"The information was pitched at the right level for someone with limited stats knowledge so that I could understand the theory as well as the application"
Martin Radford,
Data Services Manager, CDS Global
IDM Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing
(Dip DigM)
This course will give you the key skills to plan, manage and evaluate digital marketing campaigns, including: social, email, PPC, SEO, display, content and affiliate. Equivalent to Level 6 (Bachelor's Degree) qualification.
During your Diploma in Digital Marketing, you will learn to:
- Plan the introduction of digital technologies and techniques for marketing that support business objectives
- Apply the key technologies, tools and techniques of digital marketing to improve marketing effectiveness
- Identify the potential application of online marketing channels within the marketing communications mix
- Continuously improve the contribution of digital technologies to your organisation
Online courses can be booked up to one month after the cohort start date, for details please contact ask@theidm.com.
To download our IDM Prospectus for Professional Diplomas and Postgraduate Diplomas Click here
Want to specialise in B2B? Take a look at our Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing with B2B
Qualification Information
Syllabus
This programme is the equivalent to a level 6 qualification or to bachelor’s degree level and is made up of 16 modules.
Module 1: How digital continues to transform the role of marketing in business
Learning objective: Understanding the key factors that drive the growth and impact of digital marketing on customer experience.
- How digital marketing continues to redefine our ability to target and connect with customers
- Why developing real-time engagement is changing the role of marketing and marketers
- The importance of building mutually beneficial relationships with customers
- How digital transformation will shape the business of the future
- Uncovering the essential attributes of core digital channels:
- SEO that supports brand activation
- PPC that optimises conversion opportunities
- Social channels that engage every moment of the customer journey
- Display advertising that builds brand awareness and drives conversions
- Mobile marketing that supports contextual and personal engagement
- Affiliate Networks that extend reach through individual intermediaries and comparison websites
- Email that maximises the lifetime value of customers
Module 2: How understanding consumer preference and behaviour helps us to be better digital marketers
Learning objective: Understanding how consumers make purchasing decisions is the key to optimal targeting and proposition development.
- How different sources of primary and secondary data help us to understand the characteristics of consumers in the digital marketplace
- How and when to use quantitative and qualitative customer research to deepen prospecting and targeting insights
- To use analytics reports to improve targeting options and identify the key drivers of response
- How developing Personas helps digital marketers generate actionable insights that improve the planning process
Module 3: How efficient and practical planning processes build optimal digital marketing campaigns
Learning objective: Understand how successful digital marketing campaigns are driven by tried and tested planning frameworks that help us explore market conditions, develop actionable responses to surfaced insights and define success
- How conducting a 12-point situation analysis helps us build a solid foundation for digital marketing plans
- Why SMART objectives are tested against allowable marketing cost
- How strategy helps us to improve the quality of targeting and customer engagement on the increasingly complex pathway to purchase
- How a wide range of customer and business variables drive tactical channel selection
- How inspirational creative and informative content improve campaign performance
- Why every successful digital marketing campaign is built around a detailed timing and action plan
- How practical budgeting, benchmark analysis and forecasting processes help you assess the potential of your digital marketing plans prior to delivery
Module 4: Building user-centric websites that support customer and digital marketing objectives
Learning objective: Understand how user-centered design processes and digital technologies help us to develop websites that enhance customer experiences.
- How to define the purpose of a website from customer, business and ecommerce points of view
- How user-centered design helps us explore the needs, tasks and digital environments that define user experience (UX)
- Using waterfall and agile site development approaches to scope and manage the development of web projects
- Improvements to UX through sitemaps, wireframes and user testing
- Developing criteria for choosing design, developer and tech partners that support customisation, reliable web hosting and maintenance programmes
- The ongoing relationship between web developers and digital marketers
Module 5: Understanding the fundamental importance of Search Engine Marketing to digital marketing
Learning objective: Understand how SEM (SEO and PPC) plays a vital role in building brand engagement and sales opportunities at all points on the pathway to purchase.
- How search engine marketing (SEM) works across the customer journey
- How to build keyword strategies that drive optimised organic search results on a landing page by landing page basis
- The importance of indexing content and developing comprehensive and link partnerships to improve rankings
- Using the keyword optimising power of Pay Per Click (PPC) to drive sales
- How to set up and manage PPC accounts to optimise campaign performance
- Using analytics to continually improve SEM performance
Module 6: How Display Advertising builds awareness and generates efficient conversion opportunities for digital marketers
Learning objective: Understanding how channel preference, media research, targeting systems and ad-serving technology combine to build brands and drive sales efficiency.
- How real-time bidding and programmatic technology platforms help advertisers, publishers and consumers connect in real-time
- The importance of a focused display advertising strategy
- To explore the wide range of targeting options across different display networks
- To evaluate best practice inventory investment and bidding strategies
- Developing contextually relevant, original and impactful display ad creative
- How to ensure your advertising campaign management is efficient and accountable
Module 7: Using Email Marketing to build high-value digital relationships with prospects and customers
Learning objective: Understanding the relevant strategies, targeting methods, technologies and permissions needed to deliver customer-centric email marketing campaigns.
- How email campaigns can deliver a higher return on marketing investment than any other digital channel
- To develop a permission-based email strategy that recognises the long-term value of customers
- How segmentation, targeting, timing, testing and behavioural triggers optimise email campaigns
- Why ESP technology and data insight are important to subscriber-centric email marketing plans
- How automation, personalisation, dynamic content optimization and testing improve every aspect of email marketing, including: nurture, onboarding and lifecycle campaigns
- Exploring the metrics that define core key performance indicators for email campaigns
Module 8: How Content Marketing helps consumers make more informed purchasing decisions
Learning objective: Understanding the practical role content marketing plays in digital marketing campaigns.
- How content marketing supports the consumer decision making process from brand awareness to advocacy
- The qualities of ad formats on different social networks
- Developing and working with different content models
- How to build a flexible approach to content planning and development
- Developing and optimising content for text, image and video-based delivery
- The process of useful content creation, UGC and the value of storytelling
- Developing and executing content planning frameworks
Module 9: Exploring the use of Social Media channels to build acquire, convert and retain target audiences and customers
Learning objective: Understand how social media channels can be used to support all aspects of your customer acquisition, conversion and retention plans
- Why analysing social platform preferences and influencer analysis helps us define the best role for social media in our digital marketing campaigns
- How social media helps build brand awareness and preference
- Why social media offers opportunities to engage with communities and identify customer preferences
- How paid social media can drive sales
- How to analyse social channels to monitor sentiment and competitor activity
- To exploit the power of influencers to extend campaign reach and enhance cross channel performance
- To use social media channels as customer service tools
- To use monitoring and analytics dashboards to improve the media-multiplier effect of social campaigns
Module 10: Extending the reach of digital marketing campaigns through Affiliate Marketing
Learning objective: Develop an understanding of the affiliate channel, technologies, remuneration models and controls needed.
- How affiliate marketing extends campaign reach, improves performance and delivers transparent campaign attribution
- How individual affiliates, publishers and affiliate networks use technology to deliver measurable customer experiences
- How to evaluate key performance indicators of competing affiliate networks
- The cost and commission structures of affiliates and affiliate networks
- How collaborative work practices and continuous network assessment helps maintain affiliate marketing’s exceptional ROI levels
Module 11: Understanding the personal and contextual role of Mobile in digital marketing campaigns
Learning objective: Understanding the precision targeting opportunities that make mobile marketing one of the most effective digital channels.
- How mobile fits into a personalised digital marketing strategy
- To assess the influence of mobile on customer behaviour across the digital and physical customer journey, and the legal implications
- How to make use of mobile’s contextual targeting, app engagement, video, livestreaming, instant messaging, interactive NFC features and mobile payments capabilities
- How to set up tracking and data-management for omnichannel and multi-device engagement across mobile, desktop, in-store and print
- To identify and use different ROI and attribution models that measure the success of mobile marketing activities
Module 12: Developing a data acquisition and management strategy that is an integral part of digital campaign planning and delivery
Learning objective: Understand how technology helps us collect, evaluate and report on the quantitative and qualitative data that supports our digital marketing decisions
- How data-driven decisions improve the way we reach, engage, convert, retain and grow our customer base
- The four Vs of Big Data
- How to map customer contact and data points
- And evaluate the four types of customer data
- Data for customer profiles
- How Data Management Platforms work
- How to use databases, data modelling and data mining to surface RFV segmentation and Lifetime Value insights
- How developing Single Customer View supports Customer experience
Module 13: Developing digital marketing propositions, ideas and creative that inspire target audiences
Learning objective: To understand how customer insights and creative ideas combine to develop inspirational digital marketing campaigns.
- How customer insight can be used to inspire creative that works across digital and physical channels
- The factors that define memorable digital creative ideas at both the strategic and tactical level
- The way specific objectives and targeting options shape campaign executions
- The critical importance of in-depth customer research and segmentation strategies to powerful propositions development
- How to develop informative and inspirational digital creative briefs that improve the quality of work and improve workflow
- How to evaluate and respond to digital creative ideas and concepts with impartial and constructive objectivity
Module 14: How regulation, permission and codes of practice inspire efficient digital marketing
Learning objective: To understand all aspects of law and codes governing digital marketers and digital marketing campaigns.
- Why compliance defines professional digital marketers
- How marketing permission is a key driver of customer value
- How legal frameworks relating to personal data and consent (including PECR and GDPR) affect digital marketing practice
- What Marketers, Data Controllers and Data Processors need to know about Data protection and privacy legislation across the digital channels
- Consent, Legitimate Interests and individual rights under GDPR
- How MPS, TPS and DMA best practice guidelines help improve campaign performance and protect the rights of consumers
- How independent regulators such as ASA, CAP and IAB set advertising codes and enforce accountable standards
Module 15: Understanding the metrics that help us control and refine digital marketing campaigns
Learning objective: Understanding approaches for measuring and improving web marketing performance onsite acquisition, conversion and retention.
- Why digital campaign performance must be linked to clearly defined business objectives and campaign KPIs
- How the performance of different digital channels requires a range of specific metrics to define their contribution
- Why testing is important to improving digital marketing performance and customer experience
- Why every landing page should be part of a systemic CRO testing strategy
- How tag management and attribution modelling helps assign credit for multi-channel campaigns and identify optimisation opportunities
Module 16: Exploring the near-future of data-driven digital marketing
Learning objective: Develop personal insights into how digital marketing will continue to constantly change the way marketing and marketers work.
- How brands, agencies, journalists and researchers see the future of digital marketing from different perspectives that are useful to marketers
- Which brand, agency and technology trends are most likely to bring significant changes to digital marketing
- How agency/client relationships and work practices are changing to meet the needs of real-time consumer engagement
- How technologies such as AI, AR, NFC IoT and Blockchain will change customer experiences in ways that are hard to imagine
- How combining the best of marketing automation with human inspiration is the key to increased productivity in digital marketing
Study Mode
Intensive - Central London
2 x 3 day face-to-face sessions which take place at the IDM offices in Central London. The exact location of our courses vary, so please make sure you check before attending.
Day-release - Central London
6 x 1 day face-to-face sessions which take place in Central London. The exact location of our courses vary, so please make sure you check before attending.
Online
Enjoy the flexibility of devising your own personalised study routine with your programme deadlines via a stream of online content run over 12 months. You will receive email support and 24/7 access to course materials. For more information call 020 8614 0277.
Corporate training
This programme can be fully customised and delivered to your staff in-house. For more information visit theidm.com/corporate-training
Course Info
To support your studies
Every delegate has an online learning account which includes:
- eLearning modules on the key digital channels
- Online course materials
- Best practice guides from DMA councils on topics like social media, data, etc.
- Case studies from DMA Awards winners
- Links to industry leading blogs, whitepapers and websites.
Delegates are automatically enrolled as IDM members, giving access to events and a free Euromonitor subscription for the latest consumer research (worth £170 pa)
Exams and assessments
In order to attain the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing you must successfully pass two assignments and one exam.
- You will have five weeks to complete each assignment and three hours to complete the exam
- Exams take place in March, June and November at over 3,500 venues around the world
Pass marks and grades
Assignment marks are weighted. Assignment 1 is weighted at 40% and Assignment 2 is weighted at 60%.
- To pass you will need a minimum of 45% in each assignment and exam to pass.
- If one or both assignments don’t meet the minimum pass mark, your tutor will discuss this with you and may be considered by the Board of Examiners in conjunction with your exam results.
- To obtain a CREDIT you must pass both papers and achieve an overall average of 60%. For a DISTINCTION you must pass both papers and achieve an overall average of 70%.
Tutors
Tim Hamill F IDM, Director, Data Ketchup
Tim is a founding partner of Data Ketchup, a data driven consultancy specialising in getting businesses better ROI through data driven insights and solutions. The company has recently added a powerful data driven SEO capability, and is now helping companies get fast, relevant and effective results.
He has held senior positions at Royal Mail, supporting the strategic development of the company pre and post privatisation, covering marketing, commercial development, Sales and partnership development.
He ran the Mail Media Centre where he significantly increased engagement with UK top 100 advertisers and their agencies through research, product development, marketing channels and new industry partnerships.
Recent highlights have been the successful launch of a brand new media and data planning division at Royal Mail which is successfully working on an ongoing basis with some of the UK’s biggest advertisers, and winning awards.
He is a member of the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing Data Council, a member of their educational advisory board, and is also a tutor on IDM courses, and has been an awards judge for the DMA.
Steve Kemish F IDM, Managing Partner, JunctionAgency
Steve is a multi-award-winning marketer and has worked in digital marketing since 1997. He has worked client-side, helped grow a leading email service provider, consulted to numerous clients on digital strategy, and helped build one of the most respected and awarded B2B marketing agencies in the UK.
His passionate and insightful approach has gained him numerous industry awards. In recent years his work has seen wins at the B2B Marketing awards (five times) Database Marketing awards (twice), New Media Age awards, Revolution Digital Marketing awards, CRN awards, IDM Marketing awards, PPA and DMA awards.
He has worked on digital marketing and strategy with many global brands including Motorola, Cisco, ITV, Lego, Skype, British Airways and Oracle.
A highly regarded speaker, lecturer and writer, Steve has worked with the IDM since 2004 on various courses and events and has been invited to speak throughout the world on the subject of digital marketing. He was appointed a Fellow in 2009, making him one of their youngest ever appointments.
As well as his role at Junction he is an IDM tutor, a member of the IDM Digital Council, a guest lecturer at various British universities and a longstanding Superbrands judge.
David Hearn F IDM, Managing Director, AHK
David Hearn F IDM has been a marketer for 30 years and co-owner of direct and digital agency, AHK, for over 20. AHK plans and executes customer recruitment and development programmes for B2C and B2B companies, including Canon Europe, Adobe, GE Capital, Thomas Miller and The Warranty Group. The agency’s services include strategic planning, data analysis & insight, marketing technology deployment, creative development and campaign management. David describes himself as a marketing generalist and is responsible for overseeing client activity.
David has shared his marketing experience and knowledge for the last 15 years, lecturing and tutoring for the IDM.
Testimonials
The course is always of high quality and the presentations and support is great. Thank you so much for this fantastic course - I will recommend it!
Sophie Witteeveen Dip DigM,
Publisher, IFD
All lectures and tutors were bang up to date, unlike many other courses which can feel stuck in the past.
Jane Cahill Dip DigM,
Online Sportsbook Business Analyst, Paddy Power
Fun and interactive, quite clearly the most up to date and relevant marketing qualification available to marketers. Insightful, relevant and practical – can easily apply the course to the working world.
Elliot Bertram Dip DigM,
UK&I Marketing Manager, SThree
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