According to the Princeton Review, Business is the 4th most popular major at universities. A Business major learns how to be articulate and gains a deep understanding of economics, but also must be trained in marketing tactics and skills. Having an understanding of marketing, and digital marketing, is important for anybody who wants to start a business or already has one. Luckily for students, there are many digital marketing courses to choose from outside of their curriculum, and great resources for postgrads to gain some extra expertise to apply to their work.
Let’s explore some options for digital marketing courses that you can use to elevate your professional portfolio.
1. Google Digital Garage
If you are just getting into digital marketing and want to hit the ground running, start with Google Digital Garage. Most likely you already have a Google account, so signing up is a breeze! Google Digital Garage is a free online learning platform that offers a range of digital marketing courses. There are a variety of lesson plans to choose from, and you can also learn more about using analytics to your advantage. It is a great place to start for beginners, and also has a vast library with different levels of difficulty, which allows you to keep building your digital marketing knowledge. All courses have quizzes and exercises to test your understanding, and every course comes with a certification upon completion.
A great course to start off with is “Fundamentals of Digital Marketing”. This course allows students to gain a solid foundation and learn effective techniques used in digital marketing campaigns. This course covers topics such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and more. It offers self-paced learning across 26 modules which gives access to video tutorials with unlimited access for free. The students of this course also have access to real-world examples, quizzes, and a certification exam to demonstrate these skills to potential employers or apply in your own daily work.
Overall, Google has a variety of digital marketing courses and supplementary tools you can use once you get the baseline knowledge you need to succeed in today’s world. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Adwords are additional resources you can use to elevate your business, and having the expertise of digital marketing from Google Digital Garage will get you started on the right foot.
To continue building on your marketing skills, we have a few more options to choose from below. The next courses do offer beginner level topics, but allow you to build on your knowledge with advanced skills that can be applied in the real world.
Udemy Digital Marketing Courses vs Udacity Digital Marketing Nanodegree
Here we have a tie between two programs, because both are beneficial for you to build your digital marketing skills. It all depends on what you are looking for. With varying price points, pros and cons, and options, the only person who knows what works best for you – is you.
2. Udemy
To start off, we are looking at Udemy, which is flexible with their schedule and price. Udemy is an online platform where you can find a variety of courses based on your marketing needs. There are many topics to choose from, some are provided for free, and more specialized marketing topics can range from the $20 to $200 range. If you are looking to boost your digital marketing skills for a lower cost, then Udemy is a great resource for that! Udemy can also be accessed on iOS and Android, so you can practice on the go. Their course structure includes interactive courses, quizzes, and assignments to keep you on track and reinforce your learning.
For a solid foundation, Udemy offers “The Complete Digital Marketing Course – 12 Courses in 1” which will give you a full overview of what it takes to be an effective digital marketer. You will learn how to properly conduct market research, how to make a website, copywriting, and effective marketing across popular social media apps such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Another great benefit to this program is it starts from ground zero, so you don’t need any pre-requisite requirements to join the course. Upon completion, you can add their certification to your resume, or just take what you learn and directly apply it to marketing your own business.
3. Udacity
Udacity is another great online program that is available to you. It is very logically structured, has an excellent support system, and with that it is a little pricier than Udemy. While Udacity is a paid program, it offers in-depth comprehensive courses that cover all aspects of digital marketing to set you above the rest. Their courses are taught by experts in the marketing field, and they are self paced. For busy students such as yourself, that means you can learn at your own leisure, and take as much time as you need to absorb the information you are gaining in your lessons without having to rush to meet deadlines like you would in a traditional program. Their material offers electives that cover topics like market research, content strategy, analytics, digital advertising, defining your business value proposition and branding – to name a few.
For a full digital marketing course, Udacity offers their Digital Marketing Nanodegree. Taught by verified professionals, this course is designed to help students further develop their skills and knowledge to create and implement successful digital marketing campaigns. In addition to digital marketing you will also learn about business intelligence and analytics, how to build an efficient content calendar, targeting your audience with content marketing strategy, and conversion tracking, as well as how to conduct experimentation with A/B testing, and competitive analysis. Not only do you have examples for real-world situations, but can also build a digital marketing portfolio that allows you to showcase your heightened skill set to potential employers or use in your own business ventures. And for qualified candidates, financial assistance can be awarded.
4. Digital Marketing Institute
The Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) is a professional organization that offers digital marketing courses and certifications. It is a global leader in digital marketing education and certification programs, with courses led by recognized instructors and partners of big-named companies such as Google, Meta, Hubspot, and IBM. Here are some courses you could look into to rise up in your marketing career:
5. Professional Digital Marketing Course + PCM from American Marketing Association
This course will give you the edge in the USA, Canada and Mexico. One of the amazing benefits being offered is a double certification – from DMI (Digital Marketing Institute) and from the AMA (American Marketing Association). This course is up to date on the latest trends in today’s cutthroat marketing world, and having this double certification on your resume means you will stand out from your competition. This course covers digital marketing from A to Z, starting with an introduction to the principles of digital marketing all the way to implementing digital marketing strategy.
6. Certified Digital Marketing Expert + PCM Advanced Digital Marketing
For even further education, DMI offers a postgrad program with their “Certified Digital Marketing Expert + PCM Advanced Digital Marketing” certification course – which is like a Master’s degree, offering advanced topics such as digital strategy, search marketing, leadership, and more. What makes DMI stand out among the other options is their career support, including job boards and networking opportunities if you are looking to transition into this new career.
Final Thoughts
Once you get the baseline for your digital marketing skills laid down, you can continue building on your knowledge with specialized courses based on your specific needs. The digital market is constantly changing, and you can always find a course to supplement your thirst for knowledge and success. Running a business or a company is a competitive career, and digital marketing is an imperative skill that can be applied to any field. Whether you are looking to get started on learning the basics, update your marketing skills, or access advanced training, these courses will help you achieve your professional goals.
