Digital Marketing Specialist
SEO, SEM, social media, content, email, and analytics — hands-on, project-based training for the digital-first marketing job market.
Core topics
Modules & lessons
Work top to bottom — every lesson has an objective, curated resources, a hands-on lab, and a self-check.
Module 1 · Digital Foundations Beginner 4 lessons ›
The Digital Marketing Landscape
🎯 Map channels to the customer journey.Digital channels map to the funnel: awareness (social, display, video), consideration (SEO content, email nurture), decision (search ads, remarketing, landing pages), retention (email, community). The specialist's job is choosing the right channel–message–metric for each stage, not being everywhere at once.
✍️ Self-check question
Which channel usually converts 'ready-to-buy' intent best, and why?
Websites, Landing Pages & UX Basics
🎯 Explain what makes a page convert.A converting page has one goal, a matching headline, proof (reviews, numbers), a clear call-to-action, and fast load time on mobile. Every extra choice cuts conversions. Learn to read pages like a critic: What is the offer? What is the next step? What stops me from trusting it?
✍️ Self-check question
Why should a landing page usually remove the main site navigation?
Content Strategy & Copywriting
🎯 Plan content that answers real search intent.Content wins when it answers a real question better than anyone else. Workflow: research questions (People Also Ask, forums) → pick a keyword with intent → write for scanners (headings, short paragraphs, examples) → refresh quarterly. Copywriting rule: benefits before features, always one next step.
✍️ Self-check question
What is search intent and why does it beat keyword density?
Analytics with GA4
🎯 Read acquisition and engagement reports.GA4 tracks events, not pageviews alone: sessions, engaged sessions, conversions, and traffic sources (organic, paid, social, referral, direct). UTM tags label your campaigns so you can prove what worked. Weekly habit: one screen — where did users come from, what did they do, what converted?
✍️ Self-check question
What does a UTM parameter do that a normal link cannot?
Module 2 · Search, Ads & Social Intermediate 4 lessons ›
SEO: On-Page & Technical Basics
🎯 Optimize a page to rank.SEO = relevance (content matching intent) × authority (links/mentions) × technical health (crawlable, fast, mobile). On-page checklist: one keyword theme per page, title under ~60 chars, meta description that sells the click, H1 matching intent, internal links, alt text. Local SEO (Google Business Profile) drives campus-area searches.
✍️ Self-check question
Name the three pillars of SEO and one task in each.
Google Ads: Search Campaigns
🎯 Structure a search campaign and read its metrics.Search ads match keywords to queries: campaign → ad groups (tight themes) → keywords (match types) → ads (responsive) → landing page. Metrics: CTR (creative fit), Quality Score (relevance), CPC, conversion rate, and cost per conversion. Start small, exact/phrase match, negative keywords from day one.
✍️ Self-check question
Why separate branded keywords into their own campaign?
Social Media Marketing
🎯 Plan a content calendar that grows and converts.Pick platforms by audience (Instagram/TikTok for students, LinkedIn for B2B, Facebook for communities). A weekly calendar mixes: educate, entertain, proof, and offer — roughly 4:1 value-to-promotion. Measure saves/shares/replies, not just likes; reuse one long piece into five short ones.
✍️ Self-check question
What is the 4:1 rule and why does constant selling fail?
Email Marketing & Automation
🎯 Build a welcome sequence with real metrics.Email is the highest-ROI channel when permission-based. Essentials: a clear opt-in (CASL in Canada — consent, identification, unsubscribe), a 3–5 email welcome sequence, subject lines under 50 chars, one CTA per email, and segmentation by interest. Watch open, click, and unsubscribe rates weekly.
✍️ Self-check question
What three things must every CASL-compliant marketing email include?
Module 3 · Campaigns, CRO & Portfolio Professional 4 lessons ›
Conversion Rate Optimization
🎯 Run an A/B test properly.CRO improves the page instead of buying more traffic. Process: analytics + user feedback → hypothesis ('shorter form will lift sign-ups 20%') → A/B test with enough sample → ship the winner. Test one variable at a time and never end a test early because it 'looks winning'.
✍️ Self-check question
Why is a 5% lift on day two not a decision?
Full-Funnel Campaign Build
🎯 Plan an integrated campaign with a budget.A real campaign brief: objective (leads, not likes), audience, offer, channels, budget split, UTMs, and a measurement plan. Example split for a $1,000 local lead campaign: 60% search ads, 25% paid social retargeting, 15% content. Report weekly against cost per lead.
✍️ Self-check question
Why must the objective be a business outcome, not engagement?
AI Tools for Marketers
🎯 Use AI for drafts, research, and variants — responsibly.AI accelerates research, outlines, first drafts, and ad variants — but you own facts, brand voice, and compliance. Workflow: AI brainstorm → human angle → AI draft → human edit → fact-check. Never paste customer data into public AI tools; disclose AI use where required.
✍️ Self-check question
What are two risks of publishing unedited AI content?
Portfolio & Interview Prep
🎯 Package campaigns into a hire-ready portfolio.Marketers are hired on proof: 2–3 case studies with objective → what you did → numbers (CTR, CPL, conversions). Free tools make this possible without a job: run a mock campaign, document it, publish the teardown. In interviews, talk metrics first, tools second.
✍️ Self-check question
What makes a case study credible to a hiring manager?
Program quiz
Career outcomes
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