How much does online digital marketing training cost?

I’ve been a fan of online learning for my entire career.

In fact, my formal education was studying Economics in university, which has very little to do with my current role (except the fact that I have a weak spot for financial meetings).

It was through a number of online learning resources that I learned the skills to become a developer, applied those skills, and now here we are.

Digital marketing learning has the same potential!

And honestly, while some marketing fundamentals have been around for decades and can be taught in university, most current digital marketing isn’t taught there yet. So, it may even be better suited for online learning.

But how much will that cost ya?

How much does online digital marketing training cost?

Luckily, you can get online digital marketing training at a fraction of the cost for a degree.

We’re going to look at training in four buckets based on monthly pricing:

• Free
• Under $50 per month
• Under $100 per month
• Over $100 per month

We’ve included some great options for you to pick from, but there are certainly more that we didn’t cover. If you have a resource you’d recommend, I would love to hear from you! Reach out to @morganandrewv on Twitter with your recommendation.

This breakdown is based on the current pricing at the time of this writing. Usually, annual pricing will net you a lower monthly amount, and if you catch a particular deal, you could make out even better than listed here.

May the odds be in your favor!

Free online digital marketing training

One of the great benefits of the internet is access to a number of free resources.

When it comes to digital marketing training, there are two general paths for that:

• Free courses
• Build-your-own path

Here are some of the most popular options. 

HubSpot Academy

HubSpot Academy has been a good free standard of digital marketing training for the last few years.

The courses include short videos, slide decks, and transcriptions that support different learning styles and capabilities — and the production quality of the videos is great!

Covering a range of topics from inbound marketing and advertising to sales and web design/development, the Academy is often a great place to start your education, especially on a budget!

HubSpot’s wide variety of courses will give you a solid foundational understanding of digital marketing and some best practices so you can confidently start applying the knowledge or continue learning from a more robust source. 

HubSpot offers this training for free as part of lead generation efforts for their marketing and sales software. There’s even training geared around using their tools (but those tools are not necessary to take or benefit from most of the courses). 

HubSpot Academy has individual courses as well as certifications (which are made up of more extensive lessons and some kind of exam/assignments that earns you a certificate). 

If you’re using HubSpot or trying to get a job with a company that uses HubSpot, getting certified through them is a fantastic idea for your career so you can display that badge on your LinkedIn profile and resume.

Moz’s SEO Learning Center

If your focus is primarily on SEO, Moz’s SEO Learning Center is a great hub of articles and videos for you.

While not as wide-ranging as HubSpot Academy, Moz is one of the leaders in the SEO space and has always done a great job with education around its core topics.

Some specific topics include in-depth learning on:

• Ranking and visibility
• On-site SEO
• Links and link building
• Local SEO
• Keywords and keyword research

Topics are updated as needed, with event recordings being added when available and guides like their new Keyword Research Master Guide added semi-regularly.

Being the SEO boss that they are, each of Moz’s learning center pages is well-structured to find more about what you’re looking for.

The main column is a filterable list of all of the articles and videos they have around the topic. Most of the videos are from previous MozCon events.

On the left, you have links to Fundamentals as well as Related Resources, so you can dig further into your particular interest.

The Moz Learning Center is actually well-positioned for you to build your own SEO journey, but you’re not limited to just SEO for that.

Build your own path

There is a ton of content out there for you to learn from.

And if your limitation is your budget, then you can invest time instead to build a training program for yourself.

You can think of it like a "question deeper" method.

Set aside an hour to start.

Depending on how you like to consume content, search Google and YouTube for a topic you want to learn about. There is most likely a handful of articles and videos around that thing.

Start reading and watching. When you get to something you don’t understand or want to learn more about, make note of it.

When you finish consuming that piece of content, ask about that new thing in Google and YouTube. Repeat the cycle until you run out of time or gain the knowledge you’re looking for.

Your process may look like this.

Let’s say we want to learn more about “email marketing best practice.” First stop: Google.

A number of results come up, and I think I’ll check out SendGrid’s article at the bottom.

A few paragraphs in, I see they recommend experimenting with A/B testing. That’s something I’d want to learn more about.

Now I may hop over to YouTube to see if I can have someone walk through examples of “email marketing A/B testing.”

During the video(s) I watch, I’d keep note of any references mentioned or from the description so I could dig deeper into further resources.

This "question deeper" process may take a bit longer than a curated course, but it’s free and you can stumble on some real gems.

Online digital marketing training under $50 per month

If you’re serious about leveling up your digital marketing abilities and you have some budget, you’ll want to sign up for paid online learning.

Paid learning has a few benefits over free, including:

• The quality tends to get better (not always the case)
• It’s a more curated experience than building your own path
• You’re more likely to pay attention and apply what you learn because you paid for it

There are some great options in this range, and they cover a wide range of topics (especially this next choice).

LinkedIn Learning - $30 per month (or $20 per month paid annually)

Hands down the most extensive learning platform on this list, LinkedIn Learning provides a huge range of learning topics with over 16,000 courses. If you need to learn more than just digital marketing, this is a great option at a reasonable price.

There is a little more variability in production quality than others in this article, depending on the courses you choose, but you have access to so many options you won’t feel like you wasted money.

When it comes to digital marketing in particular, there are over almost 300 results.

Holy smokes.

Where do you start?

What comes next?

Luckily, they have tracks to help get you started.

LinkedIn does have a specific track for becoming a Digital Marketing Specialist, covering topics like fundamentals, Google Analytics, content marketing, social media, email, and graphic design.

And since LinkedIn Learning has such a wide range of learning topics, you can dig further into these or supplement them with some of their other offerings.

MarketingProfs - ~$49 per month ($595 paid annually)

MarketingProfs PRO is a very reputable option for dedicated marketing training.

MarketingProfs focuses heavily on tactics and steps toward execution. In other words, instead of fumbling around trying to put together a plan to act on from free resources, their courses are designed to give you marketing tactics you can act on right away.

Courses cover topics such as marketing strategy, automation, retaining talent, email marketing, and account-based marketing.

Plus, in addition to courses, you’ll have access to a webinar series, writing bootcamp, a PRO-only Facebook group, and some other benefits.

All-in-all, great option if your focus is digital marketing and you have an average budget around $50 per month.

Online digital marketing training under $100 per month

When you’re able to move into the next tier up of training, you have some great options. 

These platforms tend to be a little more niche, so one may call to you over another based on the digital marketing offerings, but a big benefit to the platforms at this price point is that they tend to be more curated and higher quality.

Something else you want to start considering at this price point is “what else comes with this?”

What’s the community like around this platform?

Are there any other tools included in your monthly membership?

Content Marketing Institute University - ~$83/mo ($995 paid annually)

If you’re focusing on content marketing, CMI U should be on your list to check out.

As part of your annual enrollment, you’ll receive a core content marketing curriculum plus over 50 lessons that allow you to focus on your area of expertise.

The core content includes six modules that are required for you to get your certificate through them. The current modules are:

• The 2020 State Of Content: The Rise Of A Functional Strategy
• The Performer: The Content Marketing Product Plan
• Personas: Investing In Audiences Vs. Buyers
• The Architecture Of Business Storytelling
• Measurement By Design
• Story Map Your Operation

Some of the other lessons include topics such as:

• Create A Brand Strategy Before Developing Your Visual Strategy
• Mapping Personas To Engagement Cycles
• Storytelling For Channels
• Evolving Content Into Strategic Thought Leadership: Moving From Content Producers To Story-driven Thought Leaders

There is a benefit to being a return learner: Your annual membership drops to $595 per year as an alumni (~$50 per month)!

DigitalMarketer Lab - $95 per month

DigitalMarketer Lab has a broader scope than Content Marketing Institute University, as well as a combination of materials and resources to help jumpstart various areas of your digital marketing.

You’ll get access to playbooks (walkthroughs, templates, and examples), tactical workshops (live and recorded), a large community, and discounts and deals on digital marketing tools like ManyChat (Facebook Messenger and SMS marketing), OptinMonster (conversion software), and ActiveCampaign (marketing automation, email marketing, CRM).

They also have a two-week free trial, so you can give it a try before starting your monthly payments with them.

IMPACT+ Pro - $99 per month

Here’s the thing about marketing: if it doesn’t lead to sales, what’s the point?

That’s why IMPACT’s digital marketing training, IMPACT+, is deeply influenced by marketing’s relationship with sales, and ultimately focuses on moving the sales needle.

IMPACT+ includes:

• A growing library of courses (24 and counting)
• A full repository of all IMPACT’s event recordings (live and virtual)

• Engaged online Communities around various topics and roles
• A virtual peer group seat included with all Pro memberships
• An interactive scorecard to track your progress
• Upcoming business tools to help you plan, assign, and track your growth

High-quality, curated content is important. But even more important is taking action on what you’ve learned.

That’s why the integration of supporting tools in IMPACT+ are so valuable.

You can start a discussion around a roadblock you’re having and get responses from other people on the same journey as you.

You can join an intimate virtual peer group, led by an IMPACT subject matter expert, that keeps you on top of your game and always getting fresh ideas.

IMPACT+ is here to help you learn, apply, and crush your metrics.

Online Digital Marketing Training Over $100 per month

Once you go over $100 per month, you really want to look into what you’re getting over and above the other less expensive options.

CXL Institute - ~$108 per month ($1,299 paid annually)

When it comes to focusing on data-driven marketing skills, CXL is the platform to beat.

CXL finds some of the top marketing talent in the industry, like Momoka Price (copywriting and messaging master) and Val Geisler (conversion booster and churn buster).

Then CXL helps them create exceptional, deep-dive courses that bring unique insights that you may not hear of anywhere else.

More than just how something works on the surface, these courses dig deeper into advanced strategies and are highly regarded across the marketing industry.

With over 50 courses ranging from Attribution and Branding to Advanced AI and Applied Neuromarketing, you’ll certainly have a lot of educational content to consume through your membership.

They also have some free courses if you want to see how their courses work.

DigitalMarketer Lab Elite - $2985 annually (paid in three installments)

If you’re looking for a program to help you apply what you learn, a great choice is DigitalMarketer’s Lab Elite.

This includes the benefits from DM Lab above, with some additional courses, certifications, and direct coaching.

Their claim for coaching is to help you double your sales in the next year through a combination of:

• Building a custom growth strategy
• Tackling your specific bottlenecks and barriers
• Being an accountability partner to help you execute your marketing plans

When it comes to online digital marketing training, you’re in control

And the best part is?

None of your choices have to be exclusive!

Learn something in a MarketingProfs course and want to dig deeper?

Google and YouTube it, you may even stumble on a niche course for it. Scratch the surface in HubSpot Academy, but want to go more advanced? Try CXL. 

If you have the budget, I would actually recommend joining more than one learning platform. It’s incredibly helpful to get multiple perspectives and even if you re-affirm the same information it can help you retain it by learning it a little differently.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, there’s an online digital marketing training resource for you!