One of the positive consequences of the internet’s creation is that it has allowed business connections to be made across countries that might not previously have been possible, and that can be seen in all its glory in the realm of digital marketing. As such, it is common to have a business in Canada employ a digital marketing agency based in Australia to promote its products around the world.
Whilst each country has its own culture, laws, and identity, there are also different business needs relating to digital marketing, and what digital marketing skills are most wanted by business owners and digital marketing agencies.
Research the needs of various countries you will soon discover that in many parts of the world there is a high demand for digital marketing skills, however, in many cases there appears to be a shortage of them. That might come as surprise to those who have those skills but who also seem to have difficulty finding clients willing to pay for them.
From this, it indicates those looking for digital marketers are looking too narrowly, and some digital marketers are not doing enough to promote themselves to a broader audience beyond their location. Some examples follow of what issues exist across the world and specifically in those countries where the demand for digital marketing and marketers is highest.
United States: Given that the USA is often at the forefront of online developments, including in digital marketing, there is a high demand for those skills. The skills required can either be a speciality, such as SEO, or general digital marketing skills, and there is no shortage of those who offer them.
United Kingdom: The prevailing thought in the UK is that too few of those who leave college and university have gained enough skills and knowledge in digital marketing, meaning that employers and businesses look elsewhere for them.
Canada: Like the UK, Canadian businesses struggle to find sufficient numbers of skilled digital marketers which are thought to have stemmed both from the period of Covid and advances in marketing technology which have left many behind.
Australia: A recent survey in Australia revealed over 85% of those who responded felt they required digital skills to successfully fulfil their current role. This highlights the huge influence digital technology has in today’s commercial world.
Ireland: Many industry leaders believe that Ireland is failing to teach and train students to an acceptable level and that this lack of digital knowledge and skills is going to hamper Ireland’s ability to maximise the benefits of digital innovation.
Philippines: There is a huge demand for digital skills in the Philippines and much of this demand comes from abroad given that employing Philippine workers is usually much less than in other countries. Note that those lower wages do not compromise the skills or the work ethic of these employees.
United Arab Emirates: Here, as in other parts of the developing middle east, employers have struggled to fill roles that relate to digital technology and marketing which is going to get worse due to the country’s shrinking population which fell by over 10% during the pandemic.
Conclusion
It might seem we have painted a rather negative picture concerning the lack of digital marketing skills in some countries. Note, it is not the skills which are lacking but rather the number of people with them This is a positive as it means there are ample opportunities for new and existing digital marketers…if they know where to look for them.