Before diving into my journey of UpGrad I would like to tell you about my journey of life. I come from a middle-class agricultural background. I have completed my BBA as a bachelor’s degree in one of the reputed colleges, Alvas College Moodbidri, which has given me various opportunities to take up initiatives. Then, I started my career as a Quality Analyst in IT and Consulting services at HirePro and hold an experience of 1.4 years. I realized the growing trend of digitalization and decided it was the right time to pursue my passion and shift my career toward digital marketing. Now I’m currently pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication MICA, UpGrad.

Why I chose UpGrad for Digital Marketing?

In the beginning, I just came across the UpGrad website, and from the website itself, it was easy to understand the structure of the course. The key points for why I chose UpGrad for Digital Marketing are:

• All industry specialists will be teaching us throughout the course.
• Real-world case studies, live projects, and also hiring assistance.
• All modules were structured in a way to manage corporate learners.
• PI (Personalized Industry Expert) sessions where help to have discussions with real-world industry specialists.
• Course structure: covers everything from basic to advanced.
• Live sessions every weekend, doubt-clearing sessions.

Initial expectations and goals

• My initial goal is to gain in-depth knowledge and practical skills in Digital Marketing.
• My goal was to enhance my career growth and stay updated with the latest trends so I could utilize them effectively in my work.

First Impressions of UpGrad

• My first impression was that the enrollment process and payment gateways were smooth, and the application was user-friendly.
• The application information about courses is well-structured and easy to understand about modules and timelines.

Learning Modules in UpGrad

Overview of the topics covered so far

• Introduction to Digital Marketing: A 1-month complete solid foundation is provided about digital marketing principles along with one case study of Mamaearth. It covered all concepts and the importance of digital marketing in today’s world, 4 eras of marketing, and also provided supporting resources to gain more knowledge other than course concepts.

• Blog Creation: Till now in the course, I have learned about building a website in WordPress from scratch, like choosing the theme and adding up necessary plugins like Yoast, Google Site Kit, Monstersitekit, and contact form. I also learned about editing the website in Wix, how to use social media ads campaigns, Facebook Ads Manager, and how to create a blog with all on-page and off-page SEO optimization along with SEO checklists such as:
  • Meta description
  • Title for a blog
  • How to use keyphrases
  • Keyword research (SEMrush, Google Keywords Planner)
  • Outbound links and internal links
  • How to make effective use of heading and subheading formats.

In upcoming modules, we will learn more about SEO, SMM, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, and Web Analytics.

Interactive Sessions

• The live classes are scheduled every weekend and allow learners to interact with instructors and peers.
• There will be a PI session where one industry specialist will be dedicated to a small group of people, which will be more useful in gaining knowledge and discussing specific topics.
• Every day there will be a clearing session so learners can attend and get their doubts cleared.

• Practical assignments include working on live projects which will help get hands-on experience about the digital world. (Till now, one live project we are working on is Blog creation and optimization; there will be more in the upcoming module).
• Case studies will be helpful in practical understanding of what we have learned in the theoretical concept in modules.

Challenges Faced

The challenges faced till now include a technical glitch while creating the blog. As beginners, we got stuck in that situation, but the UpGrad buddy and technical team resolved it without any delay.

Key Takeaways from the UpGrad Course

The essential skills gained from the module now include:

• Gained a strong foundation in digital marketing concepts and also traditional marketing.
• Creating a user-friendly website in WordPress website.
• Writing a blog by optimizing on-page and off-page SEO.
• Acquired practical experience through real-world case studies and live projects.

Completing assignments, case studies, and live projects boosted my confidence, and I experienced significant personal growth and a better understanding of digital marketing.

• The main supporting pillars are dedicated UpGrad buddies who will be there till the end of modules for any non-academic doubts, along with live chat, call support, and email support for any kind of application issues.
• Expertise feedback on our case study and live project will help us to improve in upcoming works.
• UpGrad also provided additional resources like videos and articles to understand more about the module.

Future Goals

Upcoming modules and what I look forward to

I’m excited to learn about advanced topics like SEO, SMM, running an ads campaign, content creation, email marketing, and web analytics.

Career aspirations and how the course is helping

• My goal is to pursue a career in digital marketing and use my skills to upskill.
• I am also planning to start my own business, and I’m sure the digital marketing skills I’m learning from UpGrad will be the foundation for my business.

Conclusion

Overall experience and satisfaction

Being an UpGradian, I could not have better things to say about UpGrad. Broad and updated content is used in the course, which enables the understanding of concepts in the field of digital marketing. There has been a lot of help from the platform support whenever there has been a problem or question. It is very helpful to have the teaching staff as experts who can share ideas and useful tips. Taken in totality, from content to support as well as instruction, I must say that UpGrad has gone out of its way to ensure that I do not have a single complaint.

Recommendations for aspiring digital marketers

I strongly recommend UpGrad’s digital marketing course for anyone looking to upskill and stay ahead in the digital age. It is also considered a total learning experience because of the comprehensiveness of the content, the support provided to manage the content, and the instructors. I recommend exploring other courses offered by UpGrad, as they are equally high standard and beneficial for enhancing your career.

Share your feedback or Connect with me on LinkedIn: Shreyas Gowda

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