To work as a digital marketer, you need to learn many concepts and skills. To do so quickly, you may be tempted to take a digital marketing bootcamp.
But is it worth it?
In this post, I will explain how digital marketing bootcamps work and whether or not they are a good way to learn digital marketing.
What Is a Digital Marketing Bootcamp?
A digital marketing bootcamp is an intensive, short-term training program designed to teach essential digital marketing skills quickly. These programs typically cover topics like SEO, content marketing, social media, paid advertising, email marketing, and analytics.
Unlike traditional degree programs, bootcamps focus on hands-on learning, real-world projects, and tools. They are ideal for beginners looking to break into digital marketing or professionals wanting to upskill in a short time.
Digital marketing bootcamps can take place online or in person at a physical location. The course material is typically in a class or lecture-type setting, whether live or virtual.
Some of the skills commonly taught in digital marketing bootcamps include:
- Marketing strategy: How to conduct market research to develop the business overall plan to reach customers through online channels.
- Analytics and reporting: How to analyze important metrics to see the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy and where you can make improvements.
- SEO: How search engines work and how you can perform keyword research to build a strategy for growing organic traffic.
- Content marketing: How to use different forms of content to provide value and engage with your audience.
- Social media marketing: How to create a social media marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and engage with your audience.
- Email marketing: How to get more email subscribers and build email campaigns to target people at various stages in your marketing funnel.
- Paid marketing: How to develop and execute effective advertising campaigns for pay-per-click (PPC) and other marketing channels.
How Much Do Digital Marketing Bootcamps Cost?
Attending a digital marketing bootcamp costs between $2000 to $15000. The price varies depending on the duration of the program and the topics covered.
The table below shows the cost and duration of popular digital marketing bootcamps.
| Vendor | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| BrainStation | 11 Weeks | $15,000 |
| New Apprenticeship | 8 Weeks | $2,000 |
| Jelly Academy | 6 Weeks | $4,000 |
| Bootcamp Digital | 4 Days | $2,497 |
Are Digital Marketing Bootcamps Worth It?
Overall, it is safe to say that for most people, digital marketing bootcamps are not worth it.
The main deterrent is the cost. A bootcamp can teach you new skills, but thousands of dollars is a hefty price to pay.
Especially since there are better, more affordable resources readily available. If you want a more efficient way to learn about digital marketing, you should start with a course.
It will provide more extensive learning material, and you can enjoy the flexibility of studying on your own schedule.
Digital Marketing Bootcamp Pros & Cons
Digital marketing bootcamps are designed to give students a starting place to learn digital marketing.
They may not be the most comprehensive or efficient learning method, but they can help provide foundational knowledge to those new to the field.
Pros
Networking - Digital marketing bootcamps can be an effective way to network with other digital marketing professionals. If you attend an in-person training event, you can meet marketers like you who are looking to advance their knowledge and career. You can also connect with the instructors for more tips and insights into digital marketing.
The connections you make can benefit you throughout your digital marketing career, helping you secure different positions and clients.
Career services - A good digital marketing bootcamp offers plenty of career services besides its course material. Many popular bootcamp providers have many hiring partners to help students land digital marketing positions.
Structured learning- The learning format for digital marketing bootcamps is more akin to traditional teaching methods.
Many have lessons, projects, and coaching sessions at scheduled times. This structured study approach helps some students stay on top of the material.
Cons
Incredibly high costs - The most obvious and notable disadvantage to taking a digital marketing bootcamp is the cost. Most bootcamps run upwards of a few thousand dollars.
Unfortunately, the value of the material covered for most bootcamps does not equal the excessive price.
Time constraints - Another big disadvantage to learning through a marketing bootcamp is the time constraints. Both in-person and online digital marketing bootcamps tend to run for a short period of time.
Whether it lasts a few days or a few weeks, most bootcamps aren’t able to cover all the information you need to become a successful digital marketing manager during the course of the program.
Lack of flexibility - Digital marketing bootcamps are less flexible than other learning methods. Because the lessons are pre-scheduled, you must work your schedule around the bootcamp.
Additionally, most programs only run at set times of the year instead of being open for enrollment whenever you decide.
Not suitable for specialized learning - Most digital marketing bootcamps spend the learning time touching on the broader aspects of digital marketing. As such, they are not well-suited for those looking to get a thorough education in a specific area of digital marketing.
Popular Digital Marketing Bootcamps
1. BrainStation Digital Marketing Bootcamp
The marketing bootcamp from BrainStation is an online digital marketing bootcamp available through their website. The bootcamp has limited capacity so only a certain number of applicants can join.
The course covers branding, strategy and marketing planning, search marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and analytics and reporting.
There is a full-time program in which you take classes Monday through Friday from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM and a part-time program with classes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
The program lasts 11 weeks. In addition to lessons, there are projects and one-on-one coaching sessions with a member of the BrainStation education team.
To apply, you first need to speak with a learning advisor. You can then submit an initial online application.
If you make it to the next step, you will receive an invitation to interview. From there, you need to complete an admissions challenge before an ultimate decision is made on whether or not to accept you to the program.
The bootcamp is not cheap as it costs $15,000 to enroll.
BrainStation also hosts in-person digital marketing bootcamps at several locations across Europe and North America, including Toronto, London, New York, and Miami.
2. New Apprenticeship Bootcamp
New Apprenticeship is an online digital marketing bootcamp taught over an eight-week period.
There is also a 12-week program with additional training and job preparation resources for students.
The program consists of a mix of team sessions, coaching calls, lessons, and weekly marketing sessions. Students have to submit various assignments throughout the program.
Some of the topics covered in the bootcamp include:
- Inbound marketing strategies to identify and create buyer personas for a target audience
- Email and social media marketing for lead generation and brand awareness
- Using Google Analytics to measure inbound marketing campaigns
The eight-week program costs $2,000. If you want to enroll in the 12-week program it will cost $3,200.
If you are interested in a more analytical training program, New Apprenticeship also has a data analyst bootcamp that runs for the same length of time.
3. Jelly Academy Digital Marketing Bootcamp
Jelly Academy is another digital marketing bootcamp available online. Unlike some other bootcamps, Jelly Academy does not follow a formal admissions process, meaning it is open for anyone that wants to enroll.
The program runs for a six-week period. It includes lessons on the following topics:
- Social media
- SEO
- Google Ads
- Facebook + Instagram Ads
- Google Analytics
- Public Relations
Lessons take place virtually, over three-hour Zoom sessions. These classes occur Wednesday from 9 AM to 12 PM PST for the duration of the course.
In addition to the lessons, there are also plenty of assignments and homework for students to complete.
Jelly Academy offers various career services to students to help them prepare for interviews, network with other marketers, and land jobs at marketing agencies.
While more affordable than some other bootcamps, the program is not cheap and will cost you $4,000.
If you complete all six program sessions successfully you receive a public relations certificate showing that you finished the program.
4. Boot Camp Digital
Boot Camp Digital is an online marketing bootcamp and in-person training service.
One of their most popular programs is the four-day intensive digital marketing virtual bootcamp.
The training runs from 9 AM to 5 PM each day as the experienced instructors provide action-oriented guidance to help develop your marketing expertise.
Some of the key digital marketing topics covered in the course include:
- Building a digital marketing strategy from the ground up
- The role of your website in digital marketing and how to create an effective site
- Planning for usability and conversions
- Creating a mobile marketing strategy
In addition to the lectures, students also receive a set of templates, checklists, and tip sheets to use for their own marketing efforts.
The four-day workshop costs $2,497. While it is a virtual event, only 25 participants are allowed entry in order to provide a more engaging learning environment.
Students who join the program get direct access to the instructors through Q&A calls and discussion forums.
Other Ways to Learn Digital Marketing
Now that we’ve seen some of the setbacks of marketing bootcamps, you may wonder if there are more effective ways to learn digital marketing.
And yes, there are.
Digital Marketing Courses
One of the best alternatives to a digital marketing bootcamp is to take an online digital marketing course.
Courses compile various subjects into a comprehensive learning resource. They can cover a broad range of digital marketing topics or the more granular aspects of a single specialization.
Most digital marketing courses are self-paced learning programs without a set lesson schedule.
Once you enroll in the course, all the material is available on demand. This lets the course contain more material than a bootcamp.
Perhaps the most significant advantage of using a digital marketing course is that it is much more cost-effective than a marketing bootcamp.
For around $200 or less, you can find a high-quality course covering all digital marketing essentials.
Digital marketing certifications
Another more effective way to learn digital marketing is to get a digital marketing certification.
Many online marketing courses offer certifications once you complete the material.
Other certifications are offered directly by major players in the digital marketing space to show that someone knows how to use their service or tool.
Below are some of the best digital marketing certifications worth pursuing:
Google is one of the platforms digital marketers use the most throughout their careers.
Whether it is through organic search traffic or paid advertisements, Google allows businesses across industries to reach their target audience at scale.
Google offers a variety of professional certifications through its Skillshop platform. The certificates validate a marketer’s proficiency using the various Google advertising services.
You can earn certifications in the following categories:
- Search Ads
- Display Ads
- Shopping Ads
- Video Ads
- Google Ads Measurement
- App Ads
To earn a certification, you need to pass an exam. Google provides several courses through the Skillshop platform that you can use to study and prepare for the test.
They contain videos and practice questions for the various subjects in the exam.
The exams are online and available for free.
After you pass the exam, the certificate will appear in your Skillshop account. There is a public link you can use to share the certificate with others.
You can also print the certificate as a PDF to place it wherever you like.
Google Analytics Certification
Google Analytics is the most commonly used analytics platform among digital marketing professionals.
No matter what position you hold, you will likely work with the platform in some capacity.
The Google Analytics Individual Qualification teaches you the fundamentals of using Google Analytics and rewards a certificate once you complete the final assessment.
The certification is also available through the Skillshop platform.
Like the Google Ads certifications, there are lessons and pre-test resources to help you learn and prepare for the exam.
When you pass the exam, the certificate will also appear in your Skillshop account.
Facebook is another important marketing channel for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Like Google, Facebook has its own official certification program for digital marketers.
In total, there are nine certifications available in the Facebook Blueprint program. The certifications range from beginner to intermediate and advanced level certifications.
You can use the free Facebook Blueprint courses to learn the concepts covered in the exams. Facebook also has study guides and practice tests you can use to prepare.
The Facebook Blueprint Certifications are paid certifications. You will need to pay a one-time fee to take the exam for each certificate.
The exam fee varies depending on the certification. The beginner level Digital Marketing Associate certification costs $99. The more advanced exams cost more, ranging up to $150.
The exam process is more thorough than that of other digital marketing certifications.
You can take the exams in person at a testing center or you can take them online at home with a proctor monitoring you live via webcam.
If you fail an exam you will need to pay to take it again.
After you pass an exam, you will receive a digital copy of the officially accredited certification from Facebook.
You will also get a version to print for framing or hanging on your wall.
Benefits of courses and certifications
Increase your value
When you get a certification, you increase your value both to employers and potential clients.
Courses and certifications move beyond theoretical concepts to help you develop marketing skills with real-world application.
You learn the tasks and processes that you will perform as a digital marketer as well as how to use essential digital marketing tools.
The certification validates this expertise and can be used to showcase your skills to others throughout your career.
Learn from experts
Good digital marketing courses are taught by industry experts. By learning from these instructors, you pick up all kinds of tips and secrets that are less commonly known.
Experienced marketing professionals can also provide in-depth details on how to turn the digital marketing concepts you learn into actionable guidance.
Post-course support
Courses run by smaller providers often offer additional support to students once the course is complete.
This could be a membership group where the instructor actively engages with graduates to answer questions and provide guidance throughout their careers.
Good courses also update their material frequently to reflect any changes to marketing best practices or tools.
Because you have on-demand access to the material, you get an evergreen resource to continue to expand your knowledge.
