Are you struggling to keep up with the changing landscape of digital marketing?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
According to the 2024 Global Digital Skills & Training Report, the digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, and the skills required for marketers are also evolving with time.
Our research found that 54% of corporate leaders believe AI strategy development and knowledge of AI in digital marketing are the most commonly lacking skills on their teams. Next, a lack of SEO (44%) and data analytics (42%) have been identified as major barriers.
Why is SEO skills in rising demand?
The main reason for the rise in demand for SEO skills is the expansion of AI-powered search and Google’s AI Overviews, which provide consumers with more detailed search results.
SEO experts are keeping an eye on changes in the search landscape so they can take appropriate steps to avoid organic traffic drops and ranking drops.
Keys to Success in Digital Marketing
Successful digital marketers know that even though branding, features, and platforms change over time, the fundamental strategies for effectively using marketing tools and platforms evolve at a steady pace.
So, to stay afloat in digital marketing, it is important to develop the ability to adapt to new changes and strengthen the fundamentals of marketing.
“Marketers must stay updated and strategically analyze any changes, but every change does not mean that your existing skills are suddenly redundant.”
— Product & Operations Director, Digital Marketing Institute
Best Ways to Stay Updated in Digital Marketing
1. Develop a Solid Marketing Strategy
To succeed in marketing, you need a well-planned strategy. This strategy should be based on things like branding, content planning, SEO, and digital advertising.
2. Subscribe to Newsletters
🔹 Digital marketing newsletters from companies like HubSpot, Moz, and AR Infotech can provide you with the latest trends and insights.
3. Read online publications and blogs
🔹 Websites like Google Search Central, Neil Patel Blog, and Content Marketing Institute provide the latest information on digital marketing, SEO, and AI.
4. Stay updated on social media
🔹 Participate in the latest trends and discussions in the industry by joining digital marketing groups on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit.
5. Use Google Alerts and Google Trends
🔹 Through Google Alerts, you can get real-time updates about your favorite marketing topics.
🔹 Google Trends will help you understand which topics and keywords are trending.
6. Take advantage of news aggregators
🔹 Using tools like Feedly and Flipboard, you can see the latest news on digital marketing, SEO, and social media in one place.
7. Attend digital marketing conferences, podcasts and webinars
🔹 Attend events like Google Marketing Live, Social Media Marketing World and Content Marketing World to learn about the latest digital marketing innovations.
🔹 Podcasts like Marketing Over Coffee and The Smart Passive Income are great sources to enhance your marketing knowledge.
8. Keep an eye on your competitors
🔹 Using tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs, you can analyze your competitors’ SEO, backlinks and ad campaigns.
🔹 Follow their social media and blog content and see how they are engaging audiences.
9. Share your knowledge and network
🔹 Post your thoughts and insights on LinkedIn.
🔹 Network with other professionals by joining digital marketing groups.
🔹 Share your experiences through blogs or videos.
Develop a digital marketing strategy
Before we look at the most effective ways you can stay updated in digital marketing and keep your skills relevant (especially AI-related skills), you will need a solid digital marketing strategy that can guide and support all your marketing efforts.
An effective strategy can provide direction to your marketing team. It will help you understand your customers, identify digital channels that generate leads and revenue, and make data-driven decisions that will positively impact your business.
Benefits of a digital marketing strategy:
- ✅ Improve efficiency
- ✅ Gain better insights
- ✅ Increase productivity
- ✅ Know your audience on a deeper level
- ✅ Increase ROI (Return on Investment)
Why is research essential for strategy building?
Before you develop a strategy, you need to understand:
✔ Business objectives
✔ Target audience
✔ Research results and key questions
Taking these factors into account, you can create a strategy action plan that includes timelines, budget, goals, strategies, digital channels, KPIs (performance indicators), etc.
Digital marketing evolves quickly, so it’s important to keep the strategy flexible as circumstances change. However, use it as a blueprint that you can refer to for guidance.
Now that you understand the fundamentals of developing a strategy, let’s look at what resources you can use to keep up with trends and innovations in the world of digital marketing.
1) Newsletters
Some companies think there’s no need for newsletters because of the availability of social media and other digital channels. But email marketing is still a powerful tool today.
Great newsletters that can help in digital marketing:
- 📩 The Daily Carnage
- 📩 Digiday
- 📩 Convince and Convert ON
- 📩 Neil Patel
- 📩 Google Think
- 📩 Marketing Dive
- 📩 Search Engine Land
- 📩 The Rundown AI
Newsletters are like a treasure trove of information and the best part is that it arrives in your inbox without any effort!
2) Online Publications and Blogs
There are many great digital marketing blogs and online publications in the market that provide great content in the form of articles, podcasts, toolkits, and guides.
Top digital marketing blogs and websites:
- 📝 Econsultancy (digital marketing and e-commerce)
- 📝 Adweek (brand marketing)
- 📝 Marketing Land (content on a variety of marketing topics)
- 📝 HubSpot (SEO, digital marketing, and AI news)
- 📝 Moz (SEO and online marketing)
- 📝 Search Engine Watch (SEO and search marketing)
Many of these sites also offer podcasts and webinars, which are usually free.
3) Social Media
Social media not only provides brands with an opportunity to connect with consumers, but it’s also a great way to monitor trends and keep an eye on competitors.
- 📌 LinkedIn – Connect with industry experts, participate in online communities, and gain insights.
- 📌 X (formerly Twitter) – Keep track of trending topics through hashtags.
- 📌 Instagram – Keep an eye on content creators and digital marketing trends.
- 📌 Facebook – Join groups and communities.
- 📌 TikTok – Learn the latest short-form video trends and marketing strategies.
✅ Tip: Keep an eye on hashtags like #DigitalMarketing, #ContentMarketing, and #SocialMediaMarketing.
4) Google Alerts and Google Trends
Google Alerts provides you with the latest updates on any specified keyword or brand.
Google Trends helps analyze which topics and keywords are becoming popular.
How to use?
🔹 Set up alerts for your brand or competitors.
🔹 Create alerts for industry experts and marketing leaders.
🔹 Use Google Trends to see which topics are gaining popularity.
5) News Aggregators
News aggregators are a great tool for those who want the latest digital marketing news in one place without any extra effort.
- 📰 Google News – Personalized news stories and breaking news.
- 📰 Feedly – Latest updates on marketing and technology.
- 📰 Flipboard – Magazine-style digital news feed.
- 📰 Reddit – Participate in industry discussions and ask questions.
6) Digital Marketing Conferences
Attending big marketing and technology events is the best way to network and learn the latest innovations.
- 🎤 SXSW – Digital innovation and marketing conference
- 🎤 Content Marketing World – Focused on content marketing
- 🎤 Search Marketing Expo (SMX) – SEO and PPC advanced techniques
- 🎤 Social Media Marketing World – Focused on social media marketing
✅ If attending in person isn’t possible, take advantage of online webinars and social media updates.
7) Podcasts and Webinars
- 🎧 Marketing Over Coffee
- 🎧 Gary Vee Podcast
- 🎧 Marketing School (Neil Patel & Eric Siu)
- 🎧 Supermetrics Podcast
- ✅ Webinars and podcasts introduce you to emerging trends and new strategies.
8) Monitor competitors
What strategies are your competitors using? Analyze their SEO, content marketing, and social media campaigns.
🔹 SEMrush,
9) Share knowledge and network
- 💡 Share your insights on LinkedIn.
- 💡 Participate in digital marketing forums and groups.
- 💡 Regularly share marketing updates within the team.
Supercharge your digital marketing career! 🚀
The best way to get a boost and success in the digital industry is through digital marketing certification.
AR Infotech’s certified and industry-endorsed Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing will help you learn the fundamentals of digital marketing.
What will you learn in this course?
- ✅ Digital Marketing Basics
- ✅ Effective use of AI in marketing activities
- ✅ Easy ways to develop soft skills
- ✅ Email Marketing, Social Media, SEO and Content Marketing
- ✅ Display and Video Advertising Strategies