The answer is that it is debatable. Both yes and no. Yes, you may acquire digital marketing theories on your own, but theoretical and practical knowledge are not the same thing. Here’s a little stuff to assist you out.
The short answer is yes if you Google “Can I learn digital marketing online?” or “Can I learn digital marketing on my own?” There will be websites attempting to offer their courses to you.
But the truth is that receiving hands-on practise, no matter how many classes you take, will always be a unique experience. Take one or two classes, then dive right into your profession – not only will you gain valuable experience for your portfolio, but you’ll also be able to put what you’ve learned into practise!
What is Digital Marketing, once again?
If you haven’t already read our introduction to digital marketing, here’s a fast recap.
Search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), pay-per-click (PPC), social media marketing (SMM), content marketing, affiliate marketing, and email marketing are the seven disciplines that make up digital, online marketing.
To build an excellent digital marketing Kolkata campaign, each discipline collaborates. A content marketer, for example, is frequently a social media marketer, an email marketer, and a search engine optimizer.
He or she will write compelling, SEO-friendly content and publish it on a blog. That post will also be shared on various social media channels, with various blurbs written by the content marketer. Then, in most cases, an email follow-up is sent to encourage future participation. The message is also written by the content marketer (you guessed it!).
That’s how things operate, you see. Everything comes together to create something wonderful.
Now, some people excel at a single discipline, which is OK. Each discipline, on the other hand, does not exist in a vacuum. It’s crucial to remember as digital marketers that there are many sides to the same coin, and that we should never stop learning.
What can I do on my own to learn?
There are numerous things you can learn on your own. Because digital marketing is such a vast field, consider which discipline you’d like to concentrate on first. Pick a subject, make a schedule, and get started learning.
What are some good places to look for resources?
There are numerous tutorials available online, both free and paid. A simple Google search for “Digital Marketing Course” yields millions of results. However, keep in mind that not all of them are beneficial. We recommend starting with the free classes and progressing from there.
1. YouTube is number one (Free)
YouTube has a wealth of information. And you’re in luck because you’re seeking for a digital marketing mentor, and we’re experts in content. Many digital marketers utilise YouTube to communicate with their audience and share morsels of knowledge they’ve gained.
– Gary Vaynerchuk (GaryVaynerchuk.com): Here’s a brilliant marketer whose firm, VaynerMedia, has Fortune 500 clients in a variety of locales. His channel can provide you with information on what’s new in the field of digital marketing as well as tips on how to create compelling content.
The Digital Marketing Institute is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of digital marketing. If you want to be a part of an institution, this is the place to go! The Digital Marketing Institute offers marketing credentials and diplomas all over the world.
– Neil Patel (Neil Patel): Another outstanding marketer to keep an eye on. Neil is a digital marketing expert who has worked with companies such as Amazon and NBC.
Unlike the other two, he creates more content aimed at teaching you everything you need to know about marketing.
2. Accumulated calcium (Free)
Because everything is included, Acadium is ideal for getting started and enhancing your skills. It’s all there; there’s no need to look for it. Acadium offers an Intro to digital marketing course for beginners that covers everything from business and marketing fundamentals to branding tactics. The nicest part is that everything is free.
Acadium offers a wide range of courses, including everything from the fundamentals to public relations, paid marketing, and marketing analytics. Because Acadium’s mission is to bridge the gap between college and employment, each programme is designed to educate as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. This is why each programme includes a number of courses that include text cards, videos, and a brief quiz.
The Apprenticeship Program, however, is what sets the programme apart.
The top online digital marketing certificate programmes are comprehensive and well-designed, but they lack real-world experience. Some more expensive courses have begun to offer simulation programmes to give students some practical experience, but nothing beats the actual thing.
You’ll have received hands-on experience, outputs for your marketing portfolio, a certificate for LinkedIn, references from your mentor, and entries into a scholarship worth USD$5000 at the end of your apprenticeship.
3. Ads Academy at Google (Free)
Google is such a big player and impact in the realm of digital marketing that it has its own training programme — and it’s not just for digital marketers.
Explore their courses to learn more about the field of digital marketing, from the fundamentals to the more advanced topics.
The nicest aspect about this programme is that Google is used for a lot of digital marketing initiatives, so learning from Google is a fantastic chance!
It may be difficult to follow at first since, despite the fact that the courses are aimed at beginners, you will need some prior knowledge to complete them.
4. Coursera is an online learning platform (Paid, 7 day free trial)
Coursera’s greatest strength is that it provides a wide range of information, from MBAs to specialties. They offer courses in various languages for all levels and ages.
The majority of courses are subscription-based, with a seven-day free trial. They also provide financial assistance to those who desire to learn but do not have a lot of money.
Their courses include simulations and quizzes so you can get a feel for what it’s like to work for a digital marketing agency. They provide data depending on your success and campaigns that you can track, which is quite amazing.
After all is said and done, you will have theoretical knowledge and a sliver of practical experience.
5. Academy Of Digital Marketing is best for classroom training (Paid)
A certificate programme and a certified associate course are offered through Academy Of Digital Marketing. You can take the certified associate course with or without live classes, resulting in two price tags.
The courses on this site, according to online reviews, are really useful and interesting. If you’re seeking for theoretical learning, Simplilearn provides it all, at a reasonable price.
It’s an excellent location to start learning if you’re a newbie. All of the topics are thoroughly explored.
All of the lecturers are seasoned marketing professionals who know what they’re talking about.
If you’re not a beginner, though, you should start with the other items on this list before moving on to this one.
Where can I get some practical experience?
So far, you only have three options: internships, simulations, or apprenticeships.
Let’s start by talking about internships. These are normally available to students who are currently enrolled in university or have recently graduated. They can be paid or unpaid, and they almost always include mentoring. Internships, on the other hand, are not done online; you’ll have to seek for one in your area.
If you have the time, internships are a terrific opportunity to gain practical experience. You’ll have people on your team who will help you grow, as well as (maybe) a small salary to spend on things you’ve always wanted.
We also have simulations. Many online courses (e.g., Coursera, Stukent, Udemy, and others) include simulations at the end of the course to see if you can apply what you’ve learned. This is yet another excellent approach to get your feet wet in the digital marketing realm.
Good for you if you run a simulation and get interesting results! If your outcomes aren’t what you expected, consider it a learning experience and start over.
Finally, there are apprenticeships. Because of the real-world value they provide, digital marketing apprenticeships have recently become more popular. You’ll be partnered with a competent mentor who will teach you how to complete tasks.
What’s the best part? You get to put your outcomes, outputs, designs, and whatever else you make in your digital marketing portfolio since you do genuine work.
While there are many possibilities (especially if you are from North America), Acadium is the only company that offers worldwide remote apprenticeships.
So, what’s next?
You are now ready to begin your career. Choose a topic you wish to learn about (e.g., SEO, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, etc.) and get started! Everyone will want to give you advice and tell you what the greatest digital marketing strategies are. Our recommendation is to learn it from someone who knows what they’re doing.
