Whether you are looking to develop your skills and build a new career, digital marketing is an exciting field with plenty of opportunities. You can choose to self-study or take formal courses to learn digital marketing, and how long it takes you to learn digital marketing depends on the educational path you choose.
Digital marketing typically takes between six to twelve months to learn. However, how you decide to teach yourself about digital marketing will ultimately affect how long it takes. Additionally, if you already have had some exposure to digital marketing, it may take less time to master your skills.
With that said, you may be wondering how much time you should dedicate toward learning everything there is to know about digital marketing. In this article, we will break down key points to consider when deciding to invest your time to learn this subject.
Does It Take a Long Time to Learn Digital Marketing?
To become proficient in digital marketing, you don’t necessarily need a college degree. You may choose to learn on your own or take courses online; this can take years off the time it takes to learn digital marketing.
Plus, if you don’t have the time to devote to getting a two-year or four-year degree, or you can’t afford the tuition, educational resources for digital marketing are far less pricey and take less time to complete.
If you are relatively new to digital marketing, it may take a good six months to one year to learn; this includes the time spent taking classes, reading online or print materials, and practicing what you’ve been taught.
The time it takes to learn may be significantly less for a person with some digital marketing exposure. For example, suppose you are already familiar with digital marketing’s fundamental concepts, such as:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Email marketing
- Social media campaigns
- Pay-per-click (PPC)
- Mobile advertising
- Content marketing
In this case, the learning curve may be smaller. You may spend more time designing and testing campaigns to learn what works.
However, the time you devote to study digital marketing can also determine how long it takes you to learn. If you work during the day or have a limited amount of time to study digital marketing, it may take longer to learn; but, if you plan to dedicate several hours every week to this new craft, you may master digital marketing sooner than you think.
How Can I Learn Digital Marketing?
There are many ways to learn digital marketing. The length of time that it takes you to learn digital marketing depends on the level of commitment each method requires.
Online Classes
These classes can teach you various digital marketing skills ranging from search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, and social media. Some courses require you to pay a fee, whereas others are entirely free. Classes can range from a few hours to several weeks to complete.
Read Books and Articles
You can also pick up some great insight through blogs and eBooks. These are typically free resources that give relevant insight from digital marketing professionals. Reading these materials is a great way to stay current in a field that constantly changes. With blogs and eBooks requiring only a few minutes of your time, it may be a quick way to learn and expand your skillset.
If you are looking for materials that provide information about the basics, consider buying a digital marketing-related book. While reading a book may require a time commitment of several hours to get through, written materials help build a strong foundation in digital marketing.
Develop Your Skills
One of the best ways to learn digital marketing is to put your skills to the test. You may start by setting up a blog and trying out different digital marketing campaigns to see what works and where you can improve. Testing various approaches can give you much-needed practice in designing social media, email, and pay-per-click campaigns.
You may find that developing your skills takes the longest time when learning digital marketing. Practicing what you’ve learned takes the knowledge and skills you’ve gathered and puts them to the test. While learning the subject matter is essential, successfully implementing your ideas into successful digital marketing campaigns is critical.
Where Can I Learn Digital Marketing?
You’ll find the easiest and most popular places to gain knowledge about digital marketing are online. Various sites will contain a variety of digital marketing training content. Many of these platforms offer stand-alone classes, so you can search to find the ones that are most relevant to what you want to learn.
Many courses are free, although some platforms require a monthly subscription fee or that you pay a small amount per class. Additionally, the time it takes for you to complete the courses offered will differ across platforms.
- YouTube – A wide variety of digital marketing content can be found here. Unless you subscribe to a paid channel, most videos are free. They cover a wide range of digital marketing subjects such as SEO, PPC, email marketing, and social media campaigns. Most videos range from five to 15 minutes.
- LinkedIn Learning – If you are considering a digital marketing career, LinkedIn may be an excellent platform to learn from. They offer a wide range of courses for a small monthly fee. Plus, you can connect with other digital marketing professionals on LinkedIn, which can help grow your network.
- HubSpot – You can find a content marketing course that runs approximately four hours. The course focuses on creating content in the form of blogs, social media posts, and videos to drive traffic to a website.
- Udemy – This platform has a series of online classes focused on a wide range of subjects. You can find low-cost courses on SEO, email marketing, and other digital marketing topics. All classes can be viewed on-demand and may last up to an hour or longer.
Digital Marketing Certifications
If a structured approach is a better fit for your lifestyle, there are a variety of digital marketing certifications that you can pursue. Companies that offer digital marketing courses may be based in a country that is different than yours, so make sure that the certificate you choose is accepted where you live or work.
Google’s Digital Garage
Google offers a series of fundamental courses in digital marketing. They span 26 modules and take at least 40 hours to complete. When you pass the final exam, you can get a Certificate in Digital Marketing from Google. There is no cost to take these courses.
Digital Marketing Institute
This online platform offers certifications such as:
- Certified Digital Marketing Pro – This is a self-paced diploma that touches on several subjects, including mobile and social media marketing, Google Ads, and SEO. Once you complete the 30-hour course, you take a test to become certified. The average time students take to finish the classes ranges from eight to ten weeks, although you have up to 24 weeks to complete it.
- Certified Digital Marketing Expert – This is a post-graduate diploma focused on developing an effective digital strategy. The course runs 120 hours and requires you to pass an exam to become certified.
Facebook’s Blueprint Certification
If you want to develop your digital marketing skills on Facebook, their Blueprint Certification Program offers a series of certifications to focus on skills using Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Their Certified Digital Marketing Associate Program provides a series of free online videos to prepare you for the 90-minute exam.
Conclusion
As people continue to move toward online platforms to buy merchandise or read up on current events, digital marketing will continue to grow. With the average digital marketing manager pulling in an estimated $65,000 per year, it can be a lucrative career path to invest your time in.
Whether you are looking for a new profession or want to move up where you are, you can learn digital marketing in a mere six to twelve months.
