Digital marketing courses are everywhere. Everyone provides them.

Digital marketing courses are available from universities, third-party organizations, and the platform itself.

But are digital marketing courses worth it?

I have been in the field of digital marketing for 20 years and have been in marketing for even longer.

When I was in college, there were no digital marketing classes. Because there was no digital marketing per se.

So I asked my colleagues what they thought of a digital marketing course and if it was worth their time.

Digital Marketing Courses Have Challenges

Some marketers felt the course was too basic and impractical.

@beyondthepaid There is a digital marketing course in the master’s program, but it’s too basic and not practical and it depends on what courses you take in your college degree/course.

— Karthik (@Karthikbv33) March 1, 2022

The college course I took is outdated and doesn’t really apply to the current state of marketing and e-commerce. I think it’s because marketing and e-commerce are changing rapidly on an operational level. As for the strategy college, it was pretty good.

— Benjamin Wenner (@BN_Wenner) March 1, 2022

Both posters make good points.

College courses in general, not just marketing courses, can be too theoretical and not practical.

Applying theoretical concepts to real life is difficult.

And because digital marketing changes so quickly, Wenner points out, course content can quickly become outdated.

During internal discussions, I said that creating detailed process documentation for paid search was a waste of time. Things change so fast that you end up spending an inordinate amount of time updating.

To keep the course content fresh, some experienced digital marketing instructors bring real practitioners into the course as guest speakers or instructors to keep the course content fresh.

I spoke with several classes at Michigan State University about what it takes to be successful in paid search and paid social.

Learning from real-world speakers is effective because they know the latest in digital marketing.

Basic Marketing Strategy Still Matters

However, marketing strategies don’t change as fast as technical knowledge. Many concepts remain exactly the same.

Over 30 years later, I still use the marketing concepts I learned in my undergraduate degree.

Many advertising experts refer to David Ogilvy, who is widely considered the “Father of Advertising”.

Ogilvy was born in 1911. The height of his career came during his Mad Men era in the 1950s and 1960s, which he did more than 50 years ago.

But his maxims about advertising strategy still hold true today.

This quote is just as true for paid search today as it was for printing ads in Ogilvy’s time.

“On average, five times as many people read headlines as they read body text. You spent between $1 and 80 cents when you wrote headlines.”

A “how to” course on setting up a Google Ads campaign or managing bids may not be worth it, but a course on marketing strategy certainly helps.

Many start their careers with digital marketing courses

Digital marketing seems to change every day, but most experts say a digital marketing course is worth it.

Some cited digital marketing courses as a reason to work in this field today.

An introduction to marketing classes, which was a requirement for my first international business degree, is literally the reason I’m in this field.Without this, there would be no marketing @MGSchoonI haven’t used most of what I’ve learned since then in my day-to-day marketing… 1/2

— Alex Smolen (@alxsmolen) March 1, 2022

It was during a college course that I discovered digital marketing. One of my favorite classes I’ve taken.

It was worth it to me as it introduced many concepts/ideas that I still use and helped me choose PPC as my focus area.

— Sean Ellie (@selley2134) February 28, 2022

same here! Lower grade. The professor participated in her class in an international Google AdWords competition sponsored by Google.the rest is history

— Jeremy Krantz (@JeremyKrantz) February 28, 2022

As Elley and Krantz showed above, good teachers also make a difference.

Beyond digital marketing coursework

Taking a marketing course is not enough to be a successful digital marketer.

Some experts cite a good education as the cornerstone of being a successful digital marketer.

According to Michael Stebbins, who co-founded OMCP to introduce standards in digital marketing and courses.

“There are courses that can fill 70% of the hard skills that marketers need to practice on the job.

These days, most of the digital marketing practices are evergreen. For example, landing page agreements containing advertising offers, analytics reports tied to business goals, and even keyword research methodologies.

The best combination for someone entering the industry is completing an accredited course that covers commonly accepted practices, completing some platform courses, and real-life experience. That’s it. ”

Brad Geddes, who has been teaching digital marketing courses since 2011, also said:

“Overall, people are best suited for PPC if they do a mix of digital marketing and a minor in psychology (or double major, because there’s a lot of math when it comes to a BS major in psychology). It seems so.

My background is in personality psychology (no marketing course) and it helps me execute PPC campaigns. ”

So, can digital marketing courses help you find a job?

The answer is more than yes or no.

We’ve seen that digital marketing courses, especially those focused on technical training, can quickly become obsolete.

Courses taken 5-10 years ago may be outdated.

That said, candidates, especially those new to the digital marketing space, can compensate for some difficult skills with a well-received course.

But soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are harder to teach.

And soft skills are essential for digital marketing success.

actual, OMCP® 2019 Role Description Survey found that communicating strategy and practice is a top priority in most digital marketing disciplines across all functions.

Think about it.

For employers, communication of strategy and practice was more important than technical skills such as keyword research, bid management, audience development and content development.

So a marketing strategy course is definitely worth it.

And work on developing your soft skills.

What should I look for when hiring a digital marketing professional?

When hiring a digital marketing professional, most agree to look for hard skills, such as digital marketing certifications, and soft skills, such as communication and critical thinking.

SiteLogic’s Matt Bailey said:

“When I had my agency, most of my work was with clients, and I was always doing presentations, reports, and working with teams, so I looked for communicators who were good at writing and speaking. We hired them and trained them in digital skills.”

Bailey seeks individuals who “share the core of critical and creative thinking necessary to get work done and solve problems.”

Problem-solving is a big part of digital marketing, and those without this aptitude often struggle in digital marketing roles.

Stebbins suggests that recruiters hire from unlikely majors. “When John Marshall and I were building his ClickTracks, the local university did not have a strong marketing program. there was,” he said.

Adds Stebbins: Salespeople also found that he tended to be a good PPC and digital advertising specialist (with minimal training). ”

In my own experience, I’ve found that digital marketing courses and certifications are not good predictors of success.

Some passed a few certifications and ended up letting go, others came to us without taking a single course and were great performers.

When it comes to soft skills, in my opinion, the biggest skills digital marketing professionals need are: curiosity.

As Bailey mentioned above, digital marketing involves solving a lot of problems.

To effectively solve a problem, you need to be interested in why the problem exists.

It’s important to think about why your campaign performance suddenly stopped or why certain keywords aren’t converting. Seeing a change in performance, shrugging your shoulders and saying “what it is” doesn’t work.

Successful digital marketers are able to think critically and ask themselves “why?”

Conclusion

A digital marketing course can help.

Completing coursework shows that the person is dedicated and able to complete the task.

Those who confirm their skills, experience, and certifications in the education industry stand out for being more invested in their practice.

But courses and certifications aren’t everything.

Many successful digital marketers have never taken a single course.

“There is no substitute for running a live campaign,” said Derek Mollins of Brainlabs.

If you’re not currently working in this field, volunteer with an organization that needs help with digital marketing.

You can learn a lot and help a worthy cause at the same time.

Combining digital marketing courses with soft skills and experience development gives you the best chance of success in this field.

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