to the podcast titled “Life as an Analyst.”
4. Content Marketing
There is a wide variety of content available, including blog entries, films, podcasts, info graphics, and even status updates on social media platforms.
Even though marketers may spend a lot of time tweaking keywords and advertising campaigns, content is still the most important aspect of a website. In the end, the content of a website or social media page is what drives it, and if there isn’t enough of it, buyers have no way of comprehending the advantages of a product or service.
The creation of valuable content is essential to the growth of a brand’s recognition, and it can position brands or influencers as industry leaders. As a result, newly hired staff members need to be aware of the significance of producing not just material but also content that is pertinent to keyword research and optimizing these keywords within a strategy. Students who graduate with experience and expertise in content marketing will have a talent that is both valuable and employable, putting them in a position to pursue a career in whatever field they choose.
Email is a tried and true strategy that has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to acquire and keep leads.
Email marketing, which is one of the oldest kinds of direct marketing, is still an effective method for acquiring new customers and keeping existing ones. A strong email marketing strategy is essential to the launch of successful campaigns for businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietorships to global conglomerates.
An expert digital marketer is aware that each level of the funnel requires meticulous planning in order to be successful. Every stage, beginning with the signup page and including its placement on a website, as well as the initial email greeting, needs to be optimized in order to draw in users and increase engagement.
Email addresses are less likely to be changed than social media accounts or physical addresses, so it’s important to keep those updated. Because of this, employers are looking for qualified individuals who are familiar with the potential of email marketing to interact directly with customers.
Email should not be viewed as an obsolete technology by educators; rather, they should challenge students to contemplate ways in which they might use email in their positions, both now and in the future.
6. Mobile Marketing
According to the report Digital 2021 that was compiled by We Are Social and Hootsuite, mobile connectivity is on the rise, with 97% of the world’s population using mobile phones and 96% of all active connections coming from smartphones. The report also states that this growth will continue until 2021. Google is now using mobile-first indexing when crawling pages and prioritizing content. This change was made since smartphone traffic has now surpassed desktop traffic by 64%.
To have a better understanding of the implications of this shift, we need just take a look at Google, which has developed a mobile-friendly web app specifically for the purpose of evaluating the efficiency and usability of mobile websites. Your search visibility will be enhanced among customers who do not have access to desktop computers if you use material that is optimized for mobile devices.
Those looking for work can put this information to good use by optimizing their campaigns using the most recent advances in mobile search and user experience.
7. Tactics and Future Orientation
Businesses that employ a digital marketing campaign approach have the best chance of seeing measurable benefits over the course of an extended period of time. Instead of preparing on an ad hoc basis, digital marketers need to build and implement programs based on analytics and quantifiable SEO data. These campaigns should be geared toward achieving certain goals.
For instance, a marketer’s ability to maintain accountability can be improved by establishing particular KPIs and determining procedures for assessing each metric. In addition to this, it is essential for them to examine previously run campaigns and determine which metrics are worth analyzing.
According to the research paper titled ‘Perpetual Evolution’ published by DMI, the majority of senior marketers (79%) believe that strategy and planning are’very crucial’ to the success of a firm. This helps put things into perspective. Despite the significance of this skillset, recruiters in the marketing industry found it to be one of the most challenging to fill.
The current shortage of skills is an opportunity for educators, who should seize this opportunity by educating students how to create and carry out a digital strategy.
8. Social Selling
Sales professionals need to be present online, where their prospects are, in order to connect with and influence potential clients. Social selling is proving to be valuable for businesses who employ it; now, 65% of businesses rely on it for filling their pipelines, and it is responsible for 50% of the income generated in 14 main industries.
Businesses are also beginning to grasp the importance of social selling by investing in new “sales stack” technologies such as email tracking tools, productivity apps, and sales intelligence software. This is a relatively recent trend. Above all else, social selling tools are considered as particularly efficient in interacting with the modern customer, who relies on social platforms for evaluations and advice. This type of buyer is very likely to be interested in your product or service.
Students who are interested in pursuing a career in sales and attaining success in social selling will benefit from training that is aligned with industry standards because social selling is a relatively new field for businesses.
9. Marketing using a Cost-Per-Click Model (PPC)
According to Larry Kim, the conversion rate of a landing page is 2.35% on average, while the top 25% convert at a rate that is more than double that, at 5.21% or higher. In addition, the cost of converting clients is only one dollar for every $92 that is spent on obtaining new customers.
For this reason, pay-per-click advertising (also known as PPC) is a method that is widely used by brands. Businesses that have large resources have the ability to get their search results to appear on the first page of Google, which drives tremendous amounts of traffic. One of the most common PPC advertising models is Google’s AdWords program, and utilizing a PPC for eCommerce tracker is an excellent way to keep an eye on how much money is being spent.
Understanding impressions, reach, and cost-per-clic 10 is essential for the job seeker who is proficient in digital technology. Video
The role of video as a primary content generator across various social media platforms has grown significantly in recent years. YouTube has evolved into a platform that is both powerful and influential, while other platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, have inverted the video industry to produce affluent influencers.
Why is video so widely consumed? Apps for social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Weibo, and WeChat are quickly becoming the go-to methods for instant messaging communication as the average age of smartphone users continues to drop. In point of fact, WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users all over the world, with the United States accounting for the majority of downloads.
When compared to other formats, such as a blog article, video material is much simpler to take in. Additionally, it offers a higher level of entertainment and is attractive to Millennials. A burgeoning market of actively engaged customers may be accessed by businesses if they combine the emotive power of social media video with the reach and scope of digital advertising.
