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Digital Marketing: Fundamentals

PremiumBeginnerCourse

Get started with digital marketing and growth hacking. Learn the fundamentals of digital strategy, digital channels, audience targeting & insights, and performance metrics, and what it takes to become a digital marketing professional.

Language

  • English

Topic

  • Marketing

Industries

  • Marketing

Skills You Will Learn

  • Career Guide, Digital Advertising, Digital Marketing, Growth Hacking, Market Analysis, Social Media

Offered By

  • IBMSkillsNetwork

Estimated Effort

  • 11 Hours

Platform

  • SkillsNetwork

Last Update

  • March 7, 2026
About this Course

About this course

Get started with digital marketing fundamentals skills and learn what it takes to design, launch, and optimize campaigns that drive measurable business growth. 

After completing this course, you will be able to: 
  • Explain the foundational principles, purpose, and evolution of digital marketing in modern business.
  • Identify and compare key digital channels (SEO, social media, paid media, email, content) and their strategic uses.
  • Analyze target audiences using demographic and psychographic insights to guide campaign development.
  • Design cohesive digital strategies that align with business goals and performance metrics.
  • Apply analytics tools and KPIs (traffic, conversions, ROI, engagement) to measure and optimize results.
  • Evaluate career pathways and opportunities to grow as a digital marketer, freelancer, or entrepreneur.
As digital channels now account for nearly 80% of marketing budgets, the demand for skilled marketers and growth hackers has never been higher. Whether you’re an aspiring marketing professional, freelancer, or small business owner, this course is your first step to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

You’ll begin by exploring the foundations of digital marketing, including its evolution, strategic importance, and the elements that make campaigns successful. You’ll learn how to connect marketing goals with overall business objectives, understand target audiences, and build coherent, data-driven strategies that deliver measurable results.

Next, you’ll examine the major digital marketing channels: social media, SEO, advertising platforms, email, and content marketing. You will discover how to use them strategically to reach, engage, and convert audiences. You’ll practice segmenting and analyzing markets through demographic and psychographic insights, learning to craft campaigns that resonate with specific customer profiles and brand goals.

You will learn about campaign metrics and KPIs, to understand how to track and evaluate marketing performance effectively. You will also explore platform-specific insights from tools like Google Analytics and Social media dashboards, enabling you to analyze and derive actionable conclusions from data.

This course will also help you understand the various job roles in digital marketing as well as the opportunities that exist for you as a small business owner or freelance marketing professional. 

You’ll apply your learning in a course project, integrating strategy, channel selection, and analytics into a complete digital marketing plan. A graded assessment reinforces your ability to design and evaluate campaigns, while additional resources like podcasts, expert insights, and career tips, to help you explore opportunities in digital marketing, freelancing, and entrepreneurship.

This course combines strategic understanding with practical application, preparing you to step confidently into the world of digital marketing and growth hacking.

General Information:

  • This course is self paced. 
  • This platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.

Recommended Skills Prior to Taking this Course

This course is suitable for anyone interested in starting a career in digital marketing. No specific prerequisites or prior experience are required to take this course, other than basic computer literacy. 

Course Syllabus:

Course Introduction
  • PC Overview
  • Course Introduction
  • Course Overview
  • Reading: Helpful Tips for Course Completion
 
Module 1: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Basics of Digital Marketing
  • Module Summary and Learning Objectives
  • Introduction to Digital Marketing
  • Reading: Digital Marketing – Growth and Opportunities
  • Podcast: Digital Marketing – Growth and Opportunities
  • Reading: Introduction to Growth Hacking
  • Podcast: Introduction to Growth Hacking
  • Digital Marketing versus Traditional Marketing
  • Key Digital Marketing Channels
  • Activity: Channel Selection Challenge
  • Introduction to Digital Marketing Analytics
  • Reading: Key Terms Used in Digital Analytics
  • Practice Quiz: Basics of Digital Marketing
Digital Strategy and Business Alignment
  • Importance of Digital Strategy
  • Components of a Digital Strategy
  • Reading: Aligning Marketing with Business Goals
  • Reading: Aligning Growth Hacking with Business Goals
  • Lab: Exploring Key Components of a Digital Strategy
  • Practice Quiz: Digital Strategy and Business Alignment
Module Summary
  • Module Summary: Introduction to Digital Marketing
  • Podcast Recap: Introduction to Digital Marketing
  • Graded Quiz: Introduction to Digital Marketing
 
Module 2: Digital Marketing Channels and Audiences

Digital Channels in Marketing
  • Module Summary and Learning Objectives 
  • Introduction to Digital Channels
  • Introduction to Organic Digital Channels
  • Paid Media Channels
  • Email Marketing and Automation
  • Reading: Aligning Channels with Digital Objectives
  • Reading: Aligning Growth Hacking with Your Digital Channel Strategy
  • Podcast: Aligning Growth Hacking with Your Digital Channel Strategy
  • Lab: Develop a Channel Strategy
  • Practice Quiz: Digital Channels in Marketing
Digital Target Audiences
  • Introduction to Target Audience Analysis
  • Role of Demographics in Audience Analysis
  • Role of Psychographics in Audience Analysis
  • Reading: Using Audience Data for Targeting
  • Reading: Identifying Growth Hacking Opportunities in Audience Targeting
  • Lab: Create Digital Personas
  • Practice Quiz: Digital Target Audiences
Module Summary
  • Module Summary: Digital Marketing Channels and Audiences
  • Podcast Recap: Digital Marketing Channels and Audiences
  • Graded Quiz: Digital Marketing Channels and Audiences
 
Module 3: Digital Metrics and Career Prospects
 
Digital Marketing Analytics and Metrics
  • Module Summary and Learning Objectives 
  • Introduction to Marketing Metrics and Analytics
  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Overview
  • Understanding Traffic and Conversions
  • Reading: ROI and Engagement Metrics
  • Reading: Tools for Tracking Marketing Performance
  • Reading: Analyzing Marketing Data for Actionable Insights
  • Reading: Analyzing Data for Growth Hacking
  • Lab: Analyze Performance Metrics
  • Practice Quiz: Digital Marketing Analytics and Metrics
Digital Marketing Career Prospects
  • Job Roles in Digital Marketing
  • Reading: Growth Hacking in Digital Marketing
  • Podcast: Growth Hacking in Digital Marketing
  • Digital Marketing Industry Growth
  • Career Paths and Growth in Digital Marketing
  • Reading: Digital Marketing Opportunities for Small Business Owners and Freelancers
  • Reading: Future Trends in Digital Marketing
  • Podcast: Future Trends in Digital Marketing
  • Reading: Career Growth Opportunities as a Growth Hacker
  • Podcast: Career Opportunities as a Growth Hacker
  • Practice Quiz: Digital Marketing Career Prospects
Module Summary
  • Module Summary: Digital Metrics and Career Prospects
  • Graded Quiz: Digital Metrics and Career Prospects

Module 4: Final Project and Assessment
  • Module Summary and Learning Objectives
Final Project
  • Project Overview: Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy
  • Final Submission: Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy 
Glossary and Final Exam
  • Glossary: Essential Concepts in Digital Marketing
  • Final Exam: Introduction to Digital Marketing
Wrap-Up
  • Course Wrap-Up
  • Congratulations and Next Steps
  • Thanks from the Course Team