MG410 Career Research Report: Digital Marketing Trends and Skills

This career research report explores the digital marketing landscape, focusing on current trends and required skills for graduates. It analyzes the evolution of the field, highlighting the impact of technology and the importance of adaptability. The report examines essential skills like sales, visual storytelling, and soft skills, along with knowledge areas such as SMM and SEO. It includes an evaluation of a potential digital marketing career at Boots, reflecting on the author's aspirations and the industry's appeal. The research incorporates insights from an interview with a digital marketing assistant, providing practical perspectives on the profession. The report concludes with a summary of key findings and references, providing a valuable resource for students on Desklib.

CAREER RESEARCH REPORT-
CAREER VIEWPOINT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION.................................................................................................1
General trends which will impact on digital marketing...............................................................1
The skills and knowledge and experience required.....................................................................2
EVALUATION...............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Employability is an essential area for any graduate to showcase their talent, skills and
knowledge and have a self reflection to analyse the career planning. In this regard, awareness is
required to choose the subject of interest appropriately to take correct decisions (Guilbert et.al.,
2016). This report aims at understanding the aspects of career action plan in digital marketing
through self reflection. Moreover, it includes primary and secondary research regarding gaining
information about current trends and required skills set. Alongside, I am passionately trying to
improve my insights about the same profession by analysing the latest information and progress.
This is beneficial in outlining the future prospects for me as a digital marketer in terms of my
professional career.
ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION
General trends which will impact on digital marketing
Understanding latest trends and operational technologies are integral for any job seeker to
outshine the other candidates and also improve the skills set or levels of knowledge for better
outcomes for any organization. According to Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick (2019), this profession
was never considered as a full time career option but always referred as the vocational course to
add to the skills set of an individual. It is one of those professions which were referred as the side
kicks and never were given that much of importance. However, in the last decade, technological
advancements have laid the birth of digital marketing in more open and refined manner. It has
led to astonishing ways to connect with people from different geographic and demographics as
well.
Tiago and Veríssimo (2014) also added to the wide scope of this profession including
Email Marketing Specialist, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist, Content management
and many more such profiles that has bridged the communication gaps between the client and
employer. Here the prime objective is to transform the ways of marketing any product or service
through a reliable and easier channel. In regard to this, Matrix (2014) shed light that with
increased levels of mobiles usage and other devices, the consumers have become more aware
and conduct a comparative analysis while purchasing or investing. Thus, the people working in
this profession should be result oriented in terms of better networking and incorporating the new
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trends like mobile/ video marketing, content personalization, and social media marketing for
gaining their attention in fruitful communication.
Furthermore, Mackey, Cuomo and Liang (2015) elucidated that the content overloading
and similarities in the online profiles of the companies did create confusion and is rapidly
changing for gaining clients. Such cut throat competition led to use of latest technologies or
trends in more vigorous modes. For instance, Ubex project has streamlined the problem areas
and incorporated blockchain to ensure safe database in terms of ads delivery and placement with
adoption of AI (artificial intelligence) to collect the data by removing the provision of
commission fees (Zafar, 2018). The focus is on promoting the cross cultural communication to
establish strong ties with shareholders, employees and clients due to the onset of globalisation.
Moreover while conducting the interview process with one of the Digital Marketing
Assistants working at Arcadia Group, it came into the light that this profession has turned out to
be the most effective platforms to know about the preferences, requirements and taste of the
consumers. The ample resources like tools, software, etc. have supported the management team
to use the metrics in accordance to the brand and customers’ engagement. Therefore, this group
is flourishing as one of the competitors for the rival companies due to the upper hand in
analysing the customers’ specifications through digital platforms.
The skills and knowledge and experience required
It has been clearly demonstrated that trends and newer technologies are only adding to
the advantages for digital marketers. The professionals are easily reaching out to the clients,
suppliers or other companies in more direct, open and reliable channels. There is also a rise of
specific skills set and expertise required in flourishing the professional career span and earning a
respectable income (Taiminen and Karjaluoto, 2015). The following are the few personal skills
and expertise areas to be imbibed to become a successful digital marketer. Sales skill to know
about the clients’ needs, market scenarios, products’ strengths and marketing attributes. This
deadly combination helps in engaging the attention properly by optimising the resources and
closing deals (Finch, Nadeau and O’Reilly, 2013). Next is Visual storytelling capacity that
might add to make the company’s or product’s profiles look presentable and appealing at the
same time and thus, it helps in manipulation to sell the same content with an emotional
attachment. Here, it infers the availability of abundant data on a specific area or field that leads
to high levels of competition.
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Nevertheless, Soft skills which are often restricted till communication skills is an
incorrect notion, and an individual in this profession must be adaptable, multi-tasker, empathetic
with honest work ethics. These single based characteristics together work like a magnet and have
the ability to fetch the attention in faster and easier ways without exhausting energy or resources
(Griffith and Hoppner, 2013). In addition, Active listening skills are also important to connect
and establish better relations with the clients without the physical presence and leave a lasting
impression. Internet is such a huge pool of opportunities recently and a digital marketer must
have the competency to know about giving time and giving solutions through good interaction
sessions (Correa, 2016). Lastly, Agility is another personal skill to be developed to be on toes
with the current and upcoming trends or technologies in this professional field. This aids in
assessing the designing detailing or relevancy attached with different technology platforms to
receive a positive response and overcome the complexities and challenges smoothly.
In regard to knowledge areas, Social media marketing (SMM) and Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) are the elite ones and must be carried by a good digital marketer to help the
companies in improving their visibility and presence among the targeted audience. These two
reflected the need to have analytical and problem solving skills to assess the market trends and
consumers’ behavioural aspects (Royle and Laing, 2014). Moreover, it also provides authentic
accountability and flexibility in ensuring a complete 360 degree view on the activities of both the
company’s management and the clients as well. Thus, technical expertise regarding the website
architecture and its associated errors are very useful for executing the modifications and clearly
communicating it with patience and reasoning (Mackey, Cuomo and Liang, 2015).
EVALUATION
The job evolution in the digital marketing has surpassed the basic levels when compared
with the conventional job profiles. It has become one of the lucrative jobs due to the millennial
dependency and constant connection to create a digitalized world for doing businesses (Webber,
2013). In context to the job opportunity of Digital Marketer at Boots, one of the leading
companies in the pharmacy-led health and beauty retailers of United Kingdom. I would like to
reflect upon my keen interest in becoming one of the influencers while using the digital
marketing. I also want to gain experience through the personalized program of Boots’ ‘Early
Careers Development’ that gives a profound learning platform to people like me. This is one of
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those programs that highlight the need to know the several aspects of real time based scenarios
and assist in self development.
Furthermore, this job profile would open several doors in terms of enhancing my personal
skills and also guide me to network with the eminent personalities. This is one of the emerging
job profiles that help an individual to establish and prove their mettle amongst the already known
names. Additionally, it would also give me that stability that I am looking to know about the
skills set for sustaining this profession in the longer run. Therefore, I personally feel that this job
would not only fetch me with the technical expertise I am looking forward in learning but also
make me understand the flexibility and rigidness of this profession. This profession is fast
becoming popular due to the advantages like working from home, entrepreneurship, high
earnings and more. Herein I believe that I might be a suitable candidate because of my passion in
learning and exploring all the aspects of digital marketing. I am also ready to take any challenges
and agree that this company would embark my journey in the forwarding direction only.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarised that an applicant must be well versed with the current trends and
ongoing practices of the chosen profession or industry. Additionally, the required skills set or
expertise should be imbibed at the basic level to perform the responsibilities in more orderly
ways. There are researches done to understand the overall growth and scope of the chosen
profession and it also assisted in gaining knowledge about the expected tasks to be done. This
would pave the path for the applicants like me to practice and inculcate a sense of accountability.
Herein I understood that an individual should be adept, flexible and aware to complete the tasks
in effective manner.
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REFERENCES
Chaffey, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., (2019). Digital marketing. Pearson UK.
Correa, T., (2016). Digital skills and social media use: how Internet skills are related to different
types of Facebook use among ‘digital natives’. Information, Communication & Society, 19(8),
pp.1095-1107.
Finch, D., Nadeau, J. and O’Reilly, N., (2013). The future of marketing education: A
practitioner’s perspective. Journal of Marketing Education, 35(1), pp.54-67.
Griffith, D.A. and Hoppner, J.J., (2013). Global marketing managers: Improving global
marketing strategy through soft skill development. International Marketing Review, 30(1),
pp.21-41.
Guilbert, L., Bernaud, J.L., Gouvernet, B. and Rossier, J., (2016). Employability: review and
research prospects. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 16(1),
pp.69-89.
Mackey, T.K., Cuomo, R.E. and Liang, B.A., (2015). The rise of digital direct-to-consumer
advertising?: Comparison of direct-to-consumer advertising expenditure trends from publicly
available data sources and global policy implications. BMC health services research, 15(1),
p.236.
Matrix, S., (2014). The Netflix effect: Teens, binge watching, and on-demand digital media
trends. Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, 6(1), pp.119-138.
Royle, J. and Laing, A., (2014). The digital marketing skills gap: Developing a Digital Marketer
Model for the communication industries. International Journal of Information
Management, 34(2), pp.65-73.
Taiminen, H.M. and Karjaluoto, H., (2015). The usage of digital marketing channels in
SMEs. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 22(4), pp.633-651.
Tiago, M.T.P.M.B. and Veríssimo, J.M.C., (2014). Digital marketing and social media: Why
bother?. Business horizons, 57(6), pp.703-708.
Webber, R., (2013). The evolution of direct, data and digital marketing. Journal of Direct, Data
and Digital Marketing Practice, 14(4), pp.291-309.
Zafar, T., (2018). How Technologies Have Influenced The Digital Marketing Industry? .[Online].
Available through: <https://hackernoon.com/how-technologies-have-influenced-the-digital-
marketing-industry-5818c51e50c2>.
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APPENDIX
INTERVIEW PROCESS
Name: Jacob Smith
Connection with respondent: Neighbour
Job position: Digital Marketing Assistant
Experience: 4.5 years
1. How do you see digital marketing shaping the traditional approaches in doing business?
- It has brought revolutionary changes that minimised the gaps between companies and also
made them learn about different cultures and promote mutual respect and understanding.
2. What skills set do you look into the aspiring candidate coming into this line of profession?
- I feel that one must have good soft skills with sound sales techniques to attract the attention
of the audience. Moreover, they must also be technology lover, patient and has good work
ethics.
3. Do you feel pressurised due to the constant changing trends and technologies?
- Yes, Definitely. However, it helps me to grow my professional skills set and also improve
my knowledge areas and help me know about the ongoing practices.
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