Digital marketing content creation

Gain the skills to become a stronger, more effective content marketer with this CPD course from The Open University (OU). Aimed at those who want to build on existing experience in digital marketing, this course will deepen your understanding of marketing channels and the content mix, grow your ability to write for online channels, create and distribute podcasts and video content, and host and measure your content.

Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

YG010

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

What you will study

Throughout this Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, you’ll benefit from expert insight into best practice approaches to content creation. Practical exercises will help you apply your new knowledge, and sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners will help you further reflect and deepen your understanding.

Delivered over five easy-to-digest sections, you will cover:

1. Marketing channels and content mix

Channel adoption and content engagement
Aligning content with your target audience and user journey
Exploring marketing channel mix
Content seeding, distribution and repurposing
Content optimisation and iteration
Optimising channel and content mix

2. Online writing

How people read online
Optimising content for users and search engines
User-centred design principles for online writing
Writing for website and content marketing
Writing for email marketing
Writing for social media
Optimising content

3. Podcast creation and distribution

Podcast adoption and how people listen to podcasts
Podcasts in the user journey
Podcasts for driving organisational objectives
Podcast landing pages
Planning podcast audiences and content
Recording a podcast
Editing a podcast
Publishing a podcast
Measuring podcast results

4. Video creation and editing

Video adoption and how people watch different video formats
Video in the user journey
Video for driving organisational objectives
Video distribution platforms and video search optimisation
Planning video audiences and content
Recording video
Editing video
Publishing and distributing video
Measuring video results

5. Hosting and measurement

The role of different content hosting approaches
Hosting written content
Hosting audio content, including podcasts
Hosting video content
Using hosting platforms for measuring content
Using web analytics (Google Analytics) for measuring content
Using analytics for content optimisation and testing

Please note: the content in this course also features in courses created by The Open University, which are available on FutureLearn.

You will learn

By the end of this CPD course, you’ll have the skills to:

develop a content marketing plan that aligns user journeys and business objectives
produce effective written, audio, and visual content
interpret content analytics to help optimise existing content marketing.

Vocational relevance

According to Forbes, the average person spends around seven hours a day consuming content. With so much noise in today’s digital world, the skills to create high-quality, in-demand content are crucial to help you stand out against your competitors.

This course has been created by the OU in collaboration with industry experts and leaders in digital marketing. It’s hosted by Daniel Rowles, CEO of Target Internet, who has worked in digital marketing and digital transformation for over 20 years, helping a wide range of high-profile brands to use digital effectively. Daniel is also the voice behind the Digital Marketing Podcast and a renowned author in the field.

Learner support

There is no tuition on this course, and all study is self-directed. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to enhance and reflect on your understanding by sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment

This online course includes a mix of video, audio and written materials. You can learn at your own pace with complete flexibility. Throughout the course, you will be asked to respond to questions, reflect on your experiences and learning, and carry out short exercises to help you develop your understanding.

At the end of each section, you will be asked to answer a set of multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge. You can attempt these as often as you need to. It is important to complete them because they count towards your final score.

To receive a Certificate of Completion, you will need to complete every section and achieve at least 70% in all tests.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Entry requirements

This course is ideal for anyone who has some existing experience in digital marketing and would like to develop their ability to create online content. Any work experience will help enhance and contextualise your learning.

It will be of particular interest to anyone wishing to further their studies and practical knowledge of marketing, communications and business.

If you are looking to gain introductory skills, see our short course Introduction to digital marketing.

The content in this course is suitable for a global audience and the skills you learn can be applied in a wide range of marketing roles, whether in the public or third sector, large corporates, or SMEs.

If you'd like to discuss the suitability of the course, please contact us.

Course length

This course will take around 40 hours to complete and you can learn at your own pace. As a guide, if you set aside four hours per week, it would take 10 weeks to complete.

You can begin learning at any time. You will have a minimum of six months and up to 18 months to complete the course, depending on your registration date.

Register

Start	End	England fee	Register
At anytime before registration end date	Jan 2026 - see Entry requirements for more detail	£200.00	Registration closes 31/07/2025 Register

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

be resident in England
have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

monthly payments through OUSBA
part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

All learning materials, exercises and activities are delivered entirely online.

Computing requirements

You can learn from your desktop computer or laptop or take your learning with you on a phone or tablet. You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop/laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher. Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all currently supported Android and iOS versions.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet, you can contact us about the support which can be given to meet your needs.