Great marketers are always looking for ways to gain a competitive edge over their competition. Online self-study is one way to bolster your marketing repertoire and advance your business goals.

I’ve put together a list of marketing courses that cover a variety of budgets and time constraints.

Marketing Masterclass by Dave Coyle $$$

Dave Coyle, founder of ‘In the Bag Cleaners’, leads several industry business groups including ‘Marketing Masterclass’, which is focused solely on marketing tactics for dry cleaners. The program includes physical resources, a toolkit, over eight pre-recorded learning videos, and the opportunity to participate in weekly roundtable meetings with other business owners. Dave brings together a group of businesses from non-competitive markets, so there’s no need to hold back when sharing with your group. I participated in this course several months ago and can say it was a valuable experience; we’ve already introduced several of Dave’s tactics into our marketing strategy at Gibson’s. The course should be treated as an investment and is priced at US$5,000; it’s important to focus and streamline your attention, and commit to doing the work throughout the full course. I would recommend this course to owners from all business sizes and experience levels.

Note: DLI is featuring Dave on June 15 for a Virtual Education Session. Check our Events Calendar on the Home Page for details! If you miss it, check with DLI to see if it was recorded. Dave will also be a speaker at the Clean Show.

Growclass $$

Growclass is an online collaborative course that will teach you about the different elements of ‘growth marketing’ (described as ‘a sub-field of marketing focused on the rapid growth of a company’). A growth marketing strategy uses data-driven approaches and combines them with digital marketing tactics like social media advertising, email marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Growclass offers a ‘cohort program’ where you start and end with the same group of participants, and includes bite-sized video modules, physical resources and weekly ‘office hours’. The course provides a holistic overview of the digital marketing fundamentals that include Facebook, SEO, email marketing, copywriting and Google Ads. While the entire Growclass course is priced at US$3,000, there is the option to take module-based courses if you want to get specific and want to dive deeper on a specific tactic or technology. I would recommend this course to someone who already understands the basics of digital marketing.

Social Media Marketing by HubSpot FREE

If your business isn’t on social media, then this is the perfect time to launch your channels or social media accounts. HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Course is a free four-hour online course that will help you and your team to develop an effective social media marketing strategy for your business that ‘delights your customers and grows your bottom line’. The course is a combination of videos led by HubSpot marketing specialists, quizzes and template resources. The HubSpot Learning Academy offers hundreds of marketing courses, so if you’re eager to dig deeper into learning modules, I would recommend this course to aspiring marketers or to those who want to spruce up their social media skills.

Meta Blueprint FREE

Did you know that Facebook offers free online learning course on its platform? It’s called Meta Blueprint and offers learning and training programs that enable you to get the most out of the Facebook and Instagram platform. To start, I would recommend the module ‘Prepare to Bring Your Business Online’, which provides the framework to build your business’s Facebook strategy, starting with identifying an audience, mapping the customer journey, and determining which social media channels are best for your business. I would recommend this course to beginner and/or advanced marketers. While Facebook is on the ‘out’ with most Millennials and Gen Zs, it’s very popular with middle-aged (40+) and moms, which make it a valuable tool to our industry.

Beginners Guide to Email Marketing 2022 $

Email marketing is one of the most valuable marketing tactics to grow your business and retain your clients. The Beginners Guide to Email Marketing is a two-hour, ‘no-fluff’ approach to providing an overview of how to build an email list, an introduction to email service providers or software, and how to create engaging emails your clients will want to read. By the end of the course you’ll have a full grasp of email marketing and all the essential ingredients for a successful marketing campaign. This course is recommended for beginners or those who need a refresher in email marketing. If you’re not satisfied with your experience, Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee – no questions asked.

And if you’re eager to dive deeper into more self study this summer, HubSpot has put together a list of 50 of their favourite marketing courses – all free of charge!

Smart people never stop learning. It’s what makes them smart!