Course Title: Digital Marketing : From Fundamentals to Campaign Launch

Course Goal: To provide participants with a foundational understanding of key digital marketing channels, tools, and strategies, enabling them to plan and begin executing basic digital marketing campaigns.

Target Audience: Beginners, small business owners, marketing professionals looking to upskill, students, aspiring digital marketers.

Prerequisites: Basic computer literacy and internet navigation skills.

Delivery Method: (Can be adapted for online, in-person, or blended)

• Lectures & Presentations

• Live Demonstrations

• Hands-on Exercises & Workshops

• Case Studies

• Q&A Sessions

• Quizzes/Assignments

• Final Project

WEEK 1: Foundations & Strategy

Overall Goal: Understand the digital marketing landscape, define target audiences, and set goals.

• Day 1: Introduction to Digital Marketing & Landscape

  • What is Digital Marketing? Why is it important?

  • Evolution of Marketing: Traditional vs. Digital

  • Key Digital Marketing Channels: Overview (SEO, SEM, SMM, Content, Email, etc.)

  • Understanding the Digital Marketing Funnel (Awareness, Interest, Consideration, Conversion, Loyalty)

  • Current Trends & Future of Digital Marketing

• Day 2: Defining Your Audience & Setting Goals

  • Understanding Your Target Audience: Creating Buyer Personas

  • Market Research: Competitor Analysis Basics

  • Setting SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)

  • Introduction to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Day 3: Website Fundamentals & User Experience (UX)

  • Importance of a Website as a Digital Hub

  • Key Elements of an Effective Website (Navigation, Design, Content, CTAs)

  • Introduction to UX/UI: Why it matters for conversions

  • Mobile-First Approach & Responsive Design

  • Brief overview of website platforms (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) - focus on concepts, not deep dives

• Day 4: Introduction to Content Marketing

  • What is Content Marketing? Its role in the funnel.

  • Types of Content (Blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, etc.)

  • Content Strategy Basics: Planning, Creation, Distribution

  • Understanding Content Pillars and Topic Clusters

• Day 5: Week 1 Recap & Foundational Workshop

  • Review of key concepts from Week 1

  • Workshop: Create a basic Buyer Persona for a chosen business/idea.

  • Workshop: Outline 2-3 SMART digital marketing goals.

  • Q&A

WEEK 2: Attracting Your Audience - SEO & Content Deep Dive

Overall Goal: Learn how to attract organic traffic through search engines and compelling content.

• Day 6: Introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  • How Search Engines Work (Crawling, Indexing, Ranking)

  • Understanding Keywords: Types, Research Tools (e.g., Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest free version)

  • On-Page SEO: Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, Headers, Content Optimization, Image SEO

• Day 7: Off-Page & Technical SEO

  • Off-Page SEO: Link Building (Backlinks) - Importance & Ethical Practices

  • Technical SEO Basics: Site Speed, Mobile-Friendliness, XML Sitemaps, Robots.txt

  • Local SEO: Google My Business, Local Citations

• Day 8: Content Creation & Optimization for SEO

  • Writing for the Web: Readability, Structure, Tone

  • Integrating Keywords Naturally into Content

  • Creating Different Content Formats (practical tips for blogs, simple graphics)

  • Content Repurposing Strategies

• Day 9: Content Distribution & Promotion

  • Channels for Content Distribution (Social Media, Email, Guest Posting basics)

  • Building a Basic Content Calendar

  • Introduction to Blogging Platforms (e.g., WordPress basics)

• Day 10: Week 2 Recap & SEO/Content Workshop

  • Review of SEO and Content Marketing principles.

  • Workshop: Perform basic keyword research for a topic.

  • Workshop: Outline a blog post optimized for a chosen keyword.

  • Q&A

WEEK 3: Engaging Your Audience - Social Media & Paid Ads

Overall Goal: Understand how to leverage social media and paid advertising for engagement and reach.

• Day 11: Introduction to Social Media Marketing (SMM)

  • Overview of Major Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok - choose focus based on audience)

  • Choosing the Right Platforms for Your Business

  • Setting Up & Optimizing Social Media Profiles

• Day 12: Social Media Content & Engagement Strategy

  • Developing a Social Media Content Strategy (Content types, posting frequency)

  • Creating Engaging Social Media Content (Visuals, Copywriting)

  • Community Management: Interacting with Your Audience, Handling Feedback

  • Introduction to Social Media Scheduling Tools (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite free versions)

• Day 13: Introduction to Paid Advertising (SEM/PPC)

  • What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising?

  • Focus on Google Ads: Search Ads - How they work, structure (Campaigns, Ad Groups, Ads, Keywords)

  • Understanding Ad Auction, Quality Score, Bidding Basics

• Day 14: Introduction to Social Media Advertising

  • Focus on Facebook & Instagram Ads: Campaign Objectives, Targeting Options

  • Ad Formats (Image, Video, Carousel, Stories)

  • Budgeting and Bidding Basics for Social Ads

• Day 15: Week 3 Recap & Ads Workshop

  • Review of SMM and Paid Advertising.

  • Workshop: Draft a sample Facebook Ad (Objective, Target Audience, Ad Copy, Visual Idea).

  • Workshop: Brainstorm keywords for a Google Search Ad campaign.

  • Q&A

WEEK 4: Nurturing, Measuring & Strategizing

Overall Goal: Learn about email marketing, analytics, and how to bring all digital marketing efforts together into a cohesive strategy.

• Day 16: Email Marketing Fundamentals

  • Why Email Marketing is Still Powerful

  • Building an Email List (Ethical Opt-in Strategies)

  • Types of Marketing Emails (Newsletters, Promotions, Welcome Emails)

  • Email Marketing Platforms Overview (e.g., Mailchimp free tier)

  • Crafting Effective Email Subject Lines & Content

• Day 17: Introduction to Digital Analytics

  • Importance of Tracking & Measurement

  • Google Analytics: Overview, Key Metrics (Users, Sessions, Bounce Rate, Conversion Rate)

  • Understanding Reports: Audience, Acquisition, Behavior, Conversions

  • Setting up Basic Goals in Google Analytics (Conceptual)

• Day 18: Measuring Campaign Performance & Reporting

  • Tracking KPIs for Different Channels (SEO, SMM, PPC, Email)

  • Creating Basic Performance Reports

  • A/B Testing: Concept and Importance

  • Understanding ROI in Digital Marketing

• Day 19: Developing an Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy

  • Bringing It All Together: How channels work synergistically

  • Creating a Basic Digital Marketing Plan (Goals, Audience, Channels, Content, Budget, KPIs)

  • Budget Allocation Basics

  • Tools for Productivity and Collaboration (e.g., Trello, Asana for project management - brief mention)

• Day 20: Final Project Presentations & Course Wrap-up

  • Final Project: Participants present a basic digital marketing plan for a chosen business/idea, incorporating elements learned throughout the course.

  • Review of Key Learnings

  • Resources for Continued Learning

  • Q&A and Feedback

Tools & Software :

• Google Keyword Planner

• Google Analytics

• Google My Business

• Google Ads (can create an account without running campaigns)

• Facebook Ads Manager (can explore interface)

• Mailchimp (or similar email marketing tool)

• Canva (for basic graphic design)

• Ubersuggest / AnswerThePublic (for keyword/content ideas)

• Buffer / Hootsuite (for social media scheduling)

Assessment:

• Participation in discussions and workshops.

• Short quizzes after each week (optional).

• Assignments (e.g., Persona creation, Keyword list, Ad copy draft).

• Final Project: Digital Marketing Plan Presentation.

This outline is ambitious for one month but covers the core essentials. You can adjust the depth of each topic based on the available time per session and the specific needs of your participants. Good luck!