The Best Digital Marketing Courses For The Modern-Day Marketer

Give your marketing career the digital boost it requires with these popular training courses.

Modern-day digital marketers are expected to be competent in a host of skills, including analytics, copywriting, creative direction, sales, digital media, and more. But unless you’re ready to invest tens of thousands of dollars and commit years of your life to get a degree in each discipline, you need a faster, more effective way to close the skills gap and keep yourself relevant in a changing market.

Experience can only take you so far — the dynamic nature of the world we live in has made specialized training a must.

If you’re a marketer who wants to stay competitive, you’ve got to keep your digital marketing skills on the cutting edge.

So what are your options? We’ve handpicked and reviewed the best digital marketing training courses from around the world to help you build a successful career in the field.

1. Simplilearn’s Full Stack Digital Marketer Masters Program

The Full Stack Digital Marketer Masters Program aims to get you industry-ready with the skillset of a complete marketer for digital platforms through an expert recommended learning path. Get 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 Full-Stack Digital Marketer Masters Program includes:

• access to the foundational Digital Marketing Certified Associate course and project work;

• nine advanced courses including PPC, web analytics, SEO, content and email;

• monthly mentoring sessions by experts;

• on-the-go learning with Android and iOS apps; and

• Masters Program certificate from Simplilearn.

The Masters 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.

As the course page explains, the Learning Path begins with a foundational DMCA course, which equips learners with a broad, 360` understanding of the principles of digital marketing. Learners then progress along the path, picking up advanced skills in web analytics, paid marketing, SEO, social media, required by every digital marketing professional. Elective offerings in Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Conversion Optimization & Mobile Marketing give you the flexibility to master additional knowledge areas as needed.
Simplilearn’s courses carry accreditation 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 Certified Associate course – preview

 

2. Market Motive’s Digital Marketing Expert Pass

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 Expert Pass gives you access to more than 250 hours of training covering analytics, SEO, PPC, social, conversion, mobile, email and content marketing.

What you get with Market Motive’s Expert Pass

• 250+ hours of e-learning content;

• training by Silicon Valley faculty;

• a modern, interdisciplinary approach to training;

• courses in Content, Social, Analytics, PPC, Conversion, Mobile, Email, AdWords and SEO; and

• expert forum access; have your questions answered by marketing thought leaders like Avinash Kaushik and Brad Geddes.

The Expert Pass is available in two subscription plans, with the monthly plan priced at $299 and the yearly plan at $999. With downloadable workbooks, webinars and access to an active forum frequented by industry experts, the price of $299 per month is a bargain.

Market Motive’s courses are devised for aspirants at all skill levels, regardless of experience and background.

3. Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization

Five courses and a hands-on capstone project will earn you a certification from Coursera’s Digital Marketing Specialization. Covering analytics, SEO, social and 3-D printing, each course requires 32 to 40 hours over four weeks to complete. In all, the entire specialization track takes 26 weeks to complete. The individual courses are priced at $79, while the entire package is priced at $426.

What you get with Coursera’s Digital Marketing specialization track

The five-course offering includes:

• Marketing in a digital world;

• Marketing analytics for digital marketers — theory, practice;

• An overview of digital marketing channels;

• Planning a digital strategy; and

• Capstone project — in association with Grainger industries.

Aimed primarily at an audience of beginners, the program does a good job of introducing novice digital marketers to the world of online marketing. But the course’s open availability, lack of mentored guidance and access to expert instructors make completing the specialization 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, Web & Digital Analytics, Content Marketing and Mobile Marketing. An Online Advertising module is in the pipeline, scheduled to be launched in May/June 2016.

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;

• a 10-question assessment quiz at the end of each module; and

• Continuing Education Unit(s) that count toward AMA’s own PCM credential.

AMA members can get each course for $99, while non-members can enroll for $129. The courses are one hour long, and passing a 10-question quiz earns you a certificate of completion for each.

Designed for beginners to digital marketing, 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 smorgasbord of Marketing Training + Tutorials might be right for you. This isn’t a structured course and doesn’t result in a certification, but at just $24.99 per 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; and

• video playlists, transcripts and certificates with each course.

 

Key components of Online Marketing (Lynda.com)  

Lynda’s heavy 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 best provider for your needs

Whether you just need a quick beginner’s primer or are ready for a deep dive into advanced digital marketing topics, you are sure to find something to match your learning style and your needs. So choose your training and get started.