Introduction to Digital Advertising

University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/introduction-to-digital-advertising

Introduction

### Course Review: Introduction to Digital Advertising on Coursera In the digital age, advertising has evolved dramatically, and mastering its intricacies is essential for any aspiring marketer or business owner. Coursera's course, **Introduction to Digital Advertising**, offers a comprehensive overview of this vital aspect of marketing. Whether you are a beginner curious about the basics of online ads or a professional looking to refine your skills, this course provides valuable insights and tools to navigate the complex landscape of digital advertising. #### Course Overview The **Introduction to Digital Advertising** course is designed to help students and professionals understand the various formats, strategies, and technologies involved in digital marketing. With a focus on core concepts, the course encompasses a wide array of advertising forms, including display ads, video ads, social media promotions, sponsored content, and search advertising. As the digital advertising ecosystem becomes increasingly sophisticated, the course also addresses key concepts like consumer data analytics, ad technology, payment models, and the ethical considerations intrinsic to data usage. This structure provides a detailed commentary on not only how digital advertising works but also how to optimize campaigns effectively. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Welcome to the Course!** - Before diving into the content, students receive a warm welcome with essential information on navigating the course and expectations. 2. **Video Lectures: What is Digital Advertising?** - This section introduces the evolution of digital advertising and its overarching impact on the marketing sphere. You'll learn about various payment models, such as CPM, CPC, and CPA, and how these influence ad performance. The use of Excel for analyzing advertising data is highlighted, alongside discussions on the importance of creativity in native advertising. 3. **Video Lectures: Intro to Programmatic Advertising** - Here, you will explore programmatic advertising in-depth, including a thorough understanding of the roles played by key participants in the ad tech ecosystem. The ethical implications of data usage and privacy laws feature prominently in discussions, ensuring you grasp the responsibilities tied to digital advertising. 4. **Readings: Display Advertising** - This module offers an exhaustive examination of display advertising formats, effectiveness, trends in ad spending, and advertising metrics like CTR and ROAS. These readings equip you with the relevant data to inform your advertising strategies. 5. **Readings: Mobile Advertising** - Explore the history and evolution of mobile advertising, which has become critical in a world where smartphones dominate. You’ll understand various mobile ad formats and best practices for establishing campaign goals while addressing the ethical considerations associated with user data. #### Pros and Cons **Pros:** - Comprehensive content covering various formats and metrics of digital advertising. - In-depth analysis of both traditional and emerging advertising methods, ensuring relevancy. - Insight into the fast-growing programmatic advertising sector and its components. - Emphasis on the ethical implications of data usage in the advertising industry. **Cons:** - The breadth of information may feel overwhelming for complete beginners. - Some technical aspects might require further research or practice outside of the course. #### Recommendation I highly recommend the **Introduction to Digital Advertising** course on Coursera to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of digital marketing. The well-structured content, engaging video lectures, and useful readings create a conducive environment for learning. For those who wish to harness the power of digital marketing effectively, this course serves as both an excellent starting point and a solid foundation for future study. Whether you're an aspiring marketer, a business owner, or simply someone intrigued by the advertising world, you will find valuable knowledge in this course that can help you leverage digital advertising to achieve your goals. Enroll today, and take your first step towards mastering the complex yet exciting landscape of digital marketing!

Syllabus

Welcome to the Course!

Just a couple of things to know before you get started.

Video Lectures: What is Digital Advertising?

In this series of lectures, students will explore the evolution of digital advertising, its impact on the marketing industry, and the various payment models used in ad campaigns. The lectures will delve into the role of data and analytics in optimizing ad performance, targeting specific audiences, and maximizing return on investment. Students will also learn about the challenges and limitations of different advertising models, such as cost per impression (CPM), cost per click (CPC), and cost per action (CPA). Additionally, the lectures will demonstrate how to analyze advertising data using Excel and discuss the importance of creative elements in native advertising.

Video Lectures: Intro to Programmatic Advertising

This lecture series provides an in-depth understanding of programmatic advertising, its history, and its impact on the advertising industry. Students will explore the roles of key players in the ad tech ecosystem, such as DSPs, SSPs, ad exchanges, and ad networks, as well as the importance of bidding, pacing, and various ad types. The lectures also delve into the ethical implications of data usage, data privacy laws, and the future of ad targeting. Additionally, students will gain insights into optimizing their advertising campaigns and explore potential job opportunities within the ad tech industry.

Readings: Display Advertising

This series of lectures provides an in-depth understanding of digital advertising, its importance, and how it works. It covers the basics of advertising, the various formats of digital advertising, and the trends in ad spending. The lectures also discuss the unique aspects of digital advertising, such as its trackability, interactivity, personalization, and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the lectures delve into the advertising funnel, the FCB Grid, and various advertising metrics, including impressions, gross rating points, cost per thousand (CPM), click-through rates (CTR), cost per action (CPA), and return on ad spending (ROAS).

Readings: Mobile Advertising

This reading series provides an overview of mobile advertising, discussing its history, advantages, and disadvantages. It highlights the various formats of mobile ads, such as SMS, banner ads, and videos, and explains how they can be targeted based on user data. The lectures also emphasize the importance of location-based advertising and the integration of new technologies like AR and VR. However, concerns about privacy and data misuse are also addressed. To make the most of mobile advertising, businesses should establish clear campaign goals, target audiences, and utilize analytics to track performance.

Overview

The digital advertising landscape is complex. There are many different types of ads, including: display, video, audio, sponsored, native, social media and search. Consumer data and the ad tech that action on that data are both ubiquitous and complicated. As a result the sheer number of options available to digital marketers is hard to comprehend and manage. This course covers the major forms of digital advertising, from basic display ads to search to cutting-edge programmatic advertising concept

Skills

Reviews

This course provides a very helpful overview of digital marketing and helped me determine which areas I want to focus on.

Content is good, but the audio quality could be better and in several videos the slides appeared out of order or were not shown at all

Very insightful and great as a first course of specialization, however the Programmatic part was a bit convoluted and I had trouble understanding half of the material about Programmatic.

I totally enjoyed taking this specialization! It was very informative and interesting.

It was a great course to start learning the foundational structure of digital advertising.