Modern-day digital marketers are expected to be skilled in a variety of areas, including analytics, copywriting, creative direction, sales, digital media, and more. But unless you’re ready to spend a significant amount of time and money by investing in a college degree, you need a faster, more effective way to stay relevant in a changing market.
Different Ways to Learn Digital Marketing
Enrolling in professional digital marketing courses
One of the best ways to learn digital marketing is to sign up for digital marketing online courses. Industry professionals often lead these online courses, which include teaching students vital digital marketing skills with practical assignments and hands-on projects.
If you really want to stand out from your peers in this industry, earning your digital marketing certification online will help considerably. Simplilearn’s catalog of digital marketing courses offers practical materials to prepare students for the digital marketing world,which can help make them industry-ready from day one.
Learn by following influencers or industry experts
Digital marketing is a field in which things are always progressing and changing; something new develops each day, and it’s crucial to stay updated. For instance, Moz recently announced big changes to Domain Authority, a key indicator as to how powerful websites are when it comes to organic search rankings. Google also recently introduced a change to business profile layouts, allowing companies to display recent offers. These are just some of the many examples of things that are constantly changing in the digital marketing industry.
Following industry experts and influencers who are proficient in digital marketing is not only a great way to initially learn the basic fundamentals, but it’s also essential for keeping up with the latest digital marketing changes and trends.
Learn by following the top digital marketing blogs and videos
In addition to following some of the industry’s top influencers and experts, keeping up with some of the most respected digital marketing blogs and video channels is also a terrific way to learn online marketing.
From the basics to advanced principles, these popular blogs offer updated information that can improve your marketing skills. Some popular digital marketing blogs to follow include Moz, Neil Patel, Kissmetrics, and Search Engine Journal. If you prefer videos, some of the top YouTube digital marketing tutorial channels include GaryVee, Backlinko with Brian Dean, and Digital Nest.
Learn the basics from free online courses
There are several websites that offer digital marketing training at no cost. You can sign up on those sites and learn digital marketing through various courses and programs. Those courses can help you develop an understanding of digital marketing and some also provide certificates upon completion, but they are not as authenticated as professional certificates and tend to have low completion rates. Free courses don’t usually offer any interactive projects, practical hands-on learning, or live lectures. Although some of these free courses can help you get your feet wet, if you’re serious about learning digital marketing, you’ll need professional training with a certified online education program. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.
What to Look for When Choosing a Professional Digital Marketing Course:
Choosing the right digital marketing course can be somewhat challenging. With all of the available choices, it’s important to find the right fit.
When it comes to making your selection, the practical choice should be one that teaches all aspects of digital marketing in-depth. A well-rounded education program should include SEO, content marketing, paid search, and more. The best courses give students the opportunity to learn hands-on by practicing with projects and learning from some of the best industry experts.
Need some help making a selection? We’ve handpicked and reviewed some of the best online digital marketing training courses, which include:
1. Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist Program
The Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s Program aims to get students industry-ready by offering training in a wide range of areas.. Students receive access to nine full-length, comprehensive courses that cover all areas of digital marketing.
What you get with Simplilearn’s Full Stack Masters Program
The Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s Program includes:
- Access to the foundational Digital Marketing Certified Associate course and project work
- Nine advanced courses, including PPC, web analytics, SEO, and content and email marketing
- Access to 75+ live instructor-led online classes
- 45+ projects and MimicPro Simulation
- Monthly mentoring sessions from industry experts
- Master’s Program certificate from Simplilearn
The Master’s Program comes with an expert-curated learning path, which is a step-by-step plan to gain the skill set of a digital marketer capable of managing the digital marketing initiatives of their organization.
The program’s learning path begins with a foundational DMCA (Digital Marketing Certified Associate) course, which equips learners with a general understanding of digital marketing principles. Students then progress along the path, learning advanced skills in web analytics, paid marketing, SEO, and social media. Elective offerings in content marketing, email marketing, conversion optimization and mobile marketing give you the flexibility to master other areas as needed.
Simplilearn’s digital marketing courses are accredited from OMCP, and include high-quality videos, projects, quizzes, simulation exams, active expert forums, downloadable workbooks, and apps, amounting to 200+ hours of e-learning content.
Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing course – preview
2. Market Motive’s Masters in Digital Marketing
Founded in 2007, Market Motive is a pioneer in online digital marketing training. Market Motive’s structured curriculum is trusted by enterprises and licensed by universities worldwide. Market Motive’s Masters in Digital Marketing program gives you access to more than 250 hours of training, covering analytics, SEO, PPC, social, conversion, mobile, email marketing, and content marketing.
What you get with Market Motive’s Masters in Digital Marketing program:
- 250+ hours of e-learning content;
- Training from Silicon Valley faculty;
- A modern, interdisciplinary approach to training;
- Courses in content, social media, analytics, PPC, conversion, mobile, email marketing, Google Ads and SEO
- Expert forum access: have your questions answered by marketing leaders, like Matt Bailey and Brad Geddes
- 20+ hands-on digital marketing projects
- 100% money back guarantee
Market Motive’s digital marketing courses are designed for all skill levels, regardless of experience and background.
3. Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization
Seven courses and a hands-on capstone project will earn you a certification from Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization, covering analytics, SEO, social media, and much more. Each course requires 32 to 40 hours over four weeks to complete.
What You Get with Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization Track
The seven-courses offering includes:
- Marketing analytics for digital marketers, including theory and practice – Digital media and marketing principles and strategies
- Marketing in an analog world
- Capstone project in association with Grainger industries
Designed primarily for beginners, the program does a good job of introducing novice digital marketers to the world of online marketing. But the course’s open availability, plus lack of mentored guidance and access to expert instructors can make the program challenging for self-learners. Unlike some of the other courses on this list, Coursera’s offering does not include on-demand support for premium customers.
Marketing in a digital world – preview
4. AMA’s Digital Marketing eLearning Certificate Modules
If you’ve only got an hour to invest, the American Marketing Association offers a series of Digital Marketing eLearning Certificate modules that cover social media marketing, email marketing, analytics, content marketing, online advertising, and SEO.
What you get with AMA’s Certificate Modules
AMA’s digital marketing course modules include:
- Interactive e-learning material with knowledge checks;
- Interactive case studies;
- Continuing education unit(s) that count toward AMA’s own PCM credential
Designed for digital marketing beginners, these introductory courses are not as comprehensive as some of the other offerings on our list. Professionals interested in the AMA’s Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential will benefit the most from these modules.
5. Lynda.com’s Marketing Tutorials
If you like to browse, sort and find your own path in your spare time, Lynda.com’s Marketing Training + Tutorials might be right for you. You’ll need a monthly LinkedIn subscription in order to access these courses. Priced at €17.99/month, its price point makes it a good choice for beginners testing the waters (you’ll pay more to access downloadable assets).
What you get with Lynda’s Marketing Tutorials
- Standalone training videos for each topic in digital marketing
- Practice files for offline use
- Video playlists, transcripts and certificates with each course
Key components of Online Marketing (Lynda.com)
Lynda’s emphasis on video tutorials makes it a good choice for anybody looking to learn more about digital marketing, but it’s no substitute for a rigorous training course.
Choose the program that best meets your goals
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re ready to take on something more challenging, you are sure to find something to match your learning style and career goals.
About The Author
Careerplay – An initiative aimed at providing career guidance that matters to working professionals. Our objective is to draft out a logical career progression path for every professional with appropriate milestones and a clearly defined end goal.