Top Free Online Marketing Courses for 2024 You Can't Afford to Miss

Have you resolved to take your online marketing skills to the next level in 2024? If so, you came to the right place.

Whether you want to learn the basics or master advanced strategies, an online marketing course is the best way to upskill. The good news is there are plenty of free options to choose from.

We've done the research for you and handpicked the top free marketing courses for 2024. These courses teach everything from social media tactics to SEO best practices.

So grab your laptop and get ready to become a certified digital marketing pro from the comfort of your home!

Getting Started with Online Marketing

Before jumping into the free digital marketing courses, let's quickly review some background on online marketing for those brand new to the topic.

Digital marketing refers to any form of marketing done through electronic devices. It includes activities across search engines, social media, email, and websites.

Some key components to study include:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimizing website content to rank higher in search engines like Google. That increases visibility and website traffic.
• Social Media Marketing: Promoting your business. Engaging audiences on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable content to attract and retain customers. Said content can be written, imagery, video, and more.
• Email Marketing: Building an email subscriber list. Market to customers directly through regular email newsletters, promotions, etc.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Paying to promote ads on search engines and social media platforms. Helps reach new audiences.

And this just scratches the surface. There are many moving parts to coordinate for an effective online marketing strategy. It's best to examine your business model and evaluate which areas would benefit your business the most. Then, you can dive deeper into the specific tactics and tools for each type of marketing.

Potential students for these courses are:

• Small business owners and startup founders looking to promote their companies online
• Bloggers and content creators wanting to monetize their platform
• Career changers interested in transitioning into digital marketing roles
• Marketing and agency professionals wanting to expand their skill set
• Anybody wanting to learn about online business and promotion

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The Benefits of Enrolling in Online Marketing Courses

Why even take an online course rather than figuring it out yourself through good old Google? There are some major perks:

Gain Skills to Help Advance Your Career

The courses teach beyond conceptual knowledge. You acquire tactical skills to apply right away, whether managing social campaigns, crafting viral blog content, or analyzing website metrics. That can qualify you for new jobs, raise your profile for promotions and salary bumps, or simply improve results in your current role.

Learn at Your Own Pace from Anywhere

Online courses allow you to learn on your schedule, revisiting lectures and materials as often as you want. You can study a little bit each day or power through the sections you find most interesting. Lessons frequently get condensed into 5-20 minute chunks, too, working well for busy schedules.

The flexibility also means you can access the course from wherever is convenient, whether curled up on the couch or riding the train to work. All that's needed is an internet-connected device like a phone, tablet or laptop.

Save Money Compared to Formal Education

Most of these online courses are 100% free without any catches. That's a stellar deal compared to shelling out thousands in tuition if you were to pursue a formal certificate.

Understand Latest Trends and Strategies

Digital brand marketing evolves at lightning speed. What works today may be obsolete tomorrow. Taking a course allows you to stay on the pulse with the latest and greatest in terms of digital marketing. Learn all about social media algorithms, new ad formats, shifting consumer behaviors, and more.

You get to learn from actively practicing industry experts. People who are up-to-date with all the trends as opposed to textbooks that are outdated the moment they are published. Expect the inside scoop on things like viral content formatting for Reels to rank across Instagram and TikTok.

Our Criteria for Selecting the Top Options

With the sheer variety of courses available today on platforms like Google, LinkedIn Learning, and more - how do you even choose? We did the homework for you in curating this list based on the following criteria:

Up-To-Date Content

We scanned to ensure all curriculum was fully refreshed with the latest version. Get up-to-date stats, strategies, platforms, and examples - not legacy material. Marketing moves fast, so learning materials need to be as well. The most useful classes emphasized recent examples, creative trends, and platform algorithm updates. Evergreen frameworks that apply regardless of medium are ranked highly as well.

Taught by Industry Experts

No boring professors here. All the courses feature instructors who are digital marketing experts at top-notch companies and agencies. Who better to detail what wins real-world results right now? They offer insider perspectives and real-world case studies.

Hands-On Learning

Rather than just theory, the goal is to acquire practical skills applicable to the real world. That's why our top picks provide interactive exercises. These can take the form of quizzes, templates, and other activities to cement learning.

Active Student Community

Enrolling in a course makes you part of an engaged student community. It allows you to connect with like-minded peers and share knowledge. You may even find mentors and be inspired by one another's digital marketing victories.

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Top Free Online Courses for Online Marketing for 2024

After comparing all the options out there, we present you with the absolute best free marketing courses for 2024. From Facebook and Google to HubSpot and Semrush, leverage these free learning opportunities to get a competitive edge.

Facebook Blueprint - Facebook & Instagram Marketing

Kicking things off is the recently rebranded Meta Blueprint course. This free course is an elite insider's guide to marketing on Facebook and Instagram. Who better to learn from than the masters themselves: Meta.

The course prepares you to:

• Prepare your business for an online presence
• Establish your brand across Meta's apps
• Attract your ideal audience
• Build meaningful relationships and community
• Improve your creative content strategy
• Optimize paid advertising campaigns

You can master both organic and paid tactics on the wildly popular platforms. Blueprint also covers the full family of Meta apps, including Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The free course is extremely comprehensive. It spans beginner to advanced lessons taught by qualified professionals. With over 3.6 billion active monthly users on its platforms, these skills offer immense marketing potential.

HubSpot Academy - Inbound Marketing

Chances are you've heard of HubSpot before. If not, know that it is a household name in the online space. Their software and education hub are ubiquitous in the digital marketing universe.

The inbound marketing course focuses on attracting customers. That is often done by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to attract their attention and trust over time. This inbound strategy contrasts interruptive models like cold-calling.

Specific topics covered through video lectures and quizzes include:

• Blogging
• Search Engine Optimization
• Keyword research
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Calls-to-action
• Landing page design
• Analytics and Reporting

Completing the course also counts towards earning a HubSpot marketing certification - a nice CV booster. Their teachings perfectly complement HubSpot's suite of marketing tools.

LinkedIn Learning - Digital Marketing Foundations

Next, learn digital marketing from the holy grail of professional social networks itself - LinkedIn. While this course is not always freely available, it is included in their Premium subscription plan, which offers a hefty 30-day free trial.

Over 14 chapters, you'll be in the company of Madecraft's Chief Learning Officer, Brad Batesole. Follow him as he walks you through digital marketing fundamentals like:

• Defining your core value proposition
• Identifying target audiences
• Establishing marketing goals and KPIs
• Email marketing approaches
• Getting started with video marketing and PR
• And much more.

Their structured pedagogy provides templates, quizzes, and projects to cement teachings. With tablet and phone access plus official certificates, LinkedIn Learning is a great way to brush up on or improve your digital marketing knowledge.

Copyblogger - Internet Marketing for Smart People

Here's an outside-the-box course delivering digital marketing lessons straight to your email. Copyblogger sends you 20 email lessons over a few weeks. These cover content marketing approaches to attract customers. It's a personalized spin on digital education - like getting a daily mentoring email from an expert.

The "course" is targeted at writers (specifically copywriters.) However, the principles are universal to online marketers of all stripes. Anyone else interested in selling products or services online should definitely give this free resource a try. It covers the fundamentals of captivating headlines, storytelling techniques, building trust, and calls to action. All in the hopes of increasing conversion rates (CTR.)

You'll keep receiving their email newsletter afterward to keep up with new developments. While less structured than a traditional course, the email-driven approach offers unique convenience and coverage.

Google - Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Next up is a free 40-hour course by worldwide search leader Google. Covering 26 modules through videos and quizzes, it is an interactive learning experience like no other. This comprehensive course breaks down all facets of modern online marketing. From SEO to Ecommerce and analytics, you'll have a hand in every aspect of online business.

Each short video module builds on the next, culminating in a certification exam. The skills-based assessment at the end lets you unlock a digital marketing certificate. You can add this badge of honor to your LinkedIn profile or share your Skillshop award with others.

Even just by reputation, Google certainly offers one of the more thorough, cutting-edge, and valuable free digital marketing courses available for free online today.

Canva Design School

We've covered major digital marketing tactics, so let's turn our attention to design. After all, it is a crucial ingredient often overlooked. Fortunately, Canva makes elevating your visual game easy through their fantastic free online design course for non-designers.

User-friendly tutorials teach you how to:

• Apply basic design principles
• Develop brand style guides
• Optimize visual hierarchy
• Improve typography
• And much more

With these core skills, you can create sleek graphics for logos, ads, thumbnails, social posts, presentations, and more using Canvas's intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Every online marketer needs to create visual assets across channels. Brush up on design skills through these free classes to level up your branding experience.

Semrush Academy - SEO Course

Last but certainly not least is the famous SaaS company Semrush and its free online SEO course. Taught by renowned digital marketer Andy Crestodina, this 2-hour course is short and sweet. It condenses search engine optimization best practices in an easy-to-digest format.

Learn digital marketing insider techniques about:

• Keyword research
• On-page optimization
• Link building
• Competitive analysis
• And more

There is also an entire module dedicated to actionable SEO strategies for B2B lead generation. Their short modular course can be completed in a single sitting yet provides tremendous value. Like other programs, completing assessments also lets you unlock an official certificate. Plus, Semrush's tools are great for SEO research and execution.

If you manage a website, then getting SEO fundamentals from a leading search visibility platform like Semrush is an absolute must.

Online Learning is The Future of Education

There you have it - the top free online marketing courses for beginners to enroll in without spending a cent. The internet has changed how we access education. From the fundamentals to advanced tactics, use free digital marketing training to stay on the cutting edge of the field.

We hope this breakdown gives you clarity and confidence to finally take that first step towards digital marketing mastery.

At Varos, we provide a comprehensive platform for marketing professionals to set benchmarks and track website analytics. So, once you learn how to define goals and KPIs from these great courses, come on board for a free demo to see our platform in action.