There is no doubt that automation is certainly influencing the marketing workplace. In fact it brings with it huge benefits that the marketing industry has already grasped. However, there appears to be a skills shortage & knowledge gap with some marketing employees reporting a lack of support from their employer when it comes to up-skilling to new automation software.
A new study has found that 79% of marketers believe that digital transformation is the first or second focus of their organisation. However, just over half of respondents believe that automation will enhance human value in the future.
In the world of marketing, automation can ensure that customers and clients are contacted with the right offers that are tailored to them. To do this, automation technology is required. However, what is important is the need for people who have the skills as well as the desire to use it.
As far as technical skills go, the most lacking is digital project management, with just under half of the respondents believing that they don’t have the skills to make automation work. In contrast to this, 57% felt that cite strategic skills were lacking while 70% thought that data analytics were missing.
So, it seems as though marketers are not receiving the training they require. What is more alarming is that six out of ten are not training themselves in order to possess the skills while only 34% are receiving support from their employer.
There is a point of contention here though, as 62% of respondents actually believe that their employer should take responsibility for developing professional skills around automation.
Marketers are not holding back when it comes to acknowledging just how important automation can be to the workplace. In contrast to this, 33% of employers found that automation has helped to decrease the number of administrative tasks.
