POWERING WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE

15 JUNE, 2023

SIX ESSENTIAL DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING SKILLS TO DEVELOP IN EMPLOYEES

Against the backdrop of a hyper-connected and digitally dominated world, data has emerged as the driving force behind successful marketing strategies. Companies are increasingly relying on data-driven insights to optimise their campaigns, enhance customer experiences, and gain a competitive edge in the market. As a result, the demand for employees equipped with the right data-driven marketing skills is growing rapidly.

However, it’s important to note that these data-driven marketing skills are not inherent. Businesses don’t need to embark on a mass-hiring process to start managing successful data-driven marketing campaigns. By fostering key skills in an existing workforce, businesses can harness the power of data to unlock valuable insights and create targeted, personalised marketing campaigns that resonate with their target audience.

Here are six key skills for data-driven marketing that organisations should prioritise when developing their employees.

Digital literacy

In today’s digital age, a strong understanding of marketing automation tools and platforms is an essential digital marketing skill for employees. From social media platforms to SEO, email marketing and mobile marketing, organisations must leverage these channels effectively to create meaningful connections and drive business growth.

Digital literacy encompasses the ability to navigate and utilise these diverse digital marketing channels proficiently. It involves grasping the core concepts, best practices, and unique strategies associated with each platform. For instance, understanding the intricacies of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and emerging platforms allows marketers to craft compelling content, engage with customers, and cultivate brand loyalty.

By gaining a deeper understanding of different platforms, employees will be better equipped to respond to changing algorithms, leverage new technology, and craft compelling content that engages with customers.

Data analysis

The ability to analyse data, naturally, is one of the most essential skills for data-driven marketing. Identifying trends and insights that can inform marketing strategies and improve business outcomes. Data analysis can also help measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and identify areas for improvement.

To put it simply, data analysis involves using tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data sets. This can include analysing website traffic, social media engagement, customer behaviour, and sales data. With the right tools to support their data analytics competencies, employees can turn data into actionable insights that drive marketing decisions.

Data visualisation

Data visualisation tools and skills allow businesses to transform complex data sets into clear and engaging visuals that can help inform marketing decisions. It is a powerful tool for performance measurement in marketing, allowing businesses to quickly and easily understand their metrics.

Data visualisation tools such as charts, graphs, and dashboards are extremely effective at conveying large amounts of data quickly and clearly.

In addition to helping businesses understand data, data visualisation abilities can also help identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent from raw data. A line chart may reveal a seasonal trend in website traffic or social media engagement, for example, which could help inform marketing strategies.

Marketing automation

Marketing automation tools have revolutionised the way businesses approach marketing, so employees should be familiar with these tools to stay competitive in today’s market. Marketing automation allows businesses to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as lead nurturing, email campaigns, and social media management, freeing up valuable time and resources.

In addition to streamlining marketing efforts, marketing automation can also allow businesses to reach their target audience more efficiently and effectively. For example, email campaigns can be automated to send personalised emails to customers based on their behaviour or demographics. This makes the ability to use marketing automation tools a particularly important skill for modern marketers.

Customer segmentation

Effective marketing campaigns require a deep understanding of the target audience, and customer segmentation is a critical skill for employees to develop. Customer segmentation involves dividing a target audience into smaller, more specific groups based on demographics, behaviour, and other factors. By segmenting customers, businesses can create targeted and personalised marketing campaigns that resonate with each group.

Employing customer segmentation can enable marketers to identify untapped opportunities within their target audience and uncover new segments that may have been previously overlooked. These insights can drive product development, inform messaging strategies, and optimise marketing spend, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

  1. A/B testing

Designing and executing A/B tests is a crucial skill for employees involved in marketing. A/B testing involves creating two different versions of a marketing campaign, with slight variations in elements such as copy, design, or images, and then testing these versions to see which performs better. The version that performs better is then selected and used for the remainder of the campaign.

A/B testing is a particularly valuable tool for businesses to improve their marketing campaigns and increase conversion rates. By testing different variations of a campaign and interpreting collected data, businesses can gain insights into which elements are resonating with their audience, and use these insights to optimise future campaigns.

Empower your employees with data-driven marketing skills

Data-driven marketing has become indispensable for businesses seeking to grow and thrive in a competitive landscape. By harnessing the power of data and analytics to inform marketing decisions, organisations can gain a significant edge and ensure long-term success.

At DeakinCo., we recognise the growing importance of data-driven marketing skills in achieving business objectives. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of capability development programs designed to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the data-driven marketing landscape.

Don’t let your business fall behind the competition. Invest in data-driven marketing competencies today with DeakinCo. and ensure that your employees have the tools they need to leverage data effectively. Contact us to learn more about our learning programs.