Digital Marketing

Understanding how small businesses work is the first step to becoming a successful marketer. In this module, you'll gain valuable insight into the inner workings of small businesses.

Lesson 1: Small Businesses

Covers what makes a business "small", the different types of small businesses, key challenges and growth opportunities.

Lesson 2: Target Markets

• What is a target market?
• Demographics, psychographics and behavioral data
• Case study: How Glossier targets Gen Z
• Build your own audience profile and download the worksheet

Lesson 3: Niche Markets

• What defines a niche?
• Why niche markets can be more profitable
• Case study: Beardbrand and the men's grooming niche
• Identify a niche in your own idea or project, with a template

Lesson 4: Value Proposition

• What is a value proposition?
• Examples of strong vs. weak value propositions
• How to test your value proposition
• Write your own using our worksheet

Lesson 5: SWOT Analysis

• Introduction to SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
• Real-world example: Patagonia's SWOT
• Interactive: assess your own brand or idea
• Downloadable SWOT template

Lesson 6: Introduction to Acadium

• What is Acadium?
• What makes the learning model unique?
• How to use Acadium to gain hands-on experience
• Set your learning goals inside the platform

Lesson 7: Customer Journey Maps

• What is a customer journey map?
• Touchpoints and decision stages
• Real example: a journey map for a local gym
• Create your own journey map with our template

Lesson 8: Business Growth

• What does growth mean for different businesses?
• Scaling vs. sustaining
• Common growth channels: referrals, digital, local partnerships
• Choose your growth strategy worksheet

Every business needs a marketing strategy to build awareness and attract customers. This module explains which strategies work and which ones don't.

Lesson 1: Marketing Terms

• Why marketers use specific terminology for different activities
• The most common terms for email, social media and search engine marketing
• Example: a real campaign brief, with each term decoded
• Build your own marketing glossary with the downloadable template

Lesson 2: Return on Investment (ROI)

• Why ROI is the key metric for judging a campaign
• The ROI formula and how to apply it to your own numbers
• Example: two campaigns with the same spend and very different ROI
• Calculate ROI with the downloadable ROI calculator

Lesson 3: Marketing Mix

• The decisions a company makes when marketing a product or service
• The components of the marketing mix and how they fit together
• Example: how a well-known brand adjusted its marketing mix
• Map the marketing mix for a business with the worksheet

Lesson 4: Types of Media

• The three main types of media for reaching online and offline audiences
• How to choose and combine media types for a goal
• Example: a campaign that used all three media types
• Plan a media mix with the media planning worksheet

Lesson 5: SMART Goals

• What the SMART acronym means for marketing goals
• Turning vague goals into specific, measurable ones
• Example: a vague goal rewritten as a SMART goal
• Write your own SMART goals with the goal template

Lesson 6: Measuring Data

• Why accurate, relevant numbers matter when measuring campaigns
• The most useful metrics to track and where they come from
• Example: a dashboard that tracked the right numbers versus the wrong ones
• Choose your metrics with the data tracking sheet

Lesson 7: Conversion Funnels

• What a conversion funnel is and why it organizes campaigns
• The stages of a funnel and the goal of each
• Example: a funnel from first click to purchase, stage by stage
• Map a funnel for a business with the funnel template

The final exam brings the course together:

• Multiple-choice questions covering both modules
• An optional capstone: complete the business plan template in your playbook
• A certificate with a verification code and a LinkedIn-ready badge