7 free online courses to build your digital marketing skills

Digital marketing is a broad area that encompasses both creative and technical elements. Be it the content you read online to the ads you see on social media, these are done, in part, by those in digital marketing to promote businesses or products. This makes digital marketing courses highly valuable for those looking to develop new skills.

Companies can improve their visibility by focusing on SEO to increase traffic to their websites; enterprises need individuals who can manage their social media presence and communicate with their customers; companies use email marketing to help generate new leads.

Many companies also require web content and blog posts for their website – knowing what makes a great article and the ability to whip bad copy into shape is a useful skill that can be applied both in and out of the workplace.

You may not have your eyes set on becoming a digital marketer, but the creative and technical skills gained by learning digital marketing can serve you well in your career and personal endeavours.

If you’re keen to develop some digital marketing skills, here are some platforms where you can take online courses to learn about the basics of marketing in your free time and to see whether you’d like to pursue an advance credential in the field:

HubSpot Academy

Do you want to learn Facebook, Instagram and YouTube marketing? Or to develop an understanding of AI in marketing? HubSpot Academy has several free introduction courses for you to choose from.

HubSpot Academy marketing certifications provide a fantastic overview of this field. Their course videos are well-produced, content is high-quality, and the programmes are easy to navigate. 

Facebook Blueprint

If you plan to develop your business online, or simply want to learn the basics of marketing, Facebook Blueprint is an e-learning platform that offers free, self-paced courses on how to build your marketing skills across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.

Explore step-by-step tutorials that help build your digital marketing knowledge and bring your business to life online. The courses are short 15 to 20-minute videos. The catch? Nothing, just have a Facebook log-in to start learning!

Google Digital Garage

The majority of the courses are free, and approved by industry experts, top entrepreneurs, and some of the world’s leading employers. Rest assured, that what you’re learning here is up to date and provides you with real-world skills to help reach your goal.

Learning the fundamentals of digital marketing can earn you a free certificate which is certified by Google and can be placed on your LinkedIn profile!

PPC University by Wordstream

What is pay-per-click (PPS) marketing? It is a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. PPC University is a free platform where you can learn more about this type of marketing. 

Coursera 

Coursera has many offerings which include online marketing courses. Marketing courses at Coursera teach strategies for influencing customer behaviour throughout the customer lifecycle as well as fundamentals like creating a marketing strategy, brand building, advertising and budget allocation. 

edX 

When using edX, you have the option to take free marketing courses online from top universities and institutions like Columbia, Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia. Courses include Marketing Analytics: Products, Distribution and Sales and Strategic Social Media Marketing.

Udemy

Udemy has the world’s largest selection of online courses, including over 950 free marketing-related courses. These include Copywriting Quick Start and YouTube 101: Keys to a successful channel.