Introduction

The Digital Marketing and Analytics Course is designed to equip learners with the strategic, creative, and technical skills needed to succeed in today’s digital-first world. The course blends marketing theory with hands-on practice, guiding participants from foundational concepts to the execution and analysis of real digital campaigns. Trainees will learn to build effective marketing strategies, create compelling content, leverage social and paid media, and use data to drive decisions—all within the context of Ethiopia’s growing digital landscape.

Through live projects, platform simulations, and data-driven exercises, learners will develop a holistic understanding of the digital marketing ecosystem. The course emphasizes local consumer behavior, cultural storytelling, and the use of AI tools to enhance marketing efficiency and impact. By the end of the course, each participant will have designed, launched, and reported on a live digital campaign, demonstrating their readiness for professional roles in the field.

Trainee Requirements & Prerequisites

●     No prior marketing experience required curiosity and a willingness to learn are essential.

●     Ability to collaborate in teams and participate in project-based learning.

●     Basic digital literacy, including familiarity with computers, smartphones, and online tools.

●     Commitment to attend all sessions, participate in discussions, and complete hands-on projects.

Overall Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Course, learners will be able to:

●     Develop a digital marketing strategy aligned with business goals.

●     Create and manage content across social media, email, and web platforms.

●     Plan, launch, and optimize paid ad campaigns on social and search platforms.

●     Use analytics tools to track performance and derive actionable insights. 

●     Apply AI tools for content creation, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.

●     Build and present a professional campaign report for a real brand.

Training Delivery

●     Interactive Workshops: Blend of concept explanations and live tool demonstrations.

●   Hands-on Labs: Practical sessions using platforms like Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, Canva, and AI tools.

●     Case Studies & Group Discussions: Analyze local and international digital campaigns.

●     Project-Based Learning: Develop and execute a full campaign from planning to reporting.

●     Mentorship & Feedback: Regular check-ins with industry-experienced trainers.

●     Midterm & Final Presentations: Present campaign results to peers and industry judges.

Tools & Equipment

●     Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn

●     Advertising Tools: Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads

●     Analytics: Google Analytics, social media insights

●     Content Creation: Canva, Adobe Express, Runway, ChatGPT

●     Automation & Email: Mailchimp, automation workflows

●     Collaboration: Google Workspace, Figma, Trello

Training Subject Areas

Introduction to Digital Ecosystem (DM-101)

This module is the foundational "on-ramp" to the digital world. Before you can run campaigns or analyze data, you need to understand the landscape. This unit answers the questions: What is this "digital ecosystem" everyone talks about? Where do people spend their time online, and why? How do all the different platforms connect? It's about moving from being a casual user of apps like Facebook and Google to being a strategic marketer who understands how these platforms function as interconnected channels to reach, engage, and understand audiences. The focus on Ethiopia's digital landscape ensures this isn't just global theory, but knowledge you can immediately apply locally.

Content Strategy (DM-102)

This module moves beyond random posts and into the realm of intentional, planned communication. A Content Strategy is the "why" and "what" behind everything you publish online. It’s the blueprint that ensures your content isn't just noise, but a cohesive and compelling story that attracts and retains a specific audience. This module teaches you how to move from having ideas to having a plan, a calendar that aligns your storytelling with your audience's interests and your brand's goals. You'll learn how to structure your narrative over time, ensuring every piece of content from a tweet to a blog post works together to build a relationship with your community, with a conscious effort to weave in culturally relevant narratives for the Ethiopian audience.

Social Media Marketing (DM-103)

This module is where strategy meets the screen. It's about transforming social platforms from personal spaces into professional channels for community building and brand growth. You will learn that social media marketing is more than just posting content; it's about initiating conversations, building a loyal following, and fostering a sense of community around shared values and interests. This involves understanding the unspoken rules and best practices of each platform to maximize your reach and engagement. The hands-on activity ensures you don't just learn the theory but actually set up and configure a real, professional-looking business presence, ready to connect with an audience.

Paid Media & Targeting (DM-104)

This module focuses on the engine of scalable digital growth: paid advertising. While organic content builds community, paid media ensures your message reaches the right people at the right time, with precision and speed. You will move beyond simple boosting to understand how to strategically use paid platforms to target specific audience segments based on their demographics, interests, and online behaviors. This involves mastering bidding strategies to optimize your budget and learning to craft ad creatives that compel action. It’s about turning data into directed visibility, ensuring your marketing budget is an investment, not an expense.

SEO & SEM Fundamentals (DM-105)

This module is about mastering visibility on the world’s most powerful discovery platform: search engines. It covers two essential sides of the same coin—SEO (Search Engine Optimization), the art and science of earning organic traffic by aligning your content with what search engines and users value; and SEM (Search Engine Marketing), the strategy of using paid ads to capture immediate, high-intent traffic. You’ll learn how people search, what words they use, and how to make your website and content answer their questions effectively. This is where you ensure your brand doesn’t just exist online but can be found by the right people at the very moment they are looking.

Data and Analytics I (DM-106)

This module marks the critical shift from creating marketing activity to understanding its impact. It’s about moving from asking "Did people see it?" to "Did it work?" You will learn to speak the language of data by identifying the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the vital signs that tell you if your strategy is healthy. This involves moving beyond vanity metrics (like likes) to actionable data (like conversion rates). The core of this module is practical: learning to navigate Google Analytics to build a custom dashboard. This is not just about reading numbers; it's about assembling those numbers into a clear, visual story that reveals what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your efforts for real business results.

Data and Analytics II (DM-107)

This module takes your data skills from observation to action and optimization. Now that you can measure performance, you’ll learn how to systematically improve it. This involves mastering A/B testing, the practice of making data-driven decisions by comparing two versions of an ad, email, or webpage to see which one performs better. You will move beyond just building dashboards to telling a compelling story with data through professional reporting. This means synthesizing raw data into clear, actionable insights that answer the "so what?" for stakeholders and guide the next round of campaign strategy, turning analysis into a continuous cycle of refinement and growth.

Midterm Presentation (DM-108)

This module serves as a practical mid-course assessment where trainees apply the skills learned so far. Working in small teams, learners will plan,execute, track and analyze Digital Marketing campaigns. The exercise emphasizes collaboration, time management, and creative problem-solving under real production conditions. Feedback from instructors and peers will guide learners.

Email & Automation (DM-109)

This module introduces one of the most powerful and direct channels for building customer relationships and driving conversions. You’ll move beyond one-off newsletters to designing intelligent, automated communication systems known as funnels. These systems deliver the right message to the right person at the right time, automatically. Whether it’s welcoming a new subscriber, nurturing a lead, or re-engaging a lapsed customer, you’ll learn how to use triggers and workflows to create personalized journeys at scale. This transforms email from a broadcast tool into a responsive dialogue, building loyalty and driving action long after a user’s first visit.

Influencer & Community Strategy (DM-110)

Modern marketing thrives on authenticity and trust, moving beyond brand-owned channels to harness the power of voices people already follow and communities they belong to. This module explores how to identify, partner with, and brief content creators and not as mere megaphones for your message, but as collaborative storytellers who can authentically introduce your brand to their engaged audiences. Simultaneously, you’ll learn how to cultivate a vibrant brand community, turning passive followers into active participants and advocates. This is about building with people, not just marketing to them.

AI for Campaign Optimization (DM-111)

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how marketers make decisions, create content, and connect with audiences. This module moves beyond theory to show how AI tools can actively enhance campaign performance. You will explore how predictive analytics can forecast trends and customer behavior, allowing for proactive budget and strategy adjustments. Simultaneously, you’ll apply generative AI to streamline the creation of ad copy, visuals, and audience segments. The goal is to leverage AI as a force multiplier—freeing up time for strategic thinking while improving the precision and personalization of your marketing efforts.

Content Creation Tools (DM-112)

Speed and quality are non-negotiable in digital marketing. This hands-on lab immerses you in industry-standard design tools that help you create professional-looking visuals quickly, even without formal design training. You’ll move from relying on templates to understanding how to use platforms like Canva for efficient social graphics, AI-powered image generation, and Runway for basic video editing and effects.

Digital Outsourcing (DM-113)

This module introduces trainees to the growing field of digital outsourcing within marketing and creative industries. Learners will explore how businesses leverage global talent and digital platforms to optimize workflows, scale operations, and manage costs. The module covers how to identify which marketing and content creation tasks can be outsourced, how to evaluate and manage freelancers or agencies, and how to maintain brand consistency and quality across outsourced work.

Digital Ethics & Privacy (DM-114)

As marketers harness more data and powerful tools, the line between effective targeting and intrusion becomes increasingly delicate. This crucial module addresses the responsibility that comes with digital influence and data access. You’ll grapple with real-world dilemmas around consumer privacy, data protection laws, and the ethical use of AI. Through case studies and debates, you’ll learn to

build marketing strategies that are not only effective but also transparent, respectful, and trustworthy. Understanding these principles is no longer optional, it’s essential for building sustainable brand loyalty and navigating the complex legal landscape of digital marketing.

Final Campaign Build (DM-115)

This is where your learning converges into a professional, portfolio-ready campaign. Moving from planning to execution, you’ll consolidate all previous modules, strategy, content, ads, analytics, and ethics, into one cohesive campaign ready for real-world rollout. Under guided mentorship, you’ll finalize targeting, creative assets, budgets, and measurement plans. This session focuses on practical troubleshooting and strategic fine-tuning, ensuring your campaign is not only theoretically sound but also technically set up for success. It’s a collaborative push to transform your project plan into a live, measurable digital initiative.

Screening & Showcase (FM-116)

This final module marks the culmination of your journey. The transition from learner to practitioner. You’ll present your fully executed live campaign and comprehensive performance report to a panel of industry professionals, mirroring a real-world client or stakeholder presentation. This is more than a final exam; it’s a professional milestone that builds confidence and connects you with the local marketing community. The jury’s feedback provides not just evaluation, but valuable external perspective and industry validation, while the act of presenting and defending your work solidifies your learning and prepares you for career opportunities.

Assessment Methods:

Assessments will include a combination of methods, where trainees submit exercises for evaluation to receive feedback or qualification.

●     Reading and implementation exercises.

●     Quizzes: formal and informal pop-up quizzes to gauge knowledge acquisition.

●   Case studies: real-world marketing scenarios with proposed solutions and strategies presented by students.

●    Assignments: individual take-home or in-class practical assignments to solidify understanding and develop campaign strategies.

●     Group projects: challenging students to develop digital marketing campaigns for a specific brand or product, enabling application and collaboration.

●     Periodic assessments: through the Zeleman Academy assessment module to

measure trainee comprehension and qualify them for certification.

●     Follow-ups and feedback will be the main aspects to help trainees improve their understanding.

Certification Requirements:

●      At least 90% attendance.

●      Completion of all assignments.

●      Final project submission and screening.

Reference Resources

●     Google Digital Garage & Skillshop

●     Meta Blueprint certification

●     HubSpot Academy

●     SEMrush Academy

●     Localized case studies from Ethiopian brands

●     Trainer-provided playbooks and toolkits