LinkedIn has released its 2026 Skills on the Rise for Marketing, offering a data-backed view of the capabilities shaping hiring decisions right now. Unlike a simple trend report, the ranking combines skills added to marketer profiles with hiring success data, measuring growth relative to professionals hired over the past year.

Resulting insights go beyond what marketers are interested in learning. Employers’ real-world recruitment behaviour is reflected in the methodology, making the list a strong indicator of where senior teams should focus capability building.

For marketing leaders, the message is clear. Technical fluency, analytical rigour and brand-led community thinking are no longer separate disciplines. High-performing teams blend them.

Performance Analysis Takes The Lead

Performance analysis ranks as the fastest-growing marketing skill. Measuring campaign impact, evaluating channel effectiveness and feeding insights back into strategy are now baseline expectations.

Board-level scrutiny around ROI continues to intensify, particularly in uncertain economic conditions. Growth teams are expected to demonstrate commercial contribution, not simply engagement uplift.

Performance analysis today goes beyond dashboards. It requires fluency in attribution models, incrementality testing and translating data into strategic recommendations. Marketers who can connect campaign metrics directly to revenue outcomes are positioned strongly in hiring conversations.

Investment in analytics capability should therefore extend beyond tools. Teams must be trained to interrogate data, challenge assumptions and communicate insight clearly to senior stakeholders.

AI Literacy Becomes A Strategic Differentiator

AI literacy ranks second, reinforcing how rapidly artificial intelligence has shifted from experimental tool to core business infrastructure.

In marketing roles, AI literacy means more than basic prompt writing. Real competence involves applying AI across the marketing lifecycle in ways that improve efficiency, insight quality and commercial performance.

Most widely adopted business tools now include generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, alongside embedded AI within ecosystems like Salesforce, HubSpot, Adobe and major ad platforms including Google Ads and Meta. These systems support predictive audience modelling, automated creative testing, media optimisation, forecasting and workflow automation.

Tool familiarity alone does not command a premium. Commercial application does.

High level AI competence typically demonstrates four capabilities.

Strategic prioritisation. Identifying where AI meaningfully improves outcomes, such as campaign forecasting, budget allocation modelling or segmentation refinement.

Workflow integration. Embedding AI into repeatable processes rather than treating it as a one off productivity shortcut.

Data judgement. Validating outputs, stress testing assumptions and recognising bias or hallucination risk.

Governance leadership. Managing data privacy, compliance and brand risk at scale.

Labour market evidence reinforces the financial value of these skills. PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer reports that roles requiring AI skills offer significantly higher wages than similar roles without AI requirements. Earlier editions of the same research identified wage premiums in the region of 20 to 25 per cent for AI intensive roles, and 2025 findings confirm that the pay gap remains persistent as demand accelerates.

Lightcast’s 2025 labour market analysis similarly found that job postings requesting AI capabilities command higher advertised salaries and are growing at a faster rate than non AI roles. While not marketing specific, the pattern is consistent across professional and knowledge driven functions.

For senior marketers, the implication is commercially significant. AI capability is no longer framed as a technical add on. It is increasingly rewarded as a core driver of productivity and competitive advantage.

Social Media Branding And Community Engagement Rise

Social Media Branding ranks third, with Community Engagement at number seven. Brands are under pressure to differentiate in crowded digital environments, and social channels remain central to that effort.

Social media branding extends beyond consistent visuals. It encompasses tone of voice, platform-native storytelling and sustained brand presence. Senior marketers increasingly recognise that social is not merely a distribution channel but a primary brand-building environment.

Community engagement reflects a parallel shift. Audience interaction, trust building and ongoing dialogue now influence purchasing decisions as much as paid reach. Brands that nurture active communities often benefit from stronger loyalty and organic advocacy.

Investment here requires alignment between brand, content and customer experience teams. Community management should not sit in isolation. Insight gathered from engaged audiences should inform product development, messaging and service strategy.

Visual Storytelling And Cross Functional Execution

Visual storytelling also features prominently, highlighting the continued dominance of video and image-led communication. Short-form video, interactive content and platform-native creative formats demand marketers who understand both narrative and production mechanics.

Creative capability alone is insufficient. Strong visual storytelling connects directly to strategic objectives and measurable outcomes. High-performing teams test creative variations rigorously and optimise based on performance signals.

Team collaboration ranks among the fastest growing skills, underlining the importance of cross-functional coordination. Campaign planning, market research and performance tracking require alignment across product, sales and operations.

Leaders who can orchestrate cross-team execution tend to accelerate go-to-market velocity and reduce friction across departments.

What Leaders Should Do Next

For senior marketing leaders, the key question is how to translate these insights into action.

First, conduct a structured skills audit against the top capabilities identified. Clear visibility of strengths and gaps will inform whether to prioritise recruitment, internal development or external partnerships.

Second, embed AI literacy and performance analysis into core competency frameworks. Treating them as niche specialisms risks fragmentation. Broad baseline competence will create resilience and agility across the function.

LinkedIn’s 2026 Skills on the Rise reinforces a broader pattern. Modern marketing leaders must balance creativity, data fluency, operational discipline and technological understanding. Success lies not in mastering one dimension, but in integrating them coherently and commercially.