Digital marketing changes fast. One minute a platform is hot, the next it’s outdated. Consumer habits shift quickly, and the strategies that worked last year might not work today. If you’re trying to stay relevant in this ever-evolving field, the big question is: how can you level up your skills without going back to school?
Whether you’re brand-new to marketing or a traditional marketer moving into digital, here are seven practical (and proven) ways to sharpen your skills, no formal degree required.
1. Take Online Courses That Actually Teach You Something
Not all online courses are equal. The best ones are built by marketers who actually do this stuff every day not just teach theory. These courses blend hands-on learning with real-world projects that help you build skills employers care about.
What to look for:
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Instructors with real industry experience
Projects based on actual campaigns
Updated content that reflects current tools and platforms
Want to know what’s working in digital marketing right now? Follow the experts who are already doing it. They share not just tactics but also insights into the strategy behind successful campaigns. If your goal is to become an SEO expert in Nepal, seek out local professionals who are ranking well or leading agencies you’ll gain insights that are specific to your market.
How to get the most from them:
Follow a mix of global and local thought leaders
Subscribe to their newsletters and podcasts
Ask questions and engage with their content
Join their webinars or virtual events
Tip: Pick experts in areas you want to master—SEO, social media, email marketing, or AI tools.
3. Use Free Resources to Explore and Learn
You don’t always have to pay to learn. There’s a ton of free, high-quality content online that covers everything from the basics to advanced strategies.
Top free resources to check out:
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Coursera & edX: Free courses from top universities
Google Digital Garage: Solid fundamentals in digital marketing
YouTube: Tutorials, breakdowns, and real case studies
Blogs: Keep up with Moz, Search Engine Journal, and Content Marketing Institute
4. Get Hands-On with Personal Projects
Reading is helpful, but doing is where the real learning happens. Try testing strategies on a personal blog, passion project, or fictional brand.
Simple project ideas:
Start a blog and learn SEO by optimizing your posts
Run a small Instagram or Facebook campaign
Build an email list for a hobby or passion project
Try a basic Google Ads campaign with a tiny budget
5. Join Online Communities and Connect with Others
One of the best parts of digital marketing is the community. There are countless online (and offline) spaces where marketers help each other grow.
Where to find them:
LinkedIn groups: Look for niche-focused communities
Slack groups: Many cities and marketing niches have active ones
Local events: Don’t underestimate the power of in-person networking
6. Get Certified (It’s Worth It)
Certifications show that you’ve taken the time to learn and understand the tools. They’re especially helpful if you’re transitioning from another field or just getting started.
Top certifications to consider:
Google Ads & Google Analytics
HubSpot Inbound Marketing
Meta (Facebook) Social Media Marketing
Salesforce Marketing Cloud (for advanced roles)
7. Analyze Real Marketing Data
Looking at real-world data helps you understand what works—and what doesn’t. Try working with small businesses or nonprofits to get your hands on real campaign results.
Where to find real data opportunities:
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Help a local business improve their online presence
Volunteer for a nonprofit’s marketing team
Freelance on small gigs to build a portfolio
Ask your employer to let you assist on a digital campaign
The Skills That Will Make You Stand Out
To be great at digital marketing, you need a mix of creative and analytical abilities. The top marketers are flexible, data-savvy, and constantly learning.
Here’s what to focus on:
Analytics: Know how to read and act on data
Writing and content: Craft messages that get attention and convert
Tech skills: A basic understanding of HTML, email tools, and CRMs
Strategy: Know how to align marketing goals with business objectives
Adaptability: Be ready to pivot with new trends and tools
Start Small, Learn Fast
You don’t need a fancy degree to break into or level up in digital marketing. What you need is consistency, curiosity, and a bit of creativity. Pick one or two of the strategies above that fit your style, and commit to them for the next month.
Most importantly, don’t just learn—apply. Watch a course, then launch a mini-campaign. Read a blog, then try out the strategy on your own site. Digital marketing rewards action, not just knowledge.
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Former City of Joondalup mayor Albert Jacob will oversee the City of Nedlands, the second time the Local Government Inspector appointed a monitor this year.
The dollar weakens as soft U.S. retail data fuels expectations for interest rate cuts by the Fed.
While a second consecutive hold in March remains the highest probability, odds of a cut in March rise to 20% from 17% yesterday on the CME FedWatch. December retail sales were flat, undershooting forecast of a 0.4% increase.
Treasury yields fall, adding downward pressure on the currency. The WSJ Dollar Index falls 0.2%, as the greenback weakens 1% against the yen. The dollar is flat versus the euro and the Swiss franc.
Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team
Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Brett Tolman discusses Big Tech in court over claims social media is addictive on ‘The Bottom Line.’
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Wednesday pushed back on claims the platform is dangerously addictive, reportedly telling jurors in a high-profile Los Angeles trial that using the app is more comparable to binge-watching Netflix than suffering from clinical addiction.
Mosseri, who has led Instagram since 2018, drew a distinction between clinical addiction and what he described as “problematic use,” the New York Post reported.
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“I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” Mosseri said. “I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.”
Mosseri testified as part of a lawsuit brought by a California woman who said she began using Instagram at age 9 and later struggled with depression and body dysmorphia.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri reportedly compared platform use to binge-watching Netflix in court. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
She is suing Meta and Google’s YouTube, alleging the companies knowingly hooked young users despite being aware of potential mental health risks, Reuters reported.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the stand in the coming weeks.
The case is widely viewed as a test of federal legal protections that shield social media companies from liability over user-generated content. The outcome could influence hundreds of similar lawsuits across the country, according to Reuters.
Mosseri was also grilled about Instagram’s beauty filters and whether they promote unrealistic appearance standards, the New York Post reported.
“I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night,” Mosseri said, “but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.” (Mona Edwards/Reuters / Reuters)
“There’s always a trade-off between safety and speech,” Mosseri said. “We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible.”
Emails from 2019 presented in court show debate over whether to lift a ban on filters that mimic plastic surgery. Instagram’s policy, communications and well-being teams supported keeping the ban in place, Reuters reported.
Mosseri and Zuckerberg supported restoring the filters but removing them from recommendations, an option described internally as posing a “notable well-being risk” while limiting the impact on growth, according to Reuters.
The case is widely viewed as a test of protections shielding social media companies from user-generated content-related lawsuits. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I was trying to balance all the different considerations,” Mosseri said.
Meta has said the central question in the case is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles.
Financial analyst by day and a seasoned investor by passion, I’ve been involved in the world of investing for over 15 years and honed my skills in analyzing lucrative opportunities within the market.I specialize in uncovering high quality dividend stocks and other assets that offer potential for long term-growth that pack a serious punch for bill-paying potential. I use myself as an example that with a solid base of classic dividend growth stocks, sprinkling in some Business Development Companies, REITs, and Closed End Funds can be a highly efficient way to boost your investment income while still capturing a total return that follows traditional index funds. I created a hybrid system between growth and income and manage to still capture a total return that is on par with the S&P.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Temple & Webster Group Ltd (TPLWF) Q2 2026 Earnings Call February 11, 2026 6:00 PM EST
Company Participants
Mark Coulter – Co-Founder, CEO, MD & Director Cameron Barnsley – Chief Financial Officer
Conference Call Participants
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Owen Humphries – Canaccord Genuity Corp., Research Division John Campbell – Jefferies LLC, Research Division James Wilson – Macquarie Research Chamithri Ratnapala – Bell Potter Securities Limited, Research Division James Leigh – Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division Wei-Weng Chen – RBC Capital Markets, Research Division Sam Teeger – Citigroup Inc., Research Division Evan Karatzas – UBS Investment Bank, Research Division James Bales – Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Presentation
Operator
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Thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Temple & Webster Group Limited First Half Fiscal Year ’26 Results Call. I would now like to hand the conference over to Mark Coulter. Please go ahead.
Mark Coulter Co-Founder, CEO, MD & Director
Thank you, and good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us. I’d like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia. On the call with me today is our CFO, Cam Barnsley, and we’ll be taking you through Temple & Webster’s results for the first half of FY ’26, which were released to the ASX earlier today.
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So starting with Slide 4. You can see that we delivered a strong result in the first half of FY ’26 as we continue to execute on our strategy to reach $1 billion in revenue by FY ’28. Revenue growth accelerated since our last trading update, ending the half up 20% year-on-year to $376 million. That acceleration was partly due to the natural volatility inherent in our business and partly due to our planned promotional calendar for the remainder of the year. This growth has expanded our market share to an all-time high of 2.9%.
