Intro_to_marketing_course_content

### **4-Week Introductory Marketing Course: Digital Marketing Fundamentals for Small Business Owners**

**Week 1: Understanding Your Market & Customer**
*Learning Objectives:* By the end of this week, students will be able to define their target audience, identify customer pain points, and conduct basic market research.

**Key Concepts:**
- The 4Ps of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) with examples from local businesses
- Creating buyer personas: Demographics vs. psychographics (e.g., "Sarah, 32, owns a bakery and struggles with Instagram engagement")
- SWOT analysis for small businesses (e.g., a fictional coffee shop: Strengths = loyal local following, Weaknesses = limited online presence)
- Tools: Google Trends, Facebook Audience Insights, free survey templates

**Practical Exercise:**
Students will complete a worksheet to: 
1) Define their ideal customer (name, age, job, challenges)
2) List 3 competitors and analyze their marketing tactics
3) Draft a 100-word brand positioning statement

*Recommended Resources:*
- HubSpot’s free Marketing Hub (basic CRM)
- Canva templates for brand mood boards
- Case study: How a local bookstore doubled sales with email marketing

**Week 2: Building Your Online Presence**
*Learning Objectives:* Students will learn to set up a simple website, optimize social media profiles, and create a content calendar.

**Key Concepts:**
- Domain hosting vs. website builders (e.g., Squarespace vs. WordPress for non-technical users)
- SEO basics: Keyword research for local businesses (e.g., "best gluten-free bakery in [CITY]")
- Social media platforms: Choosing the right ones (Instagram for visuals, LinkedIn for B2B)
- Content pillars: Educational, promotional, and engagement posts (30/60/10 rule)

**Practical Exercise:**
Students will:
1) Register a free domain or use a subdomain (e.g., yourbusiness.squarespace.com)
2) Create a 30-day content calendar with 3 posts per week
3) Write a 500-word blog post about a trending topic in their industry

*Recommended Resources:*
- Google’s SEO Starter Guide
- Later.com’s free social media scheduler
- Template: Instagram post captions for service-based businesses

**Week 3: Email Marketing & Lead Generation**
*Learning Objectives:* Students will understand how to build an email list, design campaigns, and measure success.

**Key Concepts:**
- Lead magnets: Freebies that convert (e.g., discount codes, checklists, webinars)
- Email service providers: Mailchimp vs. ConvertKit for beginners
- A/B testing subject lines and CTAs (e.g., "20% Off" vs. "Limited-Time Offer")
- Metrics: Open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates

**Practical Exercise:**
Students will:
1) Design a lead magnet (e.g., a PDF guide titled "5 Ways to Save on [INDUSTRY] Costs")
2) Set up an email sequence in Mailchimp with 3 automated emails
3) Analyze a sample email campaign report and suggest improvements

*Recommended Resources:*
- Mailchimp’s email marketing checklist
- Template: Welcome email series for new subscribers
- Case study: How a fitness studio grew its email list by 400% in 3 months

**Week 4: Paid Advertising & Measuring ROI**
*Learning Objectives:* Students will learn to run low-cost ads, track performance, and adjust strategies.

**Key Concepts:**
- Ad platforms: Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads for small budgets
- Budgeting: Daily vs. lifetime budgets, bid strategies
- Targeting: Lookalike audiences, retargeting, and interest-based targeting
- ROI calculation: (Revenue from ad - Ad cost) / Ad cost * 100

**Practical Exercise:**
Students will:
1) Plan a $50 Facebook ad campaign targeting their ideal customer
2) Draft ad copy and select images/videos
3) Set up conversion tracking in Facebook Ads Manager

*Recommended Resources:*
- Facebook Ads Blueprint (free courses)
- Google Analytics 4 setup guide
- Template: Ad performance report spreadsheet

**Final Project:**
Students will present a 5-minute pitch for their marketing plan, including:
- Target audience and buyer persona
- 30-day content calendar
- Email marketing strategy
- $100 ad campaign proposal

**Bonus:** List of 10 free marketing tools for ongoing use (e.g., Trello for project management, AnswerThePublic for keyword ideas).