With the evolution of the internet, businesses now have the ability to grow and expand their online presences very quickly. At the same time, people seeking online marketing courses have grown exponentially.

If you’re looking to enter the field and want to gain industry-recognized certifications, coursework, or just want to learn the ropes, here are eight online marketing courses for beginners that can help you get started.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. With SEO, you can improve your website’s performance on search engines (like Google, Bing, and others). You can target specific keywords and phrases that your audience is using to find information on your topics. SEO is a popular and effective online marketing strategy because it is so versatile. You can use it to drive organic traffic to your website, social media accounts, and even your email marketing campaigns. Organic traffic is traffic that arrives from search engines, web browsers, and social media accounts that are not paid for. For more information on SEO, visit the SEO authority’s website, seo.org.

Digital Marketing / Marketing Automation

If you’re new to the field, it’s a good idea to specialize in a specific area of digital marketing. You can choose to focus on marketing automation if you want to learn how to create automated email campaigns, for example. The advantage of specializing is that you can gain experience while also learning new things. For instance, if you decide to enroll in an SEO course, you will also learn a lot about digital marketing.

Digital marketing and marketing automation are two relatively new terms that describe marketing processes that use digital tools and technology to reach, engage, and convert customers. These tools and platforms make marketing automation much easier and more effective. Some of the tools and platforms that digital marketing and marketing automation professionals use include, but are not limited to:

• MailChimp
• HubSpot
• Pardot
• Salesforce
• Sequel Pro
• MarketingCloud
• WhatsApp

• Marketing automation software helps marketing professionals engage with customers across all marketing channels (e.g. email, texts, social media). These products provide a central database that can be used to track customer interactions across multiple platforms. They can help automate repetitive tasks and offer analysis tools to discover key patterns, behaviors, and marketing effectiveness. (source)
• Digital marketing specialists optimize a website or an Instagram account for a variety of search engines and social media platforms. They look for opportunities to gain additional organic traffic from various sources and implement a robust content strategy that builds credibility and trust. When developing marketing strategies, they consider the amount of money that a business can invest in marketing activities (e.g. pay per click campaigns, organic search results, and content creation), the time available for marketing efforts, and the goals and objectives that the business has set for itself. (source)
• A digital marketing specialist works with different departments within an organization, such as sales, product development, and marketing, to ensure that all areas of the business are on the same page when it comes to the goals and objectives for the digital marketing plan. They also work with different stakeholders, such as sales managers, account managers, and heads of marketing, to make sure that everyone is on board and that each person’s expertise is being brought to bear on the plan.
• An SEO specialist works with a business to determine the keywords and phrases that should be used in online marketing and content creation and the strategy that should be employed to rank for these terms. After the strategy has been put in place, the SEO specialist monitors and tracks the sites’ performance in search engine rankings over time.
• What is SEO?
• SEO stands for search engine optimization. With SEO, you can improve your website’s performance on search engines (like Google, Bing, and others). You can target specific keywords and phrases that your audience is using to find information on your topics. SEO is a popular and effective online marketing strategy because it is so versatile. You can use it to drive organic traffic to your website, social media accounts, and even your email marketing campaigns. Organic traffic is traffic that arrives from search engines, web browsers, and social media accounts that are not paid for. For more information on SEO, visit the SEO authority’s website, seo.org.

Content Marketing

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves creating and distributing content to attract, retain, and engage customers, subscribers, and web users. Creating content for marketing purposes is also called content marketing. Some businesses specialize in creating content while others specialize in using content to market a business. This is not always the case though, as there are businesses that do both to better serve their customers.

The chief difference between content marketing and traditional marketing is that in content marketing, the goal is not to sell a product but to provide useful information or an entertaining experience that the target audience finds valuable. Traditional marketing, on the other hand, usually focuses on selling a product with the intent of driving customers to make a purchase. Even more impressive is that content marketing can be used to grow and develop existing customer relationships as well as attract new customers. In fact, content marketing is often used in tandem with traditional marketing to maximize results.

Email Marketing

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is a type of marketing where you send a commercial message to a list of subscribers. You can use your email list to promote your product or service, raise awareness about a new product or campaign, or just market yourself. Email marketing is a very effective form of marketing because you can reach a broad audience, engage with them, and continue to communicate with them using various methods, including email, texts, and social media.

Marketing through email allows you to follow up with your audience with ease. You can also use tools, such as MailChimp and HubSpot, to create automated email campaigns that can be scheduled to go out at certain times or based on specific events or circumstances. The automation of email marketing allows businesses to reduce the amount of time that it takes to send out their messages, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity. (source)

Social Media Marketing

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing (also known as digital marketing or online marketing) is a type of marketing that involves gaining visibility and engagement with customers on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In order to succeed with social media marketing, you need to consider many factors, such as your audience, content, and branding. First, you need to establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry and connect with people based on shared interests. Then, you can utilize social platforms to promote your business and engage with customers.

The major difference between social media marketing and traditional marketing is that the former focuses on building credibility and connecting with people within a specific industry, whereas the latter usually targets a very general audience.

Online PR

What is online public relations (PR)?

Online PR is a type of marketing that involves getting in the news media to increase the exposure of your products or services. The goal of online PR is not necessarily to drive sales, but rather to get the attention of potential customers, investors, or other interested parties.

Traditional PR focuses on pitching journalists and influencers to get coverage in top tier publications. However, with the rise of the internet, businesses can now develop their own media channels and have a greater presence than ever before. This is known as digital PR.

What is digital PR?

In digital PR, you can use multiple platforms, including blogs, social media, and websites, to distribute content.

Just like traditional PR, digital PR focuses on pitching journalists and influencers to get coverage in top tier publications. However, with the rise of the internet and social media, businesses can now develop their own media channels and have a greater presence than ever before. This is known as digital PR.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

What is Marketing Cloud?

Marketing Cloud is the business unit that Amazon purchased a few years back that provides marketers with a suite of marketing tools, including email marketing, marketing analytics, and digital PR. This is actually a pretty significant acquisition and demonstrates how valuable Marketing Cloud is to marketers. Especially since Amazon didn’t just acquire Marketing Cloud but extended its reach across different industries, such as retail, B2B, and healthcare.