Technology is at the heart of success for many companies when it comes to digital marketing. That’s not surprising, of course, as having the right tools goes a long way in helping you become more effective and more efficient, consultant Robert Arloro says.

Yet, technology has its limitations. You need the right people with the right skills to use the right technology in the right way if you want to be successful. This means you not only need to hire the right people who already possess these skills, but you need to help them build new skills over time.

Below are some ways that you can upskill your digital marketing team.

Identify the Skills Gap

The first step in upskilling your digital marketing team is identifying where the skills gap exists. After all, if you don’t know what skills your team is lacking, how can you help them acquire the skills they need?

You should seek to build a complete digital culture at your company throughout all levels of the organization. To do this, you’ll need to understand how people communicate, collaborate and track their progress toward goals, among many other things.

Making Continuous Professional Development Available

Upskilling employees should be an ongoing initiative and not a one-time event. That’s why Continuous Professional Development programs are so popular at workplaces today.

Through these programs, you can educate your digital marketing team on any subject under the sun that makes sense for your organization. The most effective way to do this is to tailor the programs to where the skills gaps exist. This will help you close those gaps and address the skills that are most relevant not only to their job but to the organization as a whole.

Incentivize Learning

Some employees will innately desire to learn more and build skills on a continuous basis. Others may need a little pushing to do so.

It’s important that you understand that each employee has their own motivations. It’s difficult to cater to each of these motivations on an individual basis, though, so you need to figure out an across-the-board way to do so.

A very effective method at upskilling employees is to incentivize continuous learning. Simple encouragement from upper management may not be enough.

Incentives can range from simple things such as setting aside time during the workday for them to learn and publicly recognizing employees who complete an education course. They could also include physical rewards such as a cash bonus or extra time off.

Provide Education and Training That is Relevant

Perhaps the biggest factor in successfully upskilling your digital marketing team is providing education and training that is relevant to their jobs and to the external world. Robert Arloro says this means that you need to offer training that actually reflects where the rest of the world is in relation to the skills you’re trying to teach.

If the training and education you’re providing is on outdated technology or old tools, employees will be less motivated to actually learn and use what they learn. Stay ahead of the curve by keeping your education programs up to date.

About Robert Arloro

Robert Arloro is a digital marketer and marketing consultant with more than a decade of experience in the field. He currently works with businesses of all sizes to help them reach their digital marketing goals. Robert’s expertise includes SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and website optimization. When he’s not working, Mr. Arloro enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and traveling.