Fortune 500 marketing executives complain of digital marketing talent gap

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Online Marketing Institute announced the release of part 1 of the State of Digital Marketing Talent study, in partnership with Kelly Staffing & ClickZ.

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During the summer of 2013, Online Marketing Institute surveyed 747 advertising and Fortune 500 marketing executives on the state of digital marketing skills, knowledge, and training in their companies. The study found that executives were not satisfied with the current skill levels of digital marketing talent, and there are significant gaps between the skills digital team should possess, and the skills they currently have. Only 8% of executives surveyed believe their employees are strong in all areas of digital marketing.

"The digital space continues to evolve rapidly, and Fortune 500 companies are finding it challenging to hire and retain digital marketing talent with the skills necessary to not just succeed—but thrive and grow," said Aaron Kahlow, CEO and Founder of Online Marketing Institute.

Kahlow continued, "The companies that are investing in closing the digital marketing talent gap through training and level-setting programs can generate a significantly higher return on every marketing and advertising dollar spent. This is a serious competitive advantage, and this talent gap needs to be addressed in the boardroom."

The 27-page study also found that:

• The largest skill gaps are in analytics and mobile marketing. 76% of those surveyed believe analytics is a very important/important skill to have, but only 39% believe their talent is stronger/much stronger than other teams. Also, 58% of those surveyed believe mobile is a very important/important skill, but only 29% believe their talent is stronger/much stronger than other teams.
• It is difficult for companies to vet and hire qualified individuals in social media and digital. Over 80% of companies surveyed face significant challenges in consistently locating, hiring and retaining top talent.
• Online certificate and eLearning programs fill the gap. 83% of companies identified eLearning & online certificate programs as a viable solution to filling the gap of skills and new job seeker credentials.
• There are more open positions than available talent. 40% of companies surveyed have more projects and positions open than they can fill with qualified talent, and analytics is the most desirable skill. This is a tremendous opportunity for job seekers.

These findings suggest that Fortune 500 companies are not achieving the desired output from their digital marketing teams, and are not reaping an adequate return on their marketing talent investments.

"I work closely with many executives in the Fortune 500, and I've seen firsthand how investing in digital marketing training and education improves overall sales and marketing performance," said Mike Grehan, Publisher of ClickZ and the global Search Engine Strategies conference series. Grehan continued, "There is no better time to invest in your team's capabilities than now."

Download the State of Digital Marketing Talent study now to learn how your company compares, and how Fortune 500 marketing leaders can take advantage of this shortage of skills to increase market share and generate a higher return on every marketing and advertising dollar spent through online training/eLearning.

About Online Marketing Institute

Founded in 2007, the Online Marketing Institute offers the world's largest online library of digital marketing classes taught by leading practitioners. Thousands of marketing teams and professionals across the globe leverage their Online Marketing Institute education to advance their careers and drive business results.

SOURCE Online Marketing Institute