Best Marketing Courses to boost your career

If you are looking at a marketing course that will fuel your career growth with specialized skills, look no further. The job role of a marketing manager has become a highly specialized one. While a general MBA in marketing is still a much sought after skill, there are other equally highly specialized marketing courses that will give an edge to your burning ambition to get ahead in your professional career.

Here are our recommendations of the best marketing courses that you could look at and where to do it from – if your objective is to move ahead in your corporate or business life.

MBA in Marketing

You can’t beat being an MBA from any of the IIM’s if you’re serious about a career in marketing. All the top IIM institutes today offer executive MBA programs for the working executives in sales and marketing. Most of them are distance education programs which are instructor led , so you have the advantage of being tutored by the same professor that typically takes their main classes.

Almost all the IIMS’s today work with extended distance education partners like Hughes, NIIT and TalentEdge to offer these courses. The partner provides the marketing, distribution and logistics support while the IIM’s manages the core course content and curriculum.

You will also find courses from other top MBA institutes such as the XLRI , XIM , ISB and others being offered by these partners. The top 3 such educational partners aligned with top MBA institutes are:

a.Hughes Global Education

Hughes offers an Executive Post Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management from IIM Kozhikode, an Executive Program in Sales & Marketing from IIM Kolkata and a Certificate Program In Consumer Sales Management from IIM Rohtak.

b.NIIT Imperia

NIIT Imperia offers an Advanced Program for Marketing Professionals from IIM Kolkata

c.Talent Edge

Talent Edge offers a PG Certificate in Marketing and Brand Management from MICA, Ahmedabad.

Digital Marketing Course

While a generalist marketing career is still something to be pursued actively, real career growth comes from electing to develop skills in fast rising sunrise sector like Digital Marketing. The role of a digital marketing manager has increased since the past decade.Today, a digital marketing manager is integral to the core marketing function primarily because consumers are today increasingly dependent on the Internet as a medium for communication, sharing and working.

Choosing the right digital marketing course is important as this is an evolving subject matter. Some of the best digital marketing courses being offered today in India are :-

a.Talent Edge

They offer a PG Certificate program in digital marketing from MICA, Ahmedabad, an Executive Certificate Program in Digital Marketing from IIM Kashipur and an Executive Program in Digital Marketing from XLRI Jamshedpur

b.NIIT Imperia

NIIT Imperia too offer digital marketing courses from its educational partners. They have a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from Digital Marketing institute

c.Digital Vidya

One of the more recognized brand names when it comes to Digital Marketing Courses, Digital Vidya offer their own Certified Digital Marketing Master (SDMM) Course which is a 6 months online course

d. DSIM

The Delhi School of Internet Marketing is another well-known brand with its own program. They offer classroom led training courses in Digital Marketing through a franchise led operation.

e.DigiSkills

DigiSkills is yet another upcoming name in the digital marketing courses industry. They offer intensive classroom style practical course training with a job placement guarantee.  They have 2 courses, the DigiSkill Digital Marketing Course aimed at the job seeker market which offers guaranteed job placement and the other aimed at businessmen looking to learn digital marketing to implement the same in their business.

f.Google

Although technically it’s not exactly a course, but Google does offer a massive amount of good clear instructional material if you are a keen self-learner. Check out their online marketing challenge

Social Media Marketing Courses

Social Media is yet another specialized marketing job role to explore seriously for those interested and looking for the next jump in their career goal. With increased proliferation of social media platforms and the continued connectivity of consumer audiences globally, social media marketing has come to become a specialized media and consumer channel for every brand.

Unfortunately in India, this is an area of knowledge that is lacking and therefore most of the courses being offered are international programs.  Some of the institutes to check for the most relevant social media courses are:

a. Simplilearn

Simplilearn offers an online course on Advanced Social Media Certification Training for Rs. 11,999/-. The course is designed and advised by Jennifer Evans Cario , an international social media expert.

b.Digital Vidya

Digital Vidya offers a 1 month self-study course and a month long instructor led online course for Social Media called the Social Media Marketing Course

c.Hootsuite Academy

Hootsuite is among the top social media platforms in the world and they provide extensive training and resource materials for those keen to explore the subtle nuances of social media. Hootsuite provides a free Social Marketing Training course as well as a paid $299/- course on Social Selling Education and Certification course

Public Relations

Public Relations is a field that for long has been a staple and stable marketing related job function. Most public relations professionals either end up working in the public relations or marketing communication departments of large organizations or find employment with PR agencies. With the growth of the digital medium and the blogging community, the role of the PR manager has evolved to cover not just the offline media but also online media where he or she works on protecting the Online Reputation (OR) of companies.

Unfortunately for most already working executives, there are very few executive programs designed for them. Most PR related courses are full time course and attract largely the first time job seekers. Some of the more well know executive or distance education course available are :

a.Delhi University

Thanks to the Delhi University’s Department of Adult Continuing Education, there are some options available to those who are looking to pursue a skill set in public relations and mass communication.

b.Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning

They  offer 2 course in creative writing, an integral part in today online world of blogging.  Creative writing is a required skill for all online media bloggers and writers

c.Xavier Institute of Communication

The XIC offers several full time and part time course around communication subject matters such as mass communications, public relations and corporate communications and advertising & marketing communications.  Their Advanced Integrated Communication Program is designed for working executives with classes being held over the weekend.

Event Management Courses

Yet another key marketing function is that Events and Below-The-Line  (BTL) or Integrated Marketing as it is called. The role of the Events or BTL or IM manager is to manage the entire gamut of non-traditional forms of marketing that are typically done by large companies. These include activities such as organizing events and seminars, product launches, field promotions, loyalty marketing, direct marketing etc etc.

This is a core marketing function and are typically ruled by ex-agency personnel. Acquiring skill sets in this industry opens up avenues in marketing for those who want to take a jump into marketing from sales or other functions

There are several institutes that offer short term certificate and diploma courses in event management. Some of the better known ones are :-

a.National Academy of Event Management & Development (NAEMD)

NAEMD offer several degree and diplomas course in event management starting with the BBA to an MBA. While most of the courses are full time, they have specifically two courses designed for working executives. The PG Diploma in Event Management and Diploma in event management are available as part time courses.

b.Wizcraft

Without doubt India’s largest and biggest event management company, Wizcraft along with Talent Edge offer Wizcraft MIME an online event management course

Apart from these, there are several more smaller event management courses that dot each of the major cities in India.

A career in marketing can often be a very fulfilling one for those who love the challenges that come with building a brand. The marketing role today is a dynamically changing role calling for different skill sets thereby creating unique opportunities for those looking for a career boost.

Note to readers:

The above compilation has been done by the author based on his experiences and knowledge. Students are advised to take proper precautions before enrolling into any of the above courses.