How to Learn Content Marketing Online

If you’re starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online, and learning content marketing is no different. Content marketing is useful because it is an efficient and effective way to build audience engagement and create a community loyal to your brand. Learning content marketing online is a convenient way to gain these important skills. If you’ve always wanted to learn content marketing, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing relies on content created with a specific audience in mind and designed to appeal to the interests or problems of that audience. This could be blog posts, articles, reports, ebooks, videos, podcasts, or other media. The content builds and supports a relationship with the audience through social media, email, or websites.

Content doesn’t push a product, service, or brand. It focuses on what the audience is interested in, and Content Marketers learn that through data analytics. The content is relevant and valuable to the audience and rarely mentions the brand or product. Relevant content tells consumers a relatable story and gives them a sense of belonging to a group.

Read more about what content marketing is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Content Marketing?

Content marketing helps you connect with your audience, improve brand loyalty, generate leads, and increase sales. Unlike traditional marketing, which makes a direct pitch for products, content marketing is based on storytelling and rarely mentions a brand or sales. The content appeals to readers by helping them with a problem or issue. 

The first step in content marketing is to determine your audience and what they care about using Google Analytics and social media analytics tools. Once you know your audience’s interests, you can begin to draft content that addresses those needs. This helps build a relationship with your readers, which is crucial to improving brand loyalty. 

Although content rarely mentions the brand or product, relevant content tells a story that consumers relate to best. It gives them a sense of belonging to a group. Content marketing creates more customers than traditional marketing, and these customers are also more loyal. They feel connected to the company or brand and are more likely to buy again. This connection develops through storytelling that resonates with followers.

Content marketing also generates more leads than traditional marketing. Consumers prefer to learn about companies and products through articles and blog posts rather than advertising. Finally, content marketing costs less than traditional marketing and leads to higher conversion rates.

Live Online Content Marketing Training

You might prefer in-person instruction, but maybe you can’t find a class near you or don’t want to face the hassle of commuting. Live online content marketing classes and bootcamps give you the same top-quality, interactive instruction when you can’t travel to in-person classes. You can master content marketing from the comfort of your home, office, or anywhere with internet access and a quiet environment. These virtual options allow you to learn content marketing no matter where you live and change to a new career.

You can take Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Strategies Bootcamp or Digital Marketing Certificate in person or live online to start a new career in content marketing. You have a real-time virtual instructor, and you can ask questions and get help when you need it. Other options for live online classes include Thinkful’s Digital Marketing Flex, Jelly Academy’s Digital Marketing class, and Digital Marketing Ops from The Bridge.

On-Demand Content Marketing Classes

Many online content marketing courses are on-demand classes. Unlike live online classes, they are not happening at the time you are watching. These classes may also be referred to as asynchronous because they feature pre-recorded content. One advantage of on-demand classes is that you can watch them whenever and wherever you want. Another plus is that they tend to be cheaper than in-person or live online instruction. However, a drawback to on-demand classes is that you can’t interact with the instructor to ask questions or get help if needed.

LinkedIn Learning has many on-demand classes on content marketing, like Content Marketing Foundations, Become a Content Strategist and Content Marketing for Social Media. Udemy has a Content Marketing Masterclass, Content Marketing: Grow Your Business with Content, and Best of SEO: # 1 SEO Training & Content Marketing. Skillshare offers Social Media Content Creation, Introduction to SEO, and Mastering TikTok, among many others.

You can find many paid and free on-demand videos. Most platforms, like LinkedIn, Udemy, and Skillshare, work on a subscription model. You pay an annual or monthly subscription fee after a free trial period. You can also find plenty of free on-demand courses on YouTube.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

Maybe you aren’t sure what content marketing is all about or if it is for you. You can take some free courses and tutorials to find out. Check out Noble Desktop’s free seminar, The Pillars of Digital Marketing Success, to learn about content marketing and other digital marketing topics.

There are many free video courses to give you an idea of how content marketing works. Udemy offers Content Marketing 101: A Free Guide for Beginners and Pros. Hubspot has the Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in 2022, and many free tutorials are available on YouTube to get you started.

Read about more free content marketing videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning 

When you think of taking a class, a room with a live teacher and other students often comes to mind. Face-to-face training offers bonuses like the ability to ask the teacher questions and get extra help if you need it. You also have the opportunity to network with the other students and use computer labs with up-to-date software.

Thanks to video conferencing, now you can take live online classes from anywhere that has internet available. These live online sessions often run concurrently with in-person classes, so they are engaging and interactive, just like an in-person setting. Students can ask questions, get immediate feedback, receive guidance building portfolios, and interact with like-minded peers. Another good thing about live online training is it does not require a commute. You can sign in to class from your home, office, or the quiet corner of your favorite cafe.

On-demand learning is typically the most affordable option. It can be a good way to start learning the basics, but this method doesn’t offer the benefits of live instruction and has the potential to be outdated. You can watch the videos again if you need to review key points, but you don’t have a live instructor available to assist.

Before enrolling in a content marketing class or bootcamp, ask yourself some questions to discover your preferred instruction method. Does the class cover the information you need? Are you looking for a beginner class that presents an overview? Are you looking for more specific information, like how to use a particular tool? Does that class fit your current financial budget, and do you have time to take a course? What is the format of the class? Can you repeat it if you need to? The most important thing is to choose a method that works best for your needs.

Tips to Succeed when Learning Content Marketing Online

Whichever method you decide on to learn content marketing, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

• Stay engaged - Make a commitment to attend class and complete assignments just like you would in person. Online courses are real classes that demand effort, just like classes that meet in person. Make sure to participate in class discussions or work sessions, and reach out to your instructor if you have a problem.

• Make sure your equipment works - Don’t fall behind because your laptop isn’t working or your webcam quits on you. Test your equipment before class starts to be sure you don’t miss anything. 

• Get the fastest internet you can afford - When your education and future career depend upon fast, reliable internet, ensure you have the best plan you can afford. If your service at home isn’t good enough, check into a wifi booster or see if your company will let you sign into class from work.

• Create a study area - You will get more out of an online class if you don’t have to worry about interruptions and distractions while the class is in session. You will need a comfortable chair and enough space for your laptop or tablet. A corner of your bedroom would work, but the kitchen table at dinnertime probably would not.

• Make a plan - Time management is an integral part of online learning success. Make a plan and follow it to stay organized. Add assignments to your calendar, and start early enough to get everything done on time.

• Figure out your learning style - Everyone has a particular style of learning that is most comfortable for them. Some people are visual learners and prefer to watch videos or look at slides. Others are auditory learners. These folks prefer to listen to lectures, often with the video off. The next type of learning is the read-and-write style. If you fall into this category, you learn best when reading the text and taking notes. The last type of learning style is kinesthetic. These learners prefer hands-on exercises and movement to help them process information.

• Celebrate milestones - Give yourself treats to stay motivated. Pushing yourself to finish a class, especially on top of work and other life commitments, can be difficult, so plan some fun things to do to keep your energy up. When you finish a class, go for a walk. When you submit an assignment, get a cup of coffee or watch a video for fun.

Learn Content Marketing with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

You can learn content marketing with hands-on classes at Noble Desktop. Taught by expert instructors, class sizes are small and give you ample opportunity to interact with the instructor and the other students. If you want to learn more about content marketing, sign up for Noble's Content Marketing Bootcamp. This course covers an introduction to content marketing and techniques for content creation and promotion, including how to measure the success of your content marketing.

If you want to go a step further, try Noble's Digital Marketing Certificate course. It covers email marketing, SEO, Google Analytics and Google Ads, and all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn Marketing. You also get a Streaming for Social Media course and a portfolio class. If you want, you can retake any class for free for up to a year. To find out more about content marketing and change careers, visit Noble Desktop's digital marketing page.

 Key Takeaways

• Content marketing helps you connect with your audience, improve brand loyalty, generate leads, and increase conversions.

• If you have some proficiency in creating content, know how to tell a good story, and are comfortable learning new software tools, you will have an easier time learning content marketing.
• You can choose between in-person, live online, or on-demand classes.
• There are free resources to help you learn content marketing, too.
• Make a plan for success when learning content marketing online.
• Think about your personal learning style when choosing to take a class online. Some common learning styles are:
• Visual
• Auditory
• Read and write
• Kinesthetic
• You can receive comprehensive content marketing training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.