Times are constantly changing, and this is especially true in digital industries. If you’re looking to land an interview in the fast-paced, exciting world of digital marketing, then you may have some work to do on your resume. After all, what may have been hip and happening a few years ago may not be as relevant today (goodbye Facebook, hello Instagram!).
Your resume should already have some nifty skills that set you apart. However, be sure to also include these essential digital marketing skills before clicking submit!
Ready to Apply? Don’t Forget These Must-Have Digital Marketing Skills:
1. Copywriting
Copywriting is a digital marketing essential that encompasses writing skills across the marketing spectrum. For example, social media, email, and SEO blog writing all require a slightly different approach to writing, but they are all forms of writing nonetheless. A great candidate has experience writing for a range of media and possesses a thorough understanding of their target audiences, adaptable tone and voice, formatting know-how, and ability to write about virtually anything. Think “writing chameleon”.
2. Graphic Design
Graphic design is among the digital marketing skills that especially come in handy in the branding and creative content world. A solid resume will list all knowledge of design programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or free online tools like Canva. The best way to showcase past designs is in a personal website or online portfolio linked to your resume.
3. Analytical Skills
Of course, what makes digital marketing so powerful in the age of big data is its ability to leverage vast amounts of quantifiable data. The bread and butter of digital marketing skills is analytical, coupled with data-driven decision-making. Fluent in Google Analytics, LinkedIn insights, or Facebook Ad results? Be loud and proud on your resume!
4. Strategic Planning
Trends come and go all the time. This makes it necessary to become a shrewd strategic thinker to identify when something is working or when it’s time to change things up. In 2025, for instance, video marketing is king, and you’d have to be a caveman to not realize its place in any marketing mix. If you can sprinkle some numbers on your resume about times when your strategy gave fruitful results, then they will speak for themselves.
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Today, if your website isn’t on the first page of Google for at least one good keyword, you may as well not exist.
SEO is largely a self-taught skill, so if you are lucky enough to have some background in it, you’re better off than most. Marketing skills in SEO can range from the more technical back-end stuff to the content creation side of things. The good news is that most everything you need to know is on the internet, so you can still make up for lost ground before applying to a job that requires elementary SEO experience.
6. Coding Knowledge
Sure, even the most expert digital marketers may not have coding skills to rival web developers, but they’re convenient marketing skills to have. HTML and CSS specifically will truly come in handy when it comes to blogging and email marketing. Luckily, there are plenty of free coding courses online now, like Code Academy and freeCodeCamp, so you can brush up.
7. Experience with Different Marketing Tools
The marketing agencies or companies you apply to will most likely each have their own preferred toolkit of platforms they use. However, many share the same basic functions that make learning curves super easy to breeze through. Social media experts may commonly work with tools like Sprout Social, Buffer, Gain, or Hootsuite. On the other hand, bloggers and SEO gurus would benefit from listing experience with websites like Moz or Ahrefs.
8. Paid Ads
Paid ads are another essential piece to the digital marketing puzzle. Your beautifully tailored resume should include any experience with paid advertisements like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and so on. Whether you’re trying to land an in-house marketing position or an agency job, knowing how to launch and run ads will certainly come in handy.
9. Instagram
While Facebook is a goldmine for reaching the older folks now, Instagram is what’s in and growing. Instagram knowledge is especially helpful for those looking to work in branding and social media. Even showcasing your own personal Instagram profile can count towards solid experience for employers.
Specifically, you should know current Instagram trends acted on by influencers and posted on stories. Why? There are over 500 million active daily users of the app that can be reached if you look out for and capitalize on current trends.
10. Email Marketing
Last, but certainly not least, is email marketing to round off a solid repertoire of digital marketing skills. Show off any proven results of campaigns you’ve designed that saw above-industry open and click rates. Also, be sure to mention all email platforms you’ve used, such as Mailchimp, SharpSpring, or HubSpot.
Once you’ve got a marketing skills masterpiece of a resume, you’re ready to apply to some of the best marketing companies to work for. Check out some of Arizona’s own best companies to explore a host of careers in marketing!
