6+ Best Online Marketing Courses [Ranked & Reviewed]

In today’s internet-centered world, digital marketing has gained more prominence than ever.

Virtually all companies want to get their names out there and need someone (in this case, digital marketers) to help them achieve this.

Digital marketing is also as nuanced as ever. It’s not just about writing a catchy description and using fancy graphics.

Instead, you need a more profound understanding of online advertising, including digital marketing analytics, search engine optimization, strategies, and more.

A lot of this expertise comes with experience.

But if you want to get your foot in the door, a good way to start is by learning from industry experts, such as marketing professionals.

And you can do so today, in your home, through online marketing courses.

So stick around as we’ll review the best online marketing courses to help refine your digital marketing skill set and boost your career.

The 6 Best Digital Marketing Courses in 2022

We’ve picked diverse courses catering to different experience levels, from complete beginners to advanced marketers.

So whether you’re an experienced marketing professional or have no prior experience, you’ll find the right course here.

1. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing – Google Digital Garage

We start with an introductory free course to help you learn the basics.

Because this course caters to content marketing beginners, it’s pretty straightforward, and anyone willing to get started can benefit from it.

Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Course is also self-paced, so you can approach it however your schedule allows by watching their informative bite-sized videos, which cover 26 modules.

These modules were created by Google trainers, so you’ll be taught by content marketing experts.

The syllabus covers multiple valuable topics, such as web analytics and data analysis, ecommerce, creating business strategies, content marketing, mobile marketing, email marketing, and more.

After watching each video, you take a short quiz to test your knowledge before advancing to the next tutorial.

After you finish all the tutorials, you can take a 40-question exam on the entire course.

And if you pass it, you get a certificate accredited by the Open University and the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe.

Key Takes:

• Free online marketing course for beginners
• 40-hour long syllabus
• 26 modules
• Self-paced
• Certificate accredited by the Open University and IAB Europe

The Bottom Line

The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Course is a great place to start if you don’t know much about the field and want some guidance from leading experts and trainers at Google.

2. Social Media Marketing – Crystal King on HubSpot Academy

HubSpot Academy is an outstanding service that provides free courses in various fields, including digital marketing, sales, website design, and more.

It was hard for us to pick one of their many marketing courses, but in the end, we went with the Social Media Marketing Course, but we encourage you to check out the other ones, especially Inbound Marketing.

This course teaches you how to build the most effective social media marketing strategy to increase your brand awareness and boost growth by building a community around your business’s social media presence through rich content.

The course also teaches you how to maximize growth through data analysis, measuring ROI, using excel in digital advertising, and more.

Lastly, this marketing course is presented by Crystal King, a B2B marketing expert. She cleverly divided it into eight lessons that start with developing a marketing strategy and end with the essentials of continued success on social media.

Key Takes:

• Completely free
• 38 videos across 4:05 hours
• Eight total lessons
• Self-paced

The Bottom Line

This Social Media Marketing Course by Crystal King is an excellent means for aspiring marketers who want to turn this passion into a profession and those who are already in the field and wish to further their knowledge.

3. Digital Marketing Strategies – Kellogg School of Management

Next up, we have a more advanced digital marketing training program that caters to business managers, team leaders, and marketing experts who want to update their knowledge of modern marketing techniques and gain a high-level view of marketing strategies.

Unlike the two previous entries on our list, Digital Marketing Strategies is a mentor-led program backed by the Kellogg School of Management, a highly acclaimed school of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

The program uses marketing analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence to leverage modern marketing practices and maximize business growth through optimal strategies.

As for the syllabus, it’s divided into eight modules that begin by defining the framework of digital marketing and progress into understanding your customers, customer segmentation, creating a content strategy, and more, until it finishes with marketing attribution and using AI tools to refine your plan.

After the two-month program, you must pass some mandatory activities with an 80% to receive a prestigious Kellogg-backed certificate.

Key Takes:

• Advanced program for seasoned marketers
• Certified by the prestigious Kellogg School of Management
• Constantly updated with the latest trends in the field
• Mentored by Professor Mohanbir Sawhney, Ph.D.
• Eight modules with a practical learning path

The Bottom Line

Kellogg’s Digital Marketing Strategies is an expert course for marketing leaders in decision-making positions.

Plus, the course is taught by Professor Sawhney, Ph.D., a globally-recognized business innovator with plenty of testimonials under his belt.

4. Become a Digital Marketing Specialist – LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning offers several digital marketing courses, short and long durations, to all levels of experience.

But for this list, we picked the “Become a Digital Marketing Specialist” course, which is divided into 11 modules aimed at teaching the best practices of digital marketing.

This digital marketing specialization course is well-rounded, and you can benefit from it regardless of your background and experience, though it’s more appropriate for beginner- and medium-level marketers.

It starts with a two-hour intro on the foundations of digital marketing before branching out into becoming an SEO specialist, Google Analytics and Google Ads, marketing on social media (specifically on Facebook and Instagram), and more.

Eventually, you’ll take an introductory module on graphic design and making a logo using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which is a nice bonus in our view.

Afterward, you get a LinkedIn Learning certificate of completion.

Key Takes:

• Free trial month available
• 11 modules teaching diverse topics
• About 19 hours of course time
• Taught by eight marketing experts

The Bottom Line

As the name suggests, Become a Digital Marketing Specialist Course can help you get started on your path to becoming a digital marketing specialist, thanks to the well-rounded skill set you’ll learn with the eight expert mentors.

5. Digital Marketing Masterclass – Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular online course platforms, thanks to its consistently high-quality content.

And the same applies to their Digital Marketing Masterclass, which is taught by marketing experts Phil Ebiner and Diego Davila.

This masterclass has benefited more than 700,000 students so far, thanks to its affordable price tag and easy accessibility, as it’s subtitled in 13 languages in addition to English.

It’s also dubbed “23 courses in 1,” as it focuses on teaching 23 digital marketing skills, including branding, email marketing, copywriting, social media and YouTube marketing, podcasting, and more.

And it’s a self-paced course.

Once you pay for it, you get lifetime access to 32 hours of videos that use real-world projects as case studies to teach top-notch marketing techniques.

You also get access to 19 educational articles, 25 downloadable resources, and course assignments to help you get the Udemy certificate of completion.

Key Takes:

• Affordable online marketing courses
• 36 hours of bite-sized educational videos
• 23 marketing skills covered
• Self-paced
• Subtitled in 14 languages (including English)

The Bottom Line

Udemy’s Digital Marketing Masterclass is one of the most well-rounded courses on our list, as it’ll teach you various practical marketing techniques; hence, it was dubbed “23 courses in 1.”

6. Digital Marketing Certificate Program – Wharton Online

Wharton Online’s Digital Marketing Certificate Program is a robust digital marketing course that caters to everyone who’s interested in the field, from students and aspiring marketing professionals to managers and executives.

The program is presented by Peter Fader, Ph.D., Raghuram Iyengar, Ph.D., and Professor Jonah Berger—three renowned marketing professors at Wharton School in the University of Pennsylvania, which is one of the most prestigious business schools in America.

In this program, you’ll learn some of the most in-demand new skills in the digital marketing world, including strategizing, analysis, omnichannel marketing, and using data-driven approaches to maximize customer retention.

The program is divided into four courses of six weeks each, and each week requires only 3-5 hours of commitment, making it suitable for full-time employees and students.

The first course is about marketing analytics using data tools and techniques to put your data to good use.

Then, you’ll learn about customer centricity and building customer relationships.

The next course is about selling your ideas and creating messages that stick with your target audience and generate more word of mouth.

Lastly, you’ll finish off with a practical course on digital marketing, social media, and ecommerce.

Key Takes:

• Presented by renowned Wharton School professors
• Divided into four easy-to-digest courses
• Suitable for full-time schedules
• Caters to all backgrounds and experience levels

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re a student, a full-time worker, or a marketing leader looking to expand your knowledge, Wharton Online’s Digital Marketing Certificate Program is one of the best digital marketing courses out there, thanks to the expertise of its presenters.

How to Pick the Right Digital Marketing Course for Yourself

There are many online marketing courses nowadays, and it can be hard to pick the right one that meets your needs when there are so many to choose from.

So we’ve created this quick guide to help you find the right place to get your digital marketing training.

1. Topics Covered

Do a little research and make a list of the topics you expect to learn in an online marketing course because not all of them will cover the same topics.

For example, if your desired job focuses on search engine optimization or blog post writing, look for online courses that focus on these particular niches.

But if you’re new to the field and want a course for beginners, you can also find one that broadly covers several aspects at once to give you an idea about social media marketing and help you make a more informed decision as you progress.

2. Teaching Method

Online courses will either provide you with a classroom-like environment where you’re attending virtual classes with other students and a mentor or give you pre-recorded lessons that you can self-study at your own pace.

So ask yourself whether you can study a self-paced course in a reasonable period or if you need an extra push from a mentor.

3. Certificate

A certificate is an icon among course takers because it shows that you’ve completed your training from a particular institute. However, in the online world, it’s easy to make a fake or unreliable certificate that looks elegant and legitimate nonetheless.

So before you pick a digital marketing course, research its certificate and make sure its widely recognized in the industry as that’ll leave a better impression on potential employers.

4. Your Schedule

Many people who opt for online marketing courses are students or already work full-time jobs.

So if you fall into any of these categories or have other things that keep you busy, make sure the course you’re picking doesn’t conflict with your schedule.

5. Your Budget

Education isn’t cheap, but it’s an investment into your future rather than an annoying expense that you have to pay.

Still, go for a course that fits your budget. And if it’s too expensive, save up for it instead of taking a lower-quality, less-expensive course.

We aren’t saying that all affordable online marketing courses are of lower quality, but still, you shouldn’t compromise quality for the price.

You could also find free online marketing courses like Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Course, but this is much rarer when you get into more advanced concepts.

Boost Your Digital Marketing Career With These Courses!

Digital marketing is a very robust field, but you need to keep up with the latest trends in the industry to avoid lagging behind the competition, which is why digital marketing courses are so helpful to everyone interested in the field.

Luckily, there’s plenty of valuable information to be learned from highly acclaimed courses, regardless of your experience level.

For instance, students and beginners can opt for Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Course, while marketing managers can choose programs from Kellogg or Wharton.