MKTG 315: Digital Marketing Master Syllabus
Representative Syllabus
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Course Description
This course explores the impact of Digital and Internet technology on marketing strategy and practice. Topics include web design and analytics, search engine optimization, online advertising campaigns, email marketing, and social media to build customer traffic, conversion, and company revenue.
Course Materials
This course requires a package of
- Digital Marketing Essential Videos
- Digital Marketing Essential E-text
- Digital Marketing Simternship (simulation)
- Digital Marketing Certification (end of course certificate after passing the Stukent Digital Media Marketing Certification exam)
To purchase the package, you can either directly with Stukent or go through the Bookstore. Please use the Stukent link in Canvas.
When you click on the Stukent link in Canvas for the first time you will be prompted to type in your proof of purchase from the Bookstore called an Access code or you can type in your Debit Card or Credit Card to purchase directly through Stukent.
Please always log in using a laptop or a desktop instead of tablets or mobile devices and use Google Chrome or a Google Chrome Incognito window as your web browser.
If you have any questions or issues registering for the course or logging into your Stukent account, or if you have any Stukent-related questions at all please Always contact Stukent directly by calling 1-855-788-5368 or by emailing them at support@stukent.com. You can email the Stukent Support Team 7 days a week or you can call them Monday-Friday. See the Stukent landing page with the hours of operation.
If there is a delay in getting your access code from the bookstore then please use the course invite link and create your Stukent account first and join the course and then when you get to the last page where you are prompted for the access code from the bookstore then you can email support@stukent.com and ask for temporary free access for 14 days.
Course Objectives
The objectives of this course are to
- Introduce students to the terminology, functions, institutions, and philosophy of marketing and market- driven decision-making, with emphasis on the role of technology.
- Span the contexts of product marketing, service marketing and idea marketing both for profit and non- profit organizations, in a variety of settings, especially global competition.
- Build marketing application skills by examining the practices of real-world organizations.
- Develop marketing application abilities through the development of a team-created rudimentary marketing plan.
Learning Outcomes
This course provides the following learning outcomes:
Web Design – Understand multiple web design frameworks for improving conversion rates on a website of any kind. Apply these design frameworks to identify areas for website improvement and to properly design a website from scratch.
Web Analytics – Determine the appropriate KPIs for any type of website. Make appropriate recommendations to an ecommerce website based on the conversion funnel. Understand the pitfalls surrounding attribution analysis and make recommendations to identify the highest ROI digital marketing channels.
Search Engine Optimization – Understand how search engines work. Use this knowledge to make recommendations to a website on how it can improve its organic search rankings – in other words, perform search engine optimization on a website.
Search Engine Marketing – Understand the mechanics of paid search ranking. Create a search engine marketing campaign and evaluate its effectiveness. Recommend changes that will improve the campaign’s conversion rates.
Online Advertising – Understand the various methods of online display advertising. Create an online display ad campaign and measure its return on ad spend (ROAS).
Email Marketing – Understand best practices in marketing and implement them with a database of current and potential customers via email.
Social Media – Utilize knowledge of social media tactics to design an effective social media campaign.
Reputation Management – Implement online reputation management tactics to improve the online reputation of a brand.
Class Structure
Your learning will be evaluated in several ways:
- Quizzes. There are 6 quizzes based on chapter readings
- Exams. There are 2 exams: a midterm and a final exam
- Web design Project. As a team, design a website based on WordPress.
- A simulation. successfully run individually 7 rounds of Digital Marketing Simternship simulation
Grades
You may earn up to 1000 points by the end of the course. Your grade will be determined by the total points you earn. Points may be earned as follows:
| Quizzes (6 x 50 points each) | 300 points |
| Exams (2 x 100 points each) | 200 points |
| Web design Project (Group) | 200 points |
| Digital Marketing Simternship simulation (Individual) | 300 points |
| TOTAL POINTS TO BE EARNED | 1000 points |
Your final grade for the course will depend on the total number of points you earn:
| Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 980 – 1000 points | A+ |
| 930 - 979 points | A |
| 900 – 939 points | A- |
| 870 – 899 points | B+ |
| 830 – 869 points | B |
| 800 – 829 points | B- |
| 770 – 799 points | C+ |
| 700 – 769 points | C |
| 600 – 699 points | D |
| Below 600 points | F |
There is no rounding up.
Quizzes and Exams
There are six quizzes you need to complete individually. Each quiz is worth 50 points or 5% of the total grade. The quizzes will be worth (6 x 50 points = 300 points or 30% of the total graded).
There are two exams that you will complete individually. Each exam is worth 100 points or 10% of the total grade. The exams will be worth (2 x 100 points = 200 points or 20% of the total graded).
All together the quizzes and exams will be worth 500 points or 50% of the total grade.
Please refer to the course schedule in the syllabus for the due dates for these quizzes and exams. There is a separate document providing the quiz and exam instructions, format, topics on the Canvas.
The quizzes and exams will be testing you of your knowledge and application of those knowledge in digital marketing situations from the chapter readings of the previous week. They will be in multiple choice question format. All quizzes and exams are conducted online based on Washington DC or Eastern Standard time.
Please make sure all your electronic and computer devices are fully operational beforehand and that you have reliable internet access. Also, make sure that you will not be interrupted during the entire quiz as you have limited time to complete it in one sitting. This means that once you start the quiz, the time of the quiz will start and finish automatically by a designated time.
The quizzes and exams are based on time-release. That means, you will not be able to see them on the Canvas until they are ready to be released based on the scheduled deadline, typically the day before the quizzes and exams are due. For example, if the quizzes and exams are due on Sundays by 11:59 pm EST, you will only be able to see and take them starting from Saturdays, 12:30 am EST, the day before they are due.
More information about the format of the quizzes and exams are provided on the Canvas and announcements will be made regarding the quizzes and exams over the duration of the course.
Web Design Project (Group)
This is a team project worth 200 points or 20% of the total grade.
You will be assigned to a group of five students including yourself. You will work with your group using WordPress to develop a website for local small businesses.
Your WordPress site should include the following:
Your Product/Service website must include the following:
- A homepage that describes what you are offering, why should they pick your product/service, what should they do next
- A video or written testimonial that provides evidence or social proof to build credibility and trust
- A product/service promotion page or section with the respective features and benefits
- At least 5-10 relevant photos or images
- One blog post relevant to your product/service
Your site will be graded on design (is your design likely to induce conversion?) and SEO (are the homepage and product page keyword-optimized? Is the blog post likely to attract interest?).
Teamwork is always challenging. There will be a collective team evaluation at the end of semester. You will rate each other based on a set of criteria that evaluates individual participation and contribution. That evaluation will be used to moderate the individual final project score. For that reason, I urge you to keep record of all your team meeting attendance and keep evidence for your willingness to participate and cooperate with the team, and drafts of work to support the quality and timeliness of work that you submit to your team throughout the semester.
Additional instructions will be provided on a separate document posted on the Canvas.
Simulation Rounds (Individual)
The simulation rounds are worth 300 “grade” points or 30% of the total grade.
As deliverables, you will run 10 simulation rounds individually, and your marks will depend on the cumulative performance of all rounds. E
Each round is worth 100 “simulation” points. Altogether, 10 rounds will accumulate to 1000 “simulation” points. Your final accumulated points will be converted to the 300 “grade” points at the end of the semester to calculate the number of points you will have earned for this assignment by the end of the semester towards your total grade.
The Digital Marketing Simternship - Digital Marketing Simternship simulation Rounds
For this course, there are 10 rounds to the simulation.
Digital Marketing Simternship Rounds
Round 1: Introduction to Search Ads
Round 2: Search Ad Practice
Round 3: Search Ad Optimization
Round 4: Introduction to Display Ads
Round 5: Display Ads and Remarketing
Round 6: Optimize Display Ad Campaigns
Round 7: Introduction to Shopping Ads
Round 8: Shopping Ads and Remarketing
Round 9: Shopping Ad Optimization
Round 10: Campaign Optimization
Schedule
| Date | Class and Chapter Topic | Quiz Due | Assignment Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Chap 1 Introduction Digital Marketing Foundations |
Register for textbook by Aug 28 Wed Register for Digital Marketing Simternship by Aug 28 Wed Assign group by Aug 28 Wed Meet with group to work on website project, and team contract due by Sept 1 Sun |
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| Week 2 | Chap 2 Web Design |
Website Project – 1st deliverable by Sept 8 Sun | |
| Week 3 | Chap 3 Analytics |
Quiz 1 – Chap 2 by Sept 15 Sun | Website Project – 2nd deliverable by Sept 15 Sun |
| Week 4 | Chap 4 On-Site SEO |
Quiz 2 – Chap 3 by Sept 22 Sun | Website group project – 3rd deliverable by Sept 22 Sun |
| Week 5 | Chap 5 Off-Site SEO |
Quiz 3 – Chap 4 by Sept 29 Sun |
Web design group project final deliverable and collective team evaluation by Sept 29 Sun Start introduction of Digital Marketing Simternship from Sept 23 And complete it by Sept 29 Sun |
| Week 6 | Chap 6 Paid Search |
Digital Marketing Simternship Round 1 Intro to Search Ads by Oct 6 Sun |
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| Week 7 | Mid Term Exam | Mid-term exam: Chaps 5 and 6 on by Oct 13 Sun | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 2 Search Ad Practice By Oct 13 Sun |
| Week 8 | Fall Break | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 3 Search Ad Optimization by Oct 20 Sun |
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| Week 9 | Chap 7 Display Advertising |
Digital Marketing Simternship Round 4 Intro to Display Ad by Oct 27 Sun |
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| Week 10 | Chap 8 Email Marketing |
Quiz 4 – Chap 7 by Nov 3 Sun | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 5 Display Ads and Remarketing by Nov 3 Sun |
| Week 11 | Chap 9 Social Media I and Chap 10 Social Media II |
Quiz 5 – Chap 8 by Nov 10 Sun | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 6 Optimize Display Ad Campaigns By Nov 10 Sun |
| Week 12 | Chap 11 Online Reputation Management and Chap 12 Mobile Marketing |
Quiz 5 – Chap 8 by Nov 10 Sun | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 7 Intro to Shopping Ads by Nov 17 Sun |
| Week 13 | Chap 13 Digital Marketing Strategy |
Digital Marketing Simternship Round 8 Shopping Ads Practice By Nov 24 Sun |
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| Week 14 | Thanksgiving | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 9 Shopping Ad Optimization By Dec 1 Sun |
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| Week 15 | Final Exam | Final exam: Chaps 12 and 13 by Dec 8 Sun | Digital Marketing Simternship Round 10 Campaign Optimization By Dec 8 Sun |
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