In South Africa, even companies that were happy just to “appear” on the net a few years ago now recognise the need for comprehensive, strategic digital marketing.
It’s clear why – since just 2014, the number of smartphone users in the country has grown from 9.7 to 18.5 million people. That’s a lot of consumers, and they’re making more and more of their buying decisions online.
Because the transition is happening fairly quickly, both companies and the job market are struggling to keep up – and knowledge of the various aspects of digital marketing is highly coveted.
You can gain much of this knowledge through courses, both online and off.
Free digital marketing courses
Google Analytics Academy: Google Analytics For Beginners (online; learn at your own pace)
Covering the fundamental aspects of Google Analytics, this course will show you how to retrieve and interpret the data from Google Analytics. It’s a must for all digital marketers.
Google Adwords: Learning and Support (online; learn at your own pace)
Adwords is another highly sought after skill in digital marketers. This learning material will show you how to set up Adwords via YouTube videos, forums, tips and tricks and the help centre.
Google: Digital Skills for Africa (online; learn at your own pace)
This site allows you to improve your digital skills with a range of topics. These mini courses consist of a couple of lessons each and cover specific subjects related to digital marketing.
Facebook: Blueprint (online; learn at your own pace)
Facebook also offers a number of free short courses for learning how to maximise your impact when using Facebook for advertising and marketing. Topics covered include advertising, business development and even some ways to improve your Instagram engagement.
HubSpot: Inbound Marketing (online; learn at your own pace)
Learn inbound marketing techniques that range from creating content, using social promotion, converting and nurturing leads, and all the way to marketing to your customers.
Respected institutions offering digital marketing courses
There are a number of specialised colleges in South African that have a good reputation in the marketing industry. Recruiters often specify that employers prefer qualifications from these particular colleges.
Newer colleges such as Red & Yellow are on par with more established institutions like Vega. There are also a number of online options available, some of which are backed by both local and international universities.
General digital marketing courses
Lynda: Become a Digital Marketer (online; learn at your own pace)
This course covers eight essential modules on the key skills needed for an all round digital marketer such as SEO foundations, online marketing foundations and Google Analytics essentials.
Cost: $19.99 to $29.99 per month (subscription)
Udemy: Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing (online; learn at your own pace)
This certificate course covers the basics of social media, content marketing, SEO and analytics. It’s a good intro into digital marketing.
Cost: R1150
Udemy: Digital Marketing Masterclass – 22 Courses in 1 (online; learn at your own pace)
This highly rated course on Udemy covers a large range of digital marketing skills, even delving into podcasts and video marketing.
Cost: R2000
Shaw Academy: Diploma in Digital Marketing (online; 4 weeks)
This online course includes live, interactive lessons and covers the fundamentals of digital marketing, PPC and SEO, affiliate marketing, social media, conversions, data driven marketing and digital strategy.
Cost: €49.95 per month (subscription)
Red & Yellow: Mastering Online Advertising (online; 9 weeks)
This course is produced by digital media expert Nikki Cockcroft and covers all areas of online advertising. It will teach you how to conceptualise and execute advertising strategies and campaigns.
Cost: R9 600
GetSmarter: Digital Marketing Short Course from the University of London (online; 9 weeks)
This course from the University of London covers the history of digital marketing and the fundamentals of SEO, email marketing and social media. It also delves into mobile marketing, real-time bidding and data driven advertising.
Cost: £1,248 (about R20 000)
Red & Yellow: Digital Marketing (online; 10 weeks)
This online course covers all the practical skills required to be a digital marketer, including SEO, best UX practices and the use of social media and content marketing.
Cost: R13 100
GetSmarter: Digital Marketing Short Course from the University of Cape Town (online; 10 weeks)
Backed by UCT, this online short course digital skills such as web design, analytics, SEO, copywriting online advertising and social media marketing. It’s a good all-rounder for learning about digital marketing.
Cost: R12 900
Vega: Digital Brand Strategy (on campus; 12 weeks part-time)
This short course touches on all the aspects of digital design from social media strategy, to SEO, online advertising and content marketing. It also includes online advertising and mobile marketing.
Cost: R13 900
Red & Yellow: Advanced Diploma in Digital Marketing (on campus; 2 years part-time)
This online diploma covers the creation and implementation of digital marketing strategies and campaigns. Because this is an advanced diploma, you need a diploma qualification (NQF6) to register.
Cost: R66 000
Vega: BCom in Digital Marketing (on campus; 3 years full-time)
This full-time Bachelor of Commerce in Digital Marketing is a comprehensive course, which covers all necessary skills to become a digital marketer. It is fully credited at the NQF7 level and includes an internship in the final year.
Cost: R78 200 per year
DSM Digital School of Marketing: Digital Marketing course (online; learn at your own pace; average 12 weeks)
This course covers information on all the core elements of digital marketing and strategy, giving you the underpinning knowledge to grow yourself or your business within the digital marketing. DSM offers recognised online digital marketing education through our state-of-the-art online learning platform offering a unique and user friendly learning experience with lots of graphics and videos.
Cost: R 11 500 (Flexible payment options available)
Search engine optimisation (SEO) courses
Red & Yellow: SEO Foundations (online; 6 weeks)
Search engine optimisation is a highly coveted skill in digital marketing. This foundation course teaches you how to perform an SEO audit, how to do keyword research and how to develop a linking strategy.
Cost: R9 200
GetSmarter: Search Engine Optimisation Short Course from University of Cape Town (online; 10 weeks)
This course covers the more technical side of SEO such as HTML and site architecture as well as writing for the web and optimising your content for SEO. It will also teach you about PPC, Adwords and paid advertising.
Cost: R11 900
DSM Digital School of Marketing: SEO and Web Analytics course (online; learn at your own pace; average 10 weeks)
This course will teach you how to measure and optimise your website and make improvements to your marketing plan.
Cost: R 9 000 (Flexible payment options available)
Social media courses
Ogilvy: Social Essentials (online; learn at your own pace)
This strategic course is offered through 42 Courses and was created by Thomas Crampton of Ogilvy. It is an online, learn-at-your-own-pace course which teaches you how to build your brand strategy on social media, rather than how to use social media from a technical point of view.
Cost: R900
Udemy: Social Media Marketing & Marketing Strategy Masterclass 2017 (online; learn at your own pace)
This course focuses more on social media marketing but also covers general online marketing, such as blogging, video production and SEO.
Cost: R2000
Shaw Academy: Diploma in Social Media Marketing (online; 4 weeks)
This diploma course covers various social media platforms, Facebook advertising, the sales funnel and data driven marketing. It also goes into user-generated content for platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.
Cost: €49.95 per month (subscription)
Red & Yellow: Social Media (online; 8 weeks)
This online course covers how to use all the major social media platforms, develop content and create a content calendar. You’ll also learn how to manage multiple communities and the ins and outs of using social media for customer service.
Cost: R12 500
GetSmarter: Social Media Short Course from the University of Cape Town (online; 9 weeks)
This online course covers how to build your brand on social media and covers a number of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Cost: R12 900
DSM Digital School of Marketing: Social Media Marketing course (online; learn at your own pace; average 10 weeks)
This course will enable you to grow your brand strategically on any social channel, increase customer engagement and correctly target those who matter most.
Cost: R 10 000 (Flexible payment options available)
Content marketing and blogging courses
Shaw Academy: Diploma in Blogging and Content Marketing (online; 4 weeks)
This course focuses on the history of blogging and how it became so important for online marketing. It also covers SEO in terms of content creation, content marketing and even vlogging.
Cost: €49.95 per month (subscription)
Red & Yellow: Content Marketing (online; 5 weeks)
This course will teach you the fundamental concepts of content marketing and how to create content that is brand consistent but also performs well. You’ll also learn how to optimise your content performance to increase visitors and conversions.
Cost: R7 200
Red & Yellow: Digital Content and Copywriting (online; 10 weeks)
Content marketing requires a good understanding of how to write for the web and incorporate best SEO practices. This course will teach you how to write engaging content for online audiences.
Cost: R9 600
DSM Digital School of Marketing: Digital Copywriting and Content Marketing course (online; learn at your own pace; average 8 weeks)
This course will teach you how to create content for online platforms and how content fits into the greater context of a marketing and brand communications strategy.
Cost: R 9 000 (Flexible payment options available)
Email marketing courses
Digital Marketing Academy: Email Marketing (on campus or webinar; one day course)
This intensive one-day course covers the fundamentals of email marketing and why it’s so important for businesses. You’ll also learn how to use MailChimp effectively and reporting on email campaigns.
Cost: R2 200 (face-to-face) or R 900 (webinar)
Red & Yellow: Email Marketing (online; 5 weeks)
Email marketing is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. This practical course covers the basics – how to create attention-grabbing emails and how to set up email campaigns for the best results.
Cost: R6 100
Web Analytics courses
Udemy: Web Analytics (online; learn at your own pace)
This introductory course will cover the basics of web analytics. It also goes a little more in depth into keywords, conversion optimization and generating leads.
Cost: R500
Red & Yellow: Web Analytics (online; 6 weeks)
Analytics is a key way of measuring the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategies. This course will show you how to set objectives and collect data, which can be used to measure performance. You’ll also learn how to analyse and report on metrics from various analytics sources, such as Google Analytics.
Cost: R9 200
DSM Digital School of Marketing: Paid Advertising and Web Analytics course (online; learn at your own pace; average 10 weeks)
Learn all about the different channels of paid advertising from search engine advertising to display and social media advertising, and how to measure results.
Cost: R 9 500 (Flexible payment options available)
Internships
If you’re young and hoping to build a career in digital marketing, one of the best ways to learn more is to complete an internship with a respected company in the field. This will give you the advantage of hands-on experience.
A number of local companies offer internships to newly qualified marketers or those wanting to change careers. Keep an eye on local listing on sites such as Bizcommunity for internship opportunities.
Gnu World Media
Gnu World Media has been in the digital marketing industry for going on 20 years.
There has never been a higher demand for marketers who properly understand the digital landscape. Our advantage is that we’re able to draw on extensive knowledge and expertise about all the various aspects of digital marketing, integrating them to create highly successful campaigns.
If your business is in need of a boost, contact us to discuss your digital marketing needs.
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