6 of the Best Digital Marketing Courses

Learning how to market online is an ever-changing concept. The tactics working yesterday no longer work today. Consumers grow savvier every year and have come to despise any type of trickery or inauthenticity in the brands they frequent. Finding the best digital marketing courses requires a bit of digging. 

In a 2020 study by Sistrix of Google clickthrough rates, researchers noted the top five positions get the most clicks. The number one slot gets about 28.5% of the clicks, but the catcher is it must be an organic result and not a branded one. If you’re basing your marketing efforts off old data, you’re already behind the curve.

The easiest way to learn about online promotions is by taking some of the top courses. We’ve scoured the internet to see what is currently available and came up with six digital marketing courses to help you learn all the basics you need. 

1. Columbia Business School Digital Marketing

Columbia Business School offers a three-month online program for marketing. The class meets between two and four hours a week over 90 days. The program fee is only $1,400, but you can make payments, get group rates or earn referral fees. 

The course includes live teaching sessions with question and answer segments, 120 video lectures, simulations and discussion opportunities with your peers. Some of the topics covered include customer behaviors, engagement strategies, measuring return on investment (ROI) and metrics. 

If you’re looking for digital marketing courses with expert advice, the professor is David Rogers, a globally-recognized teacher about brands and marketing strategies. Columbia is a well-respected school with high standards. 

Price: $1,400

2. Google Digital Garage

We also looked for digital marketing courses without a university attached to the program. While higher education has many benefits, especially for those wanting to work for a corporation, there are also times you need to brush up on your promotional skills. 

In this “Fundamentals of Digital Marketing” course, you’ll go through 26 modules over about 40 hours. It is an excellent course for beginners, with video tutorials and self-paced learning. Once you complete your studies and take a final exam, you’ll get a Google certification. 

The classes focus on the business owner wanting to become a more recognizable brand. Topics include building a web presence, planning a business strategy for online, basic search engine optimization (SEO) and working with ads. The best part about Google’s offering is you won’t have to pay a penny to attend, and you can complete the work on your schedule. 

Price: FREE

3. Cornell Digital Marketing Certification

Out of the well-respected digital marketing courses you can complete online, Cornell’s is one of the best. The certificate requires the completion of four modules about understanding digital marketing. Each class runs for two weeks, and the entire program takes two months to complete. 

They keep the class size to 35 students or fewer to give you individual attention. If you simply need to get in some professional development hours, the course offers 3.2 continuing education credits. 

Price: $3,600

4. The Complete Digital Marketing Course

Complete this course on your terms with 23 hours of on-demand video and 37 articles. You’ll learn how to build a WordPress website, building mailing lists, SEO, social media marketing and how to place ads and track analytics. 

The program is specifically for business owners or those wanting a new freelance career as a digital marketer. You will receive a certificate on completion you can share with others when searching for a job. 

The creators of the course include Rob Percival and Daragh Walsh. The full program is normally $149, but you’ll often find it on sale for as much as 90% off, making this a great value for the money. 

Price: $149

5. Simplilearn Digital Marketing Specialist Bootcamp

If you’re looking for a bootcamp where you can build the skills needed to hit the ground running, Simplilearn offers one running through six courses. You can complete them in your own time frame. You can also add additional electives, covering topics such as advanced mobile marketing and Hubspot email marketing. 

When you’ve completed the course, you’ll receive the Online Marketing Certified Professional (OMCP). Some of the tools talked about in the lessons include Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, Bing ads and Google Trends. With the bootcamp, you learn from experts who are actively working in their area of expertise. You get real-world problems to solve and structured guidance to help you make the most of your learning experience. 

Price: $1,499

6. MIT Digital Marketing Analytics

One of our favorite digital marketing courses comes from MIT and covers the research behind being a marketing guru. If you’re looking for a specialized skill set, this course takes you to the next level. 

The program runs for six weeks with a time commitment of six to eight hours per week. Plus, you can complete all work online as your schedule allows. Some of the things they teach include a digital marketing optimization plan, how to increase your reach and ROI. Your certificate of completion comes from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a well-respected institution.  

Price: $2,800

What to Look for in Digital Marketing Courses

Finding the best digital marketing courses for your career requires the ability to recognize where you most need growth. While a program through a respected school is great for those seeking employment through outside companies, if you want to learn better promotional techniques for your business, a Udemy course may be all you need. 

What are the holes in your learning you need to fill? Once you have narrowed down the skills you need to develop, it’s much easier to find digital marketing courses to round out your knowledge.