Learning Digital Skills: The Benefits Of Learning Digital Skills In Nigeria

learning digital skills
Image source: Digital Skills Academy

With the evolution of technology, digital skills are getting in high demand. In fact, many job offers demand that applicants should have at least one digital skill in order to meet up with the ever-increasing demands in the technology space. Here, we’ll explain the benefits of learning digital skills, as well as list the digital skills that are in high demand.

What are Digital Skills?

As more people go online to study, find information, and make purchases, businesses of all kinds want individuals who understand how to operate, promote, and communicate online. Digital skills are essential for organizations of all sizes that want to enhance brand awareness, provide excellent social customer care, create leads, and increase income. 

According to Unesco, digital skills are “a set of abilities to access and manage information using digital devices, communication applications, and networks.” They enable people to produce and share digital information, communicate and cooperate, and solve problems in order to be more successful and creative in their lives, learning, work, and social activities.’

Students who gain digital skills not only increase their employability, but they also future-proof their careers by knowing crucial digital channels. 

Who Needs Digital Skills?

For any significant change in our world, there are those who embrace it instantly, those who follow a bit later, and, of course, the late adopters, who don’t embrace the change until it’s almost too late and a pressing situation necessitates it. We may claim that we are the late adopters in this part of the world. The epidemic has highlighted the benefits of learning digital skills; yet, the question of who requires digital skills remains unanswered.

It may interest you to know that there is no prejudice in the digital space. Everyone requires digital skills. Everything in the world, including enterprises, corporations, and individuals, is not static. Businesses and organizations are seeking methods to make things easier for their clients and staff, and in order to do so, they must embrace digital technology skills.

What Are The Benefits Of Learning Digital Skills?

It may be starting to sound cliche to say that digital skills are here to stay and will shape the future, but this is a technological truth, not a myth.

It is vital to remember that digital skills are increasingly considered essential work criteria. Although we are discussing fundamental digital abilities here, there are some vocations that demand sophisticated digital talents. Surprisingly, having basic digital skills is insufficient; the more digital skills you have, the more opportunities you will have.

In today’s workplace, digital talents set you apart. The digital divide is so wide that having someone with digital abilities will benefit businesses and organizations as they advance in the digital world. Having entrepreneurial talents will also reflect the growth of your business. Remember that digital skills are applicable to everyone.

Digital skills facilitate job performance. Jobs can be completed quickly and efficiently with digital capabilities, and they can even be completed from home or on the go. A project that is completed quickly gets delivered faster. Because digital technology has come to make life easier for humans, why not pick up the skills and make life easier for yourself, those around you, and your organization?

With over 1 billion people and more utilizing the internet, this is a market waiting to be explored as a business owner, but how do you reach them if you don’t have the digital abilities, or how do they learn about your business if these skills aren’t used?

Future employment will be technologically oriented and will necessitate a tech-savvy worker. The demand for digital skills will only rise, and if you want to make a difference, you must learn them today.

Tips For Learning Digital Skills

#1. Determine Which Digital Skills You Must Learn

Before you begin learning digital skills, you must first choose which ones you need to learn. To begin, consider what chores or projects you would like to be able to do using technology. If you want to build a website, for example, you’ll need to learn HTML and CSS. You’ll need to learn how to use Excel or another sort of spreadsheet software if you want to examine data. Once you’ve determined the skills you require, you may begin looking for resources to assist you learn them.

#2. Scout the Best Learning Resources for Those Skills

Look for free online resources.

There are numerous free internet resources for mastering digital skills. A fast Google search will yield a plethora of articles, tutorials, and courses that may teach you everything from the fundamentals of HTML to more advanced topics such as data analysis. YouTube and other video-sharing websites can also provide useful resources. When looking for online resources, look for those that are matched to your ability level and learning objectives.

Look for a mentor or a group of people who are already specialists in the skill you want to master.

Finding someone who is already an expert in that skill and asking for help is one of the finest methods to acquire a new skill. If you know someone who knows how to code, for example, ask them if they would be willing to teach you. You can also participate in online forums or organizations specialized in assisting others in learning specific skills. You’ll be able to meet other people who are interested in learning the same talent as you, in addition to gaining advice from more experienced people. This can foster a supportive community, making learning a new skill more fun.

To augment your study, use online resources such as blogs, podcasts, and video courses.

Once you’ve determined which abilities you need to master and located some useful resources to get you started, it’s critical to complement your learning with additional resources. There are numerous excellent articles, podcasts, and video lessons available to assist you in learning digital skills. These additional resources can provide a more in-depth look at specific topics or abilities that you’d like to acquire. Furthermore, they might be an excellent way to stay current on new technological trends and advancements.

#3. Make A Study Schedule And Stick To It

Making and sticking to a study plan is one of the most crucial things you can do when learning digital skills. You should devote time each week to developing new talents. Utilize the resources you’ve discovered to study as much as you can during this period. Additionally, practice what you’re learning to help you remember it better. Finally, remember to take breaks and relax so that you don’t become overwhelmed or burnt out.

#4. Begin small and gradually improve your talents.

It is critical to begin small and progressively build up your skills over time. If you try to study everything all at once, you will become overwhelmed. Instead, concentrate on acquiring a few fundamental abilities and then expanding on them as you gain confidence. You’ll be able to add new abilities to your toolkit and utilize them to execute more complex jobs and projects as you learn new ones.

Once you’ve gained some fundamental digital abilities, it’s critical to seek opportunities to put those skills to use. One method to do this is to look for projects that will allow you to put your new talents to use. Another method to put your skills to use is to discover people who need assistance with tasks or projects that need those abilities. By volunteering your assistance, you will not only be able to practice your own abilities, but you will also be able to assist others.

#5. Practice consistently

The more you practice the skills you’re learning, the better they’ll become. Finding projects that will allow you to use the abilities you’re acquiring is one approach to practice them. If you’re learning to code, for example, you can locate a project online that allows you to develop a website or a mobile app. If you’re learning how to use Excel, you can practice analyzing data sets online. The more you practice the abilities you’re learning, the better they’ll become.

#6. Get Feedback to Help You Improve Your Skills

Don’t be hesitant to ask for assistance; there are many people willing to share their knowledge and assist you in improving your talents. Sharing your work with people is one of the finest methods to gain feedback on it. You can accomplish this by submitting your work on internet forums or sharing it with others you know who share your interests. You can also seek comments from more experienced individuals. Take some time after you’ve received feedback to ponder on it and find out how you can enhance your talents.

Because the world of technology is always evolving, it is important to stay current on new trends and advances. As you master new skills, keep broadening your skill set by studying related skills.

#7. Keep Track Of Your Progress And Appreciate Your Small Wins

According to management guru and author Peter Drucker, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” The same is true for managing your growth. Create a learning notebook or use a tool like Notion to keep track of your progress. You’ll be able to keep track of what you’ve learned, how you learned it, and how you might better in the future. It’s also vital to recognize and appreciate your accomplishments along the way. Learning new abilities can be difficult, so give yourself a pat on the back when you achieve something.

Top Digital Skills You Can Learn

#1. Social media skills

A recent survey found that there are over 4.6 billion active social media users globally, with consumers using an average of 7.5 social networks every month. These data reveal a 10% increase in global social users in only one year, with no signs of slowing down.

Understanding and effectively using social media is a key and valued skill that every professional should have. Social media marketing is more than just sending out a tweet or updating your status on Facebook; it is about understanding the dynamic interplay between brands, influencers, and customers. Simply put, businesses must reach out to customers in order to generate traffic to their website—or product—for potential conversion. It is now also important in providing good customer service since many customers use social media to ask inquiries or post comments. 

Educators that appreciate the impact of social media should comprehend the complexities of each platform, from YouTube to TikTok marketing, and its ability to increase community participation in order to give graduates important and transferable skills.

#2. SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

Aside from social media, one of the most prominent disciplines on which marketers have grown to rely is Search Engine Marketing (SEM). To put things into perspective, 81% of internet users seek a product or service to purchase online, with Google accounting for 70% of that traffic.

Students with SEM experience can use paid advertising to boost the exposure of a company’s website on a search engine (e.g., Google or Bing). As a result, the company will receive vital site traffic from search engine results pages.

Students will be able to obtain valuable organic search traffic results by employing SEM. That is why marketers, content managers, and webmasters spend so much time optimizing websites, especially for mobile and ad campaigns, in order to get the highest conversion rates possible.

#3. Data Analytics

Many marketers used mass messaging to target clients rather than data-driven precision marketing during Covid-19. This was a blunder. One consumer goods company expected that as individuals came out of lockdown, demand for beauty items would rise, according to McKinsey. They concentrated their media expenditure and experienced a double-digit rise in sales by tracking re-openings and employing analytics. 

What is the takeaway? Data may provide a plethora of information to your students that, when used effectively, can result in powerful marketing efforts that increase conversions, sales, and income.  

Data analytics simply enables students to make informed, data-driven decisions that lead to greater business insights. The proportion of success of a campaign is defined by the numbers. The goal is to understand what data to collect and measure in order to better the following campaign. Companies do not want to waste money on marketing based on trends or gut feelings. It is all about maximizing the effectiveness of each campaign and maximising the return on investment.

Analytics and SEM work in tandem to guarantee that a company understands what its customers want and how to capture and hold their attention.

#4. Content Promotion

Blog entries, films, podcasts, infographics, and even social media status updates are all examples of content.

Marketers may spend their time tweaking keywords and marketing campaigns, but content remains king. After all, content drives a website or social media page, and without it, buyers have no way of comprehending the benefits of a product or service.

Content is critical for increasing brand awareness and positioning brands or influencers as thought leaders. As a result, new hires must understand the significance of developing content that is related to keyword research and optimizing it in a strategy. Students who gain expertise and knowledge in content marketing will have a valuable and employable skill that will prepare them for a job in any field.  

#5. Email Promotion

One of the most effective ways to get and keep leads is through a tried and true method: email.

Email is one of the oldest means of direct marketing and continues to be effective in terms of customer acquisition and retention. From startups to large organizations, an effective email marketing strategy is essential for the launch of successful campaigns.

An expert digital marketer understands that each funnel stage must be meticulously designed. Every step, from the signup page (including its location on a website) through the welcome email, must be optimized to attract visitors and generate engagement.

People may alter their social media accounts or residential addresses, but they rarely change their email addresses. As a result, experts who understand the power of email marketing to engage directly with customers are in great demand.

Educators should not regard email as an antiquated tool, but rather challenge students to reconsider how they might use email in their current and future positions.

Why Is Learning Digital Skills Important?

Working productively in a digitally charged workplace and communicating via smart gadgets require digital abilities. This will ultimately save you time, link you with individuals all over the world, and open up a goldmine of chances.

Which Digital Skill Is In High Demand In Nigeria?

A Web Data Analyst is one of the highest-paying professions in Nigeria and one of the most in-demand talents to study in Nigeria because it is such a specialized job function in the digital marketing industry.

How Do You Write Digital Skills On A CV?

You can make a list of all of your digital skills, including tools and software that you can utilize as well as projects or accomplishments that you are proud of. You can describe the tools you use at work or school, as well as those you use in your own time (for example, social networking, blogging, gaming).

What Is the Difference Between Computer Skills and Digital Skills?

To be computer literate, you must understand how to power a computer, communicate with its components, and diagnose the machine to fix common problems. Digital literacy necessitates a wide understanding of how to use machines to achieve your aims.

In Conclusion,

We hope that these suggestions will assist you in getting started on learning digital skills. Remember that the most essential thing is to identify and stick with an approach that works for you.

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References

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