Hello and welcome to Digital Career Tactics – the tactical career advice channel that’s all about getting the best job prospects – FOR YOU.
Also, it’s not just about learning something new with digital. It’s about keeping on top of current digital marketing trends.
In addition to that, it is not about being overwhelmed with too much information, sure that is easily done, it’s about ensuring that your knowledge is relevant and up-to-date as is reasonably possible – and that’s why our list is only ten items long.
So much of marketing is about keeping your knowledge and understanding of how current and new technologies can work together and ultimately, it’s about looking for new, creative ways to deliver on a client brief.
The list we have put together is based on my experience actually enrolling in and completing a good number of them. Just so you know, Full Focus and I have no affiliation to any of the courses listed – I’ve just chosen them simply because I think they are good and I’d like to recommend them to you.
Let’s take a look at the list.
1. Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification
You get 12 free marketing classes (including reading materials) from HubSpot to help you master inbound marketing. Learn about blogging, SEO, keyword strategy, social media, email marketing, calls to action, and much more!
This is a superb all-rounder. A must-do course for the budding digital marketer.
Finish up with an exam to gain a certification that you can add to your CV or LinkedIn.
2. Google Digital Garage – fundamentals of digital marketing
This course is a must-do whatever your discipline!
Master the basics of digital marketing with our free course accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University. There are 26 modules to explore, all created by Google trainers, packed full of practical exercises and real-world examples to help you turn knowledge into action.
- 26 modules
- 40 hours to complete
- Free
- Certification
Explore Google’s Digital Garage
3. Google Analytics
Knowing how to spot, read, and interpret data is a vital skill that all marketers need to have a solid understanding of. The good thing is that you don’t have to be a numbers whizz to be good with analytics you just need to know the context and the parameters of the data and what to look for.
Thankfully, Google has a platform that can help you with your website analytics and as a marketer knowing how to use and navigate around Google’s analytic platform is essential – you don’t need to be an expert at it, but you do need to understand how to set it up and navigate.
Google has an exam that you can take (it’s called the Google Analytics Individual Qualification exam or GAIQ for short) and once you’ve passed the exam you’ll be qualified.
Obviously, there are lots of things to do during this course, watch the videos, practice on the dummy analytic accounts they give you access to.
The Google Analytics exam is completely free to take.
The exam contains 70 questions and you have 1.5 hours to sit the exam. You need to answer at least 56 of the questions correctly in order to pass and once you’ve passed you’ll know straight away if you passed, or not. In order to retain your certification, you’ll need to resit the exam within 12 months.
Here’s a quick summary of the exam:
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Free to take
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1.5 hours
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70 questions
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80% correct to pass
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Valid for 12 months (previously 18 months)
Explore Google’s Analytics platform
4. SEM Rush SEO Tool kit
If you want to learn how to boost your SEO, take this course to get tips from practicing SEO experts in a series of free video lessons.
The lessons are easy to follow, there are lots of tips to take away and there are lots of free reading resources – this was one of my favorites.
Explore SEMRush’s SEO Tool Kit
5. Google Ad Search Certification
Google Ad Search Certification is another must for your digital marketing toolbox – these comprehensive programs of learning will help guide you through the building and optimising of Google Search campaigns.
Again, as a marketer knowing how Google Search Advertisements work is constructed and managed is very important, especially when you start understanding how tactical they can be working alongside your SEO campaigns.
By getting certified, users will be able to demonstrate your ability to successfully use Google’s advertising solutions for specific marketing objectives.
Explore Google’s Ad Search Certification
6. Canva – Basic Graphic Design
If you’ve not heard of Canva, where have you been? Canva is the graphic designer game-changer that you don’t want to be missing out on, especially if you work in social media content creation.
Graphic design is a complex subject but having a basic understanding of how it works can be very beneficial indeed. Canva offers a superb suite of free tutorials from Instagram post designs to Youtube thumbnail image creation, Canva has it all.
Explore Canva’s Basic Graphic Design
7. Coursera – Strategy of content marketing
learn the core strategies content marketers use to acquire and retain customers profitably. Specifically, you will learn how to develop, organize and implement a content marketing strategy, analyze and measure the effectiveness of content marketing, write compelling copy, use a strategic framework when writing, and build your professional brand and authority through content marketing.
You will also learn how to put the ideas presented to you into action and build your own personal brand through content marketing.
8. SEO MOZ
9. LinkedIn Indesign
Adobe InDesign is the most important tool in publishing today. It’s essential for magazines, newspapers, print and ebook publishers, and freelance designers around the world.
This course teaches the tools and techniques that make the 2020 version of this powerful page-layout application so fun and easy to use. This is a must do course for designers.
Explore LinkedIn’s Indesign offering
10. Facebook Blueprint
This is another big offering. Facebook Blueprint is a free online training program for advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Quite simply, there are loads of courses, 90 in total. Most of them can be taken within an hour. All you need is a Facebook log-in to start learning – it’s well worth checking out.
Explore Facebook’s Blueprint
What do you make of the list?
Have you taken an online digital course recently and would you like to recommend a course to the community?
If so, please leave a comment below, and maybe we will add it to this list!
