If you want to upgrade your digital marketing skills, you can either learn on the job or undergo training. With the rise of MOOC, or Massive Online Open Courses, it’s never been easier to upgrade your skills and learn something new.
Through online courses, you can learn anything from creating synthesizer sounds for electronic music to academic listening and note taking. It isn’t only on these MOOC platforms that you can learn new skills. Companies like Google and Hubspot also have their own online training courses that will help to bring you up to speed.
Whether you want to double down on your existing skills, or you’re interested in branching out into a new sector of digital marketing, online courses offer a great way to get started. The best way to make the most of these courses is to pair it with real-world experience. If you’re interested in learning something new, let your supervisor know. They might be able to pair you with a colleague who can bring some real world perspective to your learning.
If you’re thinking about upgrading your digital marketing skills, here are some of the best courses to help get you started.
Hubspot’s Inbound Marketing Certification
How long does it take? 2hr 58 minutes
How much does it cost? Free
What will you learn? In this free online course, you will learn the basics of inbound marketing. While you might be familiar with each individual channel, this course will help you to put the pieces together and create a unified inbound marketing strategy. As it’s created by Hubspot, you can be confident that the information housed within will be up-to-date and actionable.
This course is more introductory, so ideal for people with little to no experience in marketing. In an agency setting, it can be a great way for account managers, developers and designers to gain a better understanding of what their marketing counterparts are trying to achieve!
Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
How long does it take? 40 hours
How much does it cost? Free
What will you learn? This free online course is offered by the Google Digital Garage. It’s significantly longer than Hubspot’s offering, with 26 individual modules to work through. It covers everything from SEO to social media and Adwords to Analytics.
It would be a great introduction to digital marketing for recent graduates who wish to show prospective employers that they are pro-active and engaged. It would also be a great course for small business owners who either want to take on their own marketing, or those who simply want to know what their agency is talking about.
Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification
How long does it take? 6 hours
How much does it cost? Free ($199 for the certification)
What will you learn? The social media mavericks at Hootsuite certainly know their stuff. If you want to learn from the best, then you can’t go wrong with this free 6-hour course from Hootsuite. You will learn how to optimise social media profiles for success, how to create a social strategy and even how to grow a community.
If you want to prove your worth to employers, you can take the exam for $199 and get your certification. But if you’re just after the knowledge, this course and many others are completely free.
SEMRush Competitive Analysis and Keyword Research
How long does it take? 1 hour
How much does it cost? Free
What will you learn? Keyword research and competitor analysis is an essential component in any SEO campaign. If you want to learn this from scratch or refresh your existing skills, this one hour course from SEMRush is ideal.
SEMRush offers many different courses that are ideal for beginners and more advanced practitioners. You can also take their free exams and get SEMRush certified to show employers and clients that you mean business.
Have we missed any from this list? We’d love to know which are your favourite online courses for upgrading your skills!