There were almost 3.9 billion internet users worldwide as of June 2017. That’s 51.7% of the global population, according to the most current information from Internet World Stats.
From startups to large corporations people with digital marketing skills and know-how are some of the most sought-after employees on the market.
The digital marketing arena changes at speed of 30 megabits per second.
What are you doing to stay relevant?
Are you up-to-date on the latest skills necessary to create online marketing success?
Even the savviest of professionals must evolve with marketing changes.
We’ve compiled a list of the best digital marketing course available.
Be prepared to take on whatever comes next.
Free Digital Marketing Courses
Not all the best digital marketing courses cost money. Here are a few you can take free.
Google’s Digital Garage
If you’re brand new to the concepts of digital marketing or you’re looking to freshen up on your skills, Google’s Digital Garage is perfect. In a partnership with the Advertising Bureau, you can receive a free certification upon finishing the course content.
The program consists of 89 short video lessons, each followed by a short quiz. The lessons are divided into 23 digital marketing topics. Upon completion, you will have earned 23 badges.
The digital garage ties everything up with a final exam on all the material presented throughout the video course.
Receive a digital marketing certificate and a foundation on the fundamentals of digital.
Hubspot Academy
HubSpot is the leader in inbound marketing education. Their Inbound Marketing Certification Course is open to sales and marketing professionals worldwide.
The 12 topics are broken into 3 lessons and average about 25 minutes each. Topics covered range from “Creating Content with a Purpose” to “The Power of Smarketing.” A short quiz after each section moves you onto the next topic.
The inbound marketing course consists of 4.5 hours of on-demand video. Upon completion, you’ll use your knowledge to take the final certification exam. Your official certificate — one which is awarded to over 50,000 marketers annually — will be ready to add to your CV immediately.
Wordstream: PPC University
The focus here is all about pay-per-click advertising.
Wordstream’s PPC U is a free program which educates you on the ins and outs of Google AdWords. The search marketing training includes three courses. It starts with PPC 101 for beginners. Get more in-depth with PPC 102. Finish with Advanced PPC.
The user-friendly format breaks down the complex practice into a manageable outline. Throughout the lessons, practical advice is bolstered by recommendations for the best tools available.
Access your PPC U training by downloading the free guides. PPC 101 is 51 pages filled with colorful examples, easy to follow content, and links to important concepts within the training.
The final portion of PPC 101 is a step-by-step guide to setting up your new AdWords account.
eMarketing Institute
The eMarketing Institute covers a wide range of topics with some of the best digital marketing courses around. They offer certifications in the following:
- Online Marketing Fundamentals
- Search Engine Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Web Analytics
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Course materials are available as free eBook downloads.
These beginner courses are all followed with a 50-question multiple choice exam.
Advance your marketing career by adding multiple certifications to your resume. An excellent way to jump into the digital marketing world.
edX
When it comes to MOOC (Multiple Open Online Course) providers edX University’s open-source learning platform is top-notch.
Founded in 2012 by MIT and Harvard. The site provides some of the best digital marketing courses to a global audience. It offers coursework in all disciplines in 9 different languages.
The business management discipline at edX University presents a high-quality UX. Many courses cover introductory level marketing. These lead up to in-depth courses on internet marketing and website analytics.
You may opt to receive a verified certificate after completing a course. There is a nominal fee for the certificate. It helps the non-profit to continue funding free education globally.
Udacity
This online university partners with some of the biggest guns in the digital scene. Partners include Facebook, Google, Hootsuite, Hubspot, Mailchimp, and Moz.
Udacity’s interactive coursework is full of exercises and quizzes. You also watch short videos, plus interviews with industry experts and instructors.
Udacity’s catalog features educational opportunities for a wide variety of platform-specific disciplines. Check the “Free Courses” box on the left-hand menu bar to search self-paced modules.
Digital marketing coursework is a part of the Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program. It is not included in the free offerings.
Develop a master suite of skills in the digital marketing and technology arenas. All courses, free and pay-for, leave you job-ready.
Best Low Cost Digital Marketing Courses
Coursera
Coursera online courses provide access to some of the world’s best education. This is thanks in part to their partnerships with top universities and organizations.
The Coursera Digital Marketing Specialization is a 7-course suite. The program culminates in a final real-life capstone project.
Enroll for a free 7-day trial before committing to the $49 per month.
American Marketing Association (AMA)
The AMA offers a comprehensive Digital Marketing Certification program.
Test your digital marketing skills, by taking the AMA’s free practice exam. You are required to join AMA to access the practice test.
With a few simple steps, you can become a site registrant at no charge. You will receive limited access to AMA.org content and resources. This includes the practice exam.
The AMA compiled data from digital marketing and industry experts. Surveys revealed seven categories of relevant need-to-know skills required by companies today.
The top 7 in-demand skill sets are:
- Metrics & Conversions
- Social & Community
- Email Marketing
- User Interface & Experience
- Online Advertising
- SEO
- Content Marketing
As suggested study materials check out the AMA-approved Learning Path from LinkedIn Learning. They cover all the above and more.
Access 21 of the best digital marketing courses (46 hrs. of learning) via LinkedIn Learning. A membership costs $24.99 per month. Currently, there is an offer for the first month free.
When you’ve developed a strong understanding of the top 7 skills take the full exam. Your industry-acknowledged certification costs $249 (AMA members) or $349 for non-members.
Lynda.com
Lynda.com has an online platform designed to be engaging. The goal is to help individuals and businesses achieve personal and professional goals. The extensive video library, taught by industry experts, is full of high-quality courses.
Their learning path for marketing called Become a Digital Marketer. It is a complete package. Develop a solid foundation of online, mobile, and content marketing. Then learn how to build an integrated online marketing plan.
Create a customized learning plan when you start your monthly membership. Your learning plan includes:
- Unlimited learning from over 6,000 courses
- Watch content via computer, television, tablet, or mobile devices
- Check your progress after each chapter with a short quiz
- Ability to download project files used by instructors for extra practice
- View courses offline on computer or mobile device with a simple download
A Premium membership includes all the above for $29.99 per month. The Basic membership is $19.99 and does not include #4 and #5. Both levels offer a 30-day free trial and can be canceled at any time.
Udemy
With over 55,000 courses to choose from you’d be hard-pressed not to find some of the best digital marketing courses available.
A learning marketplace that promises the most up-to-date, relevant, and engaging coursework. And it’s all taught by real-world experts.
The Complete Digital Marketing Course is available in a 12-course package. The easy to follow lesson plans are packed with incredible value.
Choose from an unbelievable range of topics. The courses cover everything from email, social media, and Facebook marketing. Then they go deeper, sharing AdWords, LinkedIn, and YouTube secrets.
Courses range in price from $20 to $200. But make sure to check the site often as they regularly offer courses at discount rates. Some can be purchased for as little as $15.
Top of Range Digital Marketing Course
This program requires a significant investment. Geared toward professional marketers it offers the added benefit of face-to-face contact.
Simplilearn
Simplilearn started as a simple blog in 2009, sharing ideas on Project Management. They are now recognized by over 40 organizations globally. They are one of the world’s leading certification training providers.
Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist program helps professionals to fast-track their careers. Transform into an expert digital marketer through 35 rigorous online classes. Classes are instructor-led and live.
This Master’s Program syllabus is:
- Digital Marketing Certified Associate
- Advanced Web Analytics
- Advanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Advanced Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Advanced Social Media
- Master’s Program Certificate
The program features Simplilearn’s cutting-edge Mimic Pro Simulation. Run digital marketing campaigns using real-world data supplied by Google.
Enrollment is $1,499.
There are extra fees for course exams.
Job Security is Waiting
Digital marketing is the future.
Do you want to expand your knowledge base? How about update your digital marketing skills? Build your resume? Learn how to leverage social media? It’s time to embrace the changing landscape of advertising.
Rather than basic advice or generalized marketing concepts, the best digital marketing courses provide precise, repeatable marketing methods that get results. Invest in your future by taking one or many of the online classes discussed above.
Have you taken any of the courses mentioned? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
