Do you want to help put your business on a path to growth? And are you looking to improve your marketing campaigns or to further your career? Then you may want to upskill, which is when you look at your skills for gaps. Once you know them, you can educate yourself accordingly. In this way, you are investing in yourself and your employer. Then, you can use your upgraded skill set to meet your business needs and goals. Besides, what better way to do this than finding the best marketing courses to get you started?
Are you still with us? Great! By now, you may be asking yourself which marketing courses are worth it. It is a tough question to answer – and researching is time-consuming. However, you have nothing to fear, as we have done all the hard work, so you do not have to. We examined the best online, free, and paid marketing courses out there, and we present our top five picks below.
Recommended Reading: Brand Management: 6 Elements of a Success
Included In this Article:
- 1. Digital Branding and Engagement
- 2. Leadership Through Marketing
- 3. Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate
- 4. Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behavior
- 5. The Strategy of Content Marketing
- Inbound Marketing & Inbound Marketing Optimization Certifications
- How to Choose the Best Marketing Courses for You
1. Digital Branding and Engagement – By Curtin University
Digital technology has changed the way we communicate and gone are the days when branding was all about a storefront. Nowadays, customers want a journey. Therefore, businesses must interact with their customers many times.
This course will educate you on the shifts in how brands and audiences communicate. Then, you will learn how to manage a digital brand. And, finally, the course shows you how to create engaging content.
- Course: Digital Branding and Engagement
- Price: Free access to course materials, 92euro for Verified Track
- Duration: 3-4 Weeks, 9-12 hours
- 4 Modules
- Similar Course: Strategic Brand Management
Pros: Free access and course completion, focused course materials, easy to follow and well-paced.
Cons: Audio language and video transcripts are offered only in English.
2. Leadership Through Marketing – By Northwestern University
The tech tools we need to convert consumers into return customers are in full swing. Today, we have achieved all this through the mountainous amount of data we are collecting on people’s habits, behaviors, and needs. If you want to succeed as a marketing leader, you must possess a sound understanding of marketing strategies. This, together with an excellent command of data science skills, will help you with resource management and team empowerment. And these skills are exactly what this course aims to arm you with.
- Course: Leadership Through Marketing
- Price: Free 7-day trial, certificate available with 46euro monthly subscription
- Duration: 1 week, approximately 7 hours
- 4 Modules
- Similar Course: Organizational Leadership Specialization
Pros: Thorough and well-structured course materials, flexible deadlines, subtitles available in: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, and Spanish.
Cons: Data Analytics section can be too challenging for many, more examples to better illustrate certain concepts would be appreciated.
3. Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate – By Google
This one we can personally vouch for. Google’s certificates are widely accepted as industry-standard setters – and this one is no exception. This is your chance to gain a solid understanding of marketing, e-commerce, display advertising, email marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), customer loyalty, marketing analytics, customer outreach, website structure, customer awareness, and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
- Course: Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate
- Price: Free access to course materials, free certificate available
- Duration: 24 weeks, approximately 440 hours
- 4 Courses
- Similar Course: Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Pros: Thorough and well-structured course materials, flexible deadlines, and free certification. It is widely accepted as a valid entry-level marketing certificate.
Cons: Audio language and video transcripts are offered only in English.
4. Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behavior – By University of London & London Business School
If an insightful, expert-lead course is what you are looking for, then this one is just what you need. This course looks to teach you anything and everything about modern brand management. In it, the instructors take outdated notions, such as a branding being all about its imagery and promises to consumers and replace them with what really works. And that is when your entire organization works to create a true brand experience.
This course highlights the experiences and moments your brand can create with and for your customers.
- Course: Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behavior
- Price: Free access to course materials, certificate available for 46euro
- Duration: 4 weeks, 17 hours
- 4 Modules
- Similar Course: Branding: The Creative Journey Specialization
Pros: 29% of participants started a new career after completing this course. 37% benefited from this course. Also, students found a fantastic intro to branding.
Cons: Brief duration, not suitable seasoned brand professionals.
5. The Strategy of Content Marketing – By University of California, Davis
This course will help you master the core competencies every marketer should have – management, content marketing, copywriting, and writing. In this course, you will learn how to build a sound content marketing strategy. To that end, you will get tips and guidance on writing compelling copy. You will also learn core strategies to acquire and retain customers. Finally, you will be shown how to pivot and manage your content strategy to always stay ahead of the curve.
- Course: The Strategy of Content Marketing
- Price: Free access to course materials, certificate available for 46euro
- Duration: 5 weeks, 19 hours
- 5 Modules
- Similar Course: Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content
Pros: Detailed course materials, flexible deadlines, 34% started a new career after completing the course, 41% got a tangible career benefit from this course, and 13% got a pay increase or promotion.
Cons: Assignment peer review process needs improvement; some find course scope a bit overwhelming.
Bonus: Inbound Marketing & Inbound Marketing Optimization Certifications – By HubSpot Academy
Are you interested in learning about the basic principles and core tactics of inbound marketing? And would you also like to know how to scale your inbound marketing efforts? Then these courses are for you!
- Course: Inbound Marketing & Inbound Marketing Optimization
- Price: Free access to course materials, free certificate available
- Duration: 1 week each, 3,5 hours each
- 7 Modules
- Similar Course: Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content
Pros: Clear, up-to-date materials, free certification, course content and instructors are engaging.
Cons: More specific use cases would be nice, tracking paid ads is not included.
How to Choose the Best Marketing Courses for You
Whether you opt to take a free course or choose to pay, you must get value for your time. There are many courses out there that promise to deliver results. Do your research before you sign up for anything. Ask yourself questions like: Is the course available in your region? Is it available in your preferred language? If not, does it come with subtitles in the language you are most comfortable in?
Start by thinking hard about want you want to achieve with a course. Then, decide on a topic that allows you to reach those goals. Next, read reviews to see how the course helped others. Follow that up with some research on the instructors – are they qualified and experienced enough? Alternatively, you can ask for recommendations to see what courses others found useful. And, finally, make time and set goals for what you want to achieve.
We wish you all the best in finding the best marketing courses for you!
Recommended reading: WTF: A Profane (and Pro-Fun) Marketing Dictionary Like No Other!
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