OVERCOME
THE DIGITAL
SKILLS GAP
WITH FREE
SOCIAL MEDIA
EDUCATION
You can use courses, webinars and
more to better understand social media
D
DESPITE MORE of our everyday life moving online, many of us
still don't know how to properly use the technology tools available
in the workplace. In fact, over 90 percent of companies say that
their workforce lacks digital skills, especially in areas like social
media.
With this lack of skills costing U.S. businesses an estimated $1
trillion per year, education is becoming the most powerful way for
businesses and individuals to close the digital skills gap.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA SKILLS GAP
Within the digital skills gap, social media is one of the most
important areas to focus on. As one of the most accessible forms
of digital media, social is becoming an integral part of today's
workforce.
Nine out of ten businesses are now on social media, and they're
14 | CARLEPUBLISHING.COM
not only using it to engage with their audience or promote their
products — they're using it to transform the way they operate
internally. Forward-thinking companies are using it for employee
advocacy, recruiting potential hires and propelling internal
communications. Workplace by Facebook, for example, is
making cross-functional collaboration and sharing news across an
organization a lot easier.
According to Cameron Uganec, senior director of social,
community and education at Hootsuite, "These advancements
mean that employees are being asked to use social media more
often and in unfamiliar ways." And without the right skills, work
itself is bound to suffer.
What's concerning is that despite this potential dent in business
performance, only 46 percent of companies are investing in
developing their employees' digital skills.