It can seem like best practice is constantly shifting when it comes to email marketing. One of the best ways to keep on top of changes and improve your email marketing efforts is by learning from experts in the field.
With thousands of email marketing courses available online, which ones are worth your time or financial investment?
We’ve compiled a list of the eight best email marketing online courses. Find out what you’ll learn in the course modules and how each course can help you become a better email marketer.
1. For mastering email marketing basics: Google’s digital garage
Google has created its own “Digital Garage”, a full suite of free courses for budding marketers.
Housed in this suite is Google’s email marketing course. It’s aimed at email marketing novices and breaks down the basics of building contact lists, email tech stacks and campaign analytics.
While it doesn’t have an instructor like the other courses on the list, Google says marketing experts and top entrepreneurs regularly update every course in the suite, keeping all information and strategies as fresh as possible.
As the founder of Gmail, one of the world's largest email platforms, Google is one of the most credible sources for teaching beginners about the basics of email marketing.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: Email marketing basics. The first module of the course focuses on the foundations of email marketing. Here, you’ll learn how to build a contact list and why it’s important to create campaigns that are targeted around interests and demographics. This module also teaches the importance of building and nurturing relationships with your email list subscribers.
Module 2: Email marketing options. A step-by-step walkthrough of the available email marketing tools you can use to build your campaigns. This module explains how tools monitor interactions with your email campaigns, the common features to expect from an email marketing tool and the benefits of tracking and analyzing user interactions.
Module 3: Crafting great marketing emails. A quick breakdown of writing engaging marketing emails. This module teaches you what makes a good subject line, how to write body text and why it’s important to add links and call-to-actions.
Module 4: Managing successful email campaigns. This section of the course dives deeper into email campaign management and optimization. Learn how to use A/B testing to improve engagement and build landing pages that are tied to your email marketing campaigns.
Module 5: Measuring success in email marketing. Finally, the course wraps up by explaining why email metrics are important in evaluating campaign success. You’ll be taught how to use five metrics to measure your email performance and take actionable steps to improve future campaigns.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This course teaches the foundations of email marketing campaigns. It’ll teach you the importance of list-building and how to use email marketing tools. You’ll also learn the basics of writing engaging emails and worthy subject lines to improve open rates.
By the end of this course, you will be able to create basic email campaigns. You'll also better understand the fundamentals of email marketing and how to engage your readers.
Cost and timeframe of Google’s digital garage course
Google’s course is free. Each of the modules has videos lasting up to six minutes, and there is a quick quiz at the end to check your learning. The entire course can be taken in a single afternoon, or you can go at your own pace.
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2. For growing your email list: Phil Ebiner’s Udemy course
If you want to grow your email list, check out Phil Ebiner’s course on email marketing.
While Ebiner’s background is in video production, he’s been teaching students how to be more engaging marketers and content creators for nearly a decade. He has taught over two million students content and online marketing basics and how to build email funnels.
This course focuses on one thing: building up your email list so you can reach more people.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
After a quick introduction, the course opens up into four core modules.
Module 1: The basics of list-building and getting email subscribers. Learn about list-building, the most popular tools marketers use to grow their subscribers and free tools to get started.
Module 2: The perfect lead magnet formula. Ebiner teaches the importance of enticing people to sign up to your list using lead magnets. Learn how to create simple lead magnets and connect them to an automated email.
Module 3: Create high-converting opt-in forms. Like lead magnet forms, opt-in forms are also an excellent tool for growing your email list. This module teaches you how to create opt-in forms, following a proven formula to convert more web visitors.
Module 4: How to get more web traffic. The course wraps up with a simple walkthrough of how to get more traffic on your website through content and social media.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This course will teach you ways to grow your email list and the tools to use to get started. Ebiner uses mostly free software examples, which is helpful for marketers or startups that don’t have a big budget.
By the end of the course, you’ll understand how to use lead magnets and opt-in forms on your landing pages to grow your email list.
Cost and timeframe of Phil Ebiner’s Udemy course
Phil Ebiner’s email marketing course costs around $80, although Udemy often runs better than half price sales. It has over two hours’ worth of content to watch and there are three downloadable resources to complete. It can easily be completed in one sitting, or you can take the course in quick sprints.
3. For the digital marketing allrounder: CXL’s basics to best-in-class
If you want a best email marketing course covering everything from high-quality copywriting to design and optimization, check out CXL’s basics to best-in-class.
It’s taught by industry expert Jessica Best, Barkley’s VP of Data-Driven Marketing. CXL’s course explains why tying data to email marketing campaigns is vital for any serious marketer. They also describe in depth how to track engagement and list behavior.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: Email marketing basics (The good, the bad & the WOW). Best walks you through the five things you should always do in email marketing and the five strategies you should always avoid. This module also explains how to optimize emails as well as some of the basics around privacy and spam laws.
Module 2: How to optimize your email marketing list growth. Learn how to use permission-based strategies to grow your list and what not to do. This module also includes examples of organic tools and which channels work best for this type of growth.
Module 3: Optimizing email marketing copy and design. Here, you’ll learn how to incorporate rich media into email marketing campaigns. You’ll also learn why you need to pay attention to trends and accessibility when designing any email you send.
Module 4: Using data to drive email marketing relevance and results. Finally, the course wraps up with a data module. Here, Best shares the setup she uses for data-driven email success and details what types of data you need to be focusing on. You’ll also get to see examples of successful marketing automation and how to use data to talk directly to your list.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This course is perfect for marketers who want to learn how to grow a large subscriber base fast while using data to guide their email campaigns. The four modules are a great start for email marketers who want to learn how to harness their data or anyone looking for more return on their investment.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to create an email marketing strategy and optimize campaigns using basic data points.
Cost and timeframe of CXL’s basics to best-in-class course
The course has four hours’ worth of tutorials. If you sign up for CXL’s seven-day trial, it’ll cost you just $1.
4. For a quick, detailed introduction: Pipedrive’s email marketing 101
If you only have an hour to spare and want a quick, but detailed, introduction to email marketing strategy, Pipedrive Academy’s email marketing 101 course is a great place to start.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: Welcome to email marketing 101: how to be exceptionally good. How to avoid the spam folder, understanding GDPR when it comes to email and more.
Module 2: What is email marketing and how does it work? Why you should be using email marketing.
Module 3: Comply like a pro, or why permission is key. Why complying with CAN-SPAM and GDPR is best for everyone.
Module 4: How to build a healthy email list. How you can improve your list hygiene.
Module 5: Divide and rule: how to segment your list. How to send emails your subscribers will be happy to receive.
Module 6: How to plan your email campaign. How to decide which type of email to send.
Module 7: Email design: how to engage subscribers. How to make your email attention-grabbing.
Module 8: How to write an email: tips and tricks. How to use open-ended questions and thought-provoking statements.
Module 9: How to know if you did a good job: email tracking. How to analyze email marketing campaign results and key metrics to measure.
Module 10: Get better every time: how to act on performance. How to act on performance and optimize your email campaigns.
Module 11: Why aren’t your emails always delivered? Practices that impact deliverability.
Module 12: Time to send your campaign. Wrapping up the course.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This course acts as the perfect, quick introduction to marketers and other professionals who aren’t that familiar with email marketing.
Even though the videos combined only last an hour, they go into so much detail, with plenty of actionable advice and links to additional content, that even slightly more experienced email marketers could benefit.
Cost and timeframe of CXL’s basics to best-in-class course
The course is completely free and available on the Pipedrive Academy. Watch the first video in the course below.
5. For B2B email marketers: Outfunnel’s crash course
This crash course was created by Outfunnel co-founder and CEO Andrus Purde, who has over 20 years of experience in B2B sales. He explains why he thinks many of the “best practices” taught to email marketers are now outdated and why his approach is better for today’s audience.
Purde’s course will teach you why short, sharp emails have a better chance of engaging your list and delivering value than the techniques taught to B2B marketers in the past.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
This best email marketing course is a little different from the others on our list. Instead of creating modules, Purde emails learners each day with a condensed crash course full of tips and examples.
Here’s an example of the email you’ll get on the first day of the course:
By day 11, you’ll have an inbox full of tips on growing your list, sending out effective emails to new prospects and setting realistic goals for your email marketing campaigns.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This crash course is ideal for B2B marketers who need to break away from old prospecting habits. It teaches you what emails will work best for B2B audiences and why condensed content is often more effective for busier prospects like CEOs.
By the end of this course, you’ll learn how to get your B2B outreach emails opened and understand how to turn email marketing campaigns into consistent revenue drivers.
Cost and timeframe of Outfunnel’s crash course
Outfunnel’s crash course on email marketing is free. After signing up, 11 helpful emails are delivered straight to your inbox over three weeks.
6. For digital marketing strategy and optimization: LinkedIn Learning’s course
Next on the list is LinkedIn Learning’s Email Marketing: Strategy and Optimization bundle.
The course’s instructor is Virginia O’Connor, a content strategist at the University of California. It focuses on the work you need to do to make sure your emails get read and how to optimize each touchpoint for your reader.
O’Connor will walk you through each part of the optimization process and why you should spend time mastering personalization tactics and timing to meet your campaign goals.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: Fit email into any marketing plan. The course teaches you customer journey basics and how to create personas that fit your target audience. O’Connor will then walk through what a successful marketing calendar looks like.
Module 2: Identify all types of emails. In this module, you’ll learn about the different emails that will make up your marketing campaigns. This section breaks down the differences between newsletters, onboarding and transactional emails.
Module 3: Optimize everything. In the optimization module, you’ll look at the science behind email images and subject lines. Master how to personalize your emails and why footers and copy are important.
Module 4: Monitoring and revising. You’ll learn how to monitor and optimize your list data after launch and tweak your email strategy to make future campaigns more successful.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This course is a good add-on if you’ve already mastered the basics of email marketing. It takes a more in-depth look at optimization, email design and overall strategy.
At the end of this course, you’ll be able to take an existing email campaign strategy and diagnose any issues and improve your targeting and optimization efforts.
Cost and timeframe of LinkedIn Learning’s course
The course costs $30 and includes roughly 90 minutes of video tutorials. Some course materials are included.
7. For marketers using Mailchimp: Paul Jarvis’s Chimp Essentials
For email marketers who feel like they’re just not getting what they need out of MailChimp, Chimp Essentials could be an excellent investment for your business.
The course contents focus on the technical parts of the Mailchimp platform, like segmentation and automation sequences.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: Setting up mailchimp (the right way). Go back to basics and see if your current MailChimp dashboard and lists are set up correctly.
Module 2: Onboarding new subscribers. See how Jarvis welcomes new subscribers to his email list and learn how to nurture new readers.
Module 3: Groups and segments. Learn how to optimize your subscribers using segmentation strategies to send them content based on interests and behavior.
Module 4: Automation sequences. Filled with examples and walkthroughs, this module shows you how to create and optimize email sequences using templates and from scratch.
Module 5: Campaigns and conditionals. See how you can set conditions within your campaigns using features like merge tags and rules.
Module 6: Running tests and reports. Finally, see if all of your technical additions work. Run accurate tests and learn how to read analytical reports to see how successful your campaigns are.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
MailChimp markets itself as a simple email marketing tool, but you really need to know how to use advanced features like merge tags and segmentation to make the most out of it. With 45 video lessons and real-life examples, Chimp Essentials is the most in-depth course on our list.
By the end of this course, you will be able to take your MailChimp campaigns to the next level. Create advanced email marketing campaigns within MailChimp using customizable templates, automation and triggers.
Cost and timeframe of Paul Jarvis’s Chimp Essentials
The course costs $369, and you’ll get lifetime access to the course materials. As it’s a self-service course, you can take as long as you like to complete the modules and revisit them if you want to brush up on your knowledge.
8. For perfecting cold emailing strategies: Guillaume Moubeche’s cold email masterclass
The last course on our list is brought to you by Guillaume Moubeche, the founder of lemlist.
Moubeche’s email masterclass draws on his experience of building a startup from scratch and generating revenue using cold emails. He’s made big mistakes and learned many lessons since launching lemlist five years ago. He passes that knowledge onto you in his email marketing training so you won’t make the same errors.
What’s included in the modules and what you’ll learn
Module 1: The secret to email outreach. An in-depth look at how lemlist earned millions in revenue using cold email.
Module 2: The secret to define your target. Learn how to find prospects and what persona frameworks to use when building an email campaign.
Module 3: The secret to get in touch with anyone on Earth. A strategic lesson in finding any email address you want using an email database and Chrome extensions.
Module 4: The secret to land your emails in the primary tab. This module focuses on improving email deliverability and your technical setup so your campaigns will land in your prospect’s main inbox.
Module 5: The secret of cold emails that get responses. This lesson features examples of winning cold emails and how to create a pitch of your own.
Module 6: The secret of a follow-up email. See how you can create follow-up sequences and nurture customers automatically.
Module 7: The secret of successful cold email campaigns. In this module, you’ll learn how to build automated cold email campaigns that generate sales and help you create an engaged email list.
How this course will help you be a better email marketer
This email marketing masterclass is a mix of real-life experiences and practical knowledge. You’ll get an insight on how lemlist created their cold email strategy, what mistakes they made and how to launch successful campaigns of your own.
By the end of this course, you will be able to book more meetings with prospects by confidently sending cold email campaigns to anyone on the planet.
Cost and timeframe of Guillaume Moubeche’s cold email masterclass
This course costs $297 and you’ll have to join a waitlist. This course is also self-taught, so you can take your time to work through the modules.
Final Thoughts
Investing in an email marketing course can improve the quality of material you’re sending out and generate more revenue for your business.
There’s a course on this list for everybody. Whatever your level of experience with email marketing, taking a class can give you more confidence and teach you new tricks for making every campaign you launch a success.
Pipedrive’s CRM helps you track and improve your email strategy by integrating with top email marketing tools. Try our 14-day free trial and see how we can help you.
