With so many out there, you might find it hard to choose the right marketing course. We’re frequently asked by members of The Marketing Spaces Community, “What marketing course should I do?” or “Is this the right marketing course for me?”
Our CEO and Founder, Kara Stanford, is well placed to answer these questions. Since 2015, she has been teaching CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) qualifications, as well as designing all of our marketing courses.
Here’s what she always says to people.
First, decide what you want to get from it
Imagine you’re at the end of your marketing course – what have you achieved?
It’s a good idea to make this list and fill in each area as much as possible:
‘At the end of this course I want…
- …to know ABC
- …to be able to do XYZ
- …to say I have a qualification
- …to be able to prove that I know ABC and / or can do XYZ’
Answer these questions honestly to help you start to decide which marketing course is right for you. Let’s go through them together.
I want to know ABC
This means you have a specific need to increase your knowledge in a particular area of marketing. To choose the right marketing course, you must check that by the end of the course you will have that knowledge.
These types of marketing courses focus on a subject area, such as ‘Digital Marketing’ or ‘SEO’. They should clearly lay out which theories, ideas, and concepts you’re going to learn about.
Remember: gaining knowledge does not always mean you will know how to apply it.
For example, I have a lot of knowledge about SEO, but putting it all into practice would be painfully slow for me to do.
Typically, people need to ‘know’ about an area that they might be hiring other people to do or where they’re already practising in that area and want to keep their knowledge up to date or move to the next level.
So, I’m a practising Strategic Marketer and have been for over 10 years. I want to know how other Strategic Marketers are working and about new strategic models and how they fit in with current ones. Therefore, I look for ‘Give me knowledge’ based courses.
Top tip: figure out what you already know about this subject area, so you can choose a course that is pitched at the right level for you.
I want to be able to do XYZ
You need to come away from this course putting into practice what you have learnt. You’re looking for marketing courses that show you ‘How to do…’ whatever it is you need to be able to do.
With these marketing courses, check that they are pitched at the right level for you. Too low and you’ll sit there thinking, “I know how to do this already”, too high and you’ll be frustrated that it isn’t workable for you.
When I started out in marketing, I’d often attend courses to learn how to do things – they were frequently pitched too high for me. They assumed a size of budget or complexity that I wasn’t dealing with yet. I learnt to look for ones that clearly stated, ‘This is great if you want to work at X level’ or ‘This will help you do Y’.
Top tip: the best practical marketing courses show you in the course how to do what you need to do, taking you through it step by step and encouraging you to put it into practice there and then.
I want to have a marketing qualification
There are many reasons for wanting a marketing qualification. Ideally, it’s because you want to gain an in-depth knowledge of the theory of this amazing business function. Getting a qualification is hard work if you want one that’s worthwhile.
You need to choose a marketing course that gives you a marketing qualification if:
- you specialise in marketing and want to really master the area
- you want to progress your marketing career and stand out from the crowd
- you want to really understand the theory and techniques behind marketing,
Top tip: go to a reputable college, like Oxford College of Marketing (Oxcom) who help you decide which qualification is best for you and choose an option where you get live, Tutor led seminars so you can ask questions and get feedback.
It requires a lot of hard work and study, even for experienced marketers, to gain a professional marketing qualification so get good advice about it and invest in a good course provider.
I want to prove that I know ABC and / or can do XYZ
This is an interesting one. First, why do you feel you need to ‘prove’ your marketing knowledge or ability? If you’re in an environment where you aren’t respected based on your results and knowledge, then will ‘proof’ really help?
I always encourage people who are looking at a marketing course for this reason to think long and hard about why they feel under pressure to have ‘proof’ and whether anything will change once they have that ‘proof’.
The quickest way to get ‘proof’ is to do some short practical courses that give you particular skills and a ‘badge’ of recognition.
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A final thought… is this right for you?
Once you know what type of marketing course you want. How do you choose one that is right for you?
I recommend that, assuming the course you have found offers what you need, you look at:
- the time commitment: can you give the amount of time required and when it is required?
- the support offered: what happens if you get stuck? Or don’t understand something?
- the reputation of the company offering it: what do other people in a similar situation to you say about them and their courses?
And remember, if you do make a choice that isn’t ideal it’s not the end of the world – you will always learn something that is useful or interesting or helpful. There is learning in everything.
Do you need help choosing the right marketing course for you? If you have any more questions, please join our Members Only LinkedIn Group. I’ll be more than happy to help.
Kara Stanford
