Applied Digital Marketing

"Taking this class has been a very positive experience, as the instructor was able to present complex information in a way that was interesting, comprehensive and motivating. The class provided many tools, apps, suggestions, and innovative ideas that would assist any business, small or large achieve SEO goals otherwise unattainable within every corporate budget. The class created a curiosity and excitement that has left a lasting impression with me and I'm confident moving forward with great success because of this experience."

-Carla Montgomery

"This class is a must for everyone who is responsible for marketing or communications as part of their job. It covered a broad range of Internet, Social Media and Web 2.0 tools using traditional and digital teaching formats.

Our instructor, James, is very dedicated, personable and an all-things-web guru. His knowledge, a unique combination of marketing and technology, enables him to discuss strategy on high-tech topics which enhance your learning experience. He is very cutting edge, yet approachable, and kept the class moving. DePaul University has a gem on their hands!"

-Kimberly Young

This program is designed for working professionals, small business owners, career changers and lifelong learners who want practical digital marketing skills without learning to code. It suits you if you are:

• A small business owner or entrepreneur marketing your own products or services online.
• A marketing, communications or sales professional who wants a current, end-to-end view of internet marketing. 
• A career changer moving into digital marketing who needs hands-on experience with real tools.
• A nonprofit, education or operations professional responsible for a website, email list or social media presence.

Prerequisites are modest. You should be comfortable using a computer, which includes installing software, browsing the web and word processing. You will need access to a Windows or macOS computer and a reliable broadband connection. If you attend online, you also need a webcam, microphone, speakers and a current version of Zoom. No prior marketing or technical background is assumed.

By the end of the program you will be able to:

• Build a clear, usable website or paper prototype, applying site design and usability heuristics, then test and host it. 
• Optimize a site for organic search, voice search, and ai discovery using on-page, off-page and AI-era techniques, including keyword research, page titles, meta descriptions, schema markup and XML sitemaps.
• Plan paid search campaigns, applying keywords, quality score, bidding and conversion tracking to control cost and results. 
• Set up measurement with Google Analytics 4 (GA4), UTM tracking parameters and Google Tag Manager (GTM) to report on key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Create and grow a blog and social media presence, using RSS feeds, content best practices and social media management tools.
• Run compliant email campaigns, applying segmentation, deliverability standards (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) and CAN-SPAM rules.
• Apply privacy, security and copyright principles, including fair use, Creative Commons and image licensing, and use generative AI tools responsibly in your marketing.

Week 1: Introductions, Definitions and Planning

Foundations and how the web works.

Objectives: Define the core terms, understand how the internet delivers a page and plan a site before you build it.

• Defining internet, marketing, internet marketing and interactive marketing.
• How the internet works, including routing, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), the Domain Name System (DNS), uniform resource locators (URLs), top-level domains (TLDs) and how browsers render Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
• Site design heuristics (Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics).
• Site implementation, covering design, basic structure, testing and hosting.

Week 2: Search, SEO and AI SEO

How search works and how to be found.

Objectives: Understand search engines, AI discovery, and voice search. Optimize a site across design, copy and code, and plan paid search.

• How a search engine crawls, indexes and ranks (relevance, popularity and velocity).
• AI Overviews.
• Search engines versus directories.
• Quality signals (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, now Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T).
• The changing results page, including AI answers and voice search.
• Search engine optimization (SEO), on-page and off-page: Design (responsive design, breadcrumbs, navigation, 301 and 302 redirects),
• Copy (writing for the web, keyword research, link-bait) and Code (page titles, meta descriptions, HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) structure, XML sitemaps, schema markup).
• Promotion through directories, social sharing and publicity.
• Paid search, including Google Ads, quality score, ad rank, keywords, the long tail and campaign constraints.
• Testing (A/B, A/B/N and multivariate).
• Classic copy frameworks (AIDA and John Caples).
• AI SEO using tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity.

Week 3: The Social Internet, Analytics and Advertising

Social presence, measurement and ads.

Objectives: Choose and use social tools, set up analytics, and understand how online advertising is bought and measured.

• The social media landscape and its categories.
• Choosing tools using the Gartner Magic Quadrant and listening dashboards.
• Blogging structure and best practices, including the headline, brevity, a call to action and tags.
• Content management systems (WordPress, Blogger and Drupal) and content delivery networks (CDNs).
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and feed readers.
• Podcasting and vodcasting.
• Analytics methodology (KPIs, reports, analysis and action), GA4, cookies (first-party and third-party), retargeting,
• UTM parameters and Google Tag Manager.
• Advertising principles (David Ogilvy and testing), banner blindness, programmatic advertising (demand-side platforms, supply-side platforms, data management platforms and real-time bidding), native advertising and QR codes.
• Customer relationship management (CRM).

Week 4: Email, Security, Privacy and Copyright

Email marketing and the rules around it.

Objectives: Choose and use social tools, set up analytics, and understand how online advertising is bought and measured.

• Email marketing, including Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME), text versus HTML, segmentation, personalization, frequency, a clear call to action and UTM tracking.
• Deliverability and open and click rates.
• The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Email authentication: Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC).
• Apple Mail Privacy Protection.
• Marketing automation and lead scoring.
• Security topics, including employee education, data encryption, traffic monitoring and legal requirements such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Privacy topics, including web bugs, spyware and privacy tools.
• Copyright, including exclusive rights, fair use factors, digital rights management (DRM), Creative Commons, trademark and patent, and how copyright applies to AI-generated work.
• Stock photography, image licensing and photographer rights.

Week 5: Final Presentations and Extras

Apply the material and plan your next steps.

Objectives: Present a plan to apply course techniques and review key concepts.

• Final presentation: Give a presentation of about seven minutes followed by a three-minute Q&A, or submit a short written report, or create a video. The presentation (or one of these alternatives) is required to earn the certificate.

How is the program delivered?

It is taught Flex. You can attend on campus in Chicago or join live by Zoom, and you can choose what works for you each week. Every class is recorded, streamed and automatically transcribed, and recordings stay available for several years after the program ends.

How much time does it take?

Five weekly sessions of about two hours each plus an optional weekly exercise and a short final presentation.

What are the prerequisites?

General comfort with computers, including installing software, browsing the web and word processing. You need a Windows or macOS computer and a reliable broadband connection, plus a webcam, microphone, speakers and a current version of Zoom if you attend online. No prior marketing or technical background is required.

What software do I need?

The program uses free and freemium tools, with download and setup instructions provided. You may need administrator access to install software on your computer. A computer is not required in the classroom, but you are welcome to bring one.

Are there course materials or a textbook?

There is no required textbook. Comprehensive handouts (as PDFs) and videos are provided through the course site on D2L. Additional reading is recommended each week, with free and online resources favored.

What credential do I earn?

A certificate for the Applied Digital Marketing program. To earn it you must complete the final presentation (or an approved alternative) and meet the attendance requirement.

How big are the classes?

Class size is limited, typically about 15 to 20 participants.

James Moore is the Director of Online Learning for DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business. James also teaches at DePaul University in fully online, blended, and face-to-face formats to both undergraduates and executive education populations. He attempts to balance his love of technology and gadgets with the knowledge that quick and simple solutions are best. James has been nationally recognized for excellence in online instructional development.

James presents regularly at online learning and teaching conferences (Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, Annual Sloan-C International Conference) and at DePaul. A list of selected presentations and publications is available on this website, https://condor.depaul.edu/jmoore/. 

Moore holds a BA in economics and information technology from Middlesex University in England and an MS in telecommunications, with a computer science concentration, from DePaul University. He has published chapters on search engine optimization and paid search for the "IMC Handbook" (2008, 2010 and 2014). His teaching has been recognized with the Kellstadt Marketing Center Distinguished Professional Educator Award For Excellence in Teaching (2009 and 2013) and the Schullo Best Distance Teaching Practices Award (2018).