The future of
digital marketing As more marketing vacancies than candidates become available, how can we find the next generation of digital marketers? WORDS BY KERRY SMITH
T
he boom in digital marketing during the pandemic has caused an avalanche of marketing jobs being advertised. LinkedIn’s ‘Jobs on the Rise’ report found that social media and digital marketing jobs increased by 52% in 2020, attracting a younger demographic with an average age of 28. Demand for digital marketers is now outstripping supply, wages are increasing, posts remain vacant, and remote working means that the most qualified candidates can work from anywhere. One Leicester-based CEO says she can see trouble ahead if the sector doesn’t address this problem now. Anicca Digital’s founder and CEO, Ann Stanley, explains: “Demand for our digital marketing services has doubled since March and we are currently recruiting for 10 roles. Some of the specialist and more experienced roles are proving very difficult to fill and we have seen a typical jump in salaries of around £5k, as compared to last year. “Fortunately, we offer a flexible-working and attractive remuneration package, so we have been able to recruit from all over the UK as there is a definite shortage of experienced candidates in Leicestershire.” During the pandemic, the company has embraced
flexible working and this year has already recruited six new staff members, including three Kickstarter trainees as part of a Government-funded scheme. Anicca now aims to increase staff numbers to over 30 by August. “Our staff aren’t necessarily from Leicester. We have several new staff from different parts of the country,” Ann told us. “As part of our growth plans, we have also employed a new Head of Strategy, who lives in Stafford and commutes to our Frog Island office one day a week. There is a real danger that the companies that aren’t offering this flexibility will lose staff to the others that do.” Over the next few years, Ann and the team at Anicca are planning to develop a unique approach to tackle the digital skills gap by developing a programme called the Generation X - Digital Upskill Initiative. The programme looks to bring experienced traditional marketers, PRs, or other professionals into the digital marketing industry for the first time, most likely aged 40-55. The Anicca team will train and upskill them on specialist digital marketing skills they missed out on during their careers. They plan to double the size of the business in 12 months and Ann says she will need
WE WILL BE DEVELOPING THE GEN-X DIGITAL INITIATIVE OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND POTENTIAL CANDIDATES WILL GO THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE SELECTIONBOOTCAMP LATER IN THE YEAR
senior candidates to facilitate that growth. “There are lots of schemes for 16-24-year-olds that we participate in; however, there is a big talent pool of people who would make brilliant employees who just lack those now-needed technical skills. “We will be developing the Gen-X Digital Initiative over the next six months and potential candidates will go through an extensive selection-bootcamp later in the year. “These will be proper jobs within our agency, with a mix of classroom and on-the-job training leading to further marketing qualifications. There will also be opportunities for rapid promotion for the most ambitious and highest performing candidates.” Anicca is already helping to fill the digital skills gap by offering a range of training programmes, including a 12-day course leading to DMI and CIM qualifications. The company has also been assisting local companies and individuals since the very first lockdown by giving open access to its training materials and running a webinar every Friday at 9am providing free training on all aspects of digital marketing. Watch over 100 digital marketing webinars or sign-up for upcoming webinars at anicca.co.uk/resource-library. NICHE | 57
