Digital Marketing Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Digital Marketing Manager, Marketing Manager and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-DM-067

Before you join: Participants should have working experience in a marketing, communications, sales or customer experience role and basic familiarity with websites, email, social media or online advertising.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Digital marketing teams are expected to turn limited budgets, fragmented customer data and multiple channels into measurable commercial results. That requires more than posting content or buying media. Marketers need to identify priority audiences, set channel roles, build conversion paths, manage paid and owned activity, and show senior stakeholders how marketing contributes to revenue, retention or service uptake.

This intermediate Digital Marketing Training Course develops the planning, execution and measurement skills required to manage integrated digital activity. Participants work through customer insight, segmentation, positioning, campaign objectives, content planning, search, social media, email, CRM, paid media, website conversion, analytics and optimisation. They use established methods including STP, RACE, SMART objectives, customer journey mapping, UTM tagging, Google Analytics 4 reporting and test-and-learn planning.

The course is delivered through instructor briefings, sector cases, campaign simulations, group analysis and structured application to participants' own products, services or programmes. From the first week, participants build components of a practical digital marketing plan and refine them as new tools are introduced. They leave with a completed, evidence-based plan covering audience priorities, channel strategy, campaign activity, measurement, budget assumptions, governance and reporting.

The course suits marketing professionals who already work with digital channels and need to plan, manage or evaluate activity with greater commercial discipline. It is relevant to teams in banks, public bodies, NGOs, consumer businesses, business-to-business firms and professional services organisations where customer acquisition, engagement, retention and accountable spend matter.

What you will be able to do

  • Build a segmented digital marketing plan using STP, RACE and SMART objectives
  • Map customer journeys and identify channel, content and conversion requirements
  • Create SEO, content, social media, email and paid media activity plans
  • Configure campaign measurement using KPIs, UTM conventions and GA4 reporting principles
  • Develop paid search and paid social structures aligned to audience intent
  • Evaluate website and landing-page performance using conversion rate optimisation methods
  • Produce channel budgets, forecast assumptions and campaign reporting dashboards
  • Present an integrated digital marketing plan with governance and optimisation actions

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Plans multi-channel campaigns with clear commercial objectives and channel roles
  • Explains digital performance using credible metrics, attribution limits and reporting logic
  • Builds stronger briefs for agencies, media partners, content teams and web developers
  • Makes evidence-based recommendations on budget allocation and optimisation priorities
  • Produces a portfolio-ready digital marketing plan for immediate workplace use

For your organisation

  • Improves alignment between digital activity, customer journeys and commercial objectives
  • Reduces wasted media spend through targeting, tracking and test-and-learn discipline
  • Creates more consistent campaign briefing, approval and reporting practices
  • Strengthens internal capability to assess agency recommendations and channel performance
  • Provides reusable planning and measurement templates for future campaigns

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can frame digital marketing activity around commercial, customer and organisational objectives.

  • Digital value propositions linked to acquisition, retention and service objectives
  • RACE framework maps reach, act, convert and engage priorities
  • Business model choices shape channel economics and conversion expectations
  • Marketing funnel metrics distinguish awareness, consideration, purchase and loyalty
  • Competitor digital audits identify category conventions and differentiation opportunities
  • Channel roles assigned against customer needs and commercial outcomes

Participants can define priority audiences using evidence-based segmentation and persona methods.

  • STP model connects segmentation, targeting and positioning decisions
  • First-party, second-party and third-party data sources compared for marketing use
  • Behavioural segmentation uses needs, triggers, frequency and value indicators
  • Customer interviews reveal barriers, motivations, language and decision criteria
  • Personas document context, goals, objections, channels and content preferences
  • Priority segments assessed through attractiveness, accessibility and strategic fit

Participants can develop differentiated messages for selected audiences and buying situations.

  • Positioning statements define audience, category, benefit and reasons-to-believe
  • Value proposition canvas connects customer pains, gains and offer features
  • Message hierarchy separates core promise, supporting proof and calls-to-action
  • Jobs-to-be-done identifies functional, emotional and social purchase drivers
  • Proof points use evidence, demonstrations, comparisons and customer outcomes
  • Tone-of-voice guidelines maintain recognition across channel-specific communications

Participants can set measurable digital objectives and select decision-useful KPIs.

  • SMART objectives specify outcomes, timescales, audiences and accountable owners
  • KPI trees connect business goals with channel and campaign measures
  • Leading indicators include impressions, engagement, traffic and qualified visits
  • Lagging indicators include revenue, retention, lifetime value and cost-per-acquisition
  • Targets use baselines, benchmarks, capacity constraints and forecast assumptions
  • Measurement plans assign data sources, reporting cadence and decision triggers

Participants can map customer journeys and identify conversion opportunities across touchpoints.

  • Journey maps document stages, needs, questions, emotions and touchpoints
  • Moments of truth identify points where customers advance or abandon
  • Search intent distinguishes informational, commercial, navigational and transactional queries
  • Channel sequences connect discovery, evaluation, conversion and post-purchase activity
  • Friction audits identify unnecessary fields, unclear offers and trust gaps
  • Micro-conversions track actions preceding purchase, enquiry or registration

Participants can specify website and landing-page improvements that support conversion goals.

  • Information architecture groups content around customer tasks and priorities
  • Landing-page message match aligns advertisements, headlines, offers and calls-to-action
  • Conversion-centred design reduces distractions and clarifies next actions
  • Form design balances data capture requirements against completion rates
  • Trust signals include security cues, policies, testimonials and accreditation evidence
  • Mobile-first checks assess speed, readability, navigation and form completion

Participants can create an SEO action plan based on search intent and site priorities.

  • Keyword research groups queries by intent, demand and business relevance
  • Topic clusters organise pillar pages, supporting content and internal links
  • On-page SEO improves titles, headings, metadata and descriptive copy
  • Technical SEO checks crawlability, indexation, redirects, sitemaps and canonical tags
  • E-E-A-T signals strengthen credibility through authorship, sources and expertise
  • Search Console reports identify indexing issues, queries and click-through rates

Participants can build a content plan that serves audience needs and campaign objectives.

  • Content pillars connect brand expertise with recurring audience questions
  • Editorial calendars schedule formats, owners, distribution and approval deadlines
  • Content formats matched to awareness, consideration, conversion and retention stages
  • Brief templates specify audience, objective, message, proof and action
  • Repurposing plans adapt core assets for search, email, social and sales
  • Content performance reviews assess reach, engagement, leads and assisted conversions

Participants can plan organic social media activity with defined community and campaign roles.

  • Platform selection follows audience behaviour, format fit and organisational capacity
  • Social content calendars balance campaign posts, editorial themes and community responses
  • Community management protocols define response times, escalation and moderation rules
  • Social listening identifies recurring questions, sentiment shifts and emerging issues
  • Employee advocacy guidelines set approval boundaries and disclosure requirements
  • Organic metrics distinguish reach, engagement quality, traffic and conversion assistance

Participants can structure paid search campaigns around intent, relevance and profitability.

  • Account structures separate products, audiences, locations and campaign objectives
  • Keyword match types balance reach, control and query relevance
  • Negative keyword lists prevent irrelevant searches and wasted expenditure
  • Ad copy uses intent cues, differentiators, proof and clear actions
  • Quality Score factors connect expected click-through rate, relevance and landing pages
  • Bid strategies selected against conversion volume, value and data maturity

Participants can plan paid social and display activity for reach, demand and retargeting.

  • Audience targeting combines demographics, interests, behaviours and customer lists
  • Prospecting campaigns introduce relevant offers to qualified new audiences
  • Remarketing sequences reflect pages viewed, actions taken and purchase status
  • Creative testing compares hooks, formats, proof points and calls-to-action
  • Frequency controls manage repetition, fatigue and audience saturation risks
  • Incrementality questions distinguish campaign impact from existing customer demand

Participants can design email programmes that support acquisition, conversion and retention.

  • Permission-based lists protect deliverability, trust and regulatory compliance
  • Lifecycle programmes address welcome, nurture, onboarding, renewal and reactivation
  • Segmentation rules use profile data, behaviour, value and engagement
  • Email briefs define subject lines, preheaders, content modules and actions
  • Deliverability monitoring tracks bounces, complaints, inbox placement and sender reputation
  • Email metrics connect opens, clicks, conversions and unsubscribe patterns

Participants can specify CRM and automation workflows that improve lead follow-up and retention.

  • CRM data models link contacts, accounts, opportunities, permissions and interactions
  • Lead scoring ranks prospects using fit, intent and engagement signals
  • Automation workflows trigger relevant messages after defined customer actions
  • Service-level agreements assign lead ownership, response times and feedback loops
  • Nurture sequences address objections through timely content and offers
  • Data hygiene routines manage duplicates, missing fields and consent status

Participants can define tracking requirements and interpret digital performance data responsibly.

  • Measurement architecture links business questions, events, dimensions and reporting outputs
  • UTM conventions standardise source, medium, campaign, content and term parameters
  • Google Analytics 4 events track actions, conversions and audience behaviour
  • Tag management requirements document triggers, variables, consent and quality checks
  • Attribution models compare last-click, first-click, linear and data-driven perspectives
  • Data quality checks identify missing tags, duplicate events and inconsistent naming

Participants can prioritise and evaluate conversion improvements using structured experimentation.

  • CRO research combines analytics, session recordings, surveys and usability findings
  • Hypothesis statements specify audience, change, expected effect and rationale
  • Prioritisation matrices rank tests by impact, confidence and implementation effort
  • A/B test design defines variants, primary metrics and decision criteria
  • Statistical significance interpreted alongside sample size, duration and business context
  • Post-test documentation records findings, implementation decisions and follow-up questions

Participants can allocate digital budgets using channel assumptions, forecast models and performance targets.

  • Media plans assign objectives, audiences, formats, spend and timing
  • Funnel budgets balance prospecting, conversion activity and customer retention
  • Forecast models calculate impressions, clicks, conversions and acquisition costs
  • Cost-per-click assumptions tested against volume, competition and quality
  • Scenario planning compares conservative, expected and stretch performance cases
  • Budget reallocation rules respond to efficiency, capacity and strategic priorities

Participants can apply governance controls to digital marketing activity and customer data use.

  • GDPR principles guide lawful processing, transparency, minimisation and retention
  • Consent management records permissions for cookies, email and personalised advertising
  • Brand governance defines approval routes, mandatory claims and visual standards
  • Accessibility checks cover contrast, alt text, captions and keyboard use
  • Crisis response plans assign monitoring, escalation, holding statements and decisions
  • Agency governance clarifies scope, ownership, reporting and performance expectations

Participants can coordinate digital channels into a coherent campaign plan and operating schedule.

  • Campaign briefs define problem, audience, objective, insight and proposition
  • Channel plans sequence paid, owned and earned activity around customer stages
  • Creative territories translate positioning into repeatable campaign expressions
  • Content production workflows assign dependencies, approvals, assets and publishing dates
  • Campaign calendars coordinate launches, optimisation windows and reporting milestones
  • Risk registers document assumptions, dependencies, mitigations and decision owners

Participants can produce concise performance reports that support timely marketing decisions.

  • Dashboard design prioritises objectives, KPIs, trends, context and actions
  • Performance narratives explain results, drivers, limitations and recommended decisions
  • Variance analysis compares actual results against targets, budgets and forecasts
  • Channel scorecards assess efficiency, quality, conversion and strategic contribution
  • Executive reporting distinguishes operational detail from decision-relevant conclusions
  • Optimisation backlogs prioritise changes by evidence, impact and implementation effort

Participants can build, review and present a complete digital marketing plan for a defined business objective.

  • Business challenge translated into measurable customer and commercial objectives
  • Audience segments prioritised using evidence, value potential and accessibility
  • Customer journey identifies channel roles, content needs and conversion points
  • Integrated channel plan specifies activity, budget assumptions and ownership
  • Measurement framework defines KPIs, tracking requirements, targets and reporting cadence
  • Peer review tests strategic coherence, feasibility, risks and optimisation actions
  • Plan presentation defends recommendations using evidence, assumptions and expected outcomes

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. RACE-based digital marketing plan template
  2. Audience segmentation and persona pack
  3. Integrated campaign brief and channel calendar
  4. UTM naming convention and measurement plan
  5. Digital media budget and forecast model
  6. Performance dashboard and optimisation backlog

Who should attend

  • Digital Marketing Manager — needs to coordinate channels, budgets and performance reporting
  • Marketing Manager — needs to integrate digital activity into commercial marketing plans
  • Communications Manager — needs measurable digital engagement and content distribution methods
  • Campaign Manager — needs stronger planning, targeting and optimisation discipline
  • Social Media Manager — needs to connect social activity to journeys and conversion goals
  • Business Development Manager — needs digital acquisition methods supporting pipeline growth

Skills and tools covered

Digital strategy planningAudience segmentationCampaign measurementContent marketingPaid media managementConversion optimisation

Tools and standards

RACE Planning Framework, STP model, Google Analytics 4, Google Ads

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instructor-led sessions combine short technical briefings with realistic campaign cases from consumer, financial services, public sector and business-to-business settings. Participants analyse audience evidence, make channel decisions, interpret campaign data and build plan components using structured templates. Group exercises examine trade-offs between reach, cost, conversion and retention, while simulations test budget, targeting and optimisation choices. Application planning connects each method to participants' own organisation, product, service or programme.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have working experience in a marketing, communications, sales or customer experience role and basic familiarity with websites, email, social media or online advertising. They should be comfortable discussing customers, business objectives, campaign activity and simple performance measures such as clicks, enquiries or sales. Prior use of Google Analytics, advertising platforms, CRM systems or design software is useful but not required. The course does not require coding, advanced statistics, graphic design capability or prior responsibility for a marketing budget.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have practical exposure to marketing, communications, sales or customer experience work and basic familiarity with digital channels. You do not need prior platform certification, coding knowledge or advanced analytics experience.

Bring a laptop for planning templates, analysis tasks and online platform demonstrations. If possible, bring an existing campaign brief, website, customer proposition or performance report that you can use as application material.

It is designed for professionals who already contribute to digital marketing activity and now need to plan, manage or evaluate it more systematically. It is particularly suitable for marketing managers, campaign managers, communications specialists and digital channel owners.

The course covers social media, search advertising and analytics, but places each within an integrated marketing plan. It focuses on channel selection, customer journeys, objectives, measurement, budgeting, governance and cross-channel decision-making rather than one platform alone.

Participants build planning components throughout the course, including audience priorities, campaign objectives, channel activity, measurement and reporting. These can be adapted to a live product launch, acquisition campaign, service programme or retention initiative.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first part develops strategy, audiences, journeys and channel planning; the second part focuses on execution, measurement, optimisation, governance and the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.