Since Sean Ellis coined the term “growth hacking” in 2010, people outside the digital marketing world have asking the same question…What exactly is it? It’s tough to explain because it encompasses a whole library of skills. Rapid experimentation, Facebook ads, data analysis, and technical SEO – can all be part of a successful growth marketing strategy.
At the end of the day, growth marketing refers to digital marketing that’s focused on a process of data-driven testing and optimization, often referred to as growth hacking. Famous growth hacking success stories have taken relatively obscure startups, like Airbnb and Dropbox, and launched them into unprecedented success. As the field grows, growth hacking agencies have become as varied as the products and services they support.
So if you’re looking to become a growth marketer, you’ll have a lot of options. It’s important to choose the right growth hacking courses and training that fit your end goal. Are you already working in digital marketing, or looking to begin a new career? Are you the founder of a product you’d like to promote, or are you looking for general knowledge?
We’ve rounded up 18 of the best growth marketing courses to discuss their pros and cons and help you find one that works for you.
Here is our list of the best growth hacking courses in 2024 (Updated):
- General Assembly
- Demand Curve
- Reforge
- One Month
- Digital Marketing Institute
- Quick Sprout
- Coursera
- Udacity
- BrainStation
- eCornell
- HubSpot Academy
- ConversionXL Institute
- Ninja Outreach
- GimmeGrowth
- Udemy
- Springboard
1. General Assembly, Digital Marketing
Price: $3,950
Location: Online or in Los Angeles
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of Course: 10 weeks (part-time) or 1-week intensive
What it Covers: Everything you need to know about digital marketing. General Assembly is known for its quality technical instruction, offered as a part-time 10-week course or a one-week intensive. Their Digital Marketing course will give you the skills to handle most social channels, Google Analytics, and Ads Expertly. It also covers enough high-level strategies to teach students how to create growth-driven campaigns.
Who It’s Best for: Beginners who want to graduate with a career in digital marketing or founders who need in-depth marketing knowledge.
What People Are Saying: In-depth instruction that breaks down complicated topics with real-world examples.
2. Demand Curve, Bell Curve
Price: Variable
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
Duration of course: 6 weeks (1.5 – 3 hours per day) or Self-pacedDemand Curve will train you to become a marketer and help you get hired.
What it Covers: Pay nothing upfront. Only pay if they get you a job. Bell Curve is a renowned growth agency that now offers hands-on training as a Demand Curve. The course is taught by Julian Shapiro, a well-known growth expert in Silicon Valley and beyond. Bell Curve has grown dozens of companies from zero to millions in revenue. They work with the likes of Envoy, Streak, Clearbit, Service, Tovala, Perfect Keto, and many others. They have also written a popular guide on growth and given growth talks at Google and Y Combinator.
Demand Curve’s training consists of written guides and Slack conversations. Nothing is pre-recorded. Depending on your availability, you will spend 1.5 to 3 hours per day on the course.
3. Reforge, Growth Series
Price: $3495
Location: Online and in San Francisco
Course Level: Advance
Duration of course: 8 weeks
What it Covers: Advanced Growth Marketing. In this 8-week series, you’ll cover everything from user psychology to creating effective growth models. This course isn’t for the general public – you’ll have to apply to gain access, and are expected to have 3+ years of experience. If accepted, you can complete the course modules between September and November in sync with your cohort. That means direct access to the instructors and fellow students for maximum collaboration. The course can be completed online, but in-person events are held in San Francisco for Bay Area students.
Who It’s Best for: Mid-level marketers and professionals.
What People Are Saying: Reforge has trained professionals at some of Silicon Valley’s top companies, like Facebook, SquareSpace and Salesforce. It’s bar-none for product-focused growth marketing.
4. One Month
Price: $199
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of course: Self-paced
What it Covers: Everything you need to know to get started. Growth Hacking guru Mattan Griffel created this package of video tutorials and touches all the basics, providing the templates and resources to get you started. Unlike other video lecture-based series, One Month gives you access to their team, so you’ll have support for any lingering questions. Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate of completion.
Who It’s Best for: Beginning growth hackers looking to build a solid foundation, or startup founders looking to gain a following quickly.
What People Are Saying: One of the best intro-to-growth hacking courses out there. Very approachable and easy to follow.
5. Digital Marketing Institute
Price: $2445
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Duration of course: up to 24 weeks
What it Covers: The full scope of digital marketing. Endorsed by professionals at some of the top tech companies like Google and Oracle, the Digital Marketing Institute offers a fully comprehensive curriculum on digital marketing. That means practice exercises, access to an extensive content library, and a Professional Certificate upon completion. All video lectures come with downloadable course material, and course modules are taught by industry experts.
Who It’s Best for: Anyone looking to jumpstart a career in digital marketing, but not specifically growth hacking.
What People Are Saying: Great option for anyone who wants a Professional Certificate with industry recognition.
6. Quick Sprout, Quick Sprout University
Price: Free
Location: Online
Course Level: Intermediate, Advance
Duration of course: Self-paced
What it Covers: Technical growth marketing skills across many different areas, like SEO, Link Building, and Paid Advertising. Courses are boiled down to a video and transcript – there’s no coursework, or option for a paid certificate (Note: the option to complete a $97 certificate has been removed from the site). Quick Sprout is the brainchild of growth marketing guru Neil Patel, and the courses are built in his familiar style: quick, buzzy, and packed with technical detail. Video courses are broken down by level, from beginner to advanced so there’s something for everyone.
Who It’s Best for: Marketers who want to brush up on their technical knowledge without making a commitment. Those looking for help generating traffic.
What People Are Saying: The videos contain a lot of helpful information, but can be hard to navigate for the beginning growth marketer.
7 Coursera, Digital Media, and Marketing Strategies
Price: $79/mo (after a 7-day free trial)
Location: Online
What it Covers: How to plan and execute a digital media campaign. It’s taught by Mike Yoa, a professor of Digital Media at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and focuses on the process behind developing a data-driven campaign. Some course material is free, but the entire module is only available with purchase. The course is self-paced and includes four graded assignments. You’ll receive a certificate of completion upon completing the course and successfully passing all assignments.
Who It’s Best for: Anyone looking to learn about the process of developing a campaign and a broad overview of digital marketing channels.
What People Are Saying: This course is great at teaching the principles of digital marketing and offers very up-to-date information. However, some assignments required working with others in the course, with varying success depending on who you partner with.
8. Udacity, Digital Marketing NanoDegree
Price: $999
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of course: 3-6 months
What it Covers: Everything you need to know to become a digital marketer. The curriculum was developed by a marketing professor at UCLA, and students can complete the course and related coursework in 3-6 months, at their own pace. You’ll receive access to student slack channels with moderators who can answer questions, and you’ll run campaigns in cooperation with Facebook using their live test environment. You’ll graduate with a certificate, an understanding of digital marketing strategy, and technical ability.
Who It’s Best for: Those looking to become full-time growth marketers, or marketers looking to brush up on the most up-to-date skills.
What People Are Saying: Great mix of quality instruction and real-world practice. The lower price point relative to the length and quality of the program is a bonus.
9. BrainStation, Digital Marketing Course Package
Price: $2,900
Location: New York City
Course Level: Intermediate
Duration of course: 10 weeks
What it Covers: Digital marketing from A to Z. This comprehensive, in-person course is offered over 10 weeks. You’ll learn how to create an overarching growth marketing strategy and gain the technical skills to utilize Google Ads and Analytics and multiple social channels expertly.
Who It’s Best for: Those looking to launch a full-time growth marketing career.
What People Are Saying: The courses are informative, but BrainStation really shines with its in-person support and instruction. Past students overwhelmingly gave it 5 stars.
10. eCornell, Data-Driven Marketing Certificate
Price: $3,600
Location: Online
Course Level: Intermediate
Duration of course: 3 months
What it Covers: Data-driven decision-making and strategy. Dubbed an “Ivy League Certificate,” eCornell is Cornell University’s online arm. Cornell Faculty developed the curriculum, and a professor administers each course over three months. Learning modules are high-level and focus on gathering and understanding consumer data and creating an action plan around those insights.
Who It’s Best for: Managers, mid-level marketers, and those who already have technical skills but need to improve their strategic abilities.
What People Are Saying: The quality of instruction is great and the course adds value for those looking to take the next step in their career. But, as one of the most expensive growth marketing courses out there, ROI is largely subjective.
11. HubSpot Academy Courses
Price: Free
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Duration of course: Self-paced
What it Covers: Just about everything. They’ve got courses for everything from Facebook Advertising and Conversion Strategy to Growth-Driven Design. Students can choose a quick course module, or opt for a multi-step certificate. Courses are designed by HubSpot experts and are self-paced. Students gain access to a simulated version of HubSpot’s inbound marketing platform to design test campaigns.
Who It’s Best for: Beginning to Mid-Level growth marketers and anyone looking to brush up on the basics.
What People Are Saying: The courses are well-produced and methodical. The only drawback? Certifications are only valid for one year.
12. ConversionXL Institute, Advanced Organic Acquisition
Price: $500
Location: Online
Course Level: Intermediate
Duration of course: 10 hours
What it Covers: Optimizing the customer journey with a strong focus on SEO. Throughout the eight-part series, you’ll learn the details of traffic acquisition through referral sources, assets, and identifying content gaps. You’ll also understand how to keep your existing traffic through algorithm updates, which sets this course apart.
Who It’s Best for: Intermediate marketers looking to take their technical skills to the next level.
What People Are Saying: Great for learning technical skills, but not for beginners.
13. Ninja Outreach Academy
Price: $497
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of course: 12 weeks
What it Covers: Influencer Marketing and Outreach. Ninja Outreach uses its own growth as an example of what’s possible through its growth philosophy. You’ll have access to their four-part series over 12 weeks, which – as their name suggests – is heavy on direct outreach strategies. Think email marketing, influencer marketing, and podcast marketing. Past students note success for bloggers and those who want to become experts at Ninja Outreach’s CRM.
Who It’s Best for: Those looking to build a personal brand.
What People Are Saying: Very helpful if you plan to use Ninja Outreach’s CRM, or are looking to learn about influencer marketing.
14. GimmeGrowth
Price: $49
Location: Online
Course Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Duration of course: Self-paced
What it Covers: Growth for startups. GimmeGrowth was founded by Sean Ellis, the growth hacking pioneer himself. One payment gives you forever access to the course curriculum created and presented by Dom, an Ellis-approved entrepreneur in San Francisco. Modules focus on business strategy as much as growth marketing, like customer validation and finding the right social channels for your audience. It doesn’t offer a certificate or deep technical knowledge but touches on growth hacking-specific topics, like virality.
Who It’s Best For: Startup founders or marketers in the early stages.
What People Are Saying: Super helpful to focus a startup’s energy on effectively building growth marketing systems.
15. Udemy, Growth Hacking with Digital Marketing
Price: $11.99
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of course: Self-paced
What it Covers: Growth Hacking basics. Touted as one of Udemy’s best-selling courses, you’ll have access to a full series of 88 short lectures covering growth hacking basics. The videos feature Davis Jones, who founded the tech education platform Eazl. Upon completing the course, students can request a certificate for an extra fee. Course modules follow a typical customer journey, and guide students through the process of optimization.
Who It’s Best for: Growth hacking beginners and weekend warriors on a budget
What People Are Saying: A great introduction to the technical aspects of growth marketing.
Duration of course: 5 days
16. Google, Digital Marketing Course
Price: Free for selected student teams
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner
Duration of course: 8-12 weeks
What it Covers: Digital marketing basics from Google’s perspective. That means free training in Google Ads and Google Analytics. But this program is unique; only teams of 2-5 undergraduate or graduate students are eligible to apply. After completing the free course modules and passing the Academy for Google Ads Fundamentals Exam, selected teams will be matched with a non-profit and given a $10,000 monthly marketing budget to spend, courtesy of Google.
Who It’s Best for: Students looking to do some good and beef up their resume with significant real-world experience.
What People Are Saying: Getting a Google-backed experience is awesome. But, the program comes with a lot of restrictions about how the monthly budget can be spent, and what kind of nonprofits are eligible to participate. Great for experience building, but expect to be babysat.
17. Springboard
Price: $499/month
Location: Online
Course Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Duration of course: Self-paced (6 months part-time)
What it Covers: The Springboard career track is the perfect course for those looking to get a job in digital marketing. This career-focused curriculum offers one-on-one mentorship with a seasoned digital marketing professional. The mentor will guide you on core marketing skills and help you apply those skills for your final Capstone project. They also help you prepare for job markets by offering resume reviews, interviews, and company partnerships.
Who It’s Best for: This course is perfect for those who want to advance or transition into a digital marketing career. The mentorship and curriculum help students get their foot in the door.
What People Are Saying: The 1-to-1 mentorship and the opportunity to build a good portfolio distinguishes this course from many others.
In Closing
Jumping into growth marketing might seem daunting at first. But, with quality instruction and a clear understanding of your objectives, you’ll become an expert in no time and reap the rewards of real growth.
