Survey: Demand for content-marketing expertise outpaces supply of skilled job-seekers

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A vast majority of American companies see the value -- in fact, the critical need -- of content marketing, but companies face a shortage of skilled professionals to fill the growing number of content-marketing jobs, according to a new survey released today (January 26, 2015).

The gap between demand for and supply of professionals with content-marketing expertise was one of several findings in a survey conducted by SkilledUp.com, a website focusing on online educational resources.

"Every day, we see how content marketing is a vital aspect of the online future for any business -- the future of business in any realm, for that matter," said Nick Gidwani, president of SkilledUp. "And we saw a need to assess how the people in the field of marketing think they and their colleagues are doing in using this marvelous new tool. Our survey is the result."

Content marketing aims to build and grow a customer base through creation and sharing of online content. Examples include blog posts, in-depth articles, social media posts and videos.

According to the SkilledUp survey:

• 94% of the marketing professionals surveyed said it is critical that content marketing be part of a company's business strategy
• 40% of the respondents' companies reported increased spending on their content marketing in 2014
• 50% of respondents say they expect their company's budgets for content marketing to increase in 2015
• But more than a third (34%) of respondents said they have a difficult time finding job candidates with content-marketing skills
• More than three-fourths (84%) of respondents said they plan on learning more about content marketing themselves; 53% expressed interest in online content-marketing educational programs

"Content marketing makes a direct impact on the bottom line with 88% of respondents saying that content marketing drives sales, 83% saying it grows customer referrals and 75% saying it builds a loyal customer base," Gidwani said Monday.

"There's a desperate need for content marketers and SkilledUp advises that job seekers who add formal skills to their own raw talent will become highly valued job candidates," Gidwani said.

Read more about the survey here, and detailed findings here.  

About SkilledUp
SkilledUp organizes, curates and reviews online educational resources. The company has seen a growing interest in content marketing among users, as well as an increasing job market for these positions. Observing these trends, the company wants to better gauge the importance and demand for content marketing skills.

Survey Methodology
This Content Marketing survey was conducted online by Provoke Insights, a brand consultancy and market research firm, on behalf of SkilledUp.  The survey was distributed on July 23^rd -26^th, 2014 among 200 professionals living in the United States who are engaged in their company's marketing activities. The online panel consisted of individuals who have double opted-in and voluntarily agreed to participate in various online research studies.  Results based on this sample have a maximum margin of sampling error of ±6.7 percent at a 95% confidence level.

To arrange an interview with SkilledUp President Nick Gidwani, contact:
Jordyn Lee, jordyn@skilledup.com

Contact: Jordyn Lee
Phone: 360-319-0852
Email: jordyn@skilledup.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150122/170768LOGO

SOURCE SkilledUp