Content marketing is the new ‘it’ thing.
From stay-at-home moms to full-fledged digital marketers, content marketing is something everybody is talking about these days.
And with the easy availability of digital platforms, everybody is now a content writer.
If you ask me, there are two types of content marketers.
The first category of content writers contains those who type out a few blogs on their computers, draft an email or two, or maybe whip up a social media post once in a while. To them, content writing is a hobby. A way to seem occupied. A part-time activity that makes them a few bucks alongside their regular job.
The second category of content marketers contains those who do all of this but very seriously. Their sole aim in life is not to churn out a run-of-the-mill blog but to create content that genuinely offers value to the reader. The study marketing principles, they study copywriting, they study buyer psychology, all with the intent of creating awesome content that resonates with their audience. They are passionate about content marketing!
If you want to become the first type of content marketer, this blog is not for you. If, however, you want to fit in the second category of content marketers, these resources will be insanely helpful in understanding the ropes of content marketing.
So, here are 15 online courses to get you started with content writing!
Content Marketing Courses for Beginners
These courses are a great starting point for those who want an introduction to the world of content marketing. You can safely pick up any of these, though I’d recommend starting with the Conversion Copywriting 101 course after you have a basic grasp of the concepts and terms in content marketing.
1. Content Marketing Certification by Hubspot [Free]
Hubspot is one of the most well-known names in the marketing world and they have an extensive library of resources for practically everything related to digital marketing. The Content Marketing Certification is one of the many courses offered by Hubspot Academy and covers the basics of content marketing quite well.
Top Highlights –
- Making use of storytelling for content marketing
- Building a content creation framework
- The trick to creating loads of interrelated topics and posts
2. Content Marketing Masterclass on Udemy [Paid]
This course gives an excellent overview of content marketing and all its related fields, like copywriting, Search Engine Optimization, and social media marketing. It doesn’t cover the topics in great depth, to be sure, but then, each of these are by themselves so vast that they can be independent courses.
Nevertheless, the masterclass gives a sufficient understanding of the precepts you need to know while stepping into the world of content marketing, so I’d say it’s a good enough start.
Top highlights –
- Introduction to all aspects of content marketing
- Optimizing content for search engines
- Basics of how to create a content marketing strategy
3. The Strategy of Content Marketing on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
The Strategy of Content Marketing is an extensive 14hr+ course that covers the element of content marketing strategy in detail. It is conducted on Coursera by Sonia Simone of Copyblogger fame, in association with the University of California, Davis.
If you have not heard of Copyblogger, let me tell you, it is one of the best content marketing platforms out there, and their blog is a treasure trove of content writing tips. I’d highly recommend this course for people who have a grasp on the basics of content marketing and are now ready to explore the content planning and management aspects more.
Top Highlights –
- Understanding the structure for effective content creation
- The 7A framework that powers content writing
- Mapping the buyer journey and accordingly creating topics
4. Content Marketing Foundations on LinkedIn Learning [Paid]
As the name suggests, this course will help you develop a strong foundation in content marketing, right from coming with topics, to writing, promoting, and analyzing them. The course is unique in a way such that it gives you the concepts and leaves you to explore. There aren’t fixed templates you need to stick to, which gives a lot of scope for experimentation.
Top Highlights –
- Learning to identify your audience
- Topic organization and creation
- Promoting content across owned, shared, free, and paid media
5. Social Media Certification by Hubspot [Free]
Social media is one of the most powerful platforms today, to make your content heard by the right audience, However, it is hardly a question of simply writing a post on Facebook or Instagram! You need to have a strong social media strategy in place, which is a part of your overall marketing strategy, based on the target goals of your company.
In this course, you get an introduction to social media strategy, the know-how of writing engaging posts, plus tips on ways to repeat successful campaigns. It’s like the potion you need to drink to give your social media marketing efforts an additional boost!
Top Highlights –
- Social media listening and monitoring
- Using social media for developing a strong peer network
- Understanding which campaigns work best for you and why, by measuring your campaign results
6. Content, Advertising, and Social IMC on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
Another course with a strong focus on social media, especially on the ways and means you can use to make your content go ‘viral’. Hang on! They don’t offer a sureshot methodology here, it is more about understanding the psychology and gamification you can use to make your content super-shareable.
It is a part of the Social Media Marketing Specialization offered by Northwestern University.
Top Highlights –
- Developing platform-specific advertising messages
- How to set up and measure Key Performance Indicators for your campaigns
- A/B testing your campaigns to see what works best for you
7. Conversion Copywriting 101 by Copyhackers [Free]
Copywriting is one of the aspects of content marketing that focuses on creating sales-focused content that converts. It is about understanding the stage of awareness of the visitor and writing copy that is scripted precisely for that level of awareness. And that’s applicable to all types of content — blogs, web pages, social media posts, PPC, and other content formats.
I will recommend this course to all novice as well as regular content marketers, as copywriting is one of the best skills you can develop to make your content more engaging!
Top Highlights –
- How to understand and classify the reader’s stages of awareness
- The difference between writing for landing pages and Home Pages
- Tips for writing click-inducing headlines
That covers my list of recommendations for content marketers who are just starting out and looking for courses to guide them on their way.
Now that we have a grasp of the basics, let’s take a look at some of the more advanced courses that can up your marketing game.
Content Marketing Resources for Advanced Content Marketers
As a content marketer, it is not just your responsibility to write content, but also to ensure that it ranks well, is promoted well, and helps build a brand for your company or client.
You need to understand what makes landing pages work, how can you write emails that convert, what is keyword research and how to make your content rank, how to connect with influencers and promote your content, and loads of other things, to ensure that your content stands out.
These courses address all those aspects of content marketing and can be useful for well-rounded growth as a content marketer.
8. Search Engine Optimization on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
Google is the godfather of all search engines and one of the greatest influences on digital marketing; so much so that sometimes I’ve seen writers write for Google instead of people.
While that never helps, content marketers do need to have an in-depth understanding of how search algorithms work, how keyword research and data mining play a crucial role in creating a blog that both people and Google love.
Search Engine Optimization is a specialization that has four courses from the beginner to the advanced level. The first starts from the basics of SEO, all the way to the last which helps you develop a solid SEO strategy for maximizing your content’s potential. It is conducted by the University of California, Davis, on Coursera.
Top Highlights –
- 4 courses starting from beginner to advanced level
- Understanding the fundamentals of SEO and search engine algorithms and how they affect organic search results
- Conducting an SEO audit and presenting your findings and recommendations to the concerned stakeholders
9. Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
This is a step up from the basic course on viral marketing that we saw previously. It dives deeper into customer psychology, shows how to use the power of social networks, and, in a word, build contagious content!
In these unpredictable times, where every bit of content is on the verge of going viral, it can be good to know how you can use proven marketing principles to create such content.
It is conducted by the University of Pennsylvania.
Top highlights –
- Understanding how social influence shapes everything we do
- Marketing methods that are more powerful than traditional advertising
- Studying social ties that affect the spread of information
10. Content Guides on Quicksprout Academy [Free]
This is not a course per se, but a collection of useful guides related to content marketing. Quicksprout is a resource developed by some of the biggest names in content and SEO, like Neil Patel and Lars Lofgren. In addition, you’ll find other helpful guides related to eCommerce, marketing, and blogging here as well, which sort of makes it a one-stop-resource for understanding your basic concepts of content marketing.
Top Highlights –
- Independent guides related to customer engagement, ideation, scaling content, etc.
- Tips for creating video content and improving content quality
- How to improve productivity as a content marketer
11. Inbound Marketing Certification by Hubspot [Free]
Another recommendation for a Hubspot course, this for the content marketers who are also actively working in digital marketing. Inbound marketing is essentially the creation and distribution of marketing assets to people who are already looking for them, i.e. instead of bombarding people with content they don’t need, you send personalized content their way, which they will be happy to use.
This course by Hubspot is a detailed introduction to inbound marketing and gives you important insights about lead nurturing and how to align your marketing with sales. A must-have for every content marketer, if only to understand the direct impact of content on leads and sales.
Top Highlights –
- Focus on conversational growth strategy
- Understanding the impact of conversion optimization and its role in marketing strategies
- Developing a customer-centric approach for connecting with your buyers
12. Copy School by Copyhackers [Premium]
Copy School is an extensive series of courses in copywriting, from creating stellar sales pages, writing impeccable emails, coming up with webpage copy that converts, and a lot more! The only catch is, entry to Copy School is offered only once a year and the price of admission is pretty steep.
However, I can definitely vouch for the fact that all the content there is super useful and extremely implementable. The templates and case studies are especially noteworthy and you can start using them on the fly.
Top Highlights –
- Dedicated courses for independent formats of content like landing pages, conversion funnels, emails, etc.
- Over-the-shoulder lessons where you can watch top copywriters create content
- Feedback sessions where you can submit your own copy for evaluation
P.S. Note that admissions to Copy School open for a week every spring, so you might not be able to get in immediately, but you can bookmark your calendars for the same.
13. Content Strategy for Professionals on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
The Content Strategy for Professionals Specialization is conducted by Northwestern University and is an advanced module to the basic content marketing strategy course we saw before. Here, the focus is primarily on getting the audience to engage with your content, through various mediums like storytelling. In addition, you also get to learn how to manage your content and expand its reach.
Top Highlights –
- 4 short courses that cover the details of content generation, management, reach, and impact
- Helps develop the basics of assorted skills like video editing, graphics design, photography, etc. that can be used to enhance the impact of content
- Explores buyer personas in detail and give actionable tips on increasing your audience
14. Influencer Marketing Strategy on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
Influencer marketing is one of the most underused strategies by content marketers because we don’t yet fully comprehend the power of external endorsements. Connecting with other content marketers, bloggers, influencers, etc. is an excellent way of building and nurturing your audience.
You can collaborate with a huge peer network to share content ideas, marketing strategies, and of course, build your brand value.
Most of this might sound intimidating right now, which is why I recommend this course to get you started on the fundamentals of influencer marketing. It’s a gem, truly!
Top Highlights –
- Covers the theory and tactics of influencer marketing
- Tips on how to find and engage influencers in your niche
- Learning how to overcome the challenges of influencer marketing, to improve ROI
15. Brand and Content Marketing on Coursera [Free to Audit, Paid Certification]
Believe it or not, branding plays a very important role in content marketing. Whether you are working for a company or working as an independent content marketer, you’re going to hear the term thrown around repeatedly by your marketing team. This course explores the relation of brand and content marketing, with a heavy focus on building a brand through storytelling.
It covers concepts like Branded Content, Brand entertainment, all of which you need to understand as a content marketer. I’d recommend it if you are working for clients who are into advertising or are laser-focused on increasing growth through branding.
Top Highlights –
- Understanding the difference between good and bad journalism when it comes to creating branded content
- Creating memorable stories that the audience can relate to and remember
- Insights from industry experts on retaining audiences in the face of high brand competition
Wrapping up,
Phew! That’s a huge list, eh? Well, these are some of the courses that I found interesting and useful as a content marketer, and I hope you do too!
One final tip.
Don’t take the lessons in these courses as absolutes or rules you have to follow. Remember, content marketing is an evolving field. Our audiences keep changing, so it is very important to keep our approach agile. Think of these as guidelines and keep testing different content marketing strategies until you find one that works for you.
And that’s it!
Happy learning folks! Let me know how your experiences are, which course did you find the most useful, which was just meh!
Also, I’m sure there is a lot more awesome content out there so feel free to comment and share those resources with your fellow marketers.
