The 9 Best Places to Learn Digital Marketing Online

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If you’re wondering where to learn digital marketing online and the best ways to do it, you’re in the right place.

Digital marketing is one of the best careers to get into right now in terms of hiring demand and pay. And I’m going to share multiple online marketing courses, plus other ways to learn this valuable skill.

We’ll start with courses, because online courses are the best way to learn digital marketing if you don’t have friends/colleagues already in the space.

This field is evolving FAST so you’ll learn more up-to-date info in an online course versus a book or university program.

Here are the best online courses in digital marketing…

9 Best Courses to Learn Digital Marketing Online

1. Udacity

Udacity offers an excellent online marketing training called Become a Digital Marketer, which is one of their “Nanodegree” programs designed to take you from zero experience to being ready to land a digital marketing job and succeed in the role.

With no experience required and frequent discounts offered, this is one of the best ways to learn digital marketing on a budget, while still getting all the benefits of a premium course (structured curriculum, real-world projects, top-notch instructors, and even career support).

Udacity’s digital marketing course takes three months to complete at 10 hours per week, so it’s very feasible to take this digital marketing course while working a job, too.

Subject matter includes marketing fundamentals, content strategy, social media marketing and advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), display advertising, email marketing, and much more.

This is one of the more well-rounded, broad marketing courses and does an excellent job of providing you with a strong foundation in all of the essential aspects of digital marketing, so that you can go get a job immediately and then build further upon these digital marketing skills to create a long-lasting career.

I can recommend this as highly as any of the digital marketing courses on this list and it’s a fantastic choice for anyone wanting to break into this career.

See current pricing and discounts HERE.

2. Digital Marketing Career Blueprint

You’ll need two things if you want to find a job in digital marketing.

• You need the skills.
• And you need to demonstrate to employers that you know these skills so they’ll hire you.

Plenty of courses teach digital marketing… but not all of them show you how to get job offers with your new skill set…

That’s why this is one of the top courses I recommend for getting a career in digital marketing… because it helps you actually get a job and get paid with your skills. 

I’ve spoken with the course creator, Seth, and was impressed with his knowledge of digital marketing and exactly what employers look for when hiring in this space.

(As a former recruiter, it’s very rare to talk to someone who doesn’t come from an HR or recruiting background yet still understands job searching so well. Seth knows his stuff!)

When I started learning digital marketing after quitting my job, I wish I had a resource like this to help me.

The course is like a digital marketing “fastlane” that takes a lot of the guesswork out of learning digital marketing and finding a marketing job, so you can just follow the steps to get hired.

And he offers a free introductory course so you can try it out without paying. Here’s where to join (and this is the #1 course I recommend, by far):

FREE MINI COURSE: How to Get a $60K/Yr Career in Digital Marketing

After you sign up for the mini-course, you’re going to find out:

• Why digital marketing is such a high-paying, in-demand field
• The specific skills within digital marketing that employers want MOST
• How to learn the necessary skills to get hired for a digital marketing position, 100% online

After this free mini-course, Seth offers a paid membership where you level up to more advanced trainings. These expert trainings take you step-by-step through learning these skills in-depth and getting job offers.

But you can start for free, which is a great way to learn the basics, make sure this career path is right for you, and then decide for yourself if you want to keep learning with the premium material. 

Start for free HERE. 

3. LinkedIn Learning

This is one of my favorite options for learning ANYTHING online because you can pay one low, flat monthly fee and get access to every expert-led course on the platform (and they have thousands).

There are multiple courses on the platform dedicated to learning digital marketing and finding a job, but you may need to go through two or three courses to get all the info you need.

Since it’s all available for one flat fee, this is still a good option to consider.

I wrote a detailed LinkedIn Learning review here, which explains how to get a free month and how to find relevant courses.

The marketing courses here aren’t going to teach you as much about how to find that marketing job after you learn the skills, though, which is why I encourage most people to take the course that I listed #1 in this article!

4. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing by Google

Google offers a course where you can learn the fundamentals of digital marketing through their “Digital Garage” learning program.

The course is completely free and contains 26 modules designed to teach you the fundamentals of digital marketing and set you up to find an entry-level job in this field.

The course includes exercises, real-world examples, and more. It also comes with a recognized certification when you complete the course.

Note that from everything we can tell, this seems to be designed for UK/EU citizens.

However, the fundamentals of digital marketing are the same anywhere in the world, so you’ll still be learning the skills that are valuable to employers even if you’re US-based. 

You can get started here. 

5. HubSpot Content Marketing Course

Now, content marketing is just one subset of digital marketing. 

So in this course, you won’t be learning advertising. 

You’ll be learning how companies create content (videos, blog articles, social media posts, etc.) to drive inbound leads and get interested people coming to them!

The course takes about 4 hours to complete and is totally free, so it’s a great option if you want to get started and learn the basics of content marketing. This is valuable to know even if you end up getting a broader digital marketing job where you’re handling advertising, too.

The course also contains 11 quizzes so you can make sure you’re absorbing everything.

Sign up for free here. 

6. Wordstream’s PPC University

This is one of the best free online courses for learning the paid advertising side of digital marketing.

(Digital marketing can include content marketing, which I mentioned earlier – like blog posts, YouTube videos, etc. But it also includes paid advertising. You know –  those ads you watch BEFORE your YouTube video plays).

This is one of the most valuable parts of digital marketing for many companies because they can control the number of leads they get.

If they want more leads, they just spend more on ads. You don’t have that level of control with free content online.

And the best course to start learning the basics of paid ads is via Wordstream’s PPC University. 

7. Alison Diploma in E-Business

Alison.com is a site featuring free online courses from leading industry experts/companies. 

And they’ve had over 13 million students since being founded.

Their diploma in e-business is published by Google and takes around 6-10 hours to complete. And it’s completely free. 

Now this is a broader, more general course than some of the digital marketing courses mentioned above, but it’s a good way to build a foundation in online business.

You’ll learn about business websites, how to get a business website found on Google, how to build a loyal fanbase online, online content marketing, paid advertising, online analytics and reporting, and much more.

These are all niche areas that employers pay a LOT of money for.

Each of these skills individually can be a $50K-$100K a year skill set if you build it up and become a master at it. 

Enroll in the free course here to get started. 

8. Udemy

Udemy is another online learning platform that’s similar to LinkedIn Learning (mentioned earlier).

It’s  worth a look if you’re trying to learn digital marketing from scratch and break into that field, or if you’re relatively new in the field and looking to boost your skills.

You can browse their courses here.

Note that Udemy frequently runs sales where many or all of their courses are available for $10. I wouldn’t recommend paying more than $10 for a Udemy course because of this.

Also, make sure the course you choose includes information on how to find a job in digital marketing, rather than just the technical skills.

9. SkillShare

While a course is the best way to learn digital marketing, it doesn’t mean you need to shell out hundreds of dollars to enroll in a good program.

SkillShare is a reputable, low-cost online learning platform where you can learn a variety of skills, and it’s one of the best options for how to learn digital marketing without paying a lot.

You’ll still benefit from going through organized, structured courses instead of feeling like you’re on your own, but you’ll pay a small monthly fee instead of a big enrollment fee.

SkillShare also offers 14 days for free here.

You’ll find multiple marketing courses on the platform, so I suggest looking at the number of students and reading the reviews, and then reading about the instructor’s background to make sure they’re truly an expert in the field.

How to Decide Which Digital Marketing Course is Best for You

Now you’re probably wondering, “What is the best digital marketing course from the list above?”

The digital marketing course you choose should depend on your specific situation and there isn’t one best course for every type of person.

To determine which course to choose, consider your budget, time available, and preferred learning style.

Also consider free vs. paid, and the refund policy of paid courses. Since some of the options above are free, you can use them to get a taste of whether you enjoy learning about digital marketing. Then, you can invest in one or two paid options after.

Though, if you’re sure you want to learn digital marketing to start/grow a career, then you can’t go wrong with the first two options on our list above. Both are excellent and well worth the cost.

Other Good Ways to Learn Digital Marketing Online

Now that we looked at where to learn digital marketing via a course, let’s talk about some other options.

There’s a lot of free info online about digital marketing, and I do think there’s a ton of value in that, too.

So you can learn digital marketing online via platforms like YouTube, blogs, podcasts, discussion websites like Quora, and more.

But along with that, I think you’ll have the best results (and the best success in finding high-paying jobs) if you also take one structured course that takes you through the learning in some sort of method and order!

OR – if you have a few colleagues you can talk to. That’s ideal! If you can find at least one or two people in your network who are already digital marketers, or are trying to learn this skill along with you, then it’s going to be a lot easier.

You can share ideas and concepts you’re learning. You can also pass along great resources for learning digital marketing as you discover them! (For example, if you find a great YouTube video sharing a new tactic within this field).

So that’s something to keep in mind and try to get for yourself!

Are Courses the Best Way to Learn Digital Marketing? Or Are Other Ways Just as Good?

Still, I recommend enrolling in at least one course above. It can’t hurt, and it’s likely to rapidly accelerate your learning because you’ll have a proven, organized structure to follow.

I used to try to avoid paying for anything, and just learn 100% for free by “scavenging” for info online.

It did work to some extent (mainly because I had the network aspect that I just talked about – I knew a few other people who were also learning digital marketing, and I was able to share ideas and resources with them!)

Still, I would have saved a lot of time and hassle if I had simply added one digital marketing course to the mix!

So I’m not someone who recommends going out and buying five courses. There’s so much good free info on the web. You DON’T need to do that.

But one course can make a big difference in how fast you can learn digital marketing and how quickly you find a job with your new skills.

Starting Steps: How to Learn Digital Marketing Right Now

Now that you know where and how to learn digital marketing online… what should you do next?

Our advice: Don’t overthink it. Pick one or two courses that look interesting, and start going through the material.

Also, think about if there’s anyone in your network that you can share this learning experience with! Would anyone else be interested in taking a course in digital marketing and learning this skill? Or, is anyone already working in marketing who might be able to mentor you?

And finally, start looking through free online resources like YouTube, Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, and more, because you can find some great gems and info there, too (admittedly, mixed in with a lot of junk and bad info sometimes, which is one thing you don’t have to deal with in most premium courses!)

No matter how you start, the key is to just begin. Most people over-analyze and never get started. They say they’ll learn digital marketing “someday.” 

Just start and take action!

If you follow the steps above, you’ll be on your way to a new, high-paying career in digital marketing.

If you already have a job and are busy, you can set aside an hour each night to start going through one of these courses. 

And if you’re unemployed or a new graduate looking for your first job, then you could do even more time per day. Pick an online digital marketing course, go through it, and see if it’s a good fit for you. 

***

To conclude, I’ll share my personal experiences and how I learned digital marketing, to give you some idea of what’s possible and where to begin! And then I’ll wrap up by sharing the top 4 reasons I think this is one of the best careers you can get into right now.

My Digital Marketing Story and Personal Experience in the Field:

A few years ago, I quit my job as a Recruiter.

Why?

I wanted more freedom and the ability to work for myself.

I planned to grow this blog – CareerSidekick enough to support me full-time, but that takes time… and I needed money!

I had a couple of friends who were working as marketers at the time and recommended I try it, so I did.

And it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done!

It allowed me to earn $50+ per hour, set my own schedule, and learn in-demand skills that employers are desperate for. 

And getting started was much faster than I expected.

Why I Recommend A Career In Digital Marketing

If you’re unhappy in your career, just starting out, or looking for something new, here are the four reasons I recommend learning digital marketing and getting into this career:

1. High starting pay: High-demand, low-supply, and massive growth make digital marketing one of the highest entry-level salaries available. I chose to do this work as a freelancer and made $50+ per hour, and full-time jobs typically start at $50,000-$60,000 per year.
2. It’s a new field so you don’t have to catch up to people who have been doing this for decades. Almost everyone doing this is relatively new!
3. Because it’s so new, you don’t need any specific educational background. You just need the skills employers are looking for, and the ability to prove you can do what they need. Once they see you can solve their problem, they WILL PAY YOU. NO DEGREE NEEDED.
4. This is one of the highest-demand skills in any industry. Employers can’t find enough talent. The current employees at most companies don’t know much about this field, and employers are desperate to find people who can bail them out.

And this industry isn’t going anywhere! Companies are doing more and more marketing online.

You know all of those blogs you read? Those emails in your inbox? Those ads on Facebook and YouTube? That’s all because of highly paid digital marketers.

And there will continue to be a talent shortage because digital marketing isn’t taught well (or at all) in most traditional schools.

And while there are other great careers out there… like software engineering… they’re much tougher to break into.

So now you know why I recommend this field so highly, and you know my top choice for where to learn digital marketing online in a way that will prepare you to find a job in this field!