Teaching online marketing can be a daunting task. There is so much to cover in such a short amount of time. However, the benefits of online education make this requirement more viable.

What follows is a step-by-step guide to teaching online marketing, covering everything from syllabus development to classroom management. It is designed to be a useful resource for anyone responsible for imparting knowledge about marketing in an online setting.

Build A Solid Foundation

The first thing you need to do is build a solid foundation for your online marketing course. You don’t want to start out by teaching your students nothing, but instead, want to make sure they arrive at the course well-equipped to learn. Consider the following:

• Your syllabus – What are you going to cover in the course?
• Content – Are you going to use videos, text, or a combination of both?
• Assignments – What are the assignments for the course?
• Grading – What is the grading scheme for the course?
• Benchmarks – What are the benchmark exercises for the course?
• Homework – What is the homework for the course?
• Final exam – When is the final exam?
• Attendance – Will you require your students to attend class or are there any exceptions?
• Course availability – Is the course available online or do you have to attend a physical classroom?
• Accreditation – Does the school offer any accreditation for the course?
• Tuition fees – What are the tuition fees for the course?

Develop The Course Syllabus

As a course instructor, you are responsible for laying out the curriculum for your students. You can use a variety of tactics to develop your course syllabus, including:

• Asking yourself – “What knowledge do I already have about marketing?”
• Internet searches – “What are the most important things I need to learn about marketing?”
• Word of mouth – “Who do I know that can help me formulate a curriculum?”
• Course instructors – “What do they teach, and how can I use that to formulate my own syllabus?”
• Lecture notes – “What will I say in my lectures?”
• Socrates – “What do I value most about myself?”
• Life experience – “What have I experienced that can help me educate my students?”
• Review of prior courses – “What did I learn in my previous courses that I can apply to this one?”
• Reading – “What books can I recommend that my students read?”
• Podcasts – “What podcasts can I recommend my students listen to?”
• Videos – “What videos can I recommend my students watch?”
• Blogs – “What blogs can I recommend my students read?”
• Forums – “What forums can I recommend my students read?”

Whatever method you choose, make sure that you develop a course syllabus that covers everything you intend to teach your students. This will make following along more organized and should assist your students in creating a plan for their own education as they progress through the course.

Determine The Best Teaching Method

You now have a course syllabus in place, and you know what they’re going to learn. However, there is an art to teaching, and you need to find the best method to impart your knowledge. You want to choose a teaching method that is going to be most effective for your students. Consider the following:

• Classroom management – Are you going to be facilitating daily exercises, or is group work the preferred method of learning?
• Distance learning – Is this a virtual class, or are you meeting face to face?
• Audio conferencing – Can you use a tool like Zoom, or is a live video call the preferred method?
• Live video streaming – Can you use a tool like YouTube to stream live video lectures to your students?
• E-learning – Does your school offer any e-learning programs, or are you providing all of the materials for your students to learn from?
• Mobile learning – Can you use an app like Duolingo, or does mobile access to an online course the preferred method?
• Computer-aided learning – Do you have a computer lab, or are you using computers to facilitate the learning process?
• Blogs – How effective is a blog post in getting your students to learn?
• Quizzes – How effective is a multiple-choice quiz at engaging your students?
• Games – How effective is a game at encouraging your students to learn?
• Riddle puzzles – Does getting a group of students to work together to solve a puzzle engaging them?
• Presentations – Does getting a group of students to speak in front of the class inspire them to learn?
• Exams – What is the preferred method of assessment for the course? (e.g., Quizzes, Presentations, Assignments, Reflection, Projects)

The above lists the benefits of each method, but remember there are also disadvantages. For example, you can’t always choose your students’ work, and it’s harder to provide individualized assistance when they are spread out across the globe. Ultimately, it’s up to you to find the best fit for your class. Just make sure that you establish a clear rationale for your decision. If you’re not sure which method to choose, try out a few to see how your students respond. If you’re looking for guidelines on how to choose a marketing teaching method, you can refer to our guide How to Choose a Marketing Course.

Create The Classroom Environment

An online classroom is not very meaningful if the experience is not conducive to learning. As a course instructor, you need to create a comfortable environment for your students. To do this, you want to consider the following: