3 Key Strategies to Bridge the Digital Skills Gap

In digital economies across the world, the demand for digital skills exceeds the available skilled workforce. This means that there’s a distinct and growing skills gap between the talent that’s out there and what employers need. 

The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is now increasing that skills gap, as people struggle to stay up to date on the latest AI skills. A recent survey with our members found that 54% of marketers believe the current level of AI skills on their team is low. In fact, 40% have not implemented any AI-driven initiatives in their business.

So what do these results mean?

A lack of knowledge in AI produces barriers to entry for individuals. It is also creating disparities in economic opportunities and job market dynamics. AI is automating many tasks, which is leading to more job displacement in certain sectors as people find their current skills becoming obsolete. The concern is that workers displaced by automation may struggle to find new employment if they lack the necessary AI and digital skills to transition to new roles. 

At the same time, the problem is being exacerbated because most traditional educational institutions are slow to integrate AI training into their programmes, resulting in a lag of graduates with the necessary digital skills. One of the developing trends is that employers increasingly expect candidates to have AI-related skills, even for roles that traditionally do not require them. This shift in expectations can leave many job seekers unprepared when going into interviews.

Is there a skills gap?

According to the World Economic Forum's recent Future of Jobs Report, with the current pace of technological change, employers predict that in the next five years, 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted. So six out of every ten workers will require training before 2027, with analytical thinking, AI, and big data topping the list for key training priorities.

This digital skills gap looks to be a recurring theme internationally:

• The European Commission produced a Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) focusing on Europe’s digital performance. It highlighted that more than three-quarters of companies in the EU say they have difficulties finding workers with the necessary skills.
• The same trend is occurring in the UK, where out of 500 businesses surveyed by Forbes, 93% report there is a gap in IT skills within the UK jobs market. There, 35% of companies state that competition in the jobs market is a major challenge. 
• By 2030, the talent shortage and skills gap in the US alone is expected to total a loss of $8.5 trillion, according to PwC.

What skills do you need to develop to ensure you don't get lost in the digital skills gap?

Let’s look at three of the most important digital skills that can make you an in-demand marketer with the potential to earn a generous salary!

“Training from within and growing skills is key. If your company offers that opportunity, put your hand up because when employers look at CVs, the person with the project skills that have gone beyond their day job to take on meaty projects, that's what they want to see."” Mischa McInerney, CMO of the Digital Marketing Institute

How to bridge the skills gap

1. Develop your AI skills

AI is helping digital marketers automate activities and campaigns at a scale that’s never been seen, or indeed been possible, before. 

In our recent survey, the key benefits of integrating AI into marketing efforts were identified as:

• Automation of routine tasks (68%)
• Improved customer experience (46%)
• Improved targeting and segmentation (45%)
• Enhanced personalisation (44%)
• Predictive analysis (39%)

If you take the time to learn about the latest applications and tools for AI in marketing, it will help you become a more efficient marketer. For example, you can use AI tools to:

• Conduct audience research (SparkToro, Google Trends, or AnswerthePublic).
• Develop and generate content (ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity).
• Make data-driven decisions (GA4 and Tableau).
• Drive innovation.
• Boost customer engagement (chatbots or CRM platforms like Intercom).
• Drive business growth.

2. Develop your digital analytics skills

Today’s digital marketer must have strong digital analytics skills. Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from various digital channels (websites, social media, email campaigns, and so on) provides invaluable insights into customer behavior, campaign performance, and marketing effectiveness. 

Using these insights, marketers can make informed, data-driven decisions. This also enables them to optimize their strategies and allocate resources more efficiently, and demonstrate the return on investment (ROI).

How can digital marketers get the data for these insights? Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is one of the most popular data analytics tools for digital marketers. GA4 uses a machine learning-based data model that provides accurate and actionable insights for understanding online customer journeys more effectively. 

Data and web analytics serve as the compass when guiding a business through the digital landscape. In this era of vast datasets, GA4 can help you spot key user behavior and market trends. 

It will allow you to decipher intricate patterns and uncover hidden insights, transforming raw numbers into actionable strategies. You can also use GA4 to optimize campaign performance and tailor customer experience to meet the evolving needs of an audience. 

From enhancing customer engagement to maximizing ROI, GA4 is the cornerstone of digital success in today's data-driven world.

3. Develop your digital strategy skills

If you want to drive online innovation and change at a more senior level within the digital landscape, you need to understand digital strategy. Developing your strategic thinking and leadership skills can be important for your current and future career prospects. 

So, what is a digital strategy? It outlines how an organization plans to use digital technologies to reach its business goals and succeed in its sector. 

This digital strategy ensures that an organization’s fate is not left to market conditions and competitive actions. Instead, it states how it plans to:

• Understand the changing digital landscape
• Leverage any opportunities
• Defend itself from any threats
• Give itself a competitive advantage

With technology evolving at breakneck speed, a robust digital strategy can successfully navigate an online brand through uncertainty with agility and foresight. It inspires teams to embrace digital transformation, while fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability. 

From harnessing emerging technologies to redefining customer experiences, digital strategy and leadership are often the company anchors in an ever-changing world. 

If you can build an online marketing communications plan using budgeting, resourcing, and reporting systems, it can help you move into a management or leadership role within the digital marketing industry.

Note: The most successful strategic thinkers also tend to develop additional, complementary skills: adopt an agile mindset; hone their communication skills; and think creatively. These 'human' skills will become increasingly important in the age of AI.

Advance Your Career with a Master’s in Digital Marketing

It can be a challenge to transition into a senior role so it’s important to gain new skills and knowledge. DMI’s Master’s in Digital Marketing, informed by leading industry experts (Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, IBM and more), is an advanced program that provides you with key digital marketing skills and provides you with strategic, management, planning, and analytics know-how expected by employers across industries. Download a brochure today to see what you can achieve.