Krista Neher
Nov 24 2020
Digital marketing is becoming more and more important as marketing budgets shift to digital. Many organizations struggle with how to increase the capabilities of their organization to match this shift.
How do businesses create marketers who…
- Think digital
- Can make smart choices
- Understand digital platforms
- Can analyze results
- Guide and direct smart choices from agencies (or make good choices as an agency)
- Integrate campaigns
To do this you need a learning plan for your organization. Depending on your size and budget, you can do these steps at a large scale or a small scale. You can create custom learning programs or leverage public workshops.
Regardless of your size and budget, if you want to increase the digital capabilities of your organization, here are the 7 steps to follow:1
1. Digital IQ Test
Start by assessing the current knowledge levels either formally or informally. Learn where your organization’s knowledge is today as well as the risks, barriers, and opportunities for digital. This will help you understand the current state and what action you need to take.
2. Job Competencies
Determine the core competencies required for positions. What are the skill/knowledge levels required for job performance? Determine where you want to be and when.
3. Determine or Get Resources
Determine the resources available to execute. How much time can internal resources spend on this? Is there a budget for external training/learning? How big is the budget? Prior to building a plan try to get some sense of how much time/effort/$$ can be invested.
4. Build a Plan
Build your plan – determine what you’ll do and when you’ll do it. Most plans include a combination of live and online training as well as internal and external training providers. Build a plan that matches the resources you have and builds the competencies you need.
5. Implement the Plan
Once you have the plan, start implementing it. Find external providers as needed. Create internal champions to grow organizational support and buy-in. Make the training exciting – consider gamification, rewards, or certificates to drive desired behaviors.
6. Measure Success
Measure how you are doing. This can be completed formally or informally. Get feedback from all levels of the organization to know what is and isn’t working.
7. Repeat
Training is continuous. Digital marketing isn’t like accounting where you learn a skill and can implement it over time once the skill is learned. Digital is always adapting and marketers go through different levels of expertise and knowledge. Repeat the first 6 steps to continuously keep your organization at the forefront.
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