Top Ten Skills Required for the Digital Marketing Artists

It’s important to be aware of the skills required for success in a future career as a digital marketing artist. 

This article highlights the top 10 skills that are often needed in this industry.

1. Excellent design sense – 

This is the most important skill you can have in your toolkit. Without it, you’ll be limited in what you are able to create.

2. Photoshop proficiency – 

Many of the graphic design skills required today rely on Photoshop to implement them. It’s not just retouching photos, but creating graphic designs from scratch with a digital pen and tablet, as well as making large selections of areas of an image to apply effects to.

3. Knowledge of HTML and CSS basics – 

When working with WordPress or Drupal for example, it helps if you know your way around HTML and CSS code (the languages that make up the pages that are served to users).

4. Web design experience – 

Similar to the above, it helps to have experience creating websites from scratch using HTML and CSS (and basic code). Having a portfolio of websites you created from scratch showcases your abilities better than having a book of mock-ups you can show clients.

5. Fluency in relevant social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) – 

If you want to work for a digital marketing agency that does social media marketing for its clients, this is one skill that all employees are expected to have. Taking the initiative to create an account on multiple networks like Facebook and Twitter also shows initiative, which is often sought after by employers.

6. Experience with CMS software (WordPress and Drupal) – 

These are the two most common websites you will be coding to. WordPress is a very popular platform that people often use to create their own websites, but it’s also used by thousands of web developers to make sites for their clients. Drupal is another platform you may encounter, which is used for more complex site development.

7. Ability to design and code for the type of sites you want to create – 

Having excellent knowledge of HTML and CSS allows you to start from scratch and build a modern website from the ground up using your own designs. Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS allows you to code basic sites without too much effort.

8. Excellent communication skills and experience with online communities – 

This is probably the hardest one to quantify, but it’s likely that most digital marketing artists have at least a small social network of people who are interested in the industry. Working with other students, fellow employees or friends can be very helpful in many different ways – both for your own career development, as well as networking with potential clients and employers.

9. Strong software development-oriented design skills –

It’s becoming more and more common for agencies to outsource small development projects to freelancers. This is where your software development skills can come into play. Knowing how to develop something like a minor modification or addition to a WordPress theme, or adding a custom feature to Drupal may help you get started with some of the smaller agencies who hire freelancers.

10. Demonstrable ability to write, edit, proofread and publish content using CMS software – 

Since you’ll be working in some way with websites, you’ll probably end up having to write articles for them at some point. This can be for your own site, or for clients as part of an employment contract. If you have experience doing this, it can be very beneficial.

Conclusion

Digital marketing artists have so many different avenues to take when it comes to their careers. The most important thing is to have a keen sense of design, and the ability to communicate your ideas clearly. Keep practicing your skills, and learn new ones when you can – the best job opportunities are often related to the role you are currently in!