If you have been in any kind of job for a while, there will inevitably be times when you ask yourself whether this is as good as it gets. Is the job really the right one for you? And are you still right for it?
The second question is particularly important for jobs in fast-moving sectors where new types of jobs are emerging every day, demanding new and essential combinations of skill sets that were not previously required. And in the rapidly evolving digital marketing sector it is all too easy to begin to feel left behind.
In this article we take a look at:
- How the skills needed for digital marketing are changing.
- What is the typical demographic for digital marketing in 2025.
- How to improve your prospects in digital marketing.
How the skills needed for digital marketing are changing
Over the past decade, digital marketing skills have evolved significantly. Everything has become much more data-driven and technology-dependent, with many basic functions now being automated. There is increasing emphasis on analytics, personalisation, and better understanding of customer behaviour.
This means that digital marketing professionals need a unique combination of technical knowledge and softer people skills. Here are five of the most important skills that we think are essential to succeed in digital marketing in 2025:
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AI
Like it or not, AI is here to stay. And the good news is that, used well, it can automate many of the day to day tasks of digital marketing; freeing up human resources to focus on the creative and innovative side. So it’s essential to keep up to date with developments in Ai and technology in general to be at the top of your game in digital marketing.
For more details on how AI is being used in digital marketing check out our last article Five ways to use AL in your digital marketing strategy.
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Analytics
Analytics are one of the most essential components of the digital marketing toolkit for real-time insights as to what is and is not working in a campaign at any given time. They provide valuable information on traffic and audience behaviour, including elements such as the most engaging keywords, the most used devices, the busiest times of day, and demographics such as age, gender, and location.
So to succeed in digital marketing it’s essential to be confident in using data analysis tools such as Google Analytics and other data analysis tools to enable you to make decisions based on evidence rather than gut feeling.
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SEO and SEM
Another essential skill needed to succeed in digital marketing is expertise in Search Engine Optimisation and Marketing. The better you understand how search engines work, the more you will be able to optimise the content of your website so that it is visible to those search engines. And if your digital marketing strategy and budget includes paid search you need to know the best search results for ad placement.
It could be argued that the only relevant results you achieve as a digital marketer are those that people can see, and being expert in SEO and SEM is the main way to make that happen.
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Social Media
A true digital marketing expert needs to be fully familiar with all the intricacies of social media platforms. And this needs to be an ongoing process, as social media platforms and algorithms constantly evolve.
So you need to be confident with the nuances of each platform, the type of audience it has, and the best times to post. You also need to know what type and style of content is and is not likely to work on each one, including not just text and video posts but also live-streaming, community interaction, direct messaging, and hashtagging. Skilful use of social media marketing can make or break the success of your campaign.
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Empathy with clients and consumers
All the above skills can – and should – be learned and constantly kept up to date. But there is also the magic ingredient to add into the mix of a successful digital marketer : empathy. To be able to truly understand the wants and needs of a customer on their journey, and also to build credibility with clients, you need to be able to metaphorically walk in their shoes. It can be all too easy to become wrapped up in the mechanics of digital marketing, and do them all well, but a liberal helping of empathy is the perfect finishing touch.
At every stage of your digital marketing campaign, from the design of your website, the UX of all the touchpoints on the customer journey, the tone of personalised emails, and the quality of social media interaction, it’s worth thinking how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of it. Does it engage and perhaps even delight you? Or would it stir up rather less positive feelings?
Similarly with clients. Never take them for granted. Not only do you need to deliver great campaigns but you need to keep them updated every step of the way rather than assuming they are happy for you just to get on with things. Let them know what is working and why, and create honest and positive solutions for when things need to be tweaked. Always think how you would want to be treated in their position, and the frequency and tone of the communication you would hope to receive. All this will help to build trust and pave the way for longer term client relationships.
So these are some of the skills that you need to succeed in digital marketing in 2025, but who are today’s digital marketers? Let’s take a look.
The typical demographic for digital marketing in 2025
Digital marketing is predominantly a younger sector, with around 75% of digital marketers aged between 26 and 45. This breaks down further into almost half – 47.3% – aged 26 to 35, and over a quarter – 27.3% – aged between 36 and 45.
In the UK, 58% of the digital marketing workforce are women, and 42% men. However, women represent a smaller percentage of leadership roles than men, and overall earn around less than men.
In terms of race, a 2023 Statista survey of over 3,000 UK marketers found that the majority of respondents – 84% – identified as white. Since then, there have been increasing diversity and inclusion initiatives, with the numbers of non-white employees growing from 2023 to the present as below:
- Asian or Asian British – 6.5% to 9.9%.
- Black, African Caribbean or Black British – 1.8% to 2.6%.
- Mixed race or multiple ethnic groups – 4.4% to 5.6%.
However, whilst the percentage of non-white employees may be rising, there is still significant underrepresentation in senior roles and management positions, and an ongoing pay gap between white and non-white marketers.
How to improve your prospects in digital marketing
The challenge of the evolving skills needed to succeed in digital marketing is daunting enough in itself, but if you are also in one or more of the minority demographic groups it can seem doubly so. But there are steps you can take to improve your prospects in digital marketing.
Here are five quick tips to get you going!
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Perfect the fundamentals
However long you have been in digital marketing, there is always more you can learn about the fundamentals. Digital marketing is a constantly changing landscape, and there are things you may have been doing one way for years, but could now be done even better another way. Always be willing and open to learn new tricks, and aim to be perfect rather than just good enough.
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Learn more than you need to know
To stand out from the digital marketing crowd, you need to do more than just get by. The deeper your understanding, the better the quality of output will become. So, for example on the technical side, always dig deep. You want to be that person who knows how and why things work the way they do, rather than “just because”. That way, you will be able to extract the best results possible.
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Become a recognised expert in one area of digital marketing
As well as learning more about various different areas of digital marketing, begin to forge your path in one particular area. Work your way up to becoming an expert and thought leader in this area. Seek out opportunities for comments, guest blogs, speaker slots etc in your area of choice. And put time and effort into networking with like-minded people and other industry experts.
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Learn the art of storytelling
Whether it’s to create content, persuade colleagues, or keep valued clients fully informed, you need to be able to convey your ideas in a way that will attract and engage those you are communicating with.
It can help to visualise these aspects of your role as telling a story : and the good news is that storytelling is an art that can be learned and will improve with practice. The main things to focus on are knowing your audience, planning a compelling and emotive narrative around the key points you want to get across, and using your physical or written voice to tell your story effectively.
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See the bigger picture
A key to success in digital marketing is to be able to see the bigger picture. It’s easy to become parochial about the area you work in, and see it as more important than everyone else’s, but being open and willing to understand the campaign as a whole is really important. So for every campaign you are involved in, make time to understand how your role fits in with what everyone else is doing, and consider whether there are perhaps ways you could improve the flow between different areas.
Seeing the bigger picture also helps to make you more adaptable and agile. During a campaign there will almost always be new and unexpected developments, and a broader understanding of the campaign will put change requests into context, rather than them feeling like an imposition for no reason.
We hope that this article provides a useful overview as to the skills needed for digital marketing and the current demographic issues to be aware of. Good luck on your digital marketing journey, and remember to check back here with us soon at Xcite Digital.