Using social media in marketing is practically a requirement in today’s highly connected digital world. But it can be confusing and complex to dive into social media marketing without some foundation in the basics. This course focuses on teaching the principles, best practices, and strategies for incorporating social media into a marketing plan.

The first module teaches the various ways that social media can be used for marketing, including defining a clear brand voice, improving reputation, and engaging with customers. The course then looks at the practical way marketers can incorporate social media activities into a focused marketing plan. Learners identify how to integrate their social media with mobile, a hub website, and email marketing. They also learn how to use strategic metrics for tracking success.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) encompasses the practices and metrics of trying to increase a web site’s ranking with search engines. This course will engage learners through a variety of assignments that span the history and technology of the World Wide Web. Students will learn how to leverage both content and technical features in order to increase ranking while also learning about the latest tools to measure performance. These aspects are then incorporated into real-world scenarios that challenge students to apply what they have learned.

Paid Search advertising, also called pay-per-click (PPC), is used to pay for traffic to visit a website. In this course, learners will explore search marketing, the search process, and the buying cycle. Also included is how to set up a successful PPC account, how to set and measure goals, and how to optimize keyword usage using a variety of strategies. Learners will then examine components of effective ads and landing pages, how to optimize ad targeting, and when to use search or display advertising. The course then delves into research and analysis considerations, such as report creation, improving quality score, and using A/B and multivariate ad testing. Course material is presented through the use of text, videos, games, and other engaging content.

As consumers increasingly turn to the digital marketplace of the Internet, organizations recognize that they can better reach and connect with their customers, clients, or prospects through digital marketing. There are many benefits to effective digital marketing including improved brand perception, more efficient lead generation, and better customer satisfaction levels. That can translate into the sale of more products and services. Creating a digital marketing strategy is crucial to meeting the marketing goals of the organization. This course offers a step-by-step introduction to the process of creating such a strategy, with an emphasis on key concepts, definitions, and metrics.