Have you ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed, and confused in a tidal wave of information? I wanted to learn more about digital marketing but didn’t know where to begin. The amount of search listings for “learn digital marketing” is mind-boggling to say the least. Where the #*&$ should I start?

Regardless of your personal situation… single, married, married with kids, etc., time is always in short supply. Personally, taking care of my family while working a full-time job creates immense time constraints. Attending class on weekday nights or during the weekend wasn’t an option. I needed to maximize the time available and enrolling in an online class seemed the best choice. The question was which one?

Although there are many free classes available online, I couldn’t find the motivation to complete them. I’d start a class but time after time, I’d never finish them. There just wasn’t any accountability nor incentive to complete the course. I needed further encouragement to light that fire within me to carry on. I’m sure there are many who don’t need to pay for classes because of all the free resources available on the web. To that I say… more power to you! In my case, I needed something more.

Time for a change

Enter Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program. It was a perfect mix of great materials, an organized syllabus, peer participation, and most of all, a path to success in all the major areas of digital marketing. Although it’s self-paced, there are recommended deadlines to submit projects, study times to follow, and most importantly… accountability. There is a premium cost involved and having to pay for this program further incentivises you to study and complete the projects.

The program covers everything from marketing fundamentals, content strategy, social media, display advertising, email marketing, and much, much more. This curriculum was developed with input from the world’s most innovative companies such as Google, Facebook, HubSpot, and Hootsuite. There are opportunities to chat with mentors who help you move forward, peers to discuss projects, and a career center to help you in your next step after graduating. How can you go wrong with that?

After a few short weeks, I’m well on my way to learning more about the digital marketing landscape. I know I’ll have a solid foundation from which to build on and become a valuable asset to any organization. And, one last tidbit, Udacity gives you 7 days to try it risk free or get a full refund. With that said, what have you got to lose?

For more information, check out Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!