Most social networking sites share a common goal of connecting or reconnecting people through the internet. At some point in their history, each has built a credible following of members. It is this member base that attracts the attention of businesses wishing to identify, connect and engage with it, and eventually to sell products and services to it.

A marketer who wishes to engage the online communities effectively needs to be armed with two key skills: digital media skills and social media marketing know-how. They must have also good interpersonal and communication skills, be creative and know how to work well in teams.

Just as important, they must have an understanding of the market, consumer wants and needs, and the business requirements of the client or the company.

According to the Online Marketing Institute (OMI), digital recruits must have analytical skills, be familiar with mobile technology and search engine optimisation (SEO), have experience in content marketing and email marketing, understand social media and marketing automation, and preferably have hands-on experience in digital advertising.

In a recent OMI study, analytics (76 per cent) and email marketing (73 per cent) are the most important skills to have, followed by content marketing (58 per cent) and social media (67 per cent).

Many companies likely do not have any in-house training programmes that would help a new hire get up to speed. Potential recruits must take it upon themselves to not just learn the jargon, but also take courses to upgrade their skills. Such courses are readily available in Hong Kong.