Top 10 Best Online Digital Marketing Courses, 2022 [+ 7 Tips to Choose One]
To become a digital marketer and start taking clients from home, you must be up to date with the latest tools and skills. Here are our 10 best digital marketing courses that will help you give your clients results that "WOW" and stay ahead in this ever-changing world of digital marketing.
Are you looking for a way to improve your online marketing skills? Or, perhaps you’re looking to get certified in digital marketing? We’ve compiled the top 10 best digital marketing courses you can access from the comfort of your home.
We’ve included courses from fundamentals to more advanced concepts, which will help you build a strong foundation in the field. So whether you want to jumpstart your career or expand your knowledge, these digital marketing courses are perfect for you.
Who can do a digital marketing course?
Digital marketing has become a highly sought-after skill for any business, regardless of size.
Although digital marketing professionals are the primary demographic, the best part is that you aren’t required to have a marketing degree or prior experience to enroll in most courses. Many entrepreneurs, marketing managers, marketing specialists, and small business owners also enroll in digital marketing courses.
Having the necessary skills to market your company online can make a big difference in your ability to communicate your brand and sell your products or services in the advent of social media, e-commerce, and websites.
What can you learn from a digital marketing course?
Did you know:
- Email collection forms are the most successful at converting viewers, with a 15% conversion rate?
- Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates 3x as many leads?
- The 1st five links on the first page of Google results account for 67% of all clicks, while a meager 0.78% of Google searchers will click on the second-page results?
If you aren’t familiar with digital marketing techniques, you’ll be missing out on opportunities to grow your business and even make mistakes that can stunt your online presence.
Here’s are some of the essential digital marketing skills you can learn by taking an online course:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Analytics
- Marketing Automation
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Management
And there’s more! The reality is that digital marketing demands a wide range of both soft and hard skills. Click here to read our blog on rockstar marketers’ hard and soft digital marketing skills.
Which online digital marketing course is best? [+7 Tips]
There are a variety of digital marketing courses out there, so it can be tricky to choose the right one for you.
We’ve come up with 7 tips to help you narrow down your choices:
1. Certificate of completion
Does the course offer a means to certify your knowledge so that you can include this in your online portfolio or CV?
2. Curriculum offered
Does the course cover the skills and topics you’re looking for? For a beginner’s course, for example, does the course offer critical marketing skills and strategies, from frameworks and funnels to web analytics and SEO?
3. Quality of instructors
This encompasses not only the instructors’ professional credentials but also their communication and teaching skills, as well as listening and empathy.
An instructor may have an impressive background, but if you don’t resonate with their teaching method, you may not be able to absorb the course effectively.
4. Course effectiveness
What has enabled its students to do or become that they couldn’t have before the course? Check out graduate testimonials, the projects and clients these graduates have, and especially the results they produce for their clients.
5. Community
Does the course build camaraderie and personal connection through the online platform? One of the underrated benefits of a course is the potential to build a network and have a support system. Another vital question to ask is: Does the community support extend beyond the course?
6. Exercises
Do students get to put the marketing strategies they learn into action through hands-on, project-based exercises?
7. Real-world 21st-century application
Is the course highly applicable to contemporary, 21st-century digital marketing and educating its students about the cutting-edge new developments in the digital marketing space?
Top 10 best digital marketing courses [Online]
Here are the 10 best digital marketing courses to learn the skills you need to become a digital marketing expert.
1. Google Digital Garage [Free]
Google Digital Garage
Learn the fundamentals of online business through Google’s learning platform, Digital Garage, in a convenient manner.
Time to complete: 40 hours
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Beginners who have or are launching their online business and want to learn from one of the most globally-recognized brands.
Price: Free
Google’s fundamentals of online business have 26 modules on different topics about increasing reach, building an online marketing strategy, how to make our brand searchable, mobile optimization, advertising, and more. You also get an accredited certificate!
Although it’s a solo experience, you can apply your learnings through quizzes and action items.
2. SEMRush Academy [Free]
SEMRush Academy
SEMRush is the company behind the SEMRush brand of analytics and SEO tools. Learn from top experts such as Brian Dean, one of the forerunners of SEO, at your own pace.
Time to complete: 1-20 hours
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: English or Spanish learners looking to learn the basics to advanced digital marketing concepts, especially SEO. A bonus: Learn how to use SEMRush tools in depth.
Price: Free
If you’re looking for tried-and-true advice from the experts, consider SEMRush Academy and learn about SEO, content marketing, PPC, affiliate marketing, and social media marketing. As the lessons are pre-recorded videos, you don’t get live or community support.
3. HubSpot Academy [Free]
HubSpot Academy
HubSpot, like SEMRush, is another leading company in the digital marketing industry. They boast comprehensive courses on social media, email marketing, SEO, inbound sales, and content marketing.
Time to complete: A course runs from 1:30 hours to 7
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Non-English and English-speaking learners who want “personalized” training recommendations and want to go from “basic” knowledge in their topic of choice to an “expert.”
Price: Free
HubSpot Academy boasts “personalized” training in 5 languages! This is an excellent choice for non-English speakers looking for reputable courses. You also get access to a complete education library and free software tools. Your learning in the academy is self-paced, so complete in your own time.
4. Simplilearn Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s Program [Paid]
Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist Masters program
For those looking for more than a certificate and looking for a diploma, Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s program will teach you all the core concepts of digital marketing and its tools and also work on case studies.
Time to complete: 1 year
Certificate: Yes, diploma
Ideal for: Beginners to experienced, looking for a Master’s program in Digital Marketing
Price: $1,499
With this Master’s program, you have the benefit of hitting multiple birds with one stone as the curriculum is aligned with certifications from Facebook Blueprint, Google Analytics, OMCP, Hootsuite, and HubSpot.
You also get to work alongside students in this online course to learn Google Keyword Planner, Google Analytics, Google and Bing ads, and many more tools in a “formal” and structured manner with your advisors.
5. Simplilearn Post Graduate Program in Digital Marketing in partnership with Purdue University [Paid]
Simplilearn x Purdue University’s Digital Marketing Post-graduate program
Yes, Simplilearn also offers a post-graduate degree program. This program is in partnership with Purdue University and co-created by Facebook/Meta.
Time to complete: 6 months
Certificate: Yes, diploma
Ideal for: Experienced marketers looking for interactive learning and real-world projects with the world’s biggest brands
Price: $2,250
If you can invest, get ready to work, work, work. You’ll be working with Yahoo!, TripAdvisor, Mastercard, and more and have the support of fellow students and your advisors.
6. Coursera Digital Marketing Specialization [Paid]
Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization course
Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization comprises 6 courses that explore the emergent digital marketing industry.
Time to complete: 8 months
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Committed beginners to experienced who want to earn credits towards a degree
Price: Free seven-day trial, followed by a monthly cost of $79
In this online course, you get credits towards a degree in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s online Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program and individual certificates for hands-on projects.
7. Udemy Digital Marketing 12-in-1 Course [Paid]
Udemy’s Digital Marketing Course bundle
Prefer to learn on Udemy but don’t know where to start? Udemy’s Digital Marketing course bundles 12 beginner-friendly courses on different facets of digital marketing.
Time to complete: 1 month or more, depending on your pace
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Beginners who want to learn on Udemy
Price: $149
This is an affordable certification where you can learn Youtube marketing, Google ads, Email marketing, and more from various instructors. The course is “highly interactive” with projects, checklists, and actionable lectures in every section.
8. Copyblogger Academy [Paid]
Copyblogger Academy
We recommend this for digital marketers who want to brush up on copywriting, creative thinking, and content strategy.
Time to complete: 1 month
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Beginners who want to write killer copy and receive ongoing training and support
Price: $149
Copyblogger Academy offers automation, funnels, SEO, copywriting, content strategy training, and more. Besides learning from masterclass sessions, you also get a monthly accountability group, monthly coaching, and daily exercises.
9. LinkedIn Learning with Lynda [Paid]
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is LinkedIn’s platform for aspiring digital marketers. Choose from 1,087 relevant courses and 21,687 other video tutorials. Some courses offer CPD credits.
Time to complete: 30-90 minutes per course
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Beginners to professionals looking for digital marketing courses and then some
Price: $29.99/month or $19.99/month billed annually
Suppose you’re looking for specific training on graphic design and using Adobe products, for example. In that case, LinkedIn Learning has the edge over other competitors listed because the platform does have training for the more visual type of content marketing.
10. Acadium’s Digital Marketing Courses [Free + Paid]
Acadium Courses + Tasks
Learn marketing basics with free courses, build an impressive portfolio with real-world tasks, and get an accredited certificate!
Time to complete: 1-5 hours, depending on you.
Certificate: Yes
Ideal for: Beginners to experienced looking to build their portfolio by doing tasks aside from course learning.
Price: Free
Acadium Courses + Tasks is perfect for those wanting to quickly brush up on marketing concepts and do quick tasks to build their portfolio. It’s free to enroll in a course and to start receiving reviews from mentors.
Acadium Plus
Acadium Plus
Looking for personalized coaching, career pathing, and marketing connections? Acadium Plus is a paid 12-module course, carefully designed to provide you with the right tools, techniques, and skills to get hired within 6 to 12 months in the right marketing role!
Not just this, you will also gain confidence in the hard skills by doing real-world assignments.
If you are ready to commit at least 10-20 hours per week (for 8 weeks) to developing your personal brand, networking, and completing interviews with targeted companies, check out Acadium Plus.
Become a Digital Marketer with Acadium
What if you have zero experience in digital marketing and zero budget? We’ve got you covered! Try an Acadium Apprenticeship.
Kailee’s story
Kailee Shearing worked in the Canadian live events and entertainment industry for 10 years.
While she loved her job, she wanted to do something that offered more work-life balance. She decided that she wanted to learn more about content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) to launch a marketing career.
Through a quick Google search, she found Acadium.
Kailee started taking the free courses on the platform. She worked her way through several courses, which provided a basic introduction to digital marketing concepts.
Kailee built up her comfort levels with digital marketing concepts and soon decided to take on a writing apprenticeship where she:
- Met with her mentor every Wednesday to talk about tasks for the week and the results from the previous week.
- Learned how to write conversion-focused content and how to edit for brand voice, brevity, and clarity.
- Edited blog posts, wrote video scripts and social media captions, and set up lead generation quizzes. Her quality of work increased every with every feedback from her mentor!
Kailee got a job offer from her mentor halfway through her apprenticeship for a role as a content marketer. She had successfully launched her marketing career!
Despite losing her events job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kailee built a marketing career that she loved. She now works remotely and has the work-life balance that she had wanted.
“Now I’m living my dream job. None of that would’ve been possible if it wasn’t for Acadium. You guys gave me the confidence and the education and the skills that I needed to make my dreams a reality.”
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Therese is an SEO content writer with 7 years of experience in digital marketing. Her work has been featured in prominent publications such as Manila Standard and Thrive by HuffPost. She advocates for mental health, LGBTQIA+/SOGIE, and disability rights and vlogs about her journey as a neurodivergent, queer person of color. She enjoys collaborating on HitRECord as a talent or consultant to scratch that creative itch or lend her insight as an International Studies, Development, and Gender studies graduate. She has spoken about discovering her voice in a communications documentary with Zappos. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, food trips, pretending she can swim, watching documentaries, playing bass and "lute"kelele, and finding new VRChat worlds to meditate in.
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