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Digital Marketing Beginner Course

Digital Marketing Beginner Course

This course is designed for small business owners, who are new to the world of digital marketing. For 10 days, participants will learn practical, easy-to-understand strategies for promoting their businesses online. The course covers key topics such as using popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach customers, creating high-quality photos and videos for social media, and designing eye-catching marketing materials with free tools like Canva. Each day includes hands-on activities to ensure participants not only learn but also apply these skills to their businesses, empowering them to thrive in today’s digital landscape.

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Responsible Valarie Waswa
Last Update 12/12/2024
Completion Time 1 day 6 hours
Members 40
Beginner Digital Marketing Students
Week 1
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Day 5: Intermediate Graphics Design (Canva)
Day 5: Intermediate Graphics Design (Canva)
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Objectives: Use Canva to create visually appealing marketing materials.

Topics:

  • Introduction to Graphic Design Principles
  • Overview of Free Design Tools (Canva)

We accept returns within 30 days of purchase, provided the book is in its original condition and accompanied by the receipt. Refunds will be issued in the original form of payment. Please note that certain items, like discounted or final sale items, may not be eligible for return.

Yes, we offer both physical and digital gift cards in various amounts. Physical gift cards can be purchased in-store or online and shipped to the recipient, while digital gift cards are sent instantly via email. Both types can be used for online and in-store purchases.

We’re committed to providing prompt and effective solutions to ensure your satisfaction.

Absolutely! If a book is out of stock, you can place a special order through our website or by visiting the store. We'll notify you once the book is back in stock, and you can choose to pick it up in-store or have it shipped to your address. Special orders typically take 1-2 weeks to fulfill, depending on availability.

Intermediate Graphics Design: Day 5 

1. ​Review Day 4’s Independent Creations (15 minutes)2. In-Depth Customization Tools (30 minutes)3. Collaborative Group Activity: Designing a Multi-Purpose Flyer (45 minutes)4. Social Media Posting and Group Review (30 minutes)5. Wrap-Up: Practical Tips and Next Steps (15 minutes)

1. ​Review Day 4’s Independent Creations (15 minutes)

  • Showcase & Discuss: Participants share the designs they created on their own, receiving quick, positive feedback from the group.
  • Reflect on Lessons Learned: Encourage them to share any challenges they encountered while working alone, creating a supportive environment for problem-solving.


2. In-Depth Customization Tools (30 minutes)

  • Layering and Alignment Basics: Show how layering elements can create depth, while alignment tools help achieve balance. Use examples like placing text over an image with a background shape for readability.
  • Using Canva’s Graphic Elements: Demonstrate how to search for relevant icons, shapes, and illustrations (e.g., a shopping cart icon for a sale announcement).
  • Filters and Image Adjustments: Guide participants through Canva’s basic photo editing options, like adjusting brightness or adding a filter to make images stand out.

3. Collaborative Group Activity: Designing a Multi-Purpose Flyer (45 minutes)

    • Form Small Teams: Divide participants into small groups and ask each to create a flyer that can serve as both a social media post and a printable flyer for their business.
    • Guide Them Through Key Steps:
      • Template Selection: Choose a flyer template and explore resizing options for print or social media.
      • Adding Business Details: Show them how to add contact information and business names, using consistent fonts and styles.
      • Using Layers and Effects: Encourage experimenting with layers to bring focus to key details, like sale offers or product images.
      • Adding Backgrounds: Demonstrate how to add solid color backgrounds or subtle images to make the flyer visually appealing.
    • Encourage Flexibility: Remind them they can make a few versions of the flyer for different uses.

4. Social Media Posting and Group Review (30 minutes)

  • Post the Flyers: Each team posts their flyer on a shared platform or their personal/business social media, tagging a common hashtag.
  • Group Feedback Session: Teams present their flyers, sharing the thought process behind their design. Each group gives and receives constructive feedback.
  • Printed Option: Explain how to download a high-quality PDF version if they wish to print the flyer.

5. Wrap-Up: Practical Tips and Next Steps (15 minutes)

Canva Shortcuts & Hacks: Share a few time-saving tips like duplicating elements, saving color palettes, and using alignment lines.

    • Daily Practice Suggestions: Encourage participants to explore Canva’s mobile app and create simple daily posts to keep practicing.
    • Q&A and Final Takeaways: Open the floor for any remaining questions, emphasizing the value of consistency and creativity in design.

Outcome for Day 4 and Day 5:

  1. Participants have successfully created multiple pieces of marketing content (social media posts, multipurpose flyer) that they can immediately use to promote their businesses.
  2. They’ve gained confidence in using Canva and are encouraged to keep practicing with simple, practical designs.



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Day 4: Basic Graphics Design (Canva)
Day 4: Basic Graphics Design (Canva)
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Objective: Develop skills to take high-quality photos and videos for social media marketing.

Topics: 

  1. Techniques for takign goods photos and recording videos
  2. Understading your audience and their needs

 Day 4: Basic Graphic Design: Day 4

Introduction to Canva and Its Benefits (15 minutes)Hands-On Dashboard Exploration (20 minutes)Collaborative Activity: Creating a Basic Social Media Post (45 minutes)

Introduction to Canva and Its Benefits (15 minutes)

  • Explain Canva’s purpose: Highlight its role as a user-friendly, affordable tool for small businesses to create professional visuals.
  • Benefits for small businesses: Emphasize Canva’s accessibility (free version available), the wide range of templates, and its flexibility for both digital and print needs.
  • Quick Dashboard Tour: Show participants the main sections—templates, uploads, text, elements—and explain how to navigate each.

Hands-On Dashboard Exploration (20 minutes)

  • Group Walkthrough: Go through the dashboard slowly and encourage participants to click through each section.
  • Mini Task: Ask each participant to pick a template they find interesting and save it to their projects.
  • Focus on Popular Templates: Social media posts, Instagram stories, and Facebook covers—discuss where each type might be useful.

Collaborative Activity: Creating a Basic Social Media Post (45 minutes)

  • Pair Participants: Assign each pair to create a simple Instagram or Facebook post relevant to their business. Example prompts could be: “Introduce your business,” “Share a product feature,” or “Announce a sale.”
  • Step-by-Step Guidance: Walk through customizing templates by:
    • Editing Text: Show them how to adjust text size, color, font, and alignment.
    • Changing Images: Explain how to replace images in the template with Canva’s free images or their own uploads.
    • Exploring Colors: Guide them to adjust colors that match their brand’s style.
  • Add Finishing Touches: Encourage them to add elements like icons or emojis, but keep it simple to avoid overwhelming the design.

Present, Share & Feedback Session (30 minutes)

  • Group Presentation: Each pair presents their post to the group, explaining why they chose their template and any personalizations they made.
  • Friendly Feedback: Offer a couple of suggestions per pair, focusing on how they can make small improvements without overcomplicating the design.
  • Posting to Social Media: Guide them through downloading the image in the correct format (JPEG or PNG) and encourage them to post it on their personal or business social media with a course hashtag.

Independent Task for Day 5 Prep (To be completed before the next session)

  • Assignment: Ask each participant to create a unique social media post independently, using what they learned. This will be shared and reviewed at the beginning of Day 5.

Objectives: Develop skills in creating high-quality photos and videos for social media.


Topics:

  • Understanding Your Audience and Their Needs
  • Techniques for Taking Good Photos and Recording Videos

Basic Photo and Video Editing Using Free Tools (e.g., InShot, Snapseed)

Activity: Record a short video or take photos, then edit and enhance them for social media posting

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Day 3: TikTok Marketing for Small Businesses
Day 3: TikTok Marketing for Small Businesses
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Objective:

Learn how to use TikTok to create engaging content and increase visibility for your business.

Topics: 


1. ​Introduction to TikTok and Its Growing Popularity2. ​Creating Engaging Short-Form Videos3. Utilizing Trends and Hashtags for Greater Reach4. Activity: Create a TikTok Video

1. ​Introduction to TikTok and Its Growing Popularity

Overview: TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, known for its short-form videos, which range from 15 to 60 seconds. TikTok’s audience is young and engaged, but it’s quickly growing to include people of all ages and demographics, making it a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach a wide audience.

Why TikTok is Great for Businesses:

  • Huge Audience: Over 1 billion active users.
  • Viral Potential: Content can go viral quickly, helping you reach thousands or even millions of viewers.
  • Engagement: TikTok users spend a lot of time on the app, and many actively engage with content by liking, commenting, and sharing.

Tips for Businesses on TikTok:

  • Stay authentic—people prefer real, raw content over overly polished videos.
  • Use trending sounds and hashtags to increase your reach.

2. ​Creating Engaging Short-Form Videos

 Overview: Short-form videos (15-60 seconds) are the backbone of TikTok. To stand out, your videos need to be eye-catching, creative, and aligned with your business.

Steps for Creating Engaging TikToks:

  1. Plan Your Content: Know what message you want to deliver, whether it's a product demonstration, behind-the-scenes look, or a funny skit.
  2. Grab Attention Fast: The first few seconds are critical. Use bold visuals, engaging text, or a trending sound.
  3. Use Effects: TikTok offers a variety of effects (like slow motion, filters, and transitions) to make your videos stand out.
  4. Post Consistently: TikTok rewards consistency, so post regularly to increase your chances of reaching more people.

3. Utilizing Trends and Hashtags for Greater Reach

 Overview: TikTok thrives on trends, from popular sounds to viral challenges. Taking advantage of these trends can boost your content’s visibility.

How to Use Trends:

  • Explore the “Discover” Page: This shows the most popular sounds, hashtags, and challenges.
  • Use Trending Sounds: Incorporate popular sounds or music in your videos to increase your chances of being featured.
  • Participate in Challenges: Many businesses join challenges, using their own twist to promote their products.

Hashtags:

Hashtags are crucial on TikTok to get discovered. Use a mix of trending hashtags and niche-specific ones (e.g., #KakamegaBusiness, #SmallBusinessKenya).

4. Activity: Create a TikTok Video

Objective: Help participants create a TikTok video using trending sounds and hashtags that align with their business.

  • Activity Steps:
    1. Explore Trends: Start by guiding participants through the “Discover” page on TikTok, showing them how to identify trending sounds, hashtags, and challenges.
    2. Brainstorm Content Ideas: In small groups, have participants discuss what type of video they could create—whether it’s a product demo, a behind-the-scenes look, or a fun skit relevant to their business.
    3. Plan and Record Video: Each participant will plan and record a 15–30-second video using a trending sound. Encourage them to use effects like transitions or filters to make the video stand out.
    4. Add Hashtags and Post: Show participants how to add a mix of trending and business-specific hashtags (e.g., #SmallBusinessKenya, #ShopKakamega). Each person will upload their video (or practice within the app without publishing, if they’re not ready to post).
  • Materials Needed: Smartphone, TikTok app, sample business ideas or products if they don’t have their own.
  • Goal: By the end of the activity, participants will have created a TikTok video, explored trends and hashtags, and gained confidence in using the app for business marketing.


Tiktok Short Videos
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Week 2: Advanced Digital Marketing Strategies
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Day 9: Running Paid Advertising Campaigns
Day 9: Running Paid Advertising Campaigns
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Course Objective: 

Learn how to effectively use Facebook and Instagram to promote and engage with customers.

Topics: 

  1. Using Facebook for your business
  2. Instagram for your business: Everything you need to know. 
1. ​Using Facebook For Your Business2. ​Instagram For Your Business: Everything You Need to Know. 

1. ​Using Facebook For Your Business

Our intuitive system ensures effortless navigation for users of all skill levels. Its clean interface and logical organization make tasks easy to complete. With tooltips and contextual help, users quickly become productive, enjoying a smooth and efficient experience.



What you see is what you get

Insert text styles like headers, bold, italic, lists, and fonts with a simple WYSIWYG editor. Flexible and easy to use, it lets you design and format documents in real time. No coding knowledge is needed, making content creation straightforward and enjoyable for everyone.



Customization tool

Click and change content directly from the front-end, avoiding complex backend processes. This tool allows quick updates to text, images, and elements right on the page, streamlining your workflow and maintaining control over your content.

2. ​Instagram For Your Business: Everything You Need to Know. 

Our design features offer a range of tools to create visually stunning websites. Utilize WYSIWYG editors, drag-and-drop building blocks, and Bootstrap-based templates for effortless customization. With professional themes and an intuitive system, you can design with ease and precision, ensuring a polished, responsive result.



Building blocks system

Create pages from scratch by dragging and dropping customizable building blocks. This system simplifies web design, making it accessible to all skill levels. Combine headers, images, and text sections to build cohesive layouts quickly and efficiently.



Bootstrap-Based Templates

Design Odoo templates easily with clean HTML and Bootstrap CSS. These templates offer a responsive, mobile-first design, making them simple to customize and perfect for any web project, from corporate sites to personal blogs.

Campaings
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Day 8: Engaging Your Audience
Day 8: Engaging Your Audience
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Objective: 

How to build connections with your audience through genuine interactions and fun, engaging content.

Topics:

  1. Understand why engagement matters and how it builds loyalty.
  2. Discover types of posts that encourage people to comment and respond.
  3. Practice creating engaging content and interacting with followers.


1. Why Engagement is Key2. Types of Engagement Posts3. Responding NaturallyActivity

1. Why Engagement is Key

Engaging with your followers helps build trust and loyalty. People are more likely to buy from a business they feel connected to, and engagement keeps your posts visible to more people.

2. Types of Engagement Posts

  • Polls and Questions: Simple posts asking your followers what they think, like “Which product should we make next?” or “What’s your favorite item in our store?”
  • Stories and Live Sessions: Share behind-the-scenes moments or go live to answer questions in real-time.

3. Responding Naturally

  • When someone comments on your post, reply in a friendly and casual way. Make them feel heard, and encourage more interaction by asking questions back.

Activity

  1. Create an Engagement Post: Make a short post with a question or poll to encourage your followers to respond.
  2. Practice Responding: Partner with another participant, leave a comment on each other’s post, and respond authentically.


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Day 7: Building an Online Presence with SEO & Hashtags
Day 7: Building an Online Presence with SEO & Hashtags
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 1. What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?2. How Hashtags Help Your Social Media Reach3. Finding the Right Hashtags and Keywords


 1. What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?

  • Simple Explanation: SEO helps your business appear in search results when people search for products or services like yours. Using keywords people often search for improves your chances of being seen.
  • Example: If you sell handmade jewelry, keywords like “handmade jewelry,” “unique jewelry,” or “affordable accessories” could help attract people searching for these items.


2. How Hashtags Help Your Social Media Reach

  • What are Hashtags? Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by “#” that group content by topic on platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
  • Using Hashtags: Research hashtags relevant to your business. Aim to use a mix of popular and niche hashtags that relate to your products.

3. Finding the Right Hashtags and Keywords

  • Tools and Tips: Use tools like Instagram’s “Search” feature to explore popular hashtags or try free sites like Hashtagify.
  • Creating Your List: Start with 5–10 hashtags related to your business and a few words people might search for on Google to find your product.

Activity

  1. Hashtag Brainstorm: Write down 5–10 hashtags that describe your business. Think about what your customers might be searching for.
  2. SEO Keyword List: Make a list of 3–5 keywords or phrases that could help your business appear in search results.
  3. Create a Social Post: Using these keywords and hashtags, create a short social media post to attract new followers. Share your ideas in the class chat.
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