Online training - Call us on 1300 009 924
Online training - access your course anytime, anywhere! Call us on 1300 009 924
Develop your career

Top skills every digital project manager must have

By Ashleigh Ho
Ashleigh Ho

Digital Project Management is booming. With all companies needing a social media presence, there is a huge demand for employees with digital marketing and project management experience. But what skills are needed so succeed in this career? Here are the top skills that every digital project manager needs to have.

What are the top skills every digital project manager needs to have?

Digital project management is a diverse role which involves the use of both hard and soft skills. To succeed in the job, you will need to have the following skills:

Computer and software literacy

As a digital project manager, you will be using different software and computer programs. It is important that you have a basic understanding of computer programs such as the Microsoft Office Suite. However, you should also be able to keep up with the continuously evolving nature of social media platforms like Meta for Business.

There are many technical elements involved in digital project management which you can learn through courses. At Upskilled, we offer a Digital Project Manager certification which is perfect for those who are entering the career for the first time or people who are looking to enhance their skills.

Communication and teamwork

You will need to have adequate communication skills to succeed as a digital project manager. You’ll be collaborating with a team of people, delegating tasks and leading presentations and meetings. It’s important that you are able to effectively communicate your intentions and goals for the project. You should also have great listening skills to ensure productive collaboration within your team.

Problem solving

As a digital project manager, you will often face issues whether they be technical problems or disagreements between your team.

It’s important to have the soft skills to stay calm, communicate and resolve disputes. You will need the ability to solve many issues quickly and effectively, as well as have the technical knowledge to identify issues when they arise in the digital space.

Creativity

Digital marketing is a competitive area with many companies advertising on social media. A key skill in your role is to be ‘ahead of the game’ and always have new ideas that will set you apart from the crowd. This means being able to write content that sparks your intended audiences’ interest, design creative assets such as videos, and determine keywords to go in your content that will outshine your competitors’.  

Analysis and Reporting

A big part of being a Digital Project Manager is presenting the results of your work to managers and other key stakeholders, as well as making recommendations. You will need the technical knowledge to draw out data and present it in a way that is easy to understand. It’s also good to have creative and critical thinking skills to make recommendations to further grow the success of the campaign you are working towards.

Which essential social media platforms should digital project managers familiarise themselves with?

A sound knowledge of social media platforms is really important for digital project managers. You will need to be across all types of social media channels and how they operate. The most commonly used social media platforms include:

Facebook and Instagram (also known as Meta for Business)

Facebook and Instagram are one of the primary social media platforms used for advertising. The channels are great for targeted campaigns for specific audiences as you can select who to target based on demographic and interest. It’s important to understand the kinds of ads you can run from Meta. You can run ads as a video, reel, story, carousel, or event page boost.  

TikTok

TikTok has emerged to be one of the biggest social media platforms used worldwide. It’s important to familiarise yourself with the video-like format that TikTok offers so that your digital advertising stands out and is of interest to people who use the app. Just like Facebook and Instagram, TikTok runs many kinds of ads that you will need to get to know.

YouTube

YouTube is the next big platform that you will need to understand. YouTube ads are an excellent way of building people’s awareness of a business or brand. Because of this, you’ll need the extra skill of knowing what sorts of video ads create success. Of course, this can be done by collaborating with your team to brainstorm some ideas.

There are many other platforms that you may come across during your career as a digital project manager, like LinkedIn, Spotify, Twitter, and Pinterest – the list goes on.

Which skills should digital project managers always improve?

Understanding of different social media platforms

Social media is constantly changing. This means you will need to stay vigilant and educate yourself – whether that be for whenever a channel brings in a new feature or to learn about an entirely new social media platform that has launched.

Trends in the industry

While this will depend on what industry you choose to work in, you will need to have a good understanding of the evolving trends in your industry and upskill accordingly. For example, if more young people are suddenly interested in a service or product, you may need to consider changing your tactics.

Leadership and Teamwork

As a manager, you have to be able work with all kinds of people. Continually developing the ways in which you communicate with your team can ensure effective workflow, generate new ideas, and keep a happy workplace.

Looking to get started in digital project management?

Digital Project Management is a diverse role where no day is ever the same. At Upskilled, you can gain valuable skills and experience to kick off your career. Explore courses in digital project management today.

Ashleigh Ho
Ashleigh Ho Ashleigh (she/her) is a freelance writer with an interest in topics relating to being culturally and linguistically diverse and part of the LGBTQ+ community. She is experienced in public relations, digital marketing and social media, and has worked within the arts, education and not-for-profit sectors. Ashleigh is passionate about working with under-represented groups and looks forward to creating content that is inspiring and educational for all communities.