Discover five of our best online digital marketing courses for beginners with no entry requirements.
Are you hoping to upskill and jumpstart a new career in digital marketing? To begin, we recommend undertaking an online marketing course. This will help you hone your skills and hit the ground running as you transition into a career in marketing.
You can complete all of the courses we discuss today online, from the comfort of your home. So if you need a little flexibility, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading for our list of the five best online digital marketing courses to supercharge your career and inspire you to learn more.
Fundamentals: What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is the art of promoting brands using a variety of assets and tools on the web. Marketers publish assets in online campaigns to inform and inspire potential customers. A non-exhaustive list of tasks includes:
- Writing website or landing page copy
- Recording and publishing images, videos, and podcasts
- Social media management and publishing
- Managing public relations via news publications
- Email marketing campaigns
- Affiliate marketing
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- SEO analytics and strategy
- User experience (UX) research and design.
Roles in the digital marketing industry can include a variety of positions. If you want to learn more, check out our introduction to digital marketing
What are the most popular jobs in digital marketing?
Below, we’ll discuss just a few of the most common jobs in digital marketing. This list is by no means extensive, however, as the career possibilities in this industry span far and wide.
Copywriter
A copywriter writes text to communicate a message to prospective customers. One way is by highlighting the unique selling points (USP) of a product or service on a landing page. Then, writers will align with the company’s tone of voice and marketing objectives. Compelling website copy is an evergreen way of providing value to customers.
If you want to learn more about content and copywriting, read our blog post on how to become a content writer.
SEO specialist
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialists will optimise on-page website copy using tools such as keyword checkers. Read our SEO Guide from 2021 to learn everything you need to know.
SEO specialists monitor technical SEO aspects such as URL management and loading times, with the aim to improve search engine results page (SERPs) performance. SEO also plays a significant role in website rankings in organic search on Google, therefore, better SEO leads to better visibility.
Social media manager
A social media manager will curate the company’s social media profile, including updating corporate information and adding new social media posts. They may also republish blogs and articles, and respond to comments from users.
Additionally, they monitor social media performance using analytics. The goal is to improve click-through rates and views. Lucky for you, we have some great tips and tricks to get you started on your social media journey.
Email marketer
Email marketers create tailored messages to be shared as part of an organisation’s email marketing campaign. This involves writing copy that provides value and insight to readers and is possibly crafted to elicit a direct response.
The goal is to maintain and grow the email subscriber base and redirect them to company web pages for conversion to sales. If you want to learn more about how to set up an email marketing campaign, check out our primer discussing email marketing tips for beginners.
Head of digital marketing
A digital marketing manager will oversee all aspects of internet marketing within a company. Copywriters, SEO specialists, email marketers, and social media managers provide updates on marketing performance, new content ideas, and opportunities to optimise existing assets.
Customer Relations Management (CRM) manager
A CRM manager has the important task of maintaining positive relationships with customers. This requires an understanding of the customer journey or customer life cycle. Then, CRM managers use strategies to nurture clients at every stage in the funnel.
CRM managers use business intelligence and analytics tools to generate digital marketing insights. The goal is to improve the targeting or retargeting of marketing assets. This will improve customer service interactions and reduce repetitive support tasks. By publishing informative content, enterprises improve customer retention and support ongoing business growth.
You can learn all the fundamentals of CRM in our ExpertTrack created in collaboration with Trailhead, the online training platform for Salesforce.
What should I know when taking online digital marketing courses?
Taking online digital marketing courses with FutureLearn means you can learn anywhere, anytime, offering a more flexible but equally viable alternative to traditional education formats.
These courses run anywhere from two weeks to 12 weeks and beyond. After completion, you’ll receive a CV-boosting certificate recognising your new skills, as long as you Upgrade or subscribe to Unlimited.
- Social Media CollegeInstagram Marketing: Instagram Essentials and Content Creation
- FutureLearnIntroduction to UX Design
- ClickSliceThe Ultimate Digital Marketing Training: SEO, Google Ads and Cold Email
Become a digital marketing guru: Five online courses in digital marketing
Now you understand the fundamentals of digital marketing, the only thing left is to choose a course. Check out five online digital marketing courses hand-picked by our team.
1. Digital Skills: Digital Marketing by Accenture
This course was created in partnership with Accenture, a world-renowned IT professional services and consulting company. The course is two weeks long, and only requires two hours per week of study, making this course the perfect primer on digital marketing. You don’t need any experience, just bring your passion for learning about all things marketing!
After a general introduction, you’ll learn the basics of display and pay per click (PPC) advertising which is critical for marketing campaigns on a global scale. Other topics include search engine optimisation to outrank competitors on the web, and email marketing to nurture and grow subscriber audiences.
You’ll leave the course understanding the real world impact of these techniques on businesses, and how to leverage them as part of your first marketing campaign.
2. Get Started With Digital Marketing by Coventry University
Do you want to uncover the true definition of digital marketing, and learn about the technologies that put marketing campaigns in the hands of millions of users worldwide?
In this two-week course, you’ll learn the definition of digital marketing and its key channels such as email, social media, and organic or paid search. This includes a high-level overview of digital marketing environments, and more focused learning in specific areas to help build an online marketing presence.
By the end, you’ll have a greater understanding of effective marketing to digital customers by leveraging the latest digital marketing technologies. If you want to get a taste of what this course offers, check out the open step The Future of Digital Marketing from this course.
Register now to start your digital marketing journey with Dr Evie Hong, a Coventry University lecturer who specialises in online and entrepreneurial marketing.
3. Introduction to Digital Marketing by The Open University and Target Internet
The third course we recommend is provided by The Open University, a leading online-only higher education provider, and Target Internet, who deliver digital training.
The course is eight weeks long, with recommended study time of three hours per week. There’s no time limit – you can learn at your own pace. Again, it’s perfect for beginners in the industry.
You’ll learn core digital marketing skills such as user journey mapping to communicate with, nurture, and grow online audiences. Hands-on experience with the latest marketing tools and technologies will show you how to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), adopt data-driven marketing strategies, and align content assets across multiple marketing channels for the greatest impact.
Don’t delay the start of your digital marketing career. Join Daniel Rowles, an expert on digital marketing and transformation.
4. Creative Strategy for Emerging Digital Media by Ravensbourne University London and Moving Brands
This course is presented by Ravensbourne University London with key partner Moving Brands, an award-winning brand strategy expert that works with clients such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, and the BBC.
This is a 12-week course, making it the ideal course if you’re looking for something more in depth. You’ll become a creative strategy expert in no time.
There are four separate modules covering brand strategy and communications, strategic design for social media, influencer marketing strategies, and creative communications in virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR).
This is a rare opportunity to learn from a world-class creative design business. Register now to acquire the digital marketing skills that Google and other big names demand.
5. Master Digital Marketing Strategy by Left Bank
Think you can handle the responsibility of managing a global marketing campaign for diverse audiences?
This course was created by Left Bank, an education provider that has provided digital expertise to clients such as MTV, Virgin, Telstra, and Sony. You’ll dive into high-impact, globally successful marketing techniques and strategies. Again, it’s 12 weeks long.
You’ll learn essential digital marketing skills that will help you create content for a target audience, develop and monitor marketing strategies, and map the customer journey. Exploring a mixture of digital marketing avenues will help you diversify your efforts to achieve business objectives.
This course is taught by specialists with up to 15 years of experience. Let them help you fast-track your knowledge, and develop digital marketing career skills that international brands value.
Final thoughts
Now, you’re aware of five courses you can undertake as part of your transition into digital marketing. Prior experience isn’t needed, but the will to learn and a passion for communication go a long way!
As you gain more experience in digital marketing, you could land a job as a social media manager, head of digital marketing, or customer relationship manager. The first step is often the hardest, so make it easy by enrolling in an online course with FutureLearn.
