Lack of social media talent will stunt investment growth, say experts

Investment in the social media market is set to see the fastest growth of all online marketing for the next five years, at an annual rate of 34 per cent, according to research by Forrester.

However, results just released by Major Players indicate the growth may be stunted by a sheer lack of social media knowledge in the talent pool

Mark Begley, Major Players' head of digital and creative, said despite a 390% growth in the number of candidates with social media experience in the last two years, these candidates only make up approximately only 2 per cent of the total talent pool.

Begley said: "Forrester's research relating to growth is emphasised by what we are currently seeing in the market place.  An increasing number of companies have expressed their need to find highly skilled people to help build their social media capabilities and provide effective return on investment."

Two per cent is still a rather large group of talented individuals, Begley argued, but to combat a potential shortfall due to an increase in demand, companies should invest in the short term in social media training.

Begley said: "Companies looking to develop in this area should also look to recent graduates, because they're more comfortable with social media and generally more tech savvy.

"Despite the industry's reluctance to recruit graduates in the current economic climate, the compromise between finding the right skill sets and alleviating future skills shortages may prove an effective long range strategy for companies looking to gain a competitive edge."

 

This article was first published on revolutionmagazine.com

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