We’ve made it to the end of January! It really is a grim month, isn’t it? Bad weather, dark nights, diets, resolutions, going dry, tax returns – and no money. Maybe next year we can learn from the bears and just hibernate.
Anyway, today is the last working day of the month and, more importantly, pay day. It’s time to wave farewell to salad leaves and mineral water for lunch, forego the after-work gym session, and let it all hang out.
To make more time for frivolity, please enjoy our party-sized digest of this week’s most important B2B news.
5. Facebook extends advertising capabilities to mobile web
Facebook has extended its advertising network Audience Network to support mobile web pages.
This will open the platform to a number of new publishers, as well as allowing existing users to leverage the power of mobile advertising on Facebook.
Audience Network was first launched in April 2014, allowing publishers to create people-based targeting ads, along with native ads which make up 80 per cent of impressions on the network.
According to a Facebook blog announcing the extension, the social media giant boasts over 2.5 million advertisers, with Audience Network achieving a billion dollar annual run rate for advertising spend during Q4 2015.
4. Junior marketing salaries set to rise in 2016
Junior marketers’ salaries are set to rise by an average of seven per cent compared to 2015, according to new research by Robert Walters.
The study predicted that among junior positions, bid executives will be paid an average of 14 per cent more than last year, while CRM salaries are set to rise by 26 per cent.
Marketing analyst salaries at director level are predicted to grow by 13 per cent compared to 2015, while bid and business development directors’ pay will rise by nine per cent and seven per cent respectively.
These findings highlight an increasing business confidence in the UK, with companies adapting to the post-recession market. Brands are keen to recruit and retain top talent as they prepare for growth.
3. Lack of soft skills major concern for digital and tech industry
Digital and tech managers believe the industry is suffering due to an over-focus on hard skills, according to research by The Candidate.
The study revealed 57 per cent of digital and tech managers feel there is too much focus on hard skills, while a further 69 per cent argue soft skills are often overlooked compared to the hard skills required for technical roles.
Accordingly, soft skills are seemingly more valued among managers, with 65 per cent ranking communication in their top three most important management qualities.
An astonishing 47 per cent of managers rated their own skills as either ‘average’ or below, with 19 per cent citing the ever-changing pace of the industry as the main reason they struggle to maintain the relevant skillset for their role.
2. LinkedIn report reveals most overused profile buzzwords
‘Creative’, ‘strategic’ and ‘motivated’ are three words marketers need to scrap in 2016, according to a LinkedIn study.
The online professional network analysed the profile summaries of its UK marketing members, compiling a top 10 most-used words and phrases.
LinkedIn revealed the last week in January is often the time when most UK members update their profiles.
1. Major challenges facing B2B marketers in 2016
The top 10 challenges facing B2B marketing in 2016 have been revealed in a Fox Agency report.
The report was produced using interviews with key industry marketers and brands as they discussed how major marketing trends will affect the B2B industry this year.
The top challenges included:
- How to understand and use context in content marketing.
- Creating videos that make an impact on the video driven web.
- Marketing to a mobile first audience.
For the full list of challenges, see here.
