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The digital marketing landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and it can be challenging for marketers to keep up. Luckily, there are many reputable companies that offer online courses so that marketers can expand their knowledge. And in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many MarTech companies are even offering their learning material for free. “It’s important, especially in this work environment,” stated Tom Brodbeck, SEO Specialist at Fishers, I.N.-based Found Search Marketing, “to continue to learn new skillsets.”
Only those marketers that put in the effort to continuously learn can avoid falling behind as digital marketing becomes more technological and data-driven than ever before. “Being a well-rounded marketer,” he continued, “lets you think more broadly about problems your client may face rather than the one or two areas you specialize in.”
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best free martech resources digital marketers should consider in 2020.
1. Google Analytics Academy
The Google Analytics Academy is a set of free courses by Google. Marketers can learn Google Analytics from the basics through to advanced use of the platform. There’s also more in-depth courses on specific features and mini-courses on other related topics. After going through the courses, marketers have the option to test their knowledge and get certified.
Along with training for Google Analytics, there are also courses for using Google Data Studio and Google Tag Manager. These tools go beyond the reporting and tracking capabilities of the core Google Analytics product offering so that marketing teams can better leverage data insights to formulate marketing strategies.
2. Marketo Free Training
Marketo has a number of free courses related to email marketing as well as courses for using Marketo Engage specifically. These courses cover topics like personalized email strategies, cross-channel marketing, lead management, and data analytics. Marketers and sales teams can develop crucial skills for leveraging email to generate qualified leads and improve conversions.
3. HubSpot Academy
HubSpot Academy offers free courses on nearly every area of digital marketing. This includes its own certifications in inbound sales, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and more. There is also training for HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub SaaS solutions.
Along with its training in the major areas of digital marketing, HubSpot Academy offers courses on more interesting niche topics. These include contextual marketing to tailor websites to specific individuals and frictionless sales to improve the efficiency of sales processes. There is an enormous variety of courses available, even for marketers that aren’t interested in using HubSpot’s products themselves.
4. Google Skillshop
Skillshop is a set of free online training programs for Google’s suite of professional tools and solutions. Most of these products are invaluable for marketers, such as Google Ads, Google Ad Manager, Google Marketing Platform, and other tools related to paid advertising on the Google search engine.
For Google Ads, in particular, Skillshop has free certification courses for display ads, search ad campaigns, ad campaign optimization, Youtube ads, and Google Shopping ads. That’s not to mention more specific courses for YouTube, local search, and other non-marketing related topics like the Android ecosystem.
5. Google Digital Garage
Yet another free Google resource is the Digital Garage. This is a massive repository of free courses on a wide range of topics and industries, including digital marketing. Most of the marketing-related courses are focused on the basics, with a free certification program available called the fundamentals of digital marketing.
There are also beginner courses available that marketers may want to take to understand relevant topics outside of digital marketing, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, online business security, storytelling, and more. For those companies suddenly working remote, courses like digital well-being, team building, and the fundamentals of everyday leadership may be of interest as well.
6. Moz Academy (Free for a Limited Time)
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Moz Academy will be free through the end of May. There are courses available from the fundamentals to more advanced topics related to search engine optimization. Marketers can learn everything from keyword research and backlinking strategies to on-page and off-page SEO optimization tactics. There is also training for Moz’s SEO products Moz Pro and Moz Local as well.
While it’s not free, Moz Academy does offer a certification program for SEO professionals. This training focuses on using the Moz toolset to find and target competitive search engine results pages (SERPs) as well as leveraging SEO within a broader digital marketing strategy. Moz is a leading authority for SEO, so marketers that want to build credibility should consider taking advantage of their courses while they’re available for free.