Hiring based on skills, rather than formal education or experience, is increasingly common, especially in highly competitive and dynamic industries. The communication industry is no exception, and the recently published LinkedIn B2B marketing report touched on marketing and communication skills. According to LinkedIn data, the most popular skills for B2B leaders right now are digital marketing, communication and analytical skills. Also, experts who know how to manage campaigns and growth strategies are increasingly in demand.
LinkedIn suggests that adopting marketing technology and data analytics will become one of the most important skills in the next few years. Given that generative AI is an excellent tool for processing and analyzing large amounts of data, as well as for content creation, it will be used more often in marketing as well. However, currently only 17% of marketers have a solid understanding of how to use AI for marketing purposes. The conclusion is simple – there is a lot of room for improvement.
In addition to technical skills, creative skills are increasingly important. LinkedIn points out that marketers added 46% more creative skills to their LinkedIn profiles in the past year compared to the year before. Some of these skills are related to communication on social media, copywriting and graphic design.
Marketers also use other “soft” skills such as communication, organization and time management to successfully achieve the set goals. Also, skills such as problem solving, innovative thinking and self-sufficiency are on the rise.
The importance of learning and acquiring new competences is emphasized by the European Commission, which declared 2023 the European Year of Skills. While the LinkedIn B2B report suggests that digital knowledge, creativity and “soft” skills are in demand, the European Commission also emphasizes the importance of “green” competencies. The goal of the European Commission is to ensure that by 2030, 80% of people adopt basic digital skills and that at least 20 million people are employed in the ICT sector. One of the ways they plan to achieve the goal is by promoting greater investments in education and training, and a good example in Croatia for that are Vouchers for education, intended specifically for the acquisition and development of digital and green skills.