# Digital Marketing Fundamentals — Course Outline

## Course Overview
An immersive, beginner‑to‑intermediate program that demystifies the core concepts, tools, and tactics of digital marketing. Learners will build a complete, data‑driven marketing plan, gain hands‑on experience with industry‑standard platforms, and leave with a portfolio‑ready project.

## Who This Course Is For
- Aspiring marketers, entrepreneurs, and small‑business owners  
- Career changers looking to enter the digital marketing field  
- Professionals who need a solid foundation to complement existing skills (e.g., sales, product, design)  

## Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
1. Define and apply the key components of a digital marketing strategy.  
2. Conduct audience research and create buyer personas.  
3. Set measurable objectives and select appropriate KPIs.  
4. Execute and optimize campaigns across SEO, SEM, social, email, and content channels.  
5. Analyze performance data using Google Analytics and reporting dashboards.  
6. Present a comprehensive digital marketing plan with a budget and timeline.

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## Module 1: Foundations of Digital Marketing
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 1.1 What Is Digital Marketing? | Overview of the digital ecosystem and its evolution. | Explain the difference between traditional and digital marketing. | Video |
| 1.2 The Digital Marketing Funnel | Walkthrough of awareness → consideration → conversion stages. | Map customer journeys to funnel stages. | Video + Worksheet |
| 1.3 Core Channels & Their Roles | Intro to SEO, SEM, Social, Email, Content, Affiliate, and Influencer. | Identify which channel fits specific business goals. | Video |
| 1.4 Setting SMART Goals | Framework for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time‑bound goals. | Write three SMART marketing objectives for a case study. | Worksheet + Quiz |

## Module 2: Audience Research & Persona Development
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 2.1 Market Segmentation Basics | Demographic, psychographic, behavioral segmentation. | Segment a market using real‑world data. | Video |
| 2.2 Building Buyer Personas | Templates and tools for persona creation. | Create two detailed buyer personas for a product. | Worksheet |
| 2.3 Competitive Analysis | Using SWOT, gap analysis, and digital tools (SEMrush, Ahrefs). | Conduct a competitive audit and summarize findings. | Video + Quiz |
| 2.4 Voice of the Customer (VoC) | Surveys, interviews, and social listening techniques. | Design a short VoC survey and interpret results. | Worksheet |

## Module 3: Content Strategy & SEO Fundamentals
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 3.1 Content Marketing Principles | Types of content, storytelling, and the content calendar. | Draft a 4‑week content calendar aligned with personas. | Worksheet |
| 3.2 Keyword Research & Intent | Tools (Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest) and mapping intent. | Generate a keyword list for a chosen topic and classify intent. | Video + Worksheet |
| 3.3 On‑Page SEO Essentials | Title tags, meta descriptions, headings, URL structure, internal linking. | Optimize a sample blog post for on‑page SEO. | Video + Quiz |
| 3.4 Technical SEO Basics | Site speed, mobile‑first, XML sitemaps, robots.txt. | Conduct a quick technical audit using Google PageSpeed Insights. | Video |
| 3.5 Link Building Strategies | Earned, editorial, outreach, and guest posting tactics. | Plan a 5‑step outreach campaign for backlinks. | Worksheet |

## Module 4: Paid Media – SEM & Social Advertising
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 4.1 Google Ads Overview | Account structure, keyword match types, ad formats. | Set up a basic Search campaign with ad groups and ads. | Video + Worksheet |
| 4.2 Campaign Budgeting & Bidding | CPC, CPM, CPA, automated bidding strategies. | Choose the appropriate bidding model for a case study. | Quiz |
| 4.3 Facebook & Instagram Ads | Audience targeting, ad creative, placement options. | Build a mock Facebook ad set using Business Manager. | Video + Worksheet |
| 4.4 LinkedIn & Twitter Ads Basics | B2B targeting, sponsored content, lead gen forms. | Design a LinkedIn Sponsored Content campaign. | Video |
| 4.5 Tracking & Attribution | UTM parameters, conversion pixels, multi‑touch attribution. | Implement UTM tagging for all ads in a sample plan. | Worksheet + Quiz |

## Module 5: Email Marketing & Marketing Automation
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 5.1 Email List Building | Opt‑in forms, lead magnets, GDPR/CCPA compliance. | Create a lead magnet and opt‑in form mock‑up. | Video + Worksheet |
| 5.2 Crafting Effective Emails | Subject lines, copywriting, design, CTA best practices. | Write three high‑performing email copy variations. | Worksheet |
| 5.3 Automation Workflows | Drip campaigns, behavioral triggers, segmentation. | Map an automation workflow for onboarding new customers. | Video + Quiz |
| 5.4 Metrics that Matter | Open rate, CTR, conversion, list health, ROI. | Analyze a sample email report and recommend improvements. | Worksheet |
| 5.5 Integrations & CRM Basics | Connecting email platforms with CRMs and e‑commerce. | Set up a basic integration using Zapier or native connectors. | Video |

## Module 6: Analytics, Reporting & Optimization
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 6.1 Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Intro | Navigation, events, audiences, and reporting. | Build a custom GA4 dashboard for a website. | Video + Worksheet |
| 6.2 KPI Selection & Dashboards | Aligning metrics with business goals. | Choose five KPIs for a digital campaign and justify each. | Quiz |
| 6.3 A/B Testing & CRO Basics | Designing tests, statistical significance, landing page optimization. | Design an A/B test plan for a landing page. | Worksheet |
| 6.4 Data‑Driven Decision Making | Interpreting data, presenting insights, stakeholder communication. | Create a 5‑slide performance presentation for a mock client. | Video + Assignment |
| 6.5 Continuous Improvement Loop | Using insights to iterate across channels. | Draft a 30‑day optimization roadmap based on test results. | Worksheet |

## Module 7: Capstone Project – Build a Complete Digital Marketing Plan
| Lesson | Description | Learning Objective | Format |
|--------|-------------|--------------------|--------|
| 7.1 Project Brief & Research | Choose a real or fictional business, gather data. | Conduct market and competitor research for the chosen business. | Worksheet |
| 7.2 Strategy Development | Define goals, personas, channel mix, budget. | Produce a written strategy document (2‑3 pages). | Assignment |
| 7.3 Tactical Execution Plans | Create campaign briefs for SEO, paid, email, social. | Deliver three tactical campaign briefs with assets outlines. | Assignment |
| 7.4 Measurement & Reporting | Set KPIs, build reporting template. | Assemble a reporting dashboard in Google Data Studio or similar. | Worksheet |
| 7.5 Presentation & Peer Review | Record a 10‑minute pitch, receive feedback. | Present the full plan confidently and incorporate feedback. | Video + Peer Review |

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## How to Deliver This Course
1. **Learning Management System (LMS)** – Host videos, worksheets, quizzes, and assignments in a platform like Thinkific, Kajabi, or Teachable.  
2. **Content Formats**  
   - **Video**: 8–12 min micro‑lectures (high‑quality slides + talking head).  
   - **Worksheets**: Downloadable PDFs/Google Docs with step‑by‑step prompts.  
   - **Quizzes**: 5–10 multiple‑choice questions per module for knowledge checks.  
   - **Assignments**: Practical tasks graded via rubrics; peer review for the capstone.  
3. **Community** – Private Discord or Facebook Group for Q&A, networking, and feedback loops.  
4. **Live Sessions** – Optional weekly 60‑min office hours (Zoom) for deeper dive and troubleshooting.  
5. **Certification** – Issue a digital certificate upon ≥80 % quiz scores and successful capstone submission.  
6. **Marketing the Course** – Use a mini‑funnel: lead magnet (digital marketing checklist), email nurture series, limited‑time discount, and affiliate partnership outreach.  

*End of Curriculum.*