6 Best Online Digital Marketing Courses in 2024

Consider yourself a small business owner. What is the most important skill that you should have to scale up? 

Let me say it out for you: marketing and sales. 

Now, you can’t just start marketing or selling if you don’t know where to start. That goes for anyone looking to start their career in digital marketing, or looking for a job but don’t have the skills. 

Doesn’t matter if you are just starting out your career and want to try out online digital marketing courses, or if you want to upskill in it. Get ready to explore some of the best online digital marketing courses that can help you to upskill, and become job-ready so you take on the world! 

 

Course 1: Facebook BluePrint Marketing Certification

 

Quick summary: 

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: Graduates, working professionals, and business owners. Whether you are just a beginner in the field of digital marketing or are a professional and want to build your credibility in digital marketing.

Duration: Self-paced. 

Fee: Free access to courses. However, $99 – 150, for Meta Blueprint Certification, depending on if you take associate exams or professional exams.

 

Why Should You Choose This Online Digital Marketing Course? 

 

Meta Blueprint Certification is like the badge you wear to show you know your gig. It is the official certification that shows your expertise on Facebook’s Advertising Platforms like Instagram, and Messenger. 

To get certified though, is a little tough because you have to take an exam to get it. And the exam is considered to be rigorous, because it needs you to prepare. An opportunity, you must consider because this certification sets you apart from the crowd when you’ll be applying for jobs.

Some key highlights of this certification:

• There are a total of 7 certifications with different levels: associate and professional. Depending on whether you’re a fresher or have been working, you take the exam that suits you best. 

For example, since I have worked for a year, I will take the professional certification. And if you’re only starting out, you’ll take the associate exam. Check out the levels here.

• The exam can cost from $99 to $150 for you to get certified. If you fail the exam, you’ll have to retake it at the same cost. 
• The best way to pass the Meta Blueprint Certification Exam is to prepare yourself with practice tests that you can find on their website, and watch all the prep materials that are available. If you want to get a step ahead, then get access to Meta Business Platform and Ads Console. Start running ads with just Rs. 500. Remember, the exam tests how well you know the Facebook Platform. Here’s a guide to help you out.

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

Everything comes at a cost. With Meta Blueprint Certification, the cost is the cost of exams with an expiration date to its badge. 

• While each exam can cost up to $150, you must know that these certifications expire after 24 months. Read more here. 

This may be a turn-off for some, but the way around this expiration date is – to get certified either when you plan to get a job as a fresher, or as a professional you’re looking to change jobs. 

That said, no matter the cost, the certification is worth it all if you wish to get ahead faster, and want to show how credible you are.

Interested? Check out Meta Blueprint Certification!

 

Course 2: Kraftshala’s Marketing Launchpad

 

 

Quick summary: 

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: Graduates and working professionals interested in building their career in digital marketing, and want to make a difference in their lives.

Duration: 22 – 35 weeks depending on whether they want to opt for the full-time course, or part-time.

Fee: Two modes of payment, prepaid and postpaid. In Prepaid, you pay 95,000 upfront. In postpaid, you pay 50,000 upfront, and your 2 months of salary after you get placed in jobs paying 4.5 LPA or more. 

If you’re interested in knowing more…

 

Why Should You Choose This Online Digital Marketing Course? 

 

This digital marketing course comes with placement after the end of its training. Created by Industry Experts who’ve worked for Airbnb, Nestle, Hindustan Unilever, and Spotify, they’ve managed to leverage their experiences to create the entire curriculum!

Students in this course spend over 700 hours in training where they get to work on brands’ case studies for creating Paid Ads Campaigns, SEO Strategies, Social Media Marketing Strategies, Content Marketing Strategies, and E-Commerce Marketing Strategies depending on their chosen specialization. 

What this means is that you get to learn practical skills by working on these case studies that make you job-ready in just 22 weeks! 

Some key highlights of this course would be:

• They have the largest recruiter base in marketing, over 400+ recruiters hire from them over and over again!
• They’ve placed over 1500 students to date with a minimum CTC of 4.5 LPA!
• 3 students have gotten a package of 9.2 LPA, the highest CTC offered yet.
• A 14-week Human Skills Training, with mock interviews along with your core training so that you don’t only learn the skills, but can outperform in the job!
• You spend over 200 hours with Industry experts, and in small groups, so they clear each and every doubt you’ll ever have.

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

Let’s be honest. Nothing is too good to be true. Every course comes with some cons. 

• This course can be intensive because it gets you to be job-ready. 
• You’ll have to sit for long hours (from 10 am – 8:30 pm) where you’ll have a lot of live sessions to attend and exercises to do with your team, or individually.
• And, it’s a little difficult to get into the course because it has a screening test that tests you on your analytical and logical skills. 

For anyone ambitious, these shouldn’t hold you back because every minute that you invest, you’re getting a much higher return on your investment. The long hours teach you how to hit for long hours in your job. 

If you’re interested in going the extra mile, check out Kraftshala’s Screening Test Blog to prepare you on how you can crack the test!

 

Who is it For?

 

The course is made for beginners in digital marketing and for anyone, graduates and working professionals no matter their background, who want to build a career in digital marketing and have the zeal to make it happen. 

 

What’s the Duration of the Course?

 

There are two options for you to choose from:

1. If you opt for the full-time course, the duration is 22 weeks (Monday – Friday, 10 AM – 8:30 PM).
2. If part-time, you’ll have to give in 35 weeks. The time you’ll need to devote is: 

                  – Monday – Friday: 8 PM – 10:30 PM

                  – Saturday: 10 AM – 6 PM

 

How Much Does it Cost? 

 

They have an upfront payment model. 

• Rs. 1,05,000 + GST. This fee is 60% refundable in case you don’t get a job that pays Rs. 4.5 LPA or more within 15 months of training. 

Interested? Check out the course: Digital Marketing Course

Course 3: Ahrefs Academy

 

Quick Summary: 

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: The courses of Ahrefs are open to all who want to start learning digital marketing, and the many aspects of it. 

Duration: Self-paced, you learn on your own time. 

Fee: Free

Broadening a bit…

 

Why Should You Choose This Online Digital Marketing Course?  

 

Ahrefs is a world-class tool for SEO, and is a leader in showing all the data that a website owner needs! And as it has established itself as the leader, it doesn’t disappoint you with its free courses either. So. if you want to jumpstart your learning, you can try out the courses!

The courses of Ahrefs are for beginners who want to learn the nitty gritty of digital marketing and want to get started with their own venture, whether on their own or on their jobs. 

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

Though the courses are free, the reality of your learning solely depends on you. 

And while these courses can teach you the basics of digital marketing, SEO, and content marketing, the learning can be pretty generic if you don’t use any tools.

So, what we’d suggest is that you get access to Ahrefs’ tools and learn by having your own website where you can experiment.

Interested? Check out the course: Ahrefs Academy

Course 4: Mailchimp Email Academy

 

 

Quick Summary

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: Anyone, whether you’re in college or you’re working, or freelancing, can start your journey with Mailchimp. 

Duration: Self-paced. You learn at your own pace.

Fee: Free to access as a Mailchimp and Co Member. As you proceed, you will unlock new levels to get more benefits that may require a nominal fee. 

 

Why Should You Choose This Online Digital Marketing Course? 

 

Mailchimp, considered one of the best tools for email marketing, also exposes you to its community of Freelancers, Business Owners, and Professionals. 

Here are some key highlights of being a member: 

• To access its courses, you need to have a MailChimp account that serves as a gateway to the resources. And after you become a member, you can access the courses for free. 
• You earn badges as you become a member and keep upgrading yourself. As this happens, they show your credibility in the field which gives you freelance gigs!
• By completing a course, you not only receive the added bonus of certification but also have the opportunity to earn multiple certifications. They work like levels of a game. Fancy!

Mailchimp Academy includes certifications in email automation, email marketing, and more. 

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

While the benefits of Mailchimp Academy are exciting, the courses depend on you having a Mailchimp Account. This can be an additional cost if you’re only starting out and don’t have a beginner’s understanding of email marketing, plus this promotes the product which can be a turn-off at times.

But, with these small errs, personally, I still find the membership to be worth it because of how much exposure it gives me!

Interested? Check out Mailchimp Academy.

Know more about Mailchimp Academy here: About Mailchimp Academy

 

Course 5: CXL Institute

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: Anyone, from a beginner in marketing to skilled marketers who want to upskill and want to get recognized by their certification.  

Duration: Self-paced. You learn at your own pace.

Fee: An All Access Payment of Rs. 74,000 a year to get access to 90+ courses and mini-degrees. A more in-depth fee structure here.

 

Why Should You Choose This Online Digital Marketing Course? 

 

CXL courses are considered to be one of the most prestigious certifications for marketing, whether you’re a professional or just starting out. Though the learning here is of an intermediate level, if you’ve already had some experience in digital marketing, let’s say from internships or college fests, you’re good to go. 

Here are some highlights of the CXL certification:

• The course has elite trainers from Hubspot, Speero, Indeed, Shopify, Adobe, etc who train you.
• Once you pay the monthly, quarterly, or annual fee of CXL, you get access to 90+ courses, 11 mini-degrees, 2500 playbooks and so much more! 
• The courses are designed in such a way that it does not stop you from breaking into the marketing career even if you have a different background. 
• You get access to an elite network of marketers. 

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

Not much, but one lighter-colored red flag is that getting access to courses that we may not need immediately can feel like paying for something we don’t want. And we may not know for sure if it’ll help. 

In the longer run, however, this can turn into a one-time payment for upskilling, and a less expensive one considering what they provide. 

Interested? Check them out!

Course 6: Neil Patel’s Free Courses on NP Digital

 

 

Mode of Study: Online

Who Should Enroll: Anyone, from a beginner to skilled marketers who want to upskill in digital marketing

Duration: Self-paced. You learn at your own pace.

Fee: Free.

 

Why Should You Choose Neil Patel’s Courses? 

 

If you’re only starting out your digital marketing journey, Neil Patel’s modules are the best to start from. He’s considered the Marketing Guru after all! He has over 4,000 blogs written, and most of them rank on the first page! 

He’s created some beginner-level courses for anyone trying their hands on digital marketing so you can get started with performing. If I were in your shoes, I’d go to him to learn SEO and content marketing.

 

 Some Online Digital Marketing Courses of Neil Patel’s That Can Get You Started: 

 

• Search Marketing Course
• CRO Unlocked
• SEO Unlocked
• LinkedIn Unlocked
• Content Marketing Unlocked
• Growth Hacking Unlocked

 

Any Red Flags That We Can Foresee?

 

While the courses are pretty comprehensive for you to start learning, these don’t provide any certification. This can be a red flag when you want to showcase some courses you’ve learned. 

There’s a way out: For anything to learn, try it out by having your own website. You can buy website domains on WordPress and experiment with your website. At the end of the day, this can become your portfolio to get you any job!