In the last two years, we’ve seen so many changes in the world. Industries are adapting to a new way of living, trying to catch up. Employee expectations have changed, there is less need for a physical office, and some jobs may even disappear in the near future.
For example, 1 in 3 people
surveyed by Owl Labs said they would quit their jobs if they were not allowed to work remotely after COVID-19.
So, where are we going? What’s the future of work? Where do digital marketing and SEO stand in the future? We’ll discuss these topics in detail in this article.
What Is the Future of Work?
One word – flexibility.
The work itself, the workforce, and the workplace will change and become more flexible. Even now, many employees demand to do their job:
- When they want
- Where they want
- And how they want
It’s nice to think that one day the results of your work will take priority over how much time you spent in the office or whether you were 5 minutes late to a 9 to 5 job.
Technology fully supports this change. We’ve seen how popular Skype and Zoom have become. Such tech advances help us move towards a more flexible work future:
- Location – doesn’t matter for many jobs; you just need a laptop and an Internet connection
- Schedule – adjustable; some companies have already moved to a 4-day working week, while some have started working 8 to 4 instead of 9 to 5
- Method – flexible hours for every employee, an opportunity to do their job the way they know best
The Future of Work in Digital Marketing and SEO
Marketing will live on forever, evolving along with the world. Nowadays, digital marketing is one of the most encompassing industries. Every business that wants to keep up with such progress has a website and social media. Digital marketing and SEO help promote those channels, establishing leadership in the niche for TOP companies.
So, what’s next? We can see several tendencies in the future of work in the industry.
Remote Work
Remote work has become crucial because it’s convenient and may actually boost productivity. Besides, people tend to spend more hours working when they do it remotely, according to the same report by Owl Lab.
So, the future of work demands flexibility, which can be achieved through virtual workplaces. Some companies may even close their physical offices and hire remote-only employees. It’s efficient, gives people more freedom, and enhances the talent pool on a global scale.
Additionally, for businesses that need a centralized office, it will be crucial to implement some kind of virtual workplace to keep employees connected even when they are physically apart.
This will provide and improve agility and boost employee productivity, positively affecting business revenue. Plus, a more convenient workplace will reduce turnover, rising as new generations don’t just look for jobs that pay well – they want more.
AI-Powered Automation
Artificial Intelligence will go hand-in-hand with human employees. The wonder of AI-powered automation is that a machine can do routine tasks faster and more efficiently, saving time and resources.
So, in the future, AI will be responsible for many activities such as collecting data, processing it, analyzing it, building reports, answering simple questions (like the chatbots we see nowadays), and more.
Humans, on the other hand, will be responsible for the work only humans can do:
- Employee management
- Customer management
- Communication via business channels (website, social media, phone, etc.)
- Applying expertise, etc.
Speaking of the digital marketing industry, it’s heading confidently towards such a future. Even now, you can use an automated SEO platform to analyze the health of your website, find keyword ideas, see how well your backlinks are performing, spy on competitors, and more.
All you have to do is follow the recommendations, compare results, and implement changes.
Putting Purpose to Work
The younger generations urge to bring purpose into the big picture of their workplaces. This boosts morale and productivity, as well as a sense of responsibility and commitment.
For example, if you’re working as an SEO specialist, you need to know what the company you work with stands for and how the results of your hard work will benefit that cause. Your optimization may help promote healthy living or technological progress, for example. This brings a feeling of purpose and makes you want to make the website of the company perfect, driving more traffic there.
For Gen Zers, the meaning they bring to the workplace is a top priority when it comes to choosing a company to join.
Nowadays, unfortunately, many employees don’t even know what their companies are really doing. They just do their job automatically, which is nice when there’s a need for quick money, but there’s a lack of consistency.
So, in the future, we wait for more meaningful businesses that choose specific missions and stick to them. Such an approach should reduce employee turnover and garner more trust from potential and current customers.
Upskilling and Knowledge Sharing
The global digital transformation in SEO and digital marketing calls for new skills to keep up with the pace of the change. Globally, there’s definitely a large knowledge gap, which becomes larger with every new stage of digitalization.
The process doesn’t stop, and there will be a dire need for peer-to-peer learning in the future. The top priority in learning programs should be digital skills. While many corporations can develop their own courses, you can prepare for the future now by enrolling in online education.
Services like Digital Vidya and UpSkill have a wide range of courses, from SEO to coding.
Another direction in the future of work in digital marketing and other industries is performance management. It has multiple benefits, from monitoring skills to encouraging employees to learn more and gain new experiences.
Build management around coaching and mentorship to inspire learning. A proper system will keep you updated on the skills of your employees, showing points of potential improvement.
Gig Economy and an Increase in a Freelance Workforce
The Gig economy is thriving as people leave their regular jobs and choose to work on a contractual or freelance basis. Again, standards and priorities are changing with the generations. While Baby Boomers find it difficult even to imagine themselves without a stable 9 to 5 job, Millennials and Gen Zers are all for the gig economy.
This strategy has proven useful during the pandemic as many businesses were torn apart by the rapidly developing health crisis.
The future for many industries is already a reality for digital marketing and SEO niches. Businesses hire freelance SEO specialists, marketers, copywriters, etc., with certain niche skills, saving time and money on reskilling employees or finding in-house specialists.
This strategy is much more advantageous to both businesses and freelancers. The former get high-quality services on a contract basis, often without additional expenses like insurance. The latter can take as many clients as they can handle, making more money and expanding their skill base and network.
Summary
Nowadays, we can see clear future work trends entering certain industries. Digital marketing and SEO prove to be some of the most progressive niches that set future standards.
Some of the clearest trends for the future of work are:
- Remote work and virtual workplaces
- AI-powered automation for routine or complex tasks
- Putting purpose into work, being able to see the big picture of the company
- Upskilling and sharing knowledge, coaching and mentoring
- Gig economy, the rise of freelance and contract work
All of these changes will create more flexible workplaces, giving more freedom and encouragement to employees to work better.
