If you’re looking to enter the digital marketing field, you’ll soon realize that it’s a lucrative industry. However, with higher education costs and other bills to pay, it’s important to establish whether or not spending money on a digital marketing course is worth it.
In this blog post, we’re going to answer that question by examining both the benefits and drawbacks of a digital marketing course.
The Advantages Of A Digital Marketing Course
Thanks to the digital age, there is a broad range of courses and degrees available online that can put you on the right path to a successful career in digital marketing. If you’re looking to enter the field, you’ll have the choice of a bachelor’s degree in marketing, which you can complete in just a few months, or an MBA in digital marketing, which takes a bit longer to complete (typically 2 years).
A typical marketing course will teach you marketing analytics, digital marketing strategy, marketing research, and applied statistics. But beyond the obvious academic benefits of gaining a deeper understanding of marketing, you’ll also be able to access a range of marketing tools and platforms that you can use to become an expert in the field.
Why Should You Get A Digital Marketing Degree?
It’s no secret that marketing is a constantly changing field, especially in the world of digital marketing. New tools and platforms emerge to help businesses become more agile and establish deeper connections with their customers. As a result, experienced marketers can find themselves out of a job and looking for a new career in a few years’ time.
With this in mind, it’s essential to gain as much knowledge as possible, stay ahead of the trends, and ensure you can develop the right skills for the role. A digital marketing degree is a great option if you’re looking to do just that.
The Disadvantages Of A Digital Marketing Course
Now, while the advantages of a digital marketing degree are numerous, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any disadvantages associated with earning a degree in this field. Depending on your major, the marketing course will generally teach you analytical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as how to design marketing plans and strategies. You’ll also be required to put these skills into practice by developing a marketing plan for a local business.
Depending on your major, you might also be required to complete a marketing project, which could involve gathering and analyzing data and building models to support marketing decisions. However, you might not have the opportunity to apply these skills in real-life settings, as much of your class time will be dedicated to theoretical learning.
On the other hand, a quick look at the course fees for a bachelor’s degree in marketing reveals that they’re quite high. For a single term, the course fees can range from £9,000 to £13,000, which doesn’t include the cost of books and other related material. And if you’re looking for an even more in-depth education, you might have to look beyond the traditional university setting, with some of the more elite institutions, such as the University of Oxford, charging as much as £20,000 for a single degree. (Source: Study.com)
As a general rule, if you’re planning on entering the field as a profession, it might be better to earn a Master’s degree. Not only will this allow you to further develop your skill set, but you’ll also be able to charge more for your services. As a general rule of thumb, a degree will generally raise your salary by 10 to 15%. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
What About A Diploma?
If you’re looking to enter the field without a degree, you have a few options: you could try for a diploma in digital marketing, or you could complete a postgraduate course. (A postgraduate course is more in-depth than a diploma and typically involves a thesis or project, along with some coursework and assessment tasks.)
A diploma isn’t worth as much as a bachelor’s degree in digital marketing, but it can still raise your salary by 5 to 10% on average. But like a bachelor’s degree, a diploma will generally only give you the entry-level position, with no incremental raises once you’re in the field. (Source: EliteDegree.com, NGO Group)
Is A Digital Marketing Course Worth It?
Now that you have the advantages and disadvantages of a digital marketing course laid out, it’s time to ask yourself, is a digital marketing course worth it? The short answer is yes, it is. But like any other investment, you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons.
On the one hand, there are obvious benefits to a digital marketing degree, including higher salary potential and the opportunity to learn from experts in the field. On the other hand, a digital marketing course doesn’t provide you with the incontestable experience that comes with a bachelor’s degree, meaning you might have to look for other opportunities to gain experience.
So as a general rule of thumb, a digital marketing course is worth it, provided you’re prepared to invest in your future. But if you’re looking for an instant increase in salary, you might want to consider alternative options.
In our next blog post, we’ll discuss some alternative options for those looking for a higher salary, as well as some common mistakes that newbies in the field make that seasoned professionals avoid. So stay tuned!