Skills: Results of the Digital Barometer poll
Marketers are at the vanguard of digital transformation. Our March-April poll reveals that whilst 90 per cent of CIM member in London believe their digital skills to be competent or better, they rate the companies they work for less favourably, when it comes to their digital expertise.
Your organisation: how digital is it?
We asked London marketers to rate their organisations on their digital prowess. Respondents were asked to gauge what stage their company is at, using the digital stages of development defined by Smart Insights from ‘Initial’ stage to ‘Optimised’. In total 20 per cent of respondents felt that their organisation had a digital edge, either ‘competing with digital’ or ‘best in class’. Just under a third rate their organisation as average. Whilst 40 per cent see that their organisation is on the road to ‘developing digital capability’, and a further 10 per cent rate their firm as a ‘digital laggard’.
Your level: overall how digitally skilled are you?
Marketers were asked to rank their own digital expertise against the five stages of skill acquisition defined by Dreyfus and Dreyfus. The majority of respondents, 90 per cent, rate themselves as competent or better. Although just 10 per cent would call themselves a digital expert. Interestingly, no one rated themselves as a novice, which goes to prove how digital skills have become a core requirement for marketers.
Your skillset: rate yourself against these digital skills
To probe marketers’ specific digital skillsets, we condensed the Dreyfus and Dreyfus scale, asking members whether they considered themselves to be ace, average or amateur. Overall the CIM members responding to the poll score themselves as above average for online advertising, social media and email marketing. Skills are ranked below average for viral marketing. How do your digital skills compare?
Skillset – I’m an ace at this
The majority of respondents rate themselves as ace at email marketing and online advertising, with half ranking themselves expert in social media.
Proportion of respondents ranking their themselves as an ace:
Skillset – I’m average at this
It’s something we do, but the majority of respondents consider themselves as average at digital planning, SEO, online PR and digital metrics. Half of respondents felt their skills were average in relation to PPC, social media and digital law.
Proportion of respondents ranking their skills as average:
Skillset – I’m an amateur at this
Few of us are involved in viral marketing it seems, given that the majority of people rank themselves as amateurs at this specialist digital skill. By contrast, none of our respondents rate themselves as an amateur at social media or online advertising.
Proportion of respondents ranking their skills as amateur:
Thank you to all the London CIM members who took part.
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