It’s a fallacy to think that once you have your Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree (or higher) in hand your personal learning curve is over! The reality is that learning never ends no matter what field you find yourself in. Once you grasp the concept that there are still things to master then consider yourself fortunate: You’ve broken the code regarding personal improvement! Now all you need to do is figure what courses to take, where and how much.
Keep learning, keep growing
For all those business persons, entrepreneurs and startup wanna-be’s you’ll be happy to know that there is a plethora of online business and marketing courses out there that are screaming for your enrollment. The online blog quicksprout.com has compiled a list of nearly two dozen courses that will enhance your business and marketing acumen. And I’m not talking about courses from schools you’ve never heard of. You’ll note some prestigious institutions and the really great thing is many of these courses are free or low-cost. So grab a notebook and a pencil and get ready because class is now in session.
Introduction to Marketing
Introduction to Marketing (University of British Columbia): Everyone needs to start somewhere, and this is the best place for marketers. This is a very introductory course that will give you a general overview of marketing. It’s not very difficult, but it will make the gaps in your marketing knowledge obvious. If you have a tough time clearly defining concepts such as market research and brand strategy, you should start here.
Networks, Crowds and Markets
Networks, Crowds and Markets (Cornell): This course, on the other hand, is fairly advanced. It’s a great course if you’re an analytics junkie. It mainly focuses on these concepts in the context of the Internet, which is ideal for most modern marketers. The main concepts covered in the course are:
– Applying game theory to various parts of marketing
– Understanding how marketing connects to various aspects of life (social, economic, technological)
– Exploring how ideas spread
Digital Branding and Engagement
Digital Branding and Engagement (Curtin University): This course is essentially DigitalBranding 101. Essentially, it provides a high-level look at ways of incorporating many of the tactics you read about on Quick Sprout and other marketing blogs into your marketing.
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics (MIT): Economics is a fundamental subject that all marketers should have at least a basic understanding of. This course is an introductory course to macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is a study of economics on a national basis. It’s good to understand how your industry as a whole responds to changes in:
– Output
– Employment and unemployment
– Interest rates
– Inflation
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics (MIT): This is the other side of economics, which is more interesting to most marketers. Microeconomics looks at economics on a much smaller scale: individuals, companies, and groups.
You’ll notice I am stopping with the top five courses. Click the link and enjoy the rest. And because I’m feeling somewhat generous today I’m including another link for even more online courses.
You can thank me later after you graduate. Now crack those books! There’s a test next Wednesday!
#FreeMarketingCourses
