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Kevin Hartman

Successfully marketing brands today requires a well-balanced blend of art and science. This course introduces students to the science of web analytics while casting a keen eye toward the artful use of numbers found in the digital space. The goal is to provide the foundation needed to apply data analytics to real-world challenges marketers confront daily. Digital Analytics for Marketing Professionals: Marketing Analytics in Theory is the first in a two-part series of complementary courses and focuses on the background information and frameworks analysts need to be successful in today's digital business world.

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Successfully marketing brands today requires a well-balanced blend of art and science. This course introduces students to the science of web analytics while casting a keen eye toward the artful use of numbers found in the digital space. The goal is to provide the foundation needed to apply data analytics to real-world challenges marketers confront daily. Digital Analytics for Marketing Professionals: Marketing Analytics in Theory is the first in a two-part series of complementary courses and focuses on the background information and frameworks analysts need to be successful in today's digital business world.

You will be able to:

- Identify the web analytic tool right for your specific needs

- Understand valid and reliable ways to collect, analyze, and visualize data from the web

- Utilize data in decision making for agencies, organizations, or clients

This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.

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Syllabus

Course Overview and The Day The Geeks Took Over
In the orientation, you will become familiar with the course, your instructor, your classmates, and the learning environment. The orientation also helps you obtain the technical skills required for the course. Module 1 looks at modern analysts and analytics in the context of its distinct historical epochs, each one containing major inflection points and laying a foundation for future advancements in the ART + SCIENCE that is modern data analytics.
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Introduces learners to digital marketing skills and knowledge, which can help with a variety of career paths
Provides concrete skills for agencies, organizations, or clients, which is essential for marketing jobs
Is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, which may be of interest for students interested in an MBA or MSM

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Reviews summary

Strong theoretical foundation for digital marketing analytics

According to learners, this course provides a strong theoretical foundation in digital marketing analytics, effectively blending the art and science of the field. Many students found the instructor's lectures to be clear and engaging, making complex topics accessible. While highly praised for its conceptual depth and frameworks, some reviewers noted it is heavy on theory and lighter on practical, hands-on tool application, which is consistent with its title as the "Theory" component of a series. Overall, it's seen as an essential first step for building a solid understanding before moving to more practical applications.
Core concepts are relevant, some specifics may be dated.
"The overall frameworks are timeless, but some examples or tools mentioned felt a bit dated."
"While the fundamental principles are solid, the rapid changes in digital marketing mean some specifics might not be current."
"Provides relevant core ideas, though keeping up with tool changes is challenging."
"Learned great concepts, but would love an update on the latest specific platforms."
Serves as essential groundwork for the next course.
"This course is clearly meant to be the theoretical precursor to the more practical Part 2."
"Makes perfect sense as the foundational, theoretical half of the series."
"I see now why this is 'in Theory' and sets you up for the next course."
"Definitely recommend taking this before moving on to the second course for the practical side."
Lectures are clear, engaging, and easy to follow.
"The professor is fantastic! His explanations are crystal clear and engaging."
"I really enjoyed the instructor's teaching style; it made learning enjoyable."
"His ability to simplify complex ideas made the material easy to grasp."
"The lectures were well-structured and easy to follow."
Provides essential concepts and frameworks.
"This course lays a really solid foundation, helping me understand the core concepts behind analytics, not just how to use tools."
"I appreciated the focus on the 'why' and the frameworks provided."
"Great for understanding the background info and frameworks needed for digital analytics."
"The course content provided me with a strong theoretical understanding of the field."
Focuses more on concepts than practical tools.
"While the theory is good, I was hoping for more hands-on practice with actual analytics tools."
"It's definitely more theoretical than practical; you won't finish knowing how to run specific reports."
"Felt it needed a bit more practical application to balance the theory."
"Good concepts, but limited examples using real-world tools."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory with these activities:
Organize Course Materials
Stay organized throughout the course
Show steps
  • Create a dedicated notebook or folder for the course
  • Regularly review and organize your notes
  • Create summaries or mind maps of key concepts
  • Use tags or labels to categorize your materials
Review Foundational Concepts
This activity will prime you for your learning in this course by reviewing data analytics concepts such as data collection, measurement, and reporting
Browse courses on Web Analytics
Show steps
  • Read articles and blog posts on web analytics basics
  • Review online courses or tutorials on data collection methods
  • Practice using data visualization tools
Form Study Groups
Enhance understanding through peer collaboration
Show steps
  • Find classmates with similar interests or goals
  • Establish regular meeting times and locations
  • Discuss course materials, assignments, and projects
  • Share resources and support each other
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Attend Industry Webinars
Enhance your learning by attending industry webinars to hear from experts and engage with peers
Browse courses on Digital Marketing
Show steps
  • Identify relevant webinars on digital marketing analytics
  • Register and attend the webinars
  • Take notes and ask questions
  • Follow up with speakers or attendees
Create a Data Analytics Glossary
Improve your understanding of data analytics by creating a glossary of key terms, definitions, and metrics
Browse courses on Data Analytics
Show steps
  • Identify the most important data analytics terms, definitions, and metrics
  • Write clear and concise definitions for each term
  • Add examples and illustrations to enhance understanding
Analyze Real-World Data
Practice your data analytics skills by working on real-world data sets
Browse courses on Data Analysis
Show steps
  • Find a data set that is relevant to your interests or goals
  • Clean and prepare the data
  • Analyze the data using different techniques
  • Interpret the results and draw insights
Participate in Data Analytics Workshops
Gain hands-on experience by participating in data analytics workshops
Browse courses on Data Analytics
Show steps
  • Identify data analytics workshops that align with your goals
  • Register and attend the workshops
  • Actively participate in hands-on exercises
  • Network with fellow participants and industry professionals
Develop a Digital Marketing Analytics Plan
Apply what you have learned by developing a custom data analytics plan for a real or hypothetical marketing campaign
Show steps
  • Define the goals of your marketing campaign
  • Identify the relevant metrics and KPIs
  • Choose the right data analytics tools
  • Collect and analyze the data
  • Present your findings and recommendations

Career center

Learners who complete Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Data Analyst
Data analysts have a very clear role: collect, analyze, and interpret data. With this course’s focus on digital data creation, analysts will get a complete picture of the tools analysts use, as well as the skills they need to make real-world change. This will prove exceptionally helpful in the pursuit of a data analyst position due to the in-depth coverage of data collection, measurement, and analysis.
Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital Marketing Specialists create, execute, and manage multichannel marketing campaigns. Understanding how to analyze data is paramount to success in this role, and this course may help build a foundation in that area. Specifically, the focus on digital data collection, measurement, and analysis will prove helpful.
Web Analyst
Web Analysts are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and maintaining data about a website’s performance. This course may be useful for those seeking a web analyst position due to the in-depth coverage of data collection, measurement, and analysis. Specific coverage of multitouch attribution models and media mix models is especially relevant.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers plan, implement, and measure marketing campaigns. This course may be useful for those seeking a marketing manager position due to the emphasis on measurement. Specifically, the coverage of multitouch attribution models and media mix models is especially relevant.
Market Researcher
Market Researchers are responsible for gathering and analyzing data about consumers and markets. This course may be useful for those seeking a market researcher position due to the emphasis on data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
Business Analyst
Business Analysts are responsible for analyzing business processes and developing recommendations for improvement. This course may be useful for those seeking a business analyst position due to the focus on data analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
Product Manager
Product Managers are responsible for planning, developing, and launching new products. This course may be useful for those seeking a product manager position since it covers data analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the modules on data collection, measurement, and analysis are relevant.
Growth Manager
Growth Managers are responsible for developing and implementing strategies to grow a business. This course may be useful for those seeking a growth manager position since it covers data analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the modules on data collection, measurement, and analysis are relevant.
Performance Marketing Manager
Performance Marketing Managers are responsible for planning, developing, and implementing marketing campaigns that drive results. This course may be useful for those seeking a performance marketing manager position due to the focus on data analysis and measurement. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
Business Intelligence Analyst
Business Intelligence Analysts are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to help businesses make better decisions. This course may be useful for those seeking a business intelligence analyst position. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
User Experience Researcher
User Experience Researchers are responsible for conducting research to understand how users interact with products and services. This course may be useful for those seeking a UX researcher position due to the focus on data collection and analysis. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is relevant.
Content Marketing Manager
Content Marketing Managers are responsible for planning, developing, and implementing content marketing campaigns. This course may be useful for those seeking a content marketing manager position due to the focus on data analysis and measurement. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers are responsible for planning, implementing, and measuring social media campaigns. This course may be useful for those seeking a social media manager position due to the focus on data analysis and measurement. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
eCommerce Manager
eCommerce Managers are responsible for planning, developing, and implementing eCommerce strategies. This course may be useful for those seeking an eCommerce manager position due to the focus on data analysis and measurement. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is particularly relevant.
Digital Marketing Analyst
Digital Marketing Analysts are responsible for analyzing digital marketing campaigns to measure their effectiveness. This course may be useful for those seeking a digital marketing analyst position due to the focus on data analysis and measurement. Specifically, the coverage of digital data collection, measurement, and analysis is especially relevant.

Featured in The Course Notes

This course is mentioned in our blog, The Course Notes. Read one article that features Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory:

Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory.
Provides a comprehensive overview of web analytics, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of digital marketing analytics.
Provides a practical guide to using digital marketing analytics to make data-driven decisions. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to use data to improve their marketing campaigns.
Provides a step-by-step guide to using Google Analytics to track and measure your website traffic. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to use Google Analytics to improve their marketing campaigns.
Provides a comprehensive overview of data mining for business intelligence. It covers topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization, as well as how to use data mining to make better business decisions.
Provides a comprehensive overview of predictive analytics, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of predictive analytics.
Provides a comprehensive overview of deep learning, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of deep learning.
Provides a comprehensive overview of reinforcement learning, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of reinforcement learning.
Provides a comprehensive overview of natural language processing, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of natural language processing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer vision, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of computer vision.
Provides a comprehensive overview of speech and language processing, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of speech and language processing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of information theory, inference, and learning algorithms, covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the field of information theory, inference, and learning algorithms.

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