Vaibhav Kakkar is an Indian Entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. He is the founder of IIM SKILLS, Course Dekho, and Advisor Uncle and writes blogs on digital marketing, the content industry, career development, and education. He has been instrumental in helping various brands across different sectors with their marketing initiatives. He is the author of the book Word Castle “Building a content marketing business” and is a mentor to budding digital marketers.
The monumental advancement in technology and proliferation of digital channels have compelled many students, job seekers, and career aspirants to consider digital marketing as their most preferred career avenue. Today, a career in digital marketing is one of the most lucrative job options for people from diverse sectors. But, merely thinking about having a prosperous career in digital marketing isn’t enough. You have to upskill and understand the different concepts, modules, and trends of digital marketing intricately to leverage the benefits of this very potent online domain. Also, you have to continuously upgrade your knowledge to keep yourself abreast of all the developments on the web domain.
In this regard, let us look at some of the questions that plague the students’ minds when they decide to opt for a digital marketing course.
- Which mode of learning digital marketing course would be ideal for me?
- Should I opt for an Institute that specializes in a few modules of digital marketing or should I take up a course that provides learning in all digital marketing concepts?
- Are digital marketing course certifications worth it?
If you are someone thinking about these questions, fret not. It is natural to have these questions when you want to enroll in a digital marketing course. Today, we have several Digital Marketing institutes offering high-grade digital marketing courses now. The fact is, we are spoilt for choice. So, what should your criteria be to choose the most promising institute that would offer you a 360 degree understanding of digital marketing? We are going to delve into that answer today. A proper digital marketing course will help you to determine your strong attributes and will enable you to work on your weaknesses. A digital marketing institute will help you to shortlist potential career avenues by evaluating your performance and giving you a transparent review of your capabilities.
Here is a comprehensive list of the top 7 things to consider before choosing a digital marketing course. It has been compiled after careful consideration and will hopefully be helpful in your quest to answer the questions regarding the right digital marketing course for you.
- Your checklist
This is the most vital step to perform before enrolling in a digital marketing course. Innumerable institutes out there provide high-quality digital marketing training. However, the requirements vary from person to person. Some of you might want to master a particular module of digital marketing. Some of you might want to learn about digital marketing as a whole to create integrated digital marketing campaigns. Again, some of you might want to work in a digital marketing agency or opt for a digital marketing designation in a top corporate organization. Small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs might want to incorporate digital marketing into their businesses to get better results. Before you opt for a Digital Marketing course, these are some of the questions that need to be answered.
One other important point is the budgeting aspect. You would want to invest in a course that will provide you with the right kind of knowledge as well as opportunities to get returns on your investment. What this means is, that the course should enable you to make positive changes in your life including an increase in your earnings. The ideal thing will be to ponder over these questions to clearly understand what it is that you want from a digital marketing course. Write down what you want from a digital marketing course. Make a checklist of your requirements. This will give you clarity about your objectives and goals. Once you are done with it, research the digital marketing courses. You will see that the process of choosing an ideal digital marketing course becomes much easier.
- Course Curriculum & Live Projects
This is one of the most important considerations when you choose a digital marketing course. The curriculum is of the utmost importance because it should encompass all the important modules that require incisive learning. Core modules like SEO, Search Engine Marketing, Website Creation, Performance Measurement, Content Writing, Blogging, Copywriting, and Affiliate Marketing should be a mandatory part of the curriculum. The course curriculum has to incorporate all the changes and developments that are part of the flexible digital marketing ecosphere. Since it is an ever-evolving field, the curriculum becomes outdated ever so often when not updated regularly. The course content should also comply with the industry standards and teach the core modules exhaustively.
Practical projects and live assignments are an indispensable part of any digital marketing course. Enroll in a digital marketing program that has numerous live assignments for different modules. You need to implement your learning in practical real-time projects for an incisive understanding of the complex elements of the web domain. A digital marketing career is majorly practical work-based. It is only through practical assignments that you can evaluate your skills and strengths.
- Faculty Members
The digital marketing field encompasses a lot of complex elements of the online domain. Therefore, while choosing a digital marketing course you have to pay special attention to the qualifications and work experience of the faculty members of the institute. Learn about their area of work, their years of experience, their specializations, and their expertise. That will give you a fair idea of whether they are apposite mentors for you. If you are not sure about the faculty members can always inquiry at the institute. It is preferred that your mentors are active professionals working in the online domain, creating digital marketing campaigns for organizations. This way they are adept at handling digital strategies and can provide you with the required techniques and hacks to become a competent digital marketer yourself.
- Access to LMS
A learning management system is one of the most important features of a high-quality digital marketing course. Whether you take up a classroom program or an online digital marketing course, a learning management system helps to empower you with all the knowledge required at any given time. A reputed Institute with a learning management system houses all the course materials, case studies, reference work, presentations, slides, updated information, and content in a well-structured manner. This allows students to access and get answers to their queries and confusions whenever they want. It is also a very efficient way of handling and managing a course especially the online digital marketing courses. If students get stuck at a particular point in their learning process, they can always go back to the recordings of the virtual classes and get the answers.
- Certifications
You will also have to pay close attention to the certifications provided by the institute. The certifications should be industry-recognized. There are two types of certifications training for digital marketing courses. One is the certification that is provided by the institute. It can be a diploma certificate, a post-graduate certificate, or a simple certification in digital marketing. Some institutes offer certificates that are internally accredited. The courses are relevant worldwide and conform to global industry standards. These help in getting international clients.
Most of the reputed institutes also offer training for global certifications like training for Google, Hubspot, and Facebook. It is helpful for someone who needs a little bit of training to prepare for the important global digital marketing certifications. If the institute offers guidance and training for these courses, it means that they will propel you to sit for these exams and become successful. Once you pass these global certifications, it helps to add skill sets to your resume and bolsters your confidence.
- Placement Support and Career Guidance
A professional working in the digital marketing sector should aim to be a T-shaped marketer. This means that they should have expertise in one or more modules of digital marketing while having a good understanding of the entire digital marketing process. The top Digital Marketing institutes help to assess your performance regularly. Based on the results, they provide you with the correct guidance in choosing the right module to specialize in. For example, you might have a special knack for creating social media content and blogging. The institute will provide you with in-depth knowledge and education on these two modules while giving you a generalized knowledge of the other modules. What this does is, it increases your credibility as a digital marketer. If you say that you are a specialist in all the modules of digital marketing, clients won’t take you seriously.
Another important point is placement assistance. You should choose an institute where the institute offers a well-organized placement drive after completion of the course. Check the brands the institutes have partnered up with. Digital Marketing institutes offer you soft skills and personality development training too. You get assistance with resume preparation as well as with building an impressive portfolio. The institute you enroll for should have these features for you to get that coveted digital marketing job. And, don’t forget to check out the reviews, and testimonials of previous students in order to get more clarity on the credibility of the institute.
- Mode of Learning
You have to choose a course that aligns with your preferences and caters to your needs. The mode and type of learning are important considerations when you decide on enrolling in a digital marketing course. Digital marketing courses offer you a lot of flexibility in learning. There are self-paced digital marketing courses where you can autodidact yourself. In this mode of learning, the digital marketing Institute offers you all the course materials, case studies, and all the content required for you to gain knowledge on digital marketing concepts. However, there are no regular classes and no one to report to about your progress. Some institutes might have a time frame in which you can complete the course. Other institutes provide you with lifetime access to learning in the self-paced mode. You are the one preparing yourself to upskill and evolving with the dynamic online marketing world. Here, self-motivation is the main factor for success.
For people who want to be accountable, you have time-bound digital marketing courses which are generally for the duration of 3 months, 6 months, and can go up to two years. These require you to be present in regular classes held on particular days of the week. But even then, they offer a lot of flexibility. You can take up weekend and weekend batches. Before you enroll in the course, they also offer you the demo session to understand how the digital marketing course is going to be conducted at the institute. So, you have a lot of options before zeroing in on a course that you feel is right for you. The best option that most of the students, professionals, and learners prefer is the time-bound, expert-led digital marketing courses. These courses give you ample time to complete assignments, yet you have to be active, accountable, and continuously upgrade your skills. The programs are intensive, and the course content is covered extensively, helping you get closer to your goals every day.
So, here you have it! The top 7 things to consider before choosing a digital marketing course. Hopefully, this will provide you with some insight on how to select a digital marketing course that will help you to maximize your productivity while giving you the encouragement to fulfil your aspirations.
Best of luck and hope you find your calling to manifest your aspirations.