MARKETING
The top five digital marketing courses in the U.S.
The global digital marketing industry is growing at an exponential rate. Although the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of subsiding, it’s forever changed how we work, shop and learn, with more people conducting their everyday lives from home. In fact, global digital advertising and marketing are predicted to reach $786.2 billion by 2026. The current U.S. market is estimated at US$179.4 Billion for 2022, accounting for a 38.6 percent share of the world market. In addition, China, the world’s second-largest economy, is predicted to attain an estimated market size of US$254.9 Billion in 2026.
There are two key takeaways when discussing today’s business climate: competition is greater than ever, and our world is increasingly digitized. That’s why it’s essential for today’s marketing professionals to possess a complete digital marketing skillset and keep them current and growing. There’s an overwhelming selection of relevant and vital skills, and the savvy marketer needs to choose the perfect program to fit their needs and gain critical training and certification.
The methodology used
The following digital marketing course ranking is a result of extensive research and analysis based on four main parameters:
- Depth of curriculum: How comprehensive is the content, and what skills does it cover?
- Interactive hands-on learning: To what extent is the learning experience interactive, and how much focus is given to learning actual tools, solving real industry problems, etc.?
- Program recognition: Are both the program and the final certificate industry-recognized? For example, is it recognized only in India, or is it recognized globally?
- Student experience: Did the students like the course and did they find it useful? Feedback and inputs were taken from external ratings such as Mouthshut, Trustpilot, and other similar venues.
Based on the criteria from the above research findings, here are the top five digital marking courses available today in the United States.
- Purdue Digital Marketing Training
- Duke Digital Marketing Program
- LinkedIn Learning’s Marketing Tutorials
- Georgia State University’s Marketing M.S.
- Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist
The following is an in-depth look at each educational resource based on rank:
1. Purdue Digital Marketing Training
The Purdue Digital Marketing Training course, powered by Simplilearn, was created by Purdue University in partnership with Facebook/Meta. Students learn everything they need to know about the different aspects of digital marketing, including SEO, SEM, social media and content marketing, web analytics and more, through a mix of live-instructor-led classes, online self-learning and real-world projects. Students also get to take master classes from top faculty at Purdue and industry experts from Facebook, work on Harvard Business Publishing case studies and access Facebook Ask Me Anything sessions in this highly interactive and comprehensive program.
Course highlights
Mode of Learning: Online bootcamp
Course Duration: Six months
Program Recognition: Purdue-Simplilearn Joint Post Graduate Program Certification; Co-created with Facebook
Alumni Status: Purdue Alumni Association membership
Hands-On Learning: 200+ hours of live interactive learning; Capstone project in five domains; 14+ real-world projects from Yahoo!, TripAdvisor, Mastercard, and more; Harvard Business case studies; Masterclasses from Purdue and Facebook; Aligned with the top five Digital Marketing certifications including Google Ads and Analytics, Facebook Blueprint, Hootsuite, and HubSpot.
Tools Covered: Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, Semrush, Moz, Hootsuite, plus 40 more.
Capstone Project: Yes
Program Advisors: Jinsuh Lee, Brad Geddes, Matt Bailey, Mollie Spilman, Dorie Clark
Fees: $3249
2. Duke Digital Marketing Program
Duke’s Digital Marketing Program is an online, self-paced program designed for people who want to boost their current digital marketing skills or even enter a new career in the continuously growing field. Duke Continuing Studies delivers a curriculum that offers students advanced knowledge in eight of the most vital digital marketing domains. Students learn from the practical experience they acquire from virtual simulations and real-world projects and from some of the industry’s most recognized and respected consultants and authors, all set in a schedule that fits the students’ needs and situations.
Students earn a certificate of completion once they finish the course and six of the eight advanced modules shown below:
- Advanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Advanced Content Marketing
- Advanced Social Media
- Advanced Mobile Marketing
- Advanced Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Advanced Website Conversion Rate Optimization
- Advanced Web Analytics
- Advanced Email Marketing
Course highlights
Mode of Learning: Online self-learning
Course Duration: 350 hours
Program Recognition: OMCA certification, once the student completes six advanced modules
Alumni Status: Earns an extra 12 months of access to all existing, new, and updated materials after completing the program
Hands-On Learning: Simulation labs and projects, live mentoring sessions
Tools Covered: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Advertising, Hootsuite, YouTube and Video Marketing, Twitter Advertising and Mailchimp, among others
Program Advisors/Instructors: Brad Geddes, Matt Bailey, Stephane Hamel
Fees: $3195. Group discounts are available
3. LinkedIn Learning’s Marketing Tutorials
Lynda.com is now called LinkedIn Learning. With LinkedIn Learning, aspiring digital marketers can choose from over 1,000 relevant courses and more than 21,000 video tutorials. These courses and videos allow students to focus on the specific areas of digital marketing they’re especially interested in, or they can widen their focus on general digital marketing training. In addition, the platform’s monthly membership gives students the ability to stack multiple courses and programs, providing a comprehensive and well-rounded training experience.
Course highlights
Mode of Learning: Online self-learning
Course Duration: 60 to 90 minutes for each course
Program Recognition: LinkedIn Learning Certifications
Job Assistance: Students receive full access to LinkedIn Premium
Hands-On Learning: Exercises, assignments and quizzes
Tools Covered: Google Tag Manager, Google Data Studio, Constant Contact and many more
Program Advisors: Brad Batesole, David Booth, Matt Bailey, Ashley Kennedy and more
Fees: Monthly membership at $39.99/month billed month-to-month, or $26.99/month billed annually. Both options include a one-month free trial.
4. Georgia State University’s Marketing M.S.
Conducted by Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, the Robinson’s M.S. in Marketing curriculum equips students with big data, digital media, social and mobile marketing, and quantitative analysis skills, among others.
This program is ideal for people who want to change careers but need the basic skills and experience to make a move, established professionals in the field who wish to upskill, and undergrads with a business degree who want to continue their marketing trajectory.
Students must have earned an undergraduate degree before applying for this program.
Course highlights
Mode of Learning: Full-time student on-premises and online
Course Duration: 12 months (3 semesters), with classes two evenings a week: Monday and Wednesday, 5:30-9:45 p.m.
Program Recognition: Master of Science in Marketing and Graduate Certificate of Specialization in Brand and Customer Management
Alumni Status: Access to a network of alumni clubs
Hands-On Learning: Research-driven projects held in collaboration with area companies such as Georgia-Pacific and Porsche
Tools/Subjects Covered: Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Marketing Metrics, Digital/Social Media Marketing, Data-Driven Marketing and more. It also includes resources such as Social Media Intelligence Lab, relevant bootcamps, professional workshops, recruiting fairs, networking events and meet-and-greets.
Program Advisors/Instructors: Gregory Cohen, Alok Saboo, Sevgin Eroglu, and many others
Fees: Georgia residents: $37,500, non-Georgia residents: $43,500
5. Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist
Students enrolled in Simplilearn’s Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s program learn all about the core concepts of digital marketing, including social media marketing, paid ads, SEO, pay-per-click, analytics, email marketing, conversion optimization and mobile marketing and more. Students also work on case studies from Harvard Business Publishing to solve real-world problems. This program is designed in alignment with certifications from Facebook Blueprint, Google Analytics and Ads, OMCP®, Hootsuite and HubSpot.
Course highlights
Mode of Learning: Online bootcamp
Course Duration: One year
Program Recognition: Simplilearn Certificate of Achievement; Facebook Blueprint
Hands-On Learning: Virtual labs for hands-on learning with over 45 projects
Tools Covered: Facebook Insights, Google Keyword Planner, Google Analytics, Qlik, SE Ranking, etc.
Capstone Project: Yes
Program Advisors: Brad Geddes, Matt Bailey, Mollie Spilman, Dorie Clark
Fees: $1649
We live in a growing digital world, a process accelerated by events of the last few years. While there will always be a demand for brick-and-mortar establishments and onsite work/retail situations, consumers and organizations have discovered the benefits of using online resources.
Marketing professionals who want to succeed in today’s new reality will have a complete set of digital marketing skills in their toolbox. They will learn this vital knowledge from the best providers. By choosing the right skills and learning resources, they will survive and thrive in our new economy.
MARKETING
Will Google Buy HubSpot? | Content Marketing Institute
Google + HubSpot. Is it a thing?
This week, a flurry of news came down about Google’s consideration of purchasing HubSpot.
The prospect dismayed some. It delighted others.
But is it likely? Is it even possible? What would it mean for marketers? What does the consideration even mean for marketers?
Well, we asked CMI’s chief strategy advisor, Robert Rose, for his take. Watch this video or read on:
Why Alphabet may want HubSpot
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, apparently is contemplating the acquisition of inbound marketing giant HubSpot.
The potential price could be in the range of $30 billion to $40 billion. That would make Alphabet’s largest acquisition by far. The current deal holding that title happened in 2011 when it acquired Motorola Mobility for more than $12 billion. It later sold it to Lenovo for less than $3 billion.
If the HubSpot deal happens, it would not be in character with what the classic evil villain has been doing for the past 20 years.
At first glance, you might think the deal would make no sense. Why would Google want to spend three times as much as it’s ever spent to get into the inbound marketing — the CRM and marketing automation business?
At a second glance, it makes a ton of sense.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I and others at CMI spend a lot of time discussing privacy, owned media, and the deprecation of the third-party cookie. I just talked about it two weeks ago. It’s really happening.
All that oxygen being sucked out of the ad tech space presents a compelling case that Alphabet should diversify from third-party data and classic surveillance-based marketing.
Yes, this potential acquisition is about data. HubSpot would give Alphabet the keys to the kingdom of 205,000 business customers — and their customers’ data that almost certainly numbers in the tens of millions. Alphabet would also gain access to the content, marketing, and sales information those customers consumed.
Conversely, the deal would provide an immediate tip of the spear for HubSpot clients to create more targeted programs in the Alphabet ecosystem and upload their data to drive even more personalized experiences on their own properties and connect them to the Google Workspace infrastructure.
When you add in the idea of Gemini, you can start to see how Google might monetize its generative AI tool beyond figuring out how to use it on ads on search results pages.
What acquisition could mean for HubSpot customers
I may be stretching here but imagine this world. As a Hubspoogle customer, you can access an interface that prioritizes your owned media data (e.g., your website, your e-commerce catalog, blog) when Google’s Gemini answers a question).
Recent reports also say Google may put up a paywall around the new premium features of its artificial intelligence-powered Search Generative Experience. Imagine this as the new gating for marketing. In other words, users can subscribe to Google’s AI for free, but Hubspoogle customers can access that data and use it to create targeted offers.
The acquisition of HubSpot would immediately make Google Workspace a more robust competitor to Microsoft 365 Office for small- and medium-sized businesses as they would receive the ADDED capability of inbound marketing.
But in the world of rented land where Google is the landlord, the government will take notice of the acquisition. But — and it’s a big but, I cannot lie (yes, I just did that). The big but is whether this acquisition dance can happen without going afoul of regulatory issues.
Some analysts say it should be no problem. Others say, “Yeah, it wouldn’t go.” Either way, would anybody touch it in an election year? That’s a whole other story.
What marketers should realize
So, what’s my takeaway?
It’s a remote chance that Google will jump on this hard, but stranger things have happened. It would be an exciting disruption in the market.
The sure bet is this. The acquisition conversation — as if you needed more data points — says getting good at owned media to attract and build audiences and using that first-party data to provide better communication and collaboration with your customers are a must.
It’s just a matter of time until Google makes a move. They might just be testing the waters now, but they will move here. But no matter what they do, if you have your customer data house in order, you’ll be primed for success.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
MARKETING
5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails
Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better.
I’ve tested 100s of psychological tactics on my email subscribers. In this blog, I reveal the five tactics that actually work.
You’ll learn about the email tactic that got one marketer a job at the White House.
You’ll learn how I doubled my 5 star reviews with one email, and why one strange email from Barack Obama broke all records for donations.
5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails
Imagine writing an email that’s so effective it lands you a job at the White House.
Well, that’s what happened to Maya Shankar, a PhD cognitive neuroscientist. In 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked her to help increase signups in their veteran benefit scheme.
Maya had a plan. She was well aware of a cognitive bias that affects us all—the endowment effect. This bias suggests that people value items higher if they own them. So, she changed the subject line in the Veterans’ enrollment email.
Previously it read:
- Veterans, you’re eligible for the benefit program. Sign up today.
She tweaked one word, changing it to:
- Veterans, you’ve earned the benefits program. Sign up today.
This tiny tweak had a big impact. The amount of veterans enrolling in the program went up by 9%. And Maya landed a job working at the White House
Inspired by these psychological tweaks to emails, I started to run my own tests.
Alongside my podcast Nudge, I’ve run 100s of email tests on my 1,000s of newsletter subscribers.
Here are the five best tactics I’ve uncovered.
1. Show readers what they’re missing.
Nobel prize winning behavioral scientists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky uncovered a principle called loss aversion.
Loss aversion means that losses feel more painful than equivalent gains. In real-world terms, losing $10 feels worse than how gaining $10 feels good. And I wondered if this simple nudge could help increase the number of my podcast listeners.
For my test, I tweaked the subject line of the email announcing an episode. The control read:
“Listen to this one”
In the loss aversion variant it read:
“Don’t miss this one”
It is very subtle loss aversion. Rather than asking someone to listen, I’m saying they shouldn’t miss out. And it worked. It increased the open rate by 13.3% and the click rate by 12.5%. Plus, it was a small change that cost me nothing at all.
2. People follow the crowd.
In general, humans like to follow the masses. When picking a dish, we’ll often opt for the most popular. When choosing a movie to watch, we tend to pick the box office hit. It’s a well-known psychological bias called social proof.
I’ve always wondered if it works for emails. So, I set up an A/B experiment with two subject lines. Both promoted my show, but one contained social proof.
The control read: New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws
The social proof variant read: New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws (100,000 Downloads)
I hoped that by highlighting the episode’s high number of downloads, I’d encourage more people to listen. Fortunately, it worked.
The open rate went from 22% to 28% for the social proof version, and the click rate, (the number of people actually listening to the episode), doubled.
3. Praise loyal subscribers.
The consistency principle suggests that people are likely to stick to behaviours they’ve previously taken. A retired taxi driver won’t swap his car for a bike. A hairdresser won’t change to a cheap shampoo. We like to stay consistent with our past behaviors.
I decided to test this in an email.
For my test, I attempted to encourage my subscribers to leave a review for my podcast. I sent emails to 400 subscribers who had been following the show for a year.
The control read: “Could you leave a review for Nudge?”
The consistency variant read: “You’ve been following Nudge for 12 months, could you leave a review?”
My hypothesis was simple. If I remind people that they’ve consistently supported the show they’ll be more likely to leave a review.
It worked.
The open rate on the consistency version of the email was 7% higher.
But more importantly, the click rate, (the number of people who actually left a review), was almost 2x higher for the consistency version. Merely telling people they’d been a fan for a while doubled my reviews.
4. Showcase scarcity.
We prefer scarce resources. Taylor Swift gigs sell out in seconds not just because she’s popular, but because her tickets are hard to come by.
Swifties aren’t the first to experience this. Back in 1975, three researchers proved how powerful scarcity is. For the study, the researchers occupied a cafe. On alternating weeks they’d make one small change in the cafe.
On some weeks they’d ensure the cookie jar was full.
On other weeks they’d ensure the cookie jar only contained two cookies (never more or less).
In other words, sometimes the cookies looked abundantly available. Sometimes they looked like they were almost out.
This changed behaviour. Customers who saw the two cookie jar bought 43% more cookies than those who saw the full jar.
It sounds too good to be true, so I tested it for myself.
I sent an email to 260 subscribers offering free access to my Science of Marketing course for one day only.
In the control, the subject line read: “Free access to the Science of Marketing course”
For the scarcity variant it read: “Only Today: Get free access to the Science of Marketing Course | Only one enrol per person.”
130 people received the first email, 130 received the second. And the result was almost as good as the cookie finding. The scarcity version had a 15.1% higher open rate.
5. Spark curiosity.
All of the email tips I’ve shared have only been tested on my relatively small audience. So, I thought I’d end with a tip that was tested on the masses.
Back in 2012, Barack Obama and his campaign team sent hundreds of emails to raise funds for his campaign.
Of the $690 million he raised, most came from direct email appeals. But there was one email, according to ABC news, that was far more effective than the rest. And it was an odd one.
The email that drew in the most cash, had a strange subject line. It simply said “Hey.”
The actual email asked the reader to donate, sharing all the expected reasons, but the subject line was different.
It sparked curiosity, it got people wondering, is Obama saying Hey just to me?
Readers were curious and couldn’t help but open the email. According to ABC it was “the most effective pitch of all.”
Because more people opened, it raised more money than any other email. The bias Obama used here is the curiosity gap. We’re more likely to act on something when our curiosity is piqued.
Loss aversion, social proof, consistency, scarcity and curiosity—all these nudges have helped me improve my emails. And I reckon they’ll work for you.
It’s not guaranteed of course. Many might fail. But running some simple a/b tests for your emails is cost free, so why not try it out?
This blog is part of Phill Agnew’s Marketing Cheat Sheet series where he reveals the scientifically proven tips to help you improve your marketing. To learn more, listen to his podcast Nudge, a proud member of the Hubspot Podcast Network.
MARKETING
The power of program management in martech
As a supporter of the program perspective for initiatives, I recognize the value of managing related projects, products and activities as a unified entity.
While one-off projects have their place, they often involve numerous moving parts and in my experience, using a project-based approach can lead to crucial elements being overlooked. This is particularly true when building a martech stack or developing content, for example, where a program-based approach can ensure that all aspects are considered and properly integrated.
For many CMOs and marketing organizations, programs are becoming powerful tools for aligning diverse initiatives and driving strategic objectives. Let’s explore the essential role of programs in product management, project management and marketing operations, bridging technical details with business priorities.
Programs in product management
Product management is a fascinating domain where programs operate as a strategic framework, coordinating related products or product lines to meet specific business objectives.
Product managers are responsible for defining a product or product line’s strategy, roadmap and features. They work closely with program managers, who ensure alignment with market demands, customer needs and the company’s overall vision by managing offerings at a program level.
Program managers optimize the product portfolio, make strategic decisions about resource allocation and ensure that each product contributes to the program’s goals. One key aspect of program management in product management is identifying synergies between products.
Program managers can drive innovation and efficiency across the portfolio by leveraging shared technologies, customer insights, or market trends. This approach enables organizations to respond quickly to changing market conditions, seize emerging opportunities and maintain a competitive advantage. Product managers, in turn, use these insights to shape the direction of individual products.
Moreover, programs in product management facilitate cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing. Program managers foster a holistic understanding of customer needs and market dynamics by bringing together teams from various departments, such as engineering, marketing and sales.
Product managers also play a crucial role in this collaborative approach, ensuring that all stakeholders work towards common goals, ultimately leading to more successful product launches and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Dig deeper: Understanding different product roles in marketing technology acquisition
Programs in project management
In project management, programs provide a structured approach for managing related projects as a unified entity, supporting broader strategic objectives. Project managers are responsible for planning, executing and closing individual projects within a program. They focus on specific deliverables, timelines and budgets.
On the other hand, program managers oversee these projects’ coordination, dependencies and outcomes, ensuring they collectively deliver the desired benefits and align with the organization’s strategic goals.
A typical example of a program in project management is a martech stack optimization initiative. Such a program may involve integrating marketing technology tools and platforms, implementing customer data management systems and training employees on the updated technologies. Project managers would be responsible for the day-to-day management of each project.
In contrast, the program manager ensures a cohesive approach, minimizes disruptions and realizes the full potential of the martech investments to improve marketing efficiency, personalization and ROI.
The benefits of program management in project management are numerous. Program managers help organizations prioritize initiatives that deliver the greatest value by aligning projects with strategic objectives. They also identify and mitigate risks that span multiple projects, ensuring that issues in one area don’t derail the entire program. Project managers, in turn, benefit from this oversight and guidance, as they can focus on successfully executing their projects.
Additionally, program management enables efficient resource allocation, as skills and expertise can be shared across projects, reducing duplication of effort and maximizing value. Project managers can leverage these resources and collaborate with other project teams to achieve their objectives more effectively.
Dig deeper: Combining martech projects: 5 questions to ask
Programs in marketing operations
In marketing operations, programs play a vital role in integrating and managing various marketing activities to achieve overarching goals. Marketing programs encompass multiple initiatives, such as advertising, content marketing, social media and event planning. Organizations ensure consistent messaging, strategic alignment, and measurable results by managing these activities as a cohesive program.
In marketing operations, various roles, such as MOps managers, campaign managers, content managers, digital marketing managers and analytics managers, collaborate to develop and execute comprehensive marketing plans that support the organization’s business objectives.
These professionals work closely with cross-functional teams, including creative, analytics and sales, to ensure that all marketing efforts are coordinated and optimized for maximum impact. This involves setting clear goals, defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and continuously monitoring and adjusting strategies based on data-driven insights.
One of the primary benefits of a programmatic approach in marketing operations is maintaining a consistent brand voice and message across all channels. By establishing guidelines and standards for content creation, visual design and customer interactions, marketing teams ensure that the brand’s identity remains cohesive and recognizable. This consistency builds customer trust, reinforces brand loyalty and drives business growth.
Programs in marketing operations enable organizations to take a holistic approach to customer engagement. By analyzing customer data and feedback across various touchpoints, marketing professionals can identify opportunities for improvement and develop targeted strategies to enhance the customer experience. This customer-centric approach leads to increased satisfaction, higher retention rates and more effective marketing investments.
Dig deeper: Mastering the art of goal setting in marketing operations
Embracing the power of programs for long-term success
We’ve explored how programs enable marketing organizations to drive strategic success and create lasting impact by aligning diverse initiatives across product management, project management and marketing operations.
- Product management programs facilitate cross-functional collaboration and ensure alignment with market demands.
- In project management, they provide a structured approach for managing related projects and mitigating risks.
- In marketing operations, programs enable consistent messaging and a customer-centric approach to engagement.
Program managers play a vital role in maintaining strategic alignment, continuously assessing progress and adapting to changes in the business environment. Keeping programs aligned with long-term objectives maximizes ROI and drives sustainable growth.
Organizations that invest in developing strong program management capabilities will be better positioned to optimize resources, foster innovation and achieve their long-term goals.
As a CMO or marketing leader, it is important to recognize the strategic value of programs and champion their adoption across your organization. By aligning efforts across various domains, you can unlock the full potential of your initiatives and drive meaningful results. Try it, you’ll like it.
Fuel for your marketing strategy.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.
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