I think we can all agree, learning is good and free is even better. Let’s mash them together shall we?
Forget expensive and possibly useless one day courses you blink through and forget the moment you leave the room. Forget evening classes and the feeling you have paid far more than what it was worth.
With the dearth of online leaning tools these days you can often self-educate without pockets brimming with cash, however you still need to find the gold among the gravel. Like what?
1) Youtube ‘University’
Yes, Youtube University has its doors wide open and the fees are non-existent. No they have not yet snipped the ribbon on a new campus for your attendance, this is a virtual self help dynamic created by the millions of videos on Youtube.
I have attended this ‘university’ several hundred times to upskill myself in everything from how to use new Photoshop tools and how to make a drip email campaign… all the way to building a log cabin in 36 hours with only hand tools. Whatever you want, its there in some form or another.
The tube can be your best friend but also represents an exhaustive nemesis if your search skills are lacking. With a bit of savviness though and a keen eye for garbage, you can find out how to achieve almost anything you can think of. Stick to the well viewed pieces from reliable posters and please stay out of the comment section – there be monsters down there.
2) Moz
Moz is a treasure trove for the SEO initiate entrepreneur. Search engine optimisation has been around since the popularisation and proliferation of the internet ans is now borderline essential to business success. Luckily, you no longer have to rely on the expensive black arts of SEO consultants, at least not entirely, with broad learning sites like Moz.
The aim of course is to ‘game’ Google into popping you on the top of the search listings for certain keywords. Gone are the days of ‘link stuffing’ and now the algorith forces more and more original content and best practices in terms of keyword inclusion, tagging and organic link building… the times have changed. In fact, times change every year with new algorithms to work with and a variety of new techniques and tools.
Its no secret that to be on top of your marketing game as an entrepreneur, you need a working understanding of modern SEO techniques. Moz fills this blank by presenting a goodie box of information, how-to’s, checklists, essays and blogs on exactly how to get your new venture at the top of the search list.
3) Hubspot Academy
Hubspot Academy offer free online ‘certification’ courses, useful articles and a vast array of online learning opportunities for the modern entrepreneur.
As you may be aware, Hubspot are a titan in the marketing solution space and to compliment their offerings (you don’t need to be using their products) they have setup a very comprehensive and thorough set of learning courses.
These topics revolve around; client acquisition, lead nurturing, website optimisation, graphic design, management tips, social marketing and a host of other exceptionally useful courses and informative articles. For example, they are currently promoting a free course entitled, “Developing and end to end marketing strategy for your business’. Handy.
