Lynda.com: Digital Marketer Learning Path Completed

22 hours of in-depth courses and 40 mini quizzes on Google Analytics, SEO, Online, Social and Content Marketing sounds likes fun doesn't it... let me tell you it was!!  

To keep my Marketing skills current I completed Lynda.com's Digital Marketer Learning Path this summer.  This Learning Path not only helped me keep up to date it has also been a great resource while studying for my upcoming Google Analytics IQ exam.  A highlight of the Digital Marketer Learning Path were the courses by Brad Batesole and Dayna Rothman.  Their knowledge on this fascinating subject and their practical real world examples helped clarify the Marketing concepts and ideas.  

I highly recommend this Learning Path for anyone starting or running their own business.  It will also be on my course's recommended watch list, as Lynda.com is included in our student's tuition.  

If you have been follow along this summer you might have noticed I have been focusing on Marketing quite a bit, this has been for two reasons.  Firstly I love Marketing and second I am rewriting the Algonquin College Photography Program's course, Multimedia II.  This is our Marketing course and we are going to be focusing even more on Marketing, Branding and Social Media this year.  This is a skill set that is hugely important when starting your own business and is a great skill to help enhance a resume if you are looking for work in any field.  

I am so excited to share what I have learned this summer with our students. It is so amazing to see their work come together and it will be great to help them further showcase their work and talent to the world online.     

For those unfamiliar with Lynda.com it is an online learning platform that offers courses for business and creative fields.  Their Learning Paths are a great addition to the platform, aggregating courses around different fields.

This I Know: Marketing Lessons from Under the Influence - Terry O'Reilly

We are all trying to sell something; at a job interview, a client meeting, on a date or online to friends and followers.  We all have a story to tell and an urge to have it heard.  Like it or not marketing plays a big role in getting our story listen to.  So how does one get heard in this age of persuasion? 

To do anything well takes practice and research and Terry O'Reilly's book is a look into the life of a Marketer who has done both.  His lessons are humours, revealing and he tells them with excellent storytelling skills that make them stick so well.  He also relates them not only to the business but to everyday life.

Yes this book is a must read for anyone starting a business, running a business, looking for a job or working, which pretty much covers everyone.  So if you are curious to learn more about human nature and the art of storytelling, have a read.  

My favourite quotes and parts:

1. Chapter 4 Bieber In A Blender (pg 51-52), The Allen, Brady & Marsh's ad pitch to British Rail, so good!!
2. Unless you have big ambitions, you'll only have small outcomes, so true.  
3. Companies look to sell products, and customers look to buy solutions.  
4. Chapter 7 Start With The End, on the important of presentation skills.  
5. Telling a compelling story that is rooted in your product is the most persuasive way of converting potential customers into paying customers.  
6. Marketing is theatre.  

I will not lie I am a big fan of Terry O'Reilly, love his CBC shows and his first book, Age of Persuasion, I highly recommend them all.  

Make Your Idea Matter - Bernadette Jiwa

Make Your Idea Matter, written by Bernadette Jiwa of thestoryoftelling.com, is a nice quick inspirational read for all entrepreneurs.  Each page is a stand alone point easily digestible.  Yes some points you might already know but if you are a entrepreneur, which can be lonely at times, some reassurance is nice to hear.  My favourite quote:

"The bad news is, it’s all been done before. The good news is, it doesn’t matter, because it hasn’t been done by you.....  What makes anything you do unique is your voice. The story that only you can tell, from a perspective that nobody else can have."

So if you are looking for some insights into branding, marketing, how to pitch your business, the importance of a mission statement or just looking for some business inspiration have a read.

Bernadette Jiwa's Blog: thestoryoftelling.com/blog (Also a good read)