How to start in digital marketing

Digital marketing covers search, social media, ads and analytics. A good start is to learn the basics, then run a small campaign of your own.

Good for: Beginners, small business owners and career changers. Typical time: 80–100 hours in total, depending on where you start.

The usual order of steps

1
Marketing basics≈ 20 h
Audiences, offers and how a campaign works.
2
SEO≈ 12 h
How people find pages in search engines.
3
Social media and ads≈ 18 h
Organic posts and paid campaigns.
4
Analytics≈ 15 h
Measure what works with free tools.
5
A first campaign≈ 25 h
Promote something real, even a small project, and report the results.

Free or paid?

Many good courses for each step are free; paid ones usually add a certificate, feedback from a teacher or a fixed schedule. Check the current price, dates and age limits on the provider’s own site before you pay.

Where to look for courses

Search these platforms for “Digital marketing”. Compare ratings, prices and the date of the last update before you choose.

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The hours are rough, typical figures, not promises. Plans are made by AI and may contain mistakes.