Top Digital Marketing Courses for Beginners & Experts 2024

In the past, most businesses used to choose outbound marketing (billboards, cold calls, direct email, etc.) as their go-to strategy. However, today, we need more customer-centric marketing. The best way to achieve that is by learning inbound marketing strategies (content marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, etc.) offered by the best digital marketing courses available in the market.

These online digital marketing courses can help you gather skills to get hired by the top digital marketing companies, get freelance gigs, upskill, and more.

Therefore, we have rounded up a list of the best digital marketing courses for digital marketing aspirants in 2024. So, jump-start your career as a professional digital marketer and be a part of the ecosystem.

Best Digital Marketing Courses Online | Compared &  Reviewed

 

Digital marketing aspirants and professionals can sharpen their skills and learn the fundamentals of marketing through multiple digital marketing training courses available online. These courses offer the best understanding of all the important skills and valuable resources at your fingertips. 

In this section, we will provide an overview of all such top courses and their important features. This guide will help you choose the best digital marketing online certification course. So, let’s move ahead with our courses now:

1. Udemy’s Complete Digital Marketing Course

Udemy offers a plethora of courses for digital marketing courses. In fact, there are several best digital marketing certification courses available for beginners on the platform. 

With over 20 hours of training, practical sessions, and engaging quizzes, it aids as a comprehensive resource. Some popular tools covered in this course are Google Adwords, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter.

This advanced digital marketing course is extremely innovative and engaging. It is packed with projects, actionable lectures (practical knowledge that can be applied in real-life scenarios), and other interactive assignments. 

It is amongst the best digital marketing courses that offers incredible value for money. It covers 12 key broad topics under a single course. By the end of this course, you will confidently be able to implement expert marketing strategies across different marketing channels.

What do you get from this course?

• Learn valuable digital marketing skills as a beginner
• Learn to develop effective ads for social media platforms like Facebook
• Learn to build a professional WordPress website 
• Lifetime access to course updates
• Udemy certificate of completion 

Other Details:

2. Digital Marketing Specialization by the University of Illinois by Coursera

The digital marketing specialization course delivers an overview of six courses. You get access to skills like brand communication, content marketing, digital marketing, etc. It is specifically designed for professionals and entrepreneurs. It is for people who are looking to develop an in-demand skill set. This course ensures that professionals can improve their knowledge and skills in digital marketing for their ongoing jobs.

Digital marketing classes offered by Coursera can also be beneficial in securing your desired job position. The courses offered are backed by many renowned companies and universities, including Google, IBM, Intuit, and more. The course allows you to learn digital marketing from industry leaders and gain all the latest digital marketing skills. 

What do you get from this course?

• Evaluate the latest marketing trends
• Learn to Improve marketing campaigns through analysis
• Understand the concepts related to data collection 
• Explore Real-life capstone projects for hands-on learning
• Full-time access to all lectures and assignments

Other Details:

3. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Social Media, and E-Commerce by edX

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Social Media, and E-commerce is a basic digital marketing course suitable for beginners. This course has all the essential marketing skills required to succeed in the digital economy. 

With its unique approach, edX aims to remove the barriers of education for all. The course is based on 4 key themes that teach important digital skills using relevant theories, practicals, and analysis. 

This digital advertising course suits analysts, small business owners, investors, professional marketers, and consumers. The modules of this course will teach you successful digital marketing and social media techniques. You can also learn how to market yourself and your product in the market.

Within just four modules, learners can master behavioral foundations, tools and principles, new forms of interactions, and new media platforms. Also, it is important to note that the course will last for approximately six weeks.

What will you get from this course?

• Self-paced certification
• Adjust modules as per your schedule
• Themed modules covering both theories and analysis
• Practical exams, assignments, and projects
• Learn to Examine real-world digital marketing applications 

Other Details:

4. Digital Marketing Classes by SkillShare

There is no single resource on SkillShare; rather, it is a series of different certifications related to digital marketing. With its digital marketing classes, you can learn various tools, skills, and techniques related to all the primary digital marketing concepts. Whether a beginner or an experienced marketer, these courses can benefit you immensely.

Some of the digital marketing courses are related to topics like digital marketing strategies, SEO, Google ads, etc. The online digital marketing course classes are based on real-life applications and situations. They offer hands-on learning experiences for aspirants. The course is designed for lifelong learners and empowers the creative community with relevant and updated lessons.

If you are looking for the best solution to kick-start your career in online marketing, the Skillshare course is the perfect way out.

What will you get from this course?

• Learn to Create promotional videos for brands
• Learn to use appropriate hashtags
• Leverage the latest digital trends for enhanced performance 
• Knowledge about the best Instagram engagement secrets and tricks
• Learn all the SEO basics as a non-SEO as well

Other Details:

5. Digital Marketing Specialist Program by Simplilearn

Simplilearn’s Marketing Specialist is designed to equip professionals with the skills to excel in the industry. The program delivers in-depth training in digital marketing, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, etc. 

Simplilearn is a credible platform where you can get digital marketing certifications with credible knowledge. In fact, the platform is known to provide 1500 live sessions every month. 

Besides digital marketing certification, Simplilearn offers exceptional career support and expert advice for all learners. The program provides up-to-date knowledge about all the latest online marketing trends.

Learners can earn certificates from Facebook Blueprint, Google Ads & Analytics, and Hubspot. The courses last around 8 months, including 5 different industry projects for students.

What will you get from this course?

• Expert knowledge from industry leaders
• Master SEO, PPC, and digital analytics
• Earn a master’s certificate
• Master social media, mobile marketing, and other digital strategies 
• Global certification from top universities

Other Details:

6. Content Marketing Certification – Partnered with the American Marketing Association

It is one of the best digital marketing courses for beginners who want to learn content marketing. It is a culmination of content-driven marketing strategies gathered over a decade. The course was created after lots of research work and impactful diverse experiences. 

The digital marketing training course takes you through successful and unsuccessful strategies. It is a valuable resource for businesses of all sizes.

The course introduces users to CMI (Content Marketing Institute) and AMA (American Marketing Association) and the course’s content. Both CMI and AMA are influential organizations. Also, while AMA focuses on broader marketing strategies, CMI is dedicated to content marketing. Having an understanding of the two will definitely give an edge to your resume.

The course ensures a shared understanding of foundation terms, setting a precedent for a cohesive learning experience. Furthermore, it defines the “Three Pillars of Content Marketing Strategy.”

This is one of the best online marketing courses for learning content marketing. It takes you through a series of modules that help you understand different concepts. Understanding these concepts brings cohesive thoughts and strategies that impact the business.

What will you get from this course?

• Certification for content marketing
• The foundation of modern content marketing
• Building a team for content marketing
• Development of audience persona
• Different ways to measure the ROI of content marketing

Other Details:

7. ClickMinded – Culmination of 7 Digital Marketing Courses Online!

ClickMinded offers several best digital marketing courses online at just $999. However, for $1000 more, the users can get a bundle of seven courses together.

These 7 courses comprise several different aspects of digital marketing. These are SEO, Google Analytics, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Funnel Training, Paid Advertising, and Social Media Marketing.

The course by ClickMinded is one of the most well-rounded opportunities to learn everything related to digital marketing. It takes you through everything important, all under a single roof. Furthermore, you get experts teaching you, and by the end of the course, the user also has a certificate to show. You will learn everything important on this platform through expert guidance.

What will you get from this course?

• Get certified by completing the course
• Bundle of 7 courses 
• Experts from companies like Lyft, Airbnb, and PayPal
• Self-paced videos
• Step-by-step walkthrough and quizzes for marketing strategies

Other Details:

8. Google Digital Garage – Embrace Google Ads for Targeted Inbound Marketing

Google’s Digital Garage offers multiple free best online digital marketing courses. These courses cover a plethora of topics and are reputed in the industry. For example, Google Ads, Google Analytics, YouTube, Google Ad Manager, etc. Furthermore, the Google Ads certification can provide steady salaries to pursuant and lead generation possibilities for businesses. 

The Google Ads certification covers a range of certifications. For instance, Google Ads Measurement, Google Ads AI-powered performance, Google Ads Creative, etc. Also, these certifications are relevant throughout the industry and provide in-depth knowledge.

What will you get from this course?

• Certification of completion
• Self-paced resources
• Completely free and in-depth knowledge
• Guidance from understanding to implementation
• Practical application for better understanding

Other Details:

9. Semrush – Plan a Magnetic Content Strategy

This is truly the best digital marketing course. Its course content entails a total length of 34 minutes. This makes it a very short course that is ideal for beginners and professionals looking for fundamental concepts.

The course lets you understand all the compelling secrets of Semrush-driven content marketing strategies. The content strategy course can help you with captivating audiences, in-depth planning, and content optimization.

If you’re in for a short run, this is the best online digital marketing course available. It takes the user through a few but important concepts that can help generate ROI.

What will you get from this course?

• Certification of completion from Semrush
• Content marketing strategies using Semrush tools
• Training for tools like Keyword Magic Tool, Keyword Manager, and Topic Research
• Research and planning for creating content

Other Details:

10. Digital Marketing Course by Hubspot – Get Certified in Digital Marketing

This Hubspot course is one of the best digital marketing courses online. It is a gateway to comprehensive learning. It will provide you with all the necessary skills to succeed today. Furthermore, it helps in creating human-centered inbound digital marketing strategies.

Also, on completion, the user will earn a certificate from Hubspot. This certificate can act as a pavement for a new job. It is considering the reputation of Hubspot and its credibility as a dependable resource for digital marketing problems.

What will you get from this course?

• Certificate at the end of this course
• Capability to optimize search engine
• Learn non-paid strategies to grow your business
• Ads strategy to amplify business message

Other Details:

11. Social Media Marketing Course by Udacity

The social media marketing course by Udacity takes you on a journey of 4 weeks. The course is ideal for beginners and helps create a foundation through real-world projects. Commencing with an insightful introduction, aspirants can learn modern social media marketing techniques. They can learn the art of content adaptation, platform-specific content creation, and audience engagement strategies.

Furthermore, learners can learn lessons on Facebook marketing. These lessons provide hands-on experience and help in setting up advertising accounts, exploring campaign objectives, and running ad campaigns. 

This is one of the top internet marketing courses for beginners. It allows aspirants to navigate social media advertising, content calendars, and platform management. So, enroll today and become a certified social media marketer.

What will you get from this course?

• Certification of the program
• 12 social media skills to learn
• Fundamentals of social media
• Creating and managing ads on Facebook
• Paid and organic content marketing strategies on social media

Other Details:

Stats Related to the Digital Marketing Industry – Important for Aspirants!

Digital marketing jobs are in trend as well as in demand, as of now. There are tons of companies that are willing to pay good money to people who have experience and relevant knowledge. However, choosing a career path is a huge decision. It is essential that, as users, we make decisions based on knowledge.

Therefore, here are some stats related to several aspects of digital marketing that will help you make up your mind. These stats will help you define the longevity of the industry and the opportunities that come with it. Also, it will help you understand whether choosing digital marketing is for you or not.

1. Industry-Based Stats:

• The digital marketing industry was valued at $363.05 billion in 2023. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.1% and reach $1099.33 by 2032.
• As per McKinsey India, an unlocked digital economy can potentially create 60 million to 65 million jobs by 2025. These jobs will most likely have a larger chunk of digital marketing experts and executives jobs.

2. Marketing-Related Stats:

• Digital marketing ad spending is expected to reach $695.96 billion by the end of 2024. Also, it can reach $835.52 billion by 2026.
• There are an estimated 6.84 billion smartphones in the world. From a B2B or B2C perspective, each smartphone can be a prospective target user. Also, we haven’t factored in devices like laptops, tablets, and personal computers.
• About 73% of companies spending 10-70% of their marketing budget on content marketing are likely to be more successful.
• Around 4.9 billion people (60.49% of the world population) use social media.

Benefits of a Digital Marketing Certificate

A digital marketing certificate offers a variety of benefits for aspirants. Individuals who intend to make digital marketing their career. Here are some benefits associated with digital marketing certifications.

1. Increased Knowledge and Skills

• Foundation in key areas: A certificate program equips you with fundamental knowledge and practical skills. These are across various digital marketing domains, including SEO, content, social media, and email marketing.
• Enhanced understanding of industry trends: Gain insights into the latest strategies, tools, and technologies shaping the digital marketing landscape.

2. Improved Employability and Career Prospects

• Stay Competitive: In a competitive job market, possessing a certificate demonstrates your commitment to digital marketing. It can differentiate you from other applicants.
• Qualification for specific roles: Certain entry-level digital marketing positions may prefer or require candidates with relevant certifications.
• Career advancement: As you gain experience, a certificate can enhance your credibility and potentially open doors to more senior positions.

3. Cost-Effective and Time-Efficient

• Affordable compared to traditional degrees: Certificate programs are typically shorter and less expensive than full-fledged degrees. It makes them a more accessible option for multiple individuals.
• Flexible learning options: Many programs offer online or part-time formats. This allows users to learn independently and around your existing commitments.

4. Networking Opportunities

• Connect with peers and instructors: Some programs provide opportunities to interact with fellow students, instructors, etc. This helps in fostering valuable connections within the industry.
• Build your professional network: Networking can open doors to new job opportunities and potential mentors in the digital marketing field.

5. Personal and Professional Growth

• Boost confidence and knowledge: Acquiring new skills and knowledge can empower you with increased confidence and understanding of the digital marketing landscape.
• Explore career options: A certificate can serve as a stepping stone to explore further specific areas of digital marketing that pique your interest.

5 Common Reasons to Learn Digital Marketing in 2024!

The more the economy becomes digital, the demand for digital marketing as a career will increase. Here’s why you should invest in digital marketing programs in 2024.

1. Growing need for digital marketing experts

Many companies have digitized their operations for improved effectiveness and efficiency. This has led to a growing need for digital marketing experts who can promote their services. 

Digital marketers can help bridge the gap between businesses and end users. Their practices can significantly improve returns and increase business sales.

2. Easy to Start

One of the best parts of digital marketing is that it is an inclusive career option for job seekers. People from any background can choose online marketing as a full-time career. 

With appropriate certifications and experience, you can easily begin your career as a digital marketer. It is extremely straightforward in terms of its modules and tools as well.

3. The right kind of entrepreneurial skills

Apart from job seekers, digital marketing programs can also benefit business owners and entrepreneurs. These programs can teach you essential behavioral skills like being proactive, good communication, responsiveness, etc. 

These qualities can help entrepreneurs stand out from the crowd and build a strong brand for themselves.

4. Diverse jobs 

Digital marketing jobs are highly diverse. Under a comprehensive digital marketing training course, you can learn about offline, email, social media, and influencer marketing.

5. Recession-proof

Digital marketing is and will always be required in every sector. These jobs are often considered to be recession-proof as they help create opportunities during those tough times. The work can be done anytime as long as the workforce has an internet connection and a laptop.

In fact, with the pandemic, businesses scrambled to shift their operations online. This has increased the demand for the digital market since the incident happened.

Different Types of Jobs in Digital Marketing

While there are individuals who use terms like “Digital Marketing Executive,” “Digital Marketing Specialist,” “Digital Marketing Expert,” etc., to signify their designation, it is far more expansive.

There are multiple jobs associated with the digital marketing industry. To sum them up, we have mentioned all the important jobs below with a basic understanding.

1. Content Creators

• Copywriters: Craft compelling written content like website copy, social media posts, email marketing materials, and blog articles.
• Content Strategists: Develop and oversee content plans to achieve specific marketing goals, ensuring consistent brand messaging and audience engagement.
• Videographers: Create high-quality video content for various marketing purposes, including social media ads, explainer videos, and product demonstrations.
• Graphic Designers: Design visually appealing graphics for marketing materials like social media posts, website elements, and infographics.

2. Specialists

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Specialists: Optimize websites and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). It helps in driving organic traffic.
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Specialists: Manage paid advertising campaigns on search engines and social media platforms. This helps in reaching target audiences and generating leads or sales.
• Social Media Managers: Create and execute social media strategies for social media platforms. This helps engage audiences, build brand awareness, and drive website traffic.
• Email Marketing Specialists: Craft and manage email marketing campaigns to nurture leads, promote products or services, and build customer loyalty.

3. Managers and Analysts

• Digital Marketing Managers: Oversee digital marketing strategy, manage teams, set budgets, and track campaign performance.
• Marketing Analysts: Analyze marketing data to identify trends, measure campaign effectiveness, and provide insights to optimize marketing strategies.

4. Other Roles

• Web Developers: Build and maintain websites and web applications, ensuring functionality and user experience alignment with marketing goals.
• UX/UI Designers: Design user interfaces and user experiences for websites and applications, focusing on usability, accessibility, and user engagement.

Salaries in the Digital Marketing Industry

Salaries associated with digital marketing differ based on your job profile, experience, and region Therefore, it is impossible to provide an exact range of salaries as they often transcend from one level to another (beginner, mid, and expert level).

Furthermore, salaries are also affected by demand, industry standards, inflation in the country, the country’s condition (developing or developed), etc. Therefore, to give you an idea, here are salaries in digital marketing in the USA:

Several Types of Digital Marketing Courses Based on Budgets!

Different digital marketing courses can be differentiated based on the course content and pricing.

Several companies provide free digital marketing certifications for aggregating leads. These courses are ideal for beginners and can help pave the way for a future career. Contrarily, there are dedicated edtech platforms that deliver courses ranging from beginner to advanced.

These courses are ideal to begin your digital marketing journey or upskill yourself. Therefore, without any await, let’s check out these categories:

1. Free Online Marketing Courses for Beginners

A free Internet marketing course is the best way to learn digital marketing tools and techniques. Popular platforms like Google, HubSpot, Coursera, and more offer multiple free digital marketing courses. 

These courses offer basic lessons about primary online marketing concepts like SEO, social media, analytics, email marketing, and more.

Most free online courses do not offer much personalization and advanced modules. Primarily, these are internet marketing training for beginners.

2. Paid Online Marketing Courses for Beginners & Experts

If you are looking for a more advanced diploma in digital marketing, paid online courses are perfect. These courses offer better quality content, interactive features, and a personalized learner experience. 

In addition to the advanced digital marketing certification, these also offer collaborative projects, quizzes, exams, assignments, and more. Some of the popular paid online digital marketing courses are provided by reputed platforms. Platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, Udacity, etc.

3. Online Bootcamps for Additional Learning

Enrolling in an online boot camp is an excellent way to improve your skills and job. These programs are extremely intensive and offer advanced modules about the latest tools and skills required professionally. These programs mostly last for a few weeks or months.

Springboard, General Assembly, and Thinkful offer some popular online boot camps. Enrolling in a boot camp is the best option if you are looking to transition to a new career or are planning to launch your own business.

4. Offline Courses to Pursue Digital Marketing 

You can also enroll in offline classes from your local area besides online marketing courses. These courses allow one-on-one interaction with instructors and other learners. Popular colleges, universities, and other institutions offer offline classes for digital marketing.

How to Choose a Suitable Digital Marketing Course for Yourself?

Choosing an appropriate digital marketing training course from an accredited institute at an affordable price can be challenging. Based on our research, we have rounded up six main characteristics to look for in digital marketing courses. Let’s discuss them in detail.

1. Know Your Objectives

Before choosing a course, be clear about your objectives, goals, and expectations from the digital marketing training course. You can note short- and long-term goals while planning your DM (Digital Marketing) course.

2. Choose an Updated Course

Digital marketing is all about staying relevant in the ever-evolving landscape. Learners must opt for a comprehensive and updated course based on the ongoing trends in the digital marketing industry. The course must offer the latest learning modules on SEO, email marketing, and more.

3. Time Required

Assessing the time required to complete the course before finalizing it is very important. Be sure to verify that the period of the course aligns with your preferences. You can choose a good DM course for a year or month based on your learning objectives.

4. Modules and Facilities

Some of the best digital marketing courses offer assignments, hands-on projects, and learning modules. These projects help learners to gain an insight into the real world and learn thoroughly. 

Additionally, you can opt for a digital advertising course that offers access to premium tools.

5. Generic Vs. Niche

Generic digital marketing courses offer an overview of all the key online marketing concepts. Meanwhile, the niche-specific courses are focused only on a single idea. 

If you are seeking a new job or are starting with your venture, you must opt for a niche-specific digital marketing course.

6. Price

Once you have identified suitable digital marketing classes, compare different institutions’ fee and payment structures. Verify the fee and its breakdown as per other modules. 

To choose the right combination of fees, institution, and course, it is essential to compare the modules and facilities offered by the top digital marketing courses.

Conclusion

Irrespective of the level of your career, certified digital marketing courses can benefit you immensely. From sharpening your existing skills to understanding the trends, digital marketing courses help you stand out among other job candidates. 

Digital marketing is an evolving landscape; ongoing education can help you keep up with it. Digital marketing is a booming industry with numerous opportunities. Learning its digital marketing skills will help you seize those opportunities. Choose the best digital marketing course and excel in your next professional project.

• What is a digital marketing course?

  A digital marketing course is a structured learning program. It is designed to help individuals with knowledge and skills to help them promote and advertise products using online channels and platforms.

• What are the best online marketing courses available online?

  There are no best online marketing courses available online. However, there are several best resources available in the industry. These are:

  • Google Digital Garage
  • HubSpot Academy
  • Coursera
• How much is the cost of a digital marketing course?

  There is no fixed number associated with digital marketing courses. In fact, some platforms offer free beginner-level courses. However, ideally the cost lies in the range of $500 to $2,500 depending on factors like course duration, level, and included materials.

• Which digital marketing course is the best?

  There is no way to determine which digital marketing course is the best. This is because the ‘best’ word is subjective and can change from person to person. However, several resources, like Udemy, Google Digital Garage, Udacity, etc., are considered best for pursuing any digital marketing course.

• Where to find online marketing courses?

  Some of the best spaces to find the best online digital marketing courses are: