Digital Marketing Course Bundle

Hours: 160 / Access Length: 180 Days / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced

Course Overview:

The marketing bundle is jam packed with courses that will make you a marketing whiz in no time. The digital marketing and SEO course will walk you through from the basics of marketing, developing a marketing strategy to mastering one of the most sought after skills in marketing today, Search Engine Optimizations. Once you have mastered paid marketing channels, the Social Media course will give you the key skills to build your brand through organic and affiliate marketing.  Augment your prose and become a wordsmith to elevate your writing with the creative writing course and then utilize these skills to master blogging and content marketing. Finally, for those aspiring to join or improve their e-commerce acumen, this course will enhance your knowledge and get you monetizing your business venture in no time.

The Digital Marketing Course Bundle includes the following courses:

• Blogging, Content Marketing & Vlogging
• Digital Marketing and SEO
• Marketing on Social Media
• Creative Writing
• E-commerce

Course Outline:

Blogging, Content Marketing & Vlogging Curriculum:

Key Learning Objectives:

• Discover the various requirements and considerations for setting up a blog
• Research and develop blogging strategies
• Generate long-term blog content ideas and create content
• Market and monetize your blog through various marketing tactics
• Manage your blog and use data to improve performance

Lesson 1: An Introduction to blogging     

This lesson in Blogging and Content will provide you with the bare necessities to getting your blog started. At the end of this lesson you will be able to describe what a blog is, list the various types of blogs that we see online and outline the technical requirements and skills necessary to start and manage a successful blog.

Lesson 2: Blogging for business 

This course is geared towards blog monetization for Professional/Personal Bloggers, but a lot of the strategies that make a successful blog will still apply. This lesson focuses on the differences between business blogging and professional blogging, the benefits of having a blog for your business and how businesses can use blogs to market products and services as well as drive purchases.

Lesson 3: Defining your blog identity      

At the end of this lesson you will be able to list what factors contribute to a successful blog, identify a niche market for your blog and outline the relevant branding considerations that you should consider when starting a blog.

Lesson 4: Setting up your blog   

This lesson will teach you about the various platforms that are available for blogging, at the end of this lesson you will have an in-depth understanding of the various blogging platforms and the pros and cons of each. You will also be able to identify what platform you want to use based on your blog.

Lesson 5: Blogging strategy         

In order to succeed with blogging, whether it is for professional bloggers or a business blog, a strategy is essential! This lesson will teach you how to set goals for your blog, outline your target audience and how that affects the content you create, as well as identify the various steps you will take in order to market and amplify your blog.

Lesson 6: Developing blog content part 1              

In the first part of developing blog content, you will learn what interests readers and list different types of blog content as well as learn skills for brainstorming long term blog post ideas and conduct content research.

Lesson 7: Developing blog content part 2              

This lesson continues to explore what makes attractive content, understand the various tools that can help with content creation, content topic research, check and reference sources as well as writing catchy headlines and tailoring content.

Lesson 8: Writing for blog posts

You will learn how to define what makes effective writing, list writing tips and outline tools that can be used to improve writing. You will be able to apply writing formulas and the importance of using correct grammar and punctuation.

Lesson 9: Vlogging          

This lesson explores the increasingly popular content type - video. You will be able to describe what a vlog is, propose whether or not to use vlogging as a tool and define what is required to set up a vlog. We will also discuss whether to vlog or blog.

Lesson 10: Blog Management    

At the end of this lesson you will be able to identify what metrics to measure for your blog, how to analyze that data in order to take action and further improve your results as well as how to manage a community around your blog.

Digital Marketing & SEO Curriculum:

Key Learning Objectives:

• An understanding of all key digital marketing channels such as SEO, PPC, Social Media, Affiliate, Content and Email
• How to define your target audience
• Create paid campaigns for social and search engines
• Create a digital strategy encompassing a variety of channels
• Website and mobile usability best practices
• Choose objectives and determine KPIs

Module 1, Lesson 1: Your Introduction to Digital Marketing          

The first lesson in your Professional Diploma lays a solid foundation for what Digital Marketing and Performance Marketing is. You'll learn frequently used terms in the industry, understand what objectives and KPIs are and we go through a few examples of performance-focused channels for different common objectives.

Module 1, Lesson 2:  Setting your goals

This lesson focuses in on how to establish your business objectives and how to align your digital marketing goals to achieve these objectives. But you will never know if you have achieved your goals with out some Key Performance Indicators which enable you to track how you are progressing. We finish of this lesson by diving into this topic.

Module 1, Lesson 3:  Tracking & Measuring Marketing

Efforts  This lesson walks you through various marketing funnels and provides helpful tools and tips to help ensure your own objectives are realistic. Before any marketing campaign or tactic can be launched, tracking needs to be in place, so you'll get an introduction to the incredible tool that is Google Analytics as well as learn about UTMs

Module 1, Lesson 4:  Reaching The Target Market            

Now that you have an understanding of digital marketing, your objectives and the tracking that needs to be in place, lesson 3 is focused on target markets. Who will buy your product / service? How do you conduct market analysis and what are customer journeys? These are just some of the questions we answer in this lesson.

Module 1, Lesson 5: Free Digital Marketing Options         

Not every business has a big budget to dedicate to paid marketing, increasing the need for their free marketing efforts to work as best as they can. This lesson shows you how to create various social media pages and gives a simple breakdown of SEO and how Google My Business pages assist this.

Module 1, Lesson 6: Content Development & Copywriting            

Content is still king! To create more effective content, we look at the psychology of sales and different sales triggers to incorporate in your message. We cover website content, writing for SEO, finding relevant content ideas and tips on blogging.

Module 1, Lesson 7: Paid search engine marketing - Just Google It!           

We will be focusing on Google in this course, but even with the other search engines, the principles would be similar and can be transferred, you would just need to get used to the different interfaces that come with these platforms. Learn how to position an advert, get to know the auction system, play around with various ad types and discover how non-keyword targeting options work!

Module 1, Lesson 8: Creating A Digital Strategy 

The final lesson in this module combines the learning from the previous 7 lessons and shows you how to create a Digital Strategy. While going through B2C and B2B examples, you'll align target markets to channels, create a content plan, discuss budgeting and determine remarketing strategies.

Module 2, Lesson 1: Fundamental SEO tools - Google Search Console

Did you know that organic clicks outnumber paid clicks 12 to 1? SEO is a skill set that is in high demand, and when implemented properly, it can offer a much better ROI than paid Search campaigns. You'll learn about the core functions of search engines, how a website is crawled and indexed, how to create a sitemap, and you'll get to know Google Search Console!

Module 2, Lesson 2: Keyword research for SEO  

Without keywords, search engines can't accurately determine what a website is about. If they don't understand this, then a website will either not be eligible to appear on the search results, or it will be displayed for queries you don't necessarily want to target. Learn the best practices for implementing keywords, equip yourself with a variety of keyword research tools, and get an introduction to another valuable platform for SEO analysis.

Module 2, Lesson 3: URL structure and internal links       

Do you know how important a URL is? It is the first place a bot looks to determine the content on a website so they should be a priority. Understand how to structure URLs, implement effective internal links, and monitor those internal links with Google Search Console and Ahrefs.

Module 2, Lesson 4: External link building: Part 1

Top SEOs believe that external links are the most important ranking factor in SEO, alongside quality content. A link from another source is considered a "vote" from that source, and search engines see a lot of value in this. Learn about link profiles and what is required to keep it healthy, get an introduction to some technical SEO techniques, and we start the process of link building from a variety of sources.

Module 2, Lesson 5: External link building: Part 2              

Continuing on from lesson 4, we look at Email Outreach, how to check the quality of potential link sources, the process of broken link building, and a link profile checklist to ensure you don't miss anything when building and managing a link profile.

Module 2, Lesson 6: Local SEO - Part 1    

Google Ads is a bit of a beast. While certain elements are similar to Social campaigns, there are a lot more requirements and tricky optimizations to think about. This lesson takes you through all the steps when planning a Search campaign, recapping some elements from Module 1 but introducing new information like Quality Scores and Ad Rank. The first step to successful performance is planning!

Module 2, Lesson 7: Local SEO - part 2   

Lesson 7 is a continuation of local SEO where we cover nap citations, local optimization for websites and links, and optimizing CTR for organic traffic.

Module 2, Lesson 8: Analyzing & Optimizing SEO Performance   

The final lesson in Module 2 looks at technical SEO as we explore some of the key factors to work on. We recap and dive a little deeper into the concepts covered previously, particularly around keywords and keyword tools.

Module 3, Lesson 1: The Importance of Mobile - The Dominant Device   

Mobile and mobile marketing can’t be ignored as it takes over Desktop traffic more and more each year. In this lesson we will look at important mobile info, the difference between "responsive" and "mobile-friendly", tools to improve mobile speed and recommendations for an optimized mobile site.

Module 3, Lesson 2: Video Content & Advertising             

Video is the most consumed content format on the internet. Learn how video is consumed across different platforms and the targeting options available before moving on to the impact of ad blockers, recent video trends, generating content ideas and planning.

Module 3, Lesson 3: Email Marketing     

For many businesses, email marketing offers some of the highest return on investment of all their digital channels. Email marketing is affordable and can be used to achieve multiple business objectives, from increasing revenue to awareness and retention. After today's lesson you'll know the requirements and best practices for email design and content, how personalization works, and what to implement to avoid spam and email clipping.

Module 3, Lesson 4: Influencer and Affiliate Marketing  

Influencer Marketing is shedding its reputation as an expensive, immeasurable marketing tactic with the introduction of new measurement metrics and a more analytical approach to results. There are benefits and risks to this strategy but after this lesson you'll come to understand that the potential value it can create for brands boils down to thorough research. Affiliate and Influencer marketing are often closely linked, you'll understand the difference between them and how an affiliate program works. A more in-depth look at Affiliate Marketing awaits you in Lesson 2 of Module 4!

Module 3, Lesson 5: Facebook Business Manager - Campaign creation     

Advertising on Facebook & Instagram is a core part of being a Digital Marketer. This practical lesson recaps all the requirements for building a campaign within Facebook Business Manager before diving into a Demo of the actual creation.

Module 3, Lesson 6: Planning a Google Search campaign

Google Ads is a bit of a beast. While certain elements are similar to Social campaigns, there are a lot more requirements and tricky optimizations to think about. This lesson takes you through all the steps when planning a Search campaign, recapping some elements from Module 1 but introducing new information like Quality Scores and Ad Rank. The first step to successful performance is planning!

Module 3, Lesson 7: Implementing a Google Search campaign - Part 1     

Lesson 7 will take you through the Educator's example of a business requiring a Search campaign, from campaign targeting chosen to ad group structure, ad copy and extensions. You'll also learn some important info about position on SERPs, different keyword statuses you'll come to see in Google Ads, and Keyword Diagnosis.

Module 3, Lesson 8: Implementing a Google Search campaign - Part 2     

The final lesson in Module 3 is very practical, with a step-by-step demo of creating a Search campaign. Combining what was covered in the course so far to create a Search strategy, after creating the campaign you'll be taken through a useful Campaign checklist.       

Module 4, Lesson 1: Understanding Metrics        

The first lesson of Module 4 kicks off with a deeper dive into metrics and their analyses. You'll learn what a PCA is and how to create one, before receiving a detailed breakdown of tasks to perform with Always-On campaigns.

Module 4, Lesson 2: Brand Management             

What does Brand Management entail? This lesson focuses on the intangible aspects of managing a Brand, such as reputation and perception. We'll also look at some Brand Lift Surveys and close off with the effects of Social Media on PR.

Module 4, Lesson 3: Google Analytics - Part 1      

Starting off the module's Analytics section, you'll understand Dimensions, Properties and Views in Google Analytics. We then cover some top reports that answer the top questions people have of their sites, and discuss setting up Goals and Events tracking.

Module 4, Lesson 4: Google Analytics - Part 2      

Lesson 4 concludes some of the top reports in Google Analytics and you will then learn how to create Audiences. With filters, you'll understand how to exclude internal traffic and spam from your reports, as these skew your data.

Module 4, Lesson 5: Affiliate Marketing

Previous lessons covered this top from the Affiliate's POV, so this lesson focuses on the Merchant. Why do businesses choose Affiliate Marketing as a strategy? What is an Affiliate Program and how do you join or create a Network? This is what we explore in lesson 5.

Module 4, Lesson 6: eCommerce - Part 1               

eCommerce is an industry of exponential growth. This lesson will cover how people research a product, we'll look at website hosting and inventory management, website best practices and product feeds to enable shopping campaigns.

Module 4, Lesson 7: eCommerce - Part 2               

The final section of eCommerce in Module 4 looks at enhancing the eCommerce experience for the consumer, followed by multiple eCommerce marketing options and campaigns. We close off with eCommerce Analytics reports not covered in previous lessons.

Module 4, Lesson 8: SEO Recap 

Recapping our SEO module, we look at Algorithms, Quality Raters Guidelines and a recap of ranking factors. With back-links, you'll learn of a few more methods to increase them, and we look at how PPC & SEO work together.

Social Media Marketing Curriculum:

Key Learning Objectives:

• Research, develop and execute a social media strategy
• Research, plan, create and post social media content
• Manage your social media marketing efforts, online reputation, crisis response and social media policies
• How to use Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for marketing
• Analyse social media data in order to make informed social media marketing decisions   

Module 1, Lesson 1: An Introduction to Marketing and Social Media Marketing   

The first lesson in your Professional Diploma will introduce you to the world of marketing and, specifically, social media marketing. We will cover a high-level overview of various marketing terms and see exactly how social media marketing fits into your overall marketing strategy. You will learn about social media strategies that you can incorporate into your marketing, budgeting for social media as well as frequently used social media marketing terms.

Module 1, Lesson 2: Getting to know the Social Media Platforms

In this lesson of your Professional Diploma you will become familiar with the Social Media platforms mainly used for social media marketing and the types of audiences that mostly use these platforms. You will learn how to choose which platforms you should use for your business social media marketing.

Module 1, Lesson 3: Deciphering your Target Audience  

This lesson will teach you how to identify you target audience for social media marketing. We will provide you with an understanding of who is using social media, identifying your target audience and elements to consider when compiling your target audience and segmenting them into buyer personas.

Module 1, Lesson 4: The Social Media Strategy  

In this content packed lesson you will learn about the various elements that are required to build a social media strategy for successful social media marketing. Identifying goals, how to measure your success and identifying the various platforms and content types that you will use to market your business on social media.

Module 1, Lesson 5: Optimizing your Social Media Profiles           

In this lesson you will learn how to create the main social media platforms as well as how to optimize your profile so that you are easily found online. This lesson covers Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

Module 1, Lesson 6: Basic Data Analysis and Reporting   

In this lesson you will learn about the various metrics that you can measure on the major social media platforms, how to access them on your social media channel as well as what to include in your social media report.

Module 1, Lesson 7: Content Creation 101            

This lesson introduces you to various social media content types, the content development process and what makes engaging content for your audience as well as what your audience wants from you.

Module 1, Lesson 8: Introduction to Social Media Management 

This lesson introduces you to the basics of social media management, understanding what it is and what it entails as well as what it takes to manage your social media marketing. You will also be introduced to more advanced concepts such as community management, reputation management, social listening and more!    

Module 2, Lesson 1: Target Audience Segmentation        

In Lesson 1 of Module 2 you will learn what target audience segmentation is and how to implement it, as well as a step-by-step process to researching and creating buyer personas based on market research and data mining as well as what drives people to make the purchases they do and how to create targeted content from your personas.

Module 2, Lesson 2: Social Media Branding          

In Lesson 2 of Module 2 you will learn how we define a brand, the various elements of brand development that you need to pay attention to within your social media marketing efforts, the importance of brand consistency on social media as well as common online branding issues and what actually makes effective branding.

Module 2, Lesson 3: Identifying, setting and measuring goals       

In Lesson 3 of Module 2 you will learn about identifying our business goals, aligning them with our social media goals, choosing the relevant key performance indicators. You will also learn about some strategies that you can use to achieve these goals as well as how to interpret and take action from your data.

Module 2, Lesson 4: Social media auditing and competitor research         

In Lesson 4 of Module 2 you will learn why a social media audit is so important, how to conduct a social media audit and check the optimization of your profiles as well as analyzing your social media posts and conducting competitor research and how to keep an eye on them.

Module 2, Lesson 5: Content execution and publishing   

In Lesson 5 of Module 2 you will learn about content distribution, content curation and trend jacking as well as copywriting formulas, behavioral psychology applied in marketing and how to develop a content library and fill in your content calendar.

Module 2, Lesson 6: The dark side of social media            

In Lesson 6 of Module 1 we explore the dark side of social media by looking at big brands whose posts didn't get the response they were expecting. You will learn how to develop a social media policy and how to handle a social media crisis, social media listening and avoidable social media fails.

Module 2, Lesson 7: Data-driven social media marketing

In Lesson 7 of Module 2 you will learn about data-driven marketing, types of social analytics and social insights, you will learn about additional metrics that you can use to validate the value of your social media marketing efforts and you learn about attribution models to identify the various touch points that are adding value to your customer journey or where you need to optimize your customer journey.

Module 2, Lesson 8: Advanced social media management            

In Lesson 8 of Module 2 you will learn about social media reputation management and the keys to successful reputation management, you will also learn about community management and the various community management strategies that you can use and we will delve into social media budget allocation and the types of operational budgets.

Module 3, Lesson 1: Deep dive into using Facebook         

Lesson 1 of Module 3 explores the intricacies of the various posting features that you will find on Facebook and how to use them, you will also learn how to use Facebook Publishing Tools and the Facebook Creator Studio.

Module 3, Lesson 2: Facebook best practices and using Messenger          

Lesson 2 of Module 3 continues with Facebook as we look at content creation and best practices for the largest social media network, you will also learn how to use Facebook Messenger for your business as well as how to develop engaging conversations throughout your customer journey and how to use Facebook and Messenger together.

Module 3, Lesson 3: Getting the most mileage out of YouTube   

Lesson 3 of Module 3 will teach you how to post to YouTube as well as other posting features that you can use. You will also learn about how to prepare before you shoot your video, what to consider during your shoot and what to do after your shoot, as well as video content creation and YouTube best practices and community guidelines.

Module 3, Lesson 4: Exploring Instagram in detail             

Lesson 4 of Module 3 looks at the variety of posting features that you can use on Instagram and how to use them, content creation tips for the platform as well as Instagram best practices and how to use Instagram and Facebook in conjunction with each other.

Module 3, Lesson 5: Get tweeting with Twitter  

Lesson 5 of Module 3 will show you how to get tweeting with Twitter. You will learn about the various posting features on Twitter and how to use them, content creation tips and ideas as well as the best practices to follow when using Twitter for your social media marketing.

Module 3, Lesson 6: Taking an interest in Pinterest          

Lesson 6 of Module 3 explores the posting features on the Pinterest platform. You will learn how to post pins, carousels, videos as well as how to make use of rich pins. You will learn what to consider when creating content for the platform as well as get some ideas for business content and learn about Pinterest best practices.

Module 3, Lesson 7: Delving into LinkedIn            

Lesson 7 of Module 3 will teach you how to use the various posting features on LinkedIn as well as content creation considerations, ideas for content on LinkedIn and the best platform practices to keep in mind.

Module 3, Lesson 8: Using Snapchat and Tiktok for business        

Lesson 8 of Module 3 will teach you how to navigate the Snapchat and Tiktok platforms, you will learn about the posting features available on each platform as well as how to post and what to consider when creating content for each platform. We will go through some business content ideas for each platform and learn about the best practices for both Snapchat and Tiktok.

Module 4, Lesson 1: Monetization and revenue generation         

In this lesson you learn about what monetization is, the sales funnel, social media and monetization, tracking your data, eCommerce solutions and on-site monetization.

Module 4, Lesson 2: Monetization - Practical       

This lesson extends on lesson 1 with additional information on monetization with a particular focus on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and monetization around organic content.

Module 4, Lesson 3: Social media for SMEs          

In lesson 3 you will learn about the foundations of social media marketing for small to medium enterprises, competing with big brands, tailoring your approach and using different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn as well as budgeting.

Module 4, Lesson 4: Social media for NPOs          

In lesson 4 you will learn about the foundations of social media marketing for non-profit organizations, tailoring your social media approach for NPOs on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn as well as learning about strategies and some tools to help you out.

Module 4, Lesson 5: B2B and lead generation     

In this lesson you will learn about social media marketing for business to business and about lead generation. This lesson focuses on LinkedIn content, B2B marketing and developing B2B content, as well as using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for B2B marketing and ad strategy.

Module 4, Lesson 6: B2B - Practical          

This lesson extends on lesson 2 showing you some practical examples and applications of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Instagram and LinkedIn for B2B marketing purposes.

Module 4, Lesson 7: Social media and search      

This lesson will teach you about where social media fits into search as well as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and SEO tips for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Module 4, Lesson 8: Extended Social Media Management            

The final lesson of Module 4 finishes with an extension on social media management practices, managing content and advertising, managing engagement as well as online reputation management.

Creative Writing Curriculum:

Key Learning Objectives:

• How to craft a believable story, characters, and dialogue
• How to employ essential editing and critical-thinking tools
• How and when to employ traditional story structures
• How to employ metaphor and visual storytelling techniques with a focus on visual symbolism for a modern audience
• How to write for the modern age, achieve originality, and navigate traditionally sensitive or taboo topics fiction                  

Module 1, Lesson 1: The Key Elements of Story  

An overview of the core concepts of story – research, setting, character and dialogue – a basic exploration of The Hero's Journey and its main character archetypes, as well as an overview of the essential tools of the trade needed to write professionally.

Module 1, Lesson 2: Research   

A look at the essential concepts to consider before researching your work, a crucial look at the types of sources writers will interact with, and an exploration of how to integrate research into fiction – considering the concepts of research storage, balance, and poetic license.

Module 1, Lesson 3: The Three-Act Structure      

A crucial examination of fiction's most popular narrative structure, getting into the specifics of how the three acts function, how to plot narrative within this framework, and a demystifying discussion of the importance of narrative causality.

Module 1, Lesson 4: Character development      

A look at the core concepts to consider when constructing characters – with particular focus on the public/private disparity as well as the need for character motivation. We also look at more key character archetypes and learn handy writing tips for writing characters for a modern audience.

Module 1, Lesson 5: Character, Conflict & Humanity        

A deeper look at character development, with particular focus on the crucial nature of conflict as well as the subcategories thereof. We then look at how to draw up a character bio and, also, how to design a cohesive cast.

Module 1, Lesson 6: Dialogue    

An important look at what distinguishes dialogue from real-life speech, an elucidation of how the role of dialogue changes across various media of the modern age, as well as a deep dive into how levels of human intimacy guide dialogue.

Module 1, Lesson 7: Genres of Fiction    

We look at the original Ancient Greek genres, how they grew and now present in the modern age, and also take an important look at the most up-to-date approaches to the concept – with particular focus placed on mixing genres, the alleged 'post-genre' age of writing, as well as how to choose your own.

Module 1, Lesson 8: Publication

A step-by-step guide to the process of publication. We look at the pre-publication phases of beta-reading and criticism, learn how to assemble necessary auxiliary documentation, as well as how to handle the process of actual submission and the potential feedback the writer will receive at this point in the process.                             

Module 2, Lesson 1: Free-writing & Journaling    

A step-by-step guide through the form and function of the different kinds of free-writing out there, as well as an exploration of how journaling can be employed as a useful long-term writing tool.

Module 2, Lesson 2: Context, Exposition & Backstory      

A deep-dive into the core differences between these often-confused concepts, as well as learning how to apply them within the Three-Act- and Hero's Journey story structures.

Module 2, Lesson 3: The first-person POV & Alienation  

An insightful foray into the nuances of the first-person POV, including a critical examination of primary narratological styles, as well as a demystifying discussion of the advanced concepts of alienation and critical distance.

Module 2, Lesson 4: Second- & Third-person POV, & Audience Identification       

An exploration of the second-person POV in all its rarity, a demystification of the subgroups of the near-ubiquitous third-person POV, as well as an important discussion about how audience identification can bolster the goal of a chosen POV.

Module 2, Lesson 5: Short- and Long Fiction        

We look at the core differences between short- and long-fiction in detail, learning what about your story to consider and when to consider it when it comes to classing it as either length of fiction.

Module 2, Lesson 6: Creative nonfiction

A ground-up exploration of the genre of creative nonfiction - looking at the advent of the modern personal essay and case study works of the breed to get to a point of understanding how this form functions and blurs the lines between fiction and nonfiction.

Module 2, Lesson 7: Text, Context, & Subtext     

We examine these three core factors as separate entities, and then look at how to go about applying them in unison, as well as the precise forms and functions they take and execute within the literary machine.

Module 2, Lesson 8: Editing        

An exploration of all the essential editing techniques a good writer should employ to ensure a piece of work that reads as easily and professionally as possible.                

Module 3, Lesson 1: Developing a Writing Style 

An exploration and seeking of the true definition of a writing style, as well as a demystification of all the categories of influence - both internal and external - which come together to form an author's 'unique' way of looking at and writing about the world at large.

Module 3, Lesson 2: Symbolism & Metaphor      

An exploration of the differences, core functions, and importance of these crucial concepts as used within the art of writing fiction.

Module 3, Lesson 3: The French Symbolists         

An exploration of the writers who formed our current understanding of the form and function of symbolism within literary works, as well a guide to the successful understanding of symbolic content within works of fiction.

Module 3, Lesson 4: Visual storytelling  

A demystification of how visual content can be used to enhance the literary effectivity of work for the stage and screen.

Module 3, Lesson 5: Modernism

A deep, yet efficient, exploration of just how the movement of modernism came to be and came to define the first era of 20th-century literature.

Module 3, Lesson 6: Postmodernism      

A contrapuntal examination of the role and purpose of the postmodernism movement, as well as a demystification of its implications on literature and global culture in general.

Module 3, Lesson 7: The Beat Generation            

A vital exploration of this spectacular movement of 20th-century literature, discussing its key figures and the resultant cultural and subcultural shifts envisioned and achieved by its leading lights.

Module 3, Lesson 8: Textual Analysis    

A crash course on how to deconstruct any piece of fiction within any genre. We look at how to go in raw and leave a text with an advanced understanding of just what it's on about.                                                 

Module 4, Lesson 1: Culture, subculture and counterculture        

A crucial and often overlooked exploration of just how cultures and subcultures have come to be formed over the course of the 20th- and 21st centuries, looking at areas of overlap, how cultures achieve dominance and the key role sub- and counterculture plays in influencing nascent mainstream ideologies.

Module 4, Lesson 2: Writing Gender in the 21st Century

We look at how the approach to writing gender has to be re-examined, specifically in terms of the ways in which we as writers don't even realized we've been socialized to do so. We also take a close look at some pertinent examples from both classics and modern classics to demonstrate how the issues we seek to work against present themselves - sometimes blatantly, sometimes with devious subtlety.

Module 4, Lesson 3: A look at 21st-Century Canon           

In this lesson, we will take our time to really unpack just what the canon of Western literature is and how something comes to be classified as canonical. We will also take our time to get our historical perspective in check to understand just what sets apart 21st-century literature, and makes it one of the most unique eras of literature in history.

Module 4, Lesson 4: A Look at 21st-century Canon (II)    

In this lesson we will take a look at some of the most striking and relevant works of modern fiction - taking them apart and examining why they have come to find such an important place within modern culture.

Module 4, Lesson 5: Words in the Information Age          

This lesson seeks to answer not just the question of 'why', but how it is that readers and viewers of the modern age internalize literature, what it is they look for, and how they best enjoy engagement.

Module 4, Lesson 6: Parody and Pastiche             

We look at each of these interesting genres in and of themselves, unpack them and look at some striking examples of the breed. We also ask the question of why these revolutionary approaches to the art of fiction have taken hold in the modern age.

Module 4, Lesson 7: Satire          

In this lesson we will explore the storied genre of satire - seeking to understand its social function within the realm of modern writing, what distinguishes it from parody and pastiche, and how you as a modern writer should learn to look at this often-overlooked ultra-relevant genre of writing.

Module 4, Lesson 8: The Holistic Writer 

We simply unpack the role of the modern writer - and all the heft and gravitas this chosen role demands.

E-commerce Curriculum:

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand & plan your desired eCommerce business
• Design, build, & protect your eCommerce channels
• Successfully launch & manage your eCommerce platform
• Improve your eCommerce strategy & grow your business

Lesson 1: The Essentials of eCommerce

The future of eCommerce is ever-changing, yet exceptionally promising - especially for aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals aiming to follow a career in eCommerce. This goliath industry is continuously shaped and reshaped by various micro, meso, and macro trends - predominantly fueled by the introduction of innovative technologies and changes in consumer shopping-related behavior around the globe. Given the powerful digital shift every sector is currently experiencing and the transformation from brick-to-click business-related engagements, there’s no better time than now to join the eCommerce community. Within this lesson, we’ll primarily discuss the essentials of eCommerce - some of the most crucial knowledge you need to garner to kick-start your eCommerce journey.

Lesson 2: The Power of Visioning              

As an aspiring eCommerce entrepreneur or an individual aiming to follow a career in eCommerce, it’s crucial that you understand the power of visioning and research. These practical concepts serve as vital 1st steps when starting an online business. It plays an important role in both establishing and maintaining a strong foundation for your online business - not only for the launch thereof but its growth trajectory into the future. Apart from creating a solid foundation for your business, it also serves as the roadmap to business success and creates a sense of direction around which all strategies and subsequent decisions and actions are shaped. Within this lesson, we’ll primarily focus on creating a strong foundation and direction for your business, by focusing on two fundamental concepts - visioning and research. Throughout, we’ll cover some of the most crucial theories and exercises to assist you with defining, designing, and ensuring the desired future state of your business.

Lesson 3: Offering Design Thinking          

If you’re an entrepreneur starting a small business, you’ll most likely need a supply chain to bring your offering from concept to consumer. If you’re an entrepreneur striving toward a competitive advantage, chances are you’ll need a sound value chain to enable the realization and delivery of optimal value for both your customers and business. Designing and activating the optimal supply chain and value chain for your small business depends on the nature of both your business and offering. The key areas of differentiation will depend on whether you provide a physical or digital product or service. In this lesson, we’ll focus on applying design-thinking to your product/service and creating a supply chain, as well as a value chain that supports this design thinking process.

Lesson 4: Revenue & Business Models   

Throughout the years, revenue models and business models have changed, due to various internal and external pressures experienced. Some businesses and industries, however, have remained stagnant, maintaining comfort in their traditional methods of strategic endeavors. Although various large-scale companies' secret sauce lies within their original business models, they use hybrid approaches to maintain their competitive edge. In this lesson, we’ll focus on examples of revenue and business models available for start-up business entrepreneurs or eCommerce professionals to select from, as well as explore the basic components of each to assist you with selecting the best models suited to your business and product/service vision, goals, and objectives.

Lesson 5: The Master Manuscript

Irrespective of the type of business you’re aiming to launch, whether traditional or digital, your business plan will be your best asset – especially during the seed and start-up stages of your business. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t need a business plan. If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. Yes, crafting the optimal business plan that provides a strong roadmap to success for your business takes time – but, patience is key. In this lesson, we'll focus on creating the master manuscript for your business - your business plan. Probably the most important document you'll have by your side when starting, launching, growing and scaling your business.

Lesson 6: Ultimate Branding Guide          

In today's hypercompetitive world, businesses have entered a battleground for both the continuous attention, trust and buying power of customers - the focus has thus shifted primarily to relationship-building. Customers are overloaded with competitive marketing-related content and products/services that could potentially serve their needs. With this rapid increase in rivalry across industries, businesses have to continuously optimize their overall business, offerings and marketing efforts to stand out from the crowd. With this, businesses have had to optimize their brand strategies - the primary element distributed throughout the business lifecycle that ties everything together. In this lesson, we'll comprehensively explore the concept of branding, and how your brand could serve as the master key to unlocking the continuous support of both prospective and current customers.

Lesson 7: The Little Black eBook

There’s no denying that the entire experience of planning, launching, growing and scaling a business, whether traditional or digital, is filled with many challenges. The journey of creating a business is severely nerve-racking, filled with risks and could often become a lonely path. However, through well-executed professional networking, the journey of starting a business can become thrilling, filled with invaluable opportunities and supportive, as well as like-minded partners. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide you with an introduction to professional networking, as well as the key consideration areas for individuals aiming to start a business – whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a future influencer or simply a professional embarking on a career within the digital arena.

Lesson 8: The Power of Partnerships      

The principle of partnerships has been around since the dawn of the business arena. Since then, the famous saying "two heads are better than one" has become the best approach to solving complex problems. Whether creating internal partnerships between departments and employees or establishing external partnerships with businesses within your professional network, they've become an integral part of the growth and scaling prospects of any business. In today's fast-paced business landscape, the independent and closed-off approach has been deemed inadequate to successfully build, grow and scale a business. Businesses who grow independently and organically at first, have to seek new ways to drive collaborative efforts that deliver on what their customers need now and into the future. Throughout this lesson, we’ll focus on the value of establishing and nurturing powerful partnerships that will support the growth of your future online business.

All necessary course materials are included.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.