26 Free Online Courses in Digital Marketing: Enhance Your Skills!

We exist in an incredible era, my companions. A few mouse clicks provide access to a wealth of information and educational opportunities, opening up intellectual exploration to anyone with a thirst for knowledge.

This collection caters to all levels of expertise, from marketing novices to seasoned professionals. Below, you’ll find a curated list of our top picks for online marketing courses, many of which are free or available at a minimal cost. Get ready to embark on your learning journey!

nexus-security’s PPC University

[

] PPC University houses a compilation of our finest articles, helpful tips, comprehensive tutorials, and insightful guides on the world of online advertising. It’s your comprehensive resource for mastering pay-per-click advertising, offering easily digestible lessons suitable for both beginners and those with more experience. Explore five distinct sections:

  • PPC 101: Start with the fundamentals of search advertising, covering essential topics such as keywords, key metrics, Quality Score, account setup, and structuring.
  • PPC 102: Delve a little deeper into bidding strategies, negative keywords, compelling ad copywriting, and effective budget management.
  • Advanced PPC: Elevate your performance by exploring remarketing strategies, precise audience targeting, optimization techniques for lead quality, and more.
  • Social Ads 101: Grasp the inner workings of social advertising and explore platform-specific cheat sheets.
  • Facebook Ads: Our step-by-step guide will help you launch your inaugural campaign. Discover techniques for optimizing ad copy and creative elements, selecting the right campaign types, mastering retargeting strategies, and more.

👇 Our most popular guide in PPC University 👇

Free download >>PPC 101: The Beginner’s Guide to PPC

free digital marketing courses - ppc 101 guide

LocaliQ’s Marketing Lab

Ready to explore the realm of local marketing? Don your metaphorical lab coat and goggles as you enter LocaliQ’s Marketing Lab—a collection of user-friendly courses focused on digital marketing, designed specifically for local business owners and those new to the field. Explore courses such as:

free online marketing courses - localiq's marketing lab homepage

Google’s Digital Garage

What better place to acquire knowledge about online marketing than from the tech giant itself? Google Digital Garage provides a range of digital marketing courses covering PPC, SEO, coding, career development, and beyond. If you’re unsure where to begin, we recommend diving into their comprehensive Fundamentals course.

free online marketing courses - google's fundamentals of digital marketing

Constant Contact’s Social Media Quickstarter

Social Media Quickstarter from Constant Contact is a compilation of online marketing guides to help you quickly become proficient in social media marketing. With its concise and easy-to-understand guides, even those new to social media can easily navigate this extensive knowledge base.

free online marketing courses - constant contact’s social media quickstarter

CopyBlogger’s Internet Marketing for Smart People course

Internet Marketing for Smart People Course, created by CopyBlogger, is a 20-part course offering a comprehensive understanding of content marketing, compelling copywriting, effective SEO strategies, keyword research techniques, and much more! Delivered straight to your inbox, you can digest this wealth of information at your own pace without feeling overwhelmed.

Coursera’s digital marketing courses

coursera's digital marketing courses homepage

As a leading platform for online learning, Coursera boasts a wide array of courses, including options for free online marketing education. Take a look at their offerings; new classes are added regularly. Here are a couple of examples:

  • Google Digital Marketing & Ecommerce: This course equips you with the skills for entry-level positions in digital marketing and e-commerce, encompassing analytics, search marketing, and email marketing.
  • Meta Social Media Marketing: Master the art of setting up and managing social media profiles, crafting engaging content, and measuring your results.
  • The Strategy of Content Marketing: Developed in collaboration with UC Davis and Copyblogger, this course guides you in building your personal brand by teaching you how to develop, structure, and execute a quantifiable content marketing approach.

HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Training

HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Training Program and Certification, just one of numerous free marketing courses and insightful materials offered by HubSpot, empowers you to excel in inbound marketing. Explore topics such as blogging, SEO, keyword strategies, social media marketing, effective email campaigns, crafting compelling calls to action, and more! Test your knowledge with an exam to solidify your understanding.

free online marketing courses - hubspot's inbound certification homepage

nexus-security’s On-Page SEO Crash Course

Eager to climb the ranks on Google? Aiming to drive more traffic to your site? Yearning for that sense of accomplishment when your blog post claims the coveted featured snippet spot? Look no further than our comprehensive On-Page SEO Course. This course provides everything you need to optimize your content effectively for Google, including:

  • Understanding the distinctions between on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.
  • A step-by-step walkthrough of the 11 most critical on-page optimization strategies.
  • A handy spreadsheet checklist for implementing the aforementioned optimizations.
  • SEO-optimized blog post templates for your convenience.
  • Don’t forget to check out the accompanying video:

RELATED: New to the team? Ensure that relevant training courses are incorporated into your 30/60/90-day plan to set yourself up for long-term success.

Alison’s digital marketing courses

Alison offers a wide variety of free online business courses and virtual diplomas, perfect for those who love to learn. Explore their selection and filter by subject, course duration, skill level, and more.

free digital marketing courses by alison

Here are a few noteworthy courses:

edX’s digital marketing courses

edX is another popular online platform offering access to free classes. It’s like being in a real classroom, minus the mystery meat in the cafeteria.

edx digital marketing courses homepage

Here are a couple of previously archived classes that might pique your interest:

  • Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. Class sessions delve into various marketing aspects, including mobile marketing, omnichannel strategies, marketing mix modeling, and developing a winning marketing strategy.
  • Digital Marketing Analytics. Unlock the power of data and explore topics such as SEO, PPC, web analytics, A/B testing, machine learning, and more.

Simplilearn’s Google Ads course

Simplilearn’s Google Ads course is a comprehensive five-hour YouTube video course that provides an introduction to Google Ads, delves into the differences between Display and Search campaigns, and teaches you how to leverage tools like Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager.

free online marketing courses - google ads course by simplilearn

Discover more courses like this one in our compilation of the best free Google Ads training options.

Facebook Blueprint’s social media marketing courses

Now known as Meta Blueprint, this collection of free online courses is designed to familiarize you with marketing techniques across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Explore both organic and paid social media marketing approaches, with lessons organized into tracks based on your specific objectives. For instance:

  • Prepare to Bring Your Business Online: Identify your target audience, understand the customer journey, and define your marketing goals.
  • Establish Your Presence: Maintain an active online presence, familiarize yourself with Instagram, and connect with customers on WhatsApp.
  • Attract an Audience: Develop a strategic Instagram posting plan and learn how to make your content stand out.
  • Sell Your Products Online: Explore the world of Facebook and Instagram Shops to effectively sell your products.
  • Start Advertising from Your Page: Media publishers and content creators can gain valuable insights into creating successful advertising campaigns.
  • Enhance Your Ads in Ads Manager: Learn how to effectively advertise on the Facebook platform.

free digital marketing courses - meta blueprint Explore more courses like these in our roundup of exceptional free social media marketing courses.

nexus-security’s Facebook Ads tutorial

Our How to Advertise on Facebook in 10 Steps: The Visual Guide offers a comprehensive walkthrough of building your first Facebook advertising campaign using the conversions objective. This written guide features screenshots, helpful tips, and pro insights to ensure your success.

Included with the guide is a 25-minute video tutorial demonstrating the creation of a Facebook ad campaign from start to finish. Gain a clear understanding of structuring your Facebook ad account, different campaign objectives, and navigating the various settings and features.

  • For additional resources, explore our compilation of the best free Facebook advertising courses.
  • Download our free guide, 7 Fundamentals of Facebook Advertising, for more helpful tips.

Udemy’s digital marketing courses

Udemy is a treasure trove of over 10,000 online courses spanning a wide range of topics, from parenting and culinary skills to app development and, of course, marketing!

free online marketing courses - udemy

While Udemy offers a mix of free and paid courses, the internet marketing courses listed below are completely free, providing you with excellent value and insightful information.

  • Advanced SEO: Tactics & Strategy. Crafted by the experts at Moz, these seven video lectures offer SEO knowledge suitable for both beginners and seasoned marketers. With a five-star rating, this course comes highly recommended.
  • Zero Cost Marketing Strategies: Official Primer Course. Don’t let the seemingly lighthearted approach fool you; with a 4.5-star rating and over 25,000 students enrolled, this course offers plenty of valuable information.
  • Google AdWords 101: Get More Customers with Search Marketing. This free, five-star course guides you through the process of setting up your first Google AdWords campaign.
  • Content Marketing for B2B Enterprises. This course provides a solid and recommended foundation for those interested in B2B content marketing for lead generation.
  • Social Media Online Marketing Courses. Looking to expand your social media marketing knowledge? Check out Three Sixty Academy on Udemy. They offer free social media marketing courses for platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and even Google+ – an excellent resource if you’re in a creative field such as craft marketing.

nexus-security’s Google Ads tutorial

Our How to Run Google Ads guide is a comprehensive, step-by-step resource for building a successful search campaign in Google Ads, presented in an easy-to-follow recipe format. We provide you with all the necessary ingredients (including a hunger for success), detailed instructions, and a dash of humor to make the learning process enjoyable. We’ve even included a fun video to guide you along the way.

For a quicker overview, check out these Google Ads crash courses:

  • How to Use Google Ads: A Crash Course: This course provides a concise overview of each Google Ads channel, including Search, Display, Shopping, and YouTube.
  • How Does Google Ads Work? This course helps you understand the mechanics of the Google Ads auction, equipping you with the knowledge to improve your Quality Score, reduce costs, and achieve higher ad rankings.

More (free) learning fun stuff

If the structured format of the free online marketing courses mentioned above isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry! There are plenty of other ways to stay informed about the latest and greatest marketing trends and practices. Why not try…

Marketing podcasts

Podcasts are a fantastic option due to their mobile-friendly and multitasking-friendly nature. Listen to podcasts during your commute, while you eat lunch, or even discreetly during staff meetings (though we don’t officially recommend it).

Here are a few fan-favorite marketing podcasts to add to your playlist:

  • Marketing Over Coffee. Join John Wall and Christopher Penn for a weekly discussion on the newest developments in the marketing world.
  • I Love Marketing. Hosted by Dean Jackson and Joe Polish, this podcast covers a wide range of marketing topics, from effective lead generation strategies to crafting compelling email campaigns.
  • Duct Tape Marketing. Hosted by John Jantsch, this podcast features expert interviews and covers diverse marketing techniques and strategies.
  • Entrepreneur on Fire. Tune in as successful entrepreneurs share their insights and experiences with host John Lee Dumas. This podcast received the prestigious “Best of iTunes” award in 2013.

free online marketing courses - entrepreneur on fire podcast

Freakonomics podcast

While not directly focused on marketing, Freakonomics delves into the fascinating world of economics—and we promise it’s far from boring. Explore the often-hidden economic forces at play in everyday situations.

free online marketing resources

Okay, we know it might not sound overly exciting, but trust us, you’ll be hooked. While not every episode directly relates to marketing, you’ll often find valuable insights and lessons applicable to your business.

Ted Talks

Explore a vast library of captivating Ted Talks specifically about marketing. There’s something for everyone! Do you have any personal favorite free online marketing courses, classes, or resources you’d like to recommend? Share them with us in the comments!

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