Adding value to a product or service helps brands or companies generate more engagement. The more engagement brands or companies get, the more likely they will make sales. This simple equation explains why marketing is essential in any business. Of course, it is still possible to make sales without marketing but actively convincing potential buyers to make a purchase can lead to more fruitful results.

But besides reaching out, the internal aspect of marketing makes the efforts of companies and brands more meaningful. Marketing analysis will help stakeholders realize if their strategies are working or not. Having high-level knowledge and training in marketing will be critical when deciding on practical matters.

Marketing, as a skill, applies to every aspect of a business. It is usable from the beginning, like pitching ideas and ensuring that your marketing plans get approved. But, it will also be indispensable when it is time to execute the said marketing plan. The applicability of marketing concepts and strategies stretches out through the entire life stage of a business.

During the Internet Age, marketing skills are more in-demand than ever. The rise of new platforms to feature products and services has made good marketers a must-have for every institution.

The most common way to learn marketing is to acquire a college degree. Business schools offer curricula for marketing with several variations depending on the program's focus. Graduates should have a comprehensive background on the subject and its applicability in several fields. However, this mode of learning marketing can be time-consuming and expensive.

You can also opt to learn by yourself. There are endless resources on the Internet, so it is easier to be self-taught today. However, this path is more challenging since you will learn haphazardly and irregularly. No expert will be there to guide you. Expect to make mistakes at all times.

The safer, faster, and more accessible way of learning marketing is by taking online classes. These courses do not have the same weight as college programs, but institutions that host them publish certifications for the completers. At Skill Success, we collaborated with industry experts to make every one of our programs.

The beauty of online marketing courses is that they are more specific and concise. For example, you do not have to learn content marketing if you are only specializing in market analysis. There is no need to go through years' worth of content you do not want to use.

Marketing is a broad study. It covers theoretical and practical approaches to promoting products and services to intended audiences. A more in-depth look into marketing would reveal that this subject has more variations to offer than what meets the eye.

Here are some of the most critical topics that you can encounter while studying marketing:

1. Market research. Market research begins with the identification of stakeholders, opportunities, and risks. It creates an image of what the playing field looks like for a particular industry. Without this information, marketers will have difficulty establishing effective plans.

Market research also investigates market behavior and trends to create better business plans. It is a primordial step that prepares brands and companies before implementing marketing strategies. Therefore, stakeholders should make their market research as comprehensive as possible to preempt unwanted incidents.

2. Marketing analytics. Marketing analytics is related to marketing research, but the former is more evaluative. After considering the most crucial marketing statistics, trends, and factors, marketing analysts draw research-based guesses regarding how marketing campaigns and events could play out.

Marketing analytics focuses on how to transform raw data into feasible solutions. It is usually relevant for generating ROIs and identifying the tactics for maintaining successful outputs. Overall, marketing analytics takes care of planning, management, and evaluation of marketing activities.

3. Marketing strategy. After knowing what could go wrong and the possible reasons for the disasters, the next step would be creating actionable plans to drive success. Studying how to build a marketing strategy is elementary for any brand or business owner.

Marketing courses often discuss examples of marketing strategies. Always explore options because every situation is different, and the consequences can have varying levels of severity. One approach may not work well even though the existing circumstances are similar.

4. Marketing campaign. There are numerous marketing campaigns, and each of them serves a particular purpose. Marketing courses often discuss marketing campaigns because they are the physical manifestation of marketing research and analytics.

Even if a campaign is planned smoothly, there is no assurance that the execution stage will have a similar result. It is critical to consider every step and the potential consequences of every action. Also, marketing campaigns should look closely into timings because having one wrong thing at the wrong time can ruin everything.

5. Product management. Product management is a process that runs through a product's entire life cycle. It is an essential factor for marketers because they should have a complete understanding of a product to know how to advertise them in the best light.

Also, product management may include determining how a product or service may evolve to become more attractive to clients. Marketers should look into this matter because the marketplace is constantly competitive. Therefore, they should be responsible for how a product or service would change from time to time.

6. Public relations. Good marketing relies on good PR. After all, marketers try to sell products and services to a specific group of people. Therefore, products and services should have an appeal that would make them sellable to an intended audience.

Besides making an impression, marketing also aims to create lasting relations with clients. Through marketing, brands and companies could gain the loyalty of their audience and establish a consistent source of income. In contrast, bad PR could destroy the public image of a brand or company.

It is possible to learn marketing through personal efforts. You can start by researching, learning from others, and getting involved with marketing activities. It will be challenging to grasp the basic concepts and techniques, but you will eventually learn through practice. Nowadays, many self-taught marketers are successful in the field.

Like any profession, trying to learn independently can be more complicated. After all, there are no instructions you can follow. It might be necessary to wing every challenge that comes your way because no one is there to guide you. Expect the trial-and-error process to be arduous.

To avoid this dilemma, opt for online courses. E-learning platforms like Skill Success break down lessons into smaller chapters. Every chapter has clearly and replicable step-by-step guides. Learning on your own will still take a lot of effort, but it will no longer be a directionless endeavor. The program already lays the activities and lessons you must follow.

Marketing careers are not similar to being a doctor or a lawyer. If you are planning to practice after finishing online courses, it is possible to practice even without a license. Some jobs do not require previous work experience as long as you are willing to undergo training.

Marketing is one of the subjects you can learn online and by yourself. If you find a reliable source, it will be easier to acquire new skills without being in a physical classroom or training center.

There is an unending supply of websites for marketing courses. Here are some of the best today:

1. Skill Success. Skill Success is one of the most accessible and trustworthy spaces for e-learning. It houses more than 3,000 courses, including those specialized in marketing. In addition, learners will not run out of classes to explore because the Skill Success team uploads new and updated content weekly. Skill Success has a special offer of $15 per month under its All Access Pass promo. This subscription-based service allows pass holders to access everything on the site. In addition, learners can enjoy expert-made courses that come with a certificate for every completion.

You can explore marketing classes and other webinars on your phone, tablet, personal computer, and other devices. The website is flexible to all platforms, giving learners the best viewing experience as they learn new things.

Besides being flexible to many platforms, the courses in Skill Success are also flexible to all learning styles. Regardless of one's learning capacity, the courses will always be simplified, direct, and easy-to-understand.

2. Hubspot Academy. Hubspot Academy is another alternative to high-quality e-learning, especially regarding marketing. It boasts courses that help learners improve their professional careers and grow businesses. For example, it has digital classes about inbound marketing optimization, LinkedIn marketing, and MS Excel usage for marketers.

Hubspot Academic offers a variety of marketing courses. Learners who complete a course can share the certification on their LinkedIn profiles. However, not all of its courses provide certificates upon completion; only those marked as "certification courses" do.

3. Udemy. Udemy's marketing course category page is oozing with courses that beginners and experts can use. They offer e-classes on marketing basics, social media marketing, branding, Search Engine Optimization, and the list goes on. Unlike other sites, the courses they offer have individual prices.

Udemy has a comprehensive filtering option that helps learners customize their experience with the website. For example, learners can use the left sidebars to filter courses according to star rating, duration, topic, subcategory, level, language, price, features, and subtitles.

4. Skillshare. Skillshare is another digital platform that many people worldwide love and trust. It is an e-learning library that rose to fame due to its promise of providing quality education through thorough instructional videos. Skillshare later became more flexible and expanded its subject range, which included subjects like marketing.

Skillshare is proud of its course authors' ability to communicate with learners at a personal level. Most educational videos have high production value, making learning more impactful and enjoyable.

5. edX. edX is an e-learning platform created by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It hosts highly academic web courses drafted by scholars and experienced industry leaders. Besides having top-tier courses, edX prides itself on giving having an expansive trove of e-classes.

Upon browsing its selections, edX learners can segregate the classes according to the contributing school. For its marketing courses, edX mostly outsourced classes from elite universities like Columbia University, Berkeley University, and the University of British Columbia.

There are multiple career paths that marketing opens. Here are some of them:

1. Digital marketer. A digital marketer ensures that a company or campaign website, social media page, and other digital platforms are accessible to the target audience. They optimize the structure and content of all marketing tools to drive relevant traffic to the intended outlets. In addition, they track campaigns and improve them when necessary.

There are many types of digital marketers. They can focus on aspects like social media marketing, copywriting, Search Engine Optimization, e-commerce marketing, and more. All of these have unique goals, but they share similar marketing principles and tools.

2. Content marketing specialist. In comparison to digital marketers, content marketing specialists focus on the internal workings of an advertisement or campaign. Content marketing specialists create and edit the content of marketing tools and ensure that they are relevant to what the client is going for. Since they are hands-on with content creation, their insights are necessary for drafting a comprehensive marketing plan.

Content marketing specialists also focus on building brand identities. Therefore, they should develop concepts and outputs that represent the voice and character of a brand.

3. Marketing analyst. Marketing analysts have two major roles, studying and analyzing. First, they go through bulks of data regarding market trends, consumer behavior, and other relevant raw data that companies can infer to create an effective business plan in the future. Secondly, they provide a well-though insight into what they have examined.

Their analysis reports help companies understand their financial standing better. In addition, marketing analysts also guide businesses and other stakeholders toward making more holistic decisions when addressing corporate problems. Marketing analysts help prevent or address the said problems.

4. PR representative. The public relations (PR) representative acts as the brand manager. They decide on how the company or a company communicates with clients and other stakeholders. As a result, companies or campaigns can develop an amiable public image that helps them sell products and services through their guidance.

PR representatives take care of press releases. They also have a hand in the creation of media clips and brochures to ensure that these tools reflect the messaging that would give a brand or campaign the most engagement.

5. Event marketer. Marketing is not only limited to promotional activities that appeal to target audiences' visual and auditory senses. It is also possible to promote brands and campaigns through experiential events where clients and companies interact. This type of marketing is called event marketing.

Event marketers prepare, execute, and assess promotional events. They will work on building interest for the event to influence the target audience to pay attention to the brand behind it. Event marketers have to be resourceful, relentless, and creative because they handle all affairs relating to before, during, and after an event happens.

6. Brand manager. Brand managers are responsible for creating and maintaining a brand's face. Brands need a distinct "face" to stand out from competitors and be memorable to the target audience. Without it, they will fade into the background and have lesser chances of making engagements and sales.

Brand managers work at a dynamic pace because they constantly adjust brands to fit with trends. Brands do not have to lose their identities, but they should be versatile to survive changing demands and interests. Brand managers should also utilize all appropriate marketing tools to solidify their clients' brand identities.

Marketing is one of the many professions that flourished due to technological developments. Instead of only being exclusive to print, television, and radios, it now has an unlimited reach thanks to the Internet. Like most disciplines that branched out today, the requirements to become a marketer have grown less stringent.

Are you any of the following? - High school graduate - Undergraduate - Fresh graduate - Career shifter - Stay-at-home parent - Unemployed - Hobbyist - Business owner - Freelancer

If so, online marketing can be beneficial to you. It is a flexible industry that transforms anyone into a full-fledged professional. Moreover, regardless of the field of concentration, the pay is competitive and satisfactory for workers.

Everybody can learn online marketing and make a living out of it. However, some companies may require applicants to be at least a college graduate. Others even demand said applicants to major in business-related courses. This background would help professionals adjust to concepts and practices associated with marketing.

Fortunately, the trend of work-based hiring is getting stronger. Companies are no longer as stringent with academic requirements when hiring employees. Consequently, it opens more opportunities for any person to get a legitimate and profitable marketing job. This trend continues to prove the point that anyone can be a marketer regardless of background and experience.

Some of the best marketing courses online are found in Skill Success. On top of being easy to understand, these courses are of a reasonable length so that learners can finish them quickly. Check the following for more information:

1. Advertising. An advertising course is an in-depth discussion on the art and scientific principles of influencing the target audience to support and engage with a specific brand or product. It has many focuses. Besides the techniques used in advertising, it also looks into how advertising affects potential clients and other stakeholders.

Advertising classes touch on different disciplines, like communication and psychology. After all, advertising is about drawing people in and making them do specific things that would benefit your clients. As the world gets more competitive, people with solid advertising backgrounds can have an edge.

2. Affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is one of the hottest and most used sales tactics today. It refers to the technique whereby a product or service owner collaborates with an affiliate who shares a similar target audience to recommend their products and services. As affiliates share the products and services with their audience, they earn commissions for every sale or engagement.

Affiliate marketing courses are essential for modern-day marketing. Brand owners should learn the ins and outs of this tactic because, when used well, it can trigger high ROIs.

3. Content writing. Content writing is essential for digital marketing and social media marketing purposes. It is crucial for creating blogposts, copies, infographics, and other marketing collaterals that require written inputs.

Content writing courses aim to train individuals to become better writers and effective marketers. Learners should improve their writing abilities to convey messages that resonate with clients and convince them to support a brand or campaign.

4. Copywriting. Copywriting is advertising in written form. It uses words to influence a target audience to take a particular action in favor of a brand or campaign. Compared to content writing, copywriting does not focus on providing detailed information.

Copywriting courses will help interested individuals and entities use a few words to attract clients. A one-liner can be worth a million bucks when phrased correctly.

5. Digital marketing. Digital marketing is the most influential mode of marketing during the Computer Age. It is the usage of marketing principles and practices that involves digital tools and personalities. Thanks to the Internet, digital marketing can bring attention to a brand or campaign wherever it may be in the world.

Digital marketing courses encompass strategies like social media marketing, influencer marketing, email marketing, and the like.

6. Marketing fundamentals. Before engaging in advanced marketing techniques and principles, learners should not forget the basics. Therefore, courses discussing marketing fundamentals are probably the most important courses to learn.

Courses on marketing fundamentals provide an overview of other marketing strategies and tools. They also establish the simplest forms of marketing and how they can branch out. Skipping this course would make it challenging for learners to go through more complicated marketing forms.

7. Search engine optimization. Search engine optimization aims to drive more organic traffic to websites. It utilizes keywords and links to build web pages appealing to search engines. Once web pages are optimized, they may appear on top of web searchers and become more visible to potential clients.

Search engine optimization courses contain a step-by-step process to manipulate organic search. These courses are best paired with content writing and copywriting courses.

8. Social media marketing. Social media platforms are the biggest marketing platforms today. While it has the broadest reach, it can be unpredictable. Learning about social media marketing will help brand owners and stakeholders utilize online trends.

Social media marketing courses will dive into how social media platforms work, especially the popular ones like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Each platform acts differently, so it is best to implement customized strategies.