As a brand or business owner, you have a specialty. That specialty is why you started your brand in the first place. You can’t be an expert at running your business effectively and doing all the in-depth marketing yourself…or can you? Content marketing—marketing in general, really—can seem daunting if it’s not something you’ve done before. You’re not entirely sure what a “marketing funnel” is; you have no idea exactly what type of content is effective; and you’ve certainly never planned out a content calendar.

On the other hand, maybe you’ve already tried your hand at content marketing. You’re getting a lot of visitors but having trouble converting them. You know who your target audience is, but you’re not sure what the best channels are to reach them.

Fear not! If your content marketing strategy needs a boost, there are some great (and often free!) online courses you can take to help with that. Check out some of the excellent options below!

HubSpot Content Marketing

HubSpot does a great job helping its customers ramp up their marketing and increase sales. Not only do they use paid services to do this, but they also provide free, thorough online courses. Their Content Marketing Certification Course is especially useful. Learn about the power of storytelling, generating content ideas, and measuring and analyzing results. If you’re looking for shorter, more specific refresher courses, try “How to Build an Advanced Twitter Strategy” or “Writing Course with Bestselling Author Daniel Pink.”

Google Digital Garage

Part of the “Grow with Google” platform, Google Digital Garage is another great tool for both beginners and those who need a refresher. This free course is accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University. Twenty-six modules come together to create a comprehensive digital marketing course that’s sure to leave you confident and inspired. Google Digital Garage has a wealth of information and knowledge that you absolutely need to help your business thrive.

Quick Sprout University

For a free marketing course that doesn’t require you to join a mailing list or create an account, check out Quick Sprout University. “Quick Sprout has everything you need to become a world-class digital marketer,” touts the website. Start at the beginning for a thorough education. Or if you have a good grasp of the basics, feel free to skip ahead to the more advanced topics. The lessons page features videos broken up into categories like “Digital Marketing 101” and “Content Creation and Content Marketing.” Within those are subcategories such as “How to Write 5 or More Articles a Week and Not Burn Out” and “7 Ways to Find Better Content Ideas.”

Udemy

If you’re not opposed to paying for a quality, highly rated course, head over to Udemy. There you’ll find courses on almost any topic you can think of, written and conducted by some of the world’s top instructors. Shani Raja, former editor for the Wall Street Journal, teaches multiple content marketing courses, including “Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery” and “Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer.” Up your content marketing game by taking on these and other great tutorials and courses from top industry experts.

Coursera

In addition to courses like “Marketing Analytics” and “Introduction to Personal Branding,” Coursera brings you “The Strategy of Content Marketing.” This content marketing course is the product of a partnership between Copyblogger and UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. According to the course description, you’ll learn how to develop and organize your content marketing strategy as well as how to analyze its effectiveness.

Skillshare

Thanks to the popularity of platforms like YouTube, IGTV, and TikTok, video marketing takes a head seat at the content marketing table now more than ever. If you need some help with this aspect of digital marketing, check out “Video Content Marketing Bootcamp 2020” at Skillshare. Digital Consultant Liz Azyan serves up a “no-nonsense approach to video marketing.” You’ll learn all about the basic ingredients for cooking up quality video content; incorporating those videos into your marketing plan; distributing and promoting your videos; measuring your success; and much more. Other courses available on Skillshare include “Social Media Strategy in a Noisy Online World,” “Captivation Marketing: 7 Proven Ways to Hook Your Audience,” and “Going Viral: Write, Film, & Make Content People Share.”

We’ll let you in on a little secret. Content marketing isn’t all that difficult once you get the hang of it. It just takes time and dedication. If time is something you’re short on, we can help. Get in touch to see how we can help perfect and manage your content marketing strategy!