Digital marketing is one of the most in-demand courses on the planet, and the buzz about it is growing by the day. A certificate course might be a stepping stone to a lucrative future for someone who wishes to break into this booming field. However, if you’re a novice, how can you know which course and institute is appropriate for your needs?

Allow us to assist you. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 digital marketing online courses in India, together with their USPs, Pros, and Cons, to help you choose and enrol in the one that’s right for you.

Before that, there are a few additional things a candidate should be aware of about a job in digital marketing, in our opinion.

Proof that a profession in digital marketing is in high demand

Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you’re probably aware of the Ed-tech industry’s recent boom. Needless to say, e-commerce has advanced dramatically in recent years. Both B2B and B2C enterprises have grown and thrived in India, as has the startup eco-system. The demand for digital marketing professionals has increased as a result of these recent advances. It’s also worth noting that it’s one of the businesses that escaped the worst of the Covid19 pandemic. Furthermore, the majority of positions in this industry are steady and secure.

Also Read: List of Kolkata’s Top 7 Digital Marketing Institutes | Learn Digital Marketing in Kolkata

What are the advantages of completing a Digital Marketing certificate programme?

Although there are many free online courses accessible, a paid course led by a professional instructor with up-to-date course materials and authentic credentials can be a game-changer in one’s career. It provides the ideal situation for a job seeker or someone trying to develop in their career. The following are the undeniable benefits of a digital marketing certificate programme.

Freelancing, entrepreneurship, managerial responsibilities, trainer/instructor roles, and high-paying marketing positions in agencies and reputable corporations throughout the world are all possibilities.

• High levels of security and stability
• Learn about the various areas of marketing and business.
• Opportunity to work as a consultant on your own and with a variety of firms, allowing you to generate numerous streams of income.
• Consider the following factors while selecting a course or institute.

If you’re serious about gaining those advantages, the next step is to enrol in a top-rated digital marketing institute. However, here is where many prospects fall short. They miss out on making the best selection and end up with a certification that isn’t “good enough” to compete in this sector. So, before we look at the top ten institutes, let’s have a look at the things to think about when selecting a course.

Also Read: Google Offers Nine Online Digital Marketing Courses With Certificates

In-depth and up-to-date training module: Given the rapid evolution of the digital industry, it is critical that the course give thorough and best-in-class training.

Certification that is both relevant and well-known: There are a few well-known certificates in the sector, such as those from Google and Hubspot, as well as those from the country’s top educational institutions. The certificates you obtain will help you demonstrate your abilities when looking for jobs.

Training for live projects: Although it is simple to learn theoretical knowledge in digital marketing, real-world experience is gained when a candidate works on live projects. At the end of the day, knowing the best practises and having knowledge of appropriate tools is what matters. You’ll only be a half-baked professional if you only have theoretical knowledge.

After all, it’s all about snagging a fantastic opportunity, right? Select a school that lists placement aid as one of its main services. The most important characteristic of a reputable institute is that it begins with an internship or job soon after the course.

Examine the feedback: Choose an institute with positive feedback on its website or social media accounts. Also, go out to folks who have taken the course to verify the veracity of the reviews.

Also Read: In 2022, There Are 25 Digital Marketing Certifications That Will Get You Hired

India’s Top 10 Digital Marketing Online Courses

Now that we’ve gone through the criteria for choosing an institute, let’s look at the top 10 online digital marketing institutes in India to assist you make your decision.

1. Upgrad

Upgrad, which has established itself as one of the leading online education providers, has partnered with MICA, a premier institute, to provide an Advance Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication. It’s a 6-month course that’s entirely online.

Why Upgrade? MICA alumni status and the opportunity to learn from industry experts.

Advantages include: online education, convenience, guidance, and a high likelihood of placement.

Drawback– In the ‘Advanced Certification’ category, it is the most expensive in India. There will be no paid internship. To get admitted, you must have completed your education.

Also Read: What is the definition of digital marketing? Demand, Profession, and Scope

2. Udemy

Udemy offers a selection of ‘light on the pocket’ digital marketing certification programmes with a variety of courses suitable for varied learners among its many courses. The duration varies, and the content can be accessed whenever it is convenient for the learners.

Why Udemy? Because it offers low-cost courses, convenience, and learning flexibility.

Advantages– Expert teachers and comprehensive and up-to-date training content.

Drawbacks include the lack of a specialised institute, the lack of a placement or networking opportunity, the lack of live projects, the lack of a specialised credential, and the lack of a paid internship.

Also Read: Kolkata’s Top 5 Digital Marketing Institutes

3. The National Institute of Digital Education

NIDE, one of Asia’s premier Digital Education schools, has established itself as a reliable resource for digital marketing certificate courses. They offer well-crafted courses that are ideal for job seekers, business owners, and seasoned professionals alike.

Why NIDE? NIDE offers a three-month training programme as well as a three-month paid internship. During the internship, the minimum remuneration ranges from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000 per month. Course fees are easily recoverable. Facebook, Google, Amazon, Paytm, Flipkart, Myntra, Infosys, Cars24, and more companies have provided trainers. Extensive on-the-job training under expert supervision. Free Incubation for Freelancers and Business Owners for 6 months. Exposure to digital marketing tools that are available for a fee.

Benefits: Learn from e-Commerce Marketing Senior-Level Executives and IIM alumnus. Paid internship for three months, 100% placement assistance, up-to-date course, and student support

Drawback: Passing the enrolling screening test requires fluency in English communication.

Also Read: In 2022, There Will Be Six Best Online Social Media Marketing Courses

4. Coursera

Coursera, an internationally famous ed-tech platform that collaborates with significant names in education, offers a number of digital marketing courses that address the goals of digital education and communication.

Why Coursera? – Internationally recognised certification

Flexibility, project work submissions, and suitability for working professionals wishing to develop their careers are all advantages.

Not ideal for freshers, no placement support, little individual/one-on-one supervision, limited exposure to live projects, minimal networking opportunities There will be no paid internship.

Also Read: Kolkata’s Top 10 Digital Marketing Institutes – Best Online Training

5. IIDE

The institute offers a well-rounded advanced digital marketing training programme that includes professional instruction and placement aid. Their accreditation is comparable to that of Google and Facebook.

Why IIDE? Sessions with industry professionals and exposure to digital marketing technologies are just a few of the reasons.

Student support, up-to-date course, and placement assistance are all advantages.

Drawback: Expensive course with no paid internship.

Also Read: The Top 10 Digital Marketing Online Courses (Free and Paid)

6. Academy Of Digital Marketing

They are one of India’s digital education pioneers. Academy Of Digital Marketing is a well-known name in this industry, with a team of highly qualified trainers. There are a variety of short and long-term courses available to meet a variety of needs.

Why Academy Of Digital Marketing? – Discounts and subscriptions from a variety of digital marketing tools, as well as skilled trainers.

Advantages: Offers both online and classroom training, has frequent batches, works with reputable certification partners, and provides placement assistance.

Also Read: Digital Marketing is the Best Option for 10 Reasons Following a Career Break

7. Delhi School of Internet Marketing

DSIM, a comprehensive digital marketing training provider, offers primary classroom instruction and has locations throughout India. They provide training for both businesses and individuals, as well as educational institutions.

Why DSIM? Because it provides placement assistance and is preferable for classroom learning.

Advantages include specialised courses for business owners, working professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs, and job seekers, as well as free tools, mostly offline courses, and lifetime access to course materials.

One disadvantage is that there is a lack of personalised attention and guidance, as well as the lack of a paid internship.

Also Read: What Are the Best Free Digital Marketing Courses Available Online?

8. Indian School of Business Management

ISBM is a business school that transforms professions in business administration and is regarded as one of the best in the country. A diploma in digital marketing is one of their most popular correspondence courses. It’s broken down into 13 modules that last between three and six months.

Why ISBM? Because it offers a reputable certificate at a moderate cost.

Benefits include guidance from top trainers, a placement forum, ISBM alumni status, and student support.

Low flexibility, no personalised attention, no networking chances, and no paid internship are all disadvantages.

Also Read: The Top 10 Highest-Paying Tech Jobs in India

9. All India Management Association

The institute offers different distant education courses and, in cooperation with Digital Vidya, offers an online and offline PG Diploma in Digital Marketing. The course is 5 months long and is divided into 7 units.

Why AIMA? Because it offers a reputable certification at a moderate cost, as well as job placement support.

Benefits include experienced trainers, training and workshops, placement assistance, and real hands-on experience.

Drawbacks: Limited scheduling flexibility, limited networking opportunities, the institute is not well-known in the field of digital education, and no paid internship.

Also Read: India’s Top 10 Digital Marketing Courses and Institutes

10. Digital Scholar

This institute has earned a spot on the list thanks to positive feedback. It provides both free and paid three-month entirely online courses.

Why Digital Scholar? Because it offers up-to-date education and job placement support.

Advantages: Leading digital marketers serve as instructors, and the course may be accessed from anywhere.

The lack of support from renowned universities, as well as academicians as trainers, is a disadvantage.

For a job in digital marketing, both knowledge and skill are essential. As you choose a degree, remember that having the correct industry exposure and knowledge will make all the difference, No Paid Internship.

Also Read: You Should Consider Earning One Of These 10 Digital Marketing Certifications

Online Digital Marketing Courses: Paid vs. Free

Many students who want to start a new profession by taking a new course like digital marketing are unsure if they should attend a free or paid course.

Because of the rapid proliferation of knowledge on the internet, there are a plethora of free resources for learning digital marketing in the form of video lessons, blogs, and newsletters. These have piqued people’s interest in the course and highlighted the vast opportunities for professional advancement in this subject.

While some people prefer to learn from free course materials, others prefer full-fledged paid courses that include reputable diplomas and placements to help them launch their careers.

If you’re wondering the same thing, this blog is for you. All of your questions will be answered, and you’ll learn the advantages of taking a paid course versus a free one, as well as whether it’s the appropriate fit for you.

Before we go into whether you should attend a free or premium course, let’s look at two common misconceptions regarding digital marketing courses to set the stage.

Myth: It’s fine to have a broad digital marketing portfolio –

Reality: This is a course that requires both ability and knowledge. Furthermore, one must choose a specialised specialisation and flourish in it rather than sticking to the umbrella term of digital marketers. Social media marketing, email marketing, Google AdWords, content marketing, and SEO expert are the most prominent niches.

Myth: Anyone may study from free online materials and achieve in their trade.

Reality: Not everyone is a self-learner, and free courses cannot satisfy all learning objectives. In order to determine which is the better fit for him, one must consider the candidate’s needs, learning style, and existing skillset.

These and other fallacies abound in the world of education.

Let’s compare and contrast the following points, as well as the advantages of the premium course over the free.

Also Read: In 2022, Here Are The Top Ten Reasons To Learn Digital Marketing

There are ten advantages to taking a paid digital marketing course over a free one.

1. Content that is well-organized and thorough

It is impossible to obtain the course in a well-structured chronological manner on most youtube channels or other platforms that offer free tutorials. As a result, the learner frequently fails to lay a solid foundation for developing a thorough knowledge of the job.

Students in a paid course have a well-planned syllabus that begins with foundation building and progresses to increasingly difficult courses before concluding with live projects or internships. This learning order is critical for acquiring a subject correctly; otherwise, if one is exposed to knowledge without structure, they may find it difficult to comprehend.

Because the premium courses are well-structured, each module receives in-depth training, and the habit of moving on to the next module after resolving any remaining doubts from the previous one can be followed, further improving learning.

In this sense, a paid course can help with faster and better course absorption.

2. Obtaining certification from a reputable institution increases your chances of being recruited.

Because there is no backup from a reputable institute or a diploma with a free course, the learning cannot be quantified or validated. This might be a stumbling block when applying for positions, especially if you are a recent graduate or trying to transfer careers to digital marketing.

A paid course, on the other hand, will provide you with a certificate from a well-recognized institute that will serve as proof of your study. It will give you an edge on your CV and help you stand out to recruiters in this highly competitive sector.

A key advantage of paid courses is that a respectable university will provide paid internships or placements, which will give you a head start in your career. This is also an opportunity to recoup the course price quickly after completion.

Take, for example, the Linkedin profiles of top marketers. Many of them have previous work experience with a major corporation or are graduates of business institutions. To get the greatest employment and high-paying jobs in corporations, it’s clear that you need more than simply surface-level academic knowledge obtained through free courses.

Overall, a paid education has a considerably better probability of presenting the student with a career opportunity, and a good one at that.

4. Resources and materials for learning

There is no question an abundance of free learning resources available, but a good institute will provide resources that are well-structured and easy to understand.

These materials are really trustworthy and will be useful for gaining a broad understanding and referring them later. It’s a good approach to broaden your knowledge while also deepening, substantiating, and storing it for future use.

Furthermore, solid recommendations for further reading – which websites, influencers to follow for various niches such as content or social media – may be obtained. Other sites’ recommendations, on the other hand, may be paid advertisements, and thus may not be as trustworthy.

Furthermore, there are real-life case studies and examples that will greatly assist any learner.

Free courses rarely provide such authentic content and tools.

5. With hands-on experience on real-world projects and tasks, you’ll be job-ready.

What you learn through free content is primarily theoretical, and it typically falls short of learning through hands-on initiatives. Because marketing is all about hands-on learning and developing abilities, knowing theory is only half-baked knowledge that will not offer you a strong start in the field.

Working on real projects, on the other hand, might be a whole different experience. If you’ve studied B2C marketing, for example, translating similar principles to B2B marketing can be difficult. Working with technologies like an email marketing tool is not the same as learning about them in theory.

When working on projects, these kinds of issues arise. A excellent course consists of getting these challenges answered through hands-on work and learning from teachers.

It is critical to work on projects, solve problems, and then move on in order to get comprehensive knowledge and be job-ready. This is one of the most significant advantages of taking a paid course.

6. Get personalised and up-to-date advice from expert educators.

The Google algorithm is always changing, as are the buying trends and patterns. Every year, a new product or piece of software emerges to make the lives of marketers easier. As a result, one should have access to the most up-to-date information in digital marketing, which is more likely in the case of a paid course taught by an experienced instructor.

Personal advice from a skilled instructor is a critical benefit that most students want when enrolling in a course. The trainers can be consulted for personal assistance, timely support, direction, and clarification in a paid course, which is not available in a free course.

Additionally, the learner might benefit from the trainer’s network by receiving job or freelance project referrals. Skills like creativity and problem solving can be strengthened and nurtured under the guidance of a trained trainer.

7. Networking and placements

The majority of prestigious institutes offer placement assistance, while only a few offer paid internships. When choosing an institute, look at the placement services and the percentage of students who are put in good jobs.

Leading academic institutions that provide digital marketing courses include placement forums where students can network and find work. Additionally, job-specific skills training such as interview preparation and soft skills training is available.

In the case of free courses, this is a significant advantage that is overlooked.

8. Consider your learning style and abilities.

There are some students who prefer one-on-one coaching and are not interested in online or group learning. These are learning patterns that vary from person to person. There is very little room to adjust each individual’s learning style in the free courses because they are one-to-many communication and fully online. It can be tough to grasp the subject for those who prefer offline or one-on-one study.

When it comes to learning styles, it’s likely that some subjects are more challenging than others. Few individuals, for example, find marketing analytics more difficult than SEO, which may necessitate specialist training. Only a professional paid course can accommodate such obstacles.

9. More knowledge and confidence in dealing with competition

In the business world, it’s all about having the confidence to speak up for yourself and putting your best foot forward when dealing with clients and recruiters. A student cannot get the necessary skill and confidence to make an impact in this subject by taking a free, unstructured course.

To stand out from the crowd and impress recruiters from major corporations, it is necessary to have a high degree of skill in one’s field, which can be obtained through a professional paid course.

10. Both the learner and the instructor must be committed.

Commitment is essential for everyone serious about making it big in any industry, whether they are freshmen or seeking to switch careers. Paid digital marketing courses require a high level of dedication from both the trainer and the student, which increases the likelihood of the student finishing the course within the allotted time.

This is absent when students indiscriminately absorb content on the internet.

Consider your requirements as well as your long-term career goals.

Who should sign up for a free course?

Those wanting an introduction to a digital marketing course in order to determine whether they want to pursue it further; those seeking knowledge for personal use rather than placement; and those wishing to supplement current knowledge.

Who should enrol in a paid course?

Those seeking a lucrative career in digital marketing with top MNCs, those seeking in-depth and up-to-date knowledge and the ability to build up their own training and/or consultancy, and those who are not tech-savvy and want human coaching.

Conclusion

As previously said, while there is a high need for digital marketing courses, there is also a high level of rivalry among job seekers in this industry. With technologies like AI, the marketing sector is also growing, giving marketers more opportunities. As a result, in order to stay current with industry trends and get an advantage over the competition, one must analyse where they focus their time. Should it be a well-structured and given paid course or easily available but directionless free content?

Finally, whether it’s free information or a paid course, it’s critical to have constant devotion and passion to succeed in any industry, and digital marketing is no exception.