Introduction to Digital Marketing

Course Description
Note: This course is about the practical digital application of basic marketing theories and concepts and it is necessary for students to have a firm grounding in these basic tenets, which are covered in the prerequisite MKT 248 Introduction to Marketing at AAU, or an equivalent course at another accredited university. This introductory level overview course will introduce students to major aspects of digital marketing including SEO, Analytics, Digital Strategy and Planning, Customer UX (User Experience), Website Design, the Role of Design, Content Creation and Marketing, New Media Platforms, PPC (Pay Per Click), Ad-Words, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, E-Commerce, Content Marketing and Management, and Mobile Marketing and Commerce. How these aspects of Digital Marketing can and should work synergistically will also be examined.
The initial part of the course will cover the beginnings of Digital Marketing, how and why it has developed over the years, and current trends. A major portion of the course will be spent on the digital channels and tools and social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and others. We will attempt to balance old and new perspectives through case studies and real-life marketing applications. An important part of the course will be student projects developing multi-media and written content for AAU and the AAU website in conjunction with AAU’s Marketing Department. The above topics will be covered from both a theoretical and practical “real-life” viewpoint with the emphasis on the practical. Students will choose and complete Google training modules.

Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
–Have a clear and demonstrable understanding of Digital Marketing and its many facets;
–Have a clear and demonstrable understanding of how Digital Marketing developed, where we are today and where we may be going in the future;
–Demonstrate a clear understanding of the convergence of social media and other aspects of Digital Marketing and how these are tied to e-commerce marketing, both historically, today, and looking to the future;
–Understand and demonstrate an ability to plan, set up and develop a website;
–Understand, track, and analyze Google Analytics and SEO;
–Understand and demonstrate a basic knowledge level and familiarity with the following: SEO, Analytics, Digital Strategy and Planning, Customer UX, Website Design, the Role of Design, Content Creation and Marketing, New Media Platforms, PPC, Ad-Words, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, E-Commerce, Content Marketing and Management, and Mobile Marketing and Commerce, and the development and importance of payment systems in Digital Marketing;
–Understand the importance and relevance of mobile marketing as a digital marketing platform and how it assimilates with traditional marketing;
–Demonstrate and apply an understanding of factors in developing a successful digital marketing strategy;
–Be able to compare and contrast, analyze and comment on the value of various digital marketing platforms and business models;
–Be able to demonstrably measure, assess and analyze the effectiveness of current digital marketing campaigns;
–Demonstrate and understand the various aspects of digital marketing analytics, how measured and paid for, i.e., marketing metrics;
–Demonstrably show their understanding that marketing is about teamwork, proper communication, and cooperation by actively participating in discussions, and group projects, and by punctually attending classes. Preparation is critical;
–Understand and demonstrate knowledge of new aspects of marketing, including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).