As a student starting out in marketing, I can attest to how difficult it can be to know where to go to keep updated with what’s going on and to know more about marketing outside of your degree. Throughout my experiences, I’ve kept a list of resources I like to utilise and wanted to share so other students can use these, and feel more comfortable about getting more into marketing.
Free online courses
While a major in marketing is a great way to get the fundamental theory down, it unfortunately cannot teach you everything you need to know. The marketing industry changes so rapidly, and it’s important you find a way to keep up with at least some of it.
Thankfully, there are a heap of great free resources out there you can do in your own time to get more skills that employers are often looking for.
For starters, Google Digital Garage offers several free courses, and even ones that are certified (hint hint). The Google Fundamentals of Marketing Certificate course gives you so much information as well as free resources such as glossary terms along the way. Other great free courses include Google Analytics Academy (if you’re wanting to learn more about Google Ads, analytics, and SEO), SEMrush – their keyword course and SEO fundamentals is a big help for understanding the basics, and HubSpot Academy offers quite a few courses as well.
A few others that I’ve heard of are LinkedIn learning and Facebook Blueprint, but I haven’t done those, so can’t give you a personal perspective there.
If you are interested in user experience, check out the Interaction Design Foundation. They have so many articles on UX, and if you become a paid member (there’s a student membership), you can do as many of their design courses as you want to.
Photo: inlytics | LinkedIn Analytics Tool
LinkedIn:
If you don’t have LinkedIn, or don’t use your account, I would strongly recommend you amp that up a bit! Since getting LinkedIn, keeping my profile updated, and interacting with people who are working in areas I’m interested in, my connections and opportunities have grown so much – the number of connections you have isn’t important if you don’t utilise any of them. Sometimes you’ve just got to take a leap of faith and message that person who is working where you want to, or does a job you’re interested in, and just have a chat – most people are happy to share their experience! Just be brave.
There are also so many great pages and groups on LinkedIn to follow/join that have marketing tips and general information, such as:
Digital Marketer
Social Media Perth
Social Media Examiner
WAMA – WA Marketing Association
Marketing Minds
LinkedIn groups:
WA Marketers Club
Digital Marketing: Social Media, Search, Mobile and more
Networking:
This word is often associated with dread for students, and I completely understand why. I still get nervous when I go to events and feel like I have nothing to talk about, but the more you do it, the (slightly) easier it gets.
Other than networking events by CMA, there are a few out in the industry to keep an eye on.
Grill The Marketer (Carma Levene and Clayton Smith).
This event is run every two months or so in Northbridge, and is a very casual but informative event to attend! The event is all about asking any marketing questions you have – as general or specific to your role as you want. It’s a great way to get some help and meet some awesome marketers in the community!
Youngbloods (more advertising-related).
Advertising Council (they did a Taste of Advertising Event last year which was great).
Podcasts:
There are so many out there, but a few I enjoy listening to are:
The Marketer (search for Grill The Marketer)
Digital Marketing Daily
The Digital Marketing Podcast
The Perth Business Podcast
This is nowhere near everything that is out there, but these resources have been helpful for me, and I hope for anyone reading this as well. Getting involved isn’t easy, but the sooner you do it, and get more confident talking to people, the more resources and support you’ll have as an up-and-coming marketer!