Digital marketing strategies are essential today. Businesses need to acquire and retain customers in competitive markets. This course introduces students to the main areas of digital marketing: brand strategy, market and customer research, SEO, keyword research, PPC, social media, content marketing, email marketing, and paid advertising. From day one, students work in groups developing a digital marketing strategy for a simulated startup. The 4-hour sessions combine theory, hands-on tool workshops, and supervised group project time, culminating in a final strategy presentation.
Titular Professors
Professors
No specific prior knowledge of digital marketing is required. Basic familiarity with office software and web navigation is recommended.
- Understand how brand, the conversion funnel, and customer research connect to marketing strategy.
- Apply market, customer, and competitor research to identify opportunities.
- Use the science of selling to build persuasive customer-led messaging.
- Design an irresistible offer and a value proposition.
- Conduct keyword research and manage basic Google Ads campaigns.
- Apply on-page and off-page SEO techniques to improve digital visibility.
- Build organic social media strategies and communities.
- Plan and execute paid social media campaigns.
- Use long-form content and email marketing as growth channels.
- Develop and present a complete digital marketing strategy for a startup.
The course runs across 14 teaching weeks. Assessment weeks are marked with ?.
- Week 1 – Course Intro: Funnel & Brand — Introduction to the marketing funnel, brand basics, and group case study exercise. Groups formed.
- Week 2 – Customer, Market & Competitor Research — Research methods, building personas, competitor mapping. Groups select their startup idea.
- Week 3 – Science of Selling — Persuasion principles, customer psychology, messaging frameworks. ? Ongoing Assessment 1: Business idea presentation.
- Week 4 – Building an Irresistible Offer — Value proposition design, offer framing, differentiation.
- Week 5 – Cases in Marketing Communication — Analysis of real brand campaigns and communication strategies.
- Week 6 – Keywords & Google Ads — Keyword research tools, search intent, Google Ads campaign structure and basics.
- Week 7 – Midterm — Midterm Presentation: Groups present their strategic foundation including research, positioning, and keyword strategy.
- Week 8 – On-Page SEO — Title tags, meta descriptions, site structure, Core Web Vitals, internal linking.
- Week 9 – Off-Page SEO — Link building, digital PR, E-E-A-T, domain authority.
- Week 10 – Organic Social Media & Community Building — Platform strategy, content pillars, algorithms, community management.
- Week 11 – Paid Social Media — Campaign setup, audience targeting, ad formats, retargeting, budget. ? Ongoing Assessment 2: Channel strategy checkpoint.
- Week 12 – Long Form Content — Blog, video, YouTube strategy, content repurposing, SEO integration.
- Week 13 – Email Marketing — List building, segmentation, sequences, automation basics, GDPR.
- Week 14 – Final — Final Presentation: Complete digital marketing strategy for their startup.
The course blends theory with practical application using a project-based approach, in weekly 4-hour sessions (Wednesdays). Each session includes: a theory input, a hands-on workshop with real tools (Google Keyword Planner, Meta Ads Manager, GA4), and instructor-supervised group project time, where students apply the week's topic directly to their startup project. This extended format allows for deeper hands-on practice and lets most of the project work happen in class, with immediate feedback.
Teaching methods:
- Lectures: Theory, frameworks, and real-world examples.
- Extended workshops: Longer hands-on sessions using tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Meta Ads Manager, and GA4.
- Case studies: Analysis of real digital marketing strategies.
- In-class project work: Supervised weekly time for groups to advance their project with direct instructor support.
Classes are interactive. Students participate in discussions, give and receive feedback from their peers, and apply each topic to their group project.
Class Attendance (15% of final grade) (very important)
Attendance grades are proportional to students' attendance and participation in class. The fourth absence results in a loss of 0.5 points, and from the fifth absence onward the student receives a 0 in attendance.
Note: with more than 5 unjustified absences, students will not be allowed to sit the final exam or presentation, which means failing the course.
Individual Exercises — article, case study, essay — (15% of final grade) (Moderately important)
Each student must submit at least one article during the course.
*Ongoing Assessment of the Backbone Project (20% of final grade) (Very important)
All sprints must be submitted.
- Missing 1 sprint will have no impact on the final ongoing assessment grade.
- From the 2nd missed submission onward, 0.25 points will be deducted from the ongoing assessment grade for each sprint not submitted. There are 2 graded sprints. The instructor will inform students when a sprint is being graded or not.
*Midterm Presentation of the Backbone Project (20% of final grade) (very important)
*Final Delivery/Presentation of the Backbone Project (25% of final grade) (very important)
Peer Feedback from Your Team (5% of final grade) (moderately important)
RECOVERY/RESIT POLICY
If a group has not passed the course, they will have until the date indicated by the instructor to resubmit the revised project. The project must be submitted during the resit period. If only one or some members of the group have not passed the course, they must submit an individual online marketing project following the steps studied during the different sessions. In both cases, the maximum possible final grade for the course is a 5.
Level 4 – AI to perform tasks with human evaluation
Use of AI: The use of AI is authorized to complete specific parts of the task. The focus is on critical analysis and human evaluation of the content generated.
Student Requirements: Use AI in the parts indicated, comment on, analyze, or critically evaluate its results, and cite AI-generated content transparently.
ESPAÑOL
Asistencia a clase (15% de la nota final) (muy importante)
Las calificaciones de asistencia son proporcionales a la asistencia y la participación de los alumnos en clase. La cuarta ausencia supone una pérdida de 0,5 puntos, y a partir de la quinta ausencia el alumno recibe un 0 en asistencia.
Nota: con más de 5 ausencias injustificadas, los alumnos no podrán presentarse al examen final ni a la presentación, lo que supone suspender la asignatura.
Ejercicios individuales —artículo, estudio de caso, ensayo— (15% de la nota final) (Importancia moderada)
Cada alumno debe presentar al menos un artículo durante el curso.
*Evaluación continua del proyecto Backbone (20% de la nota final) (Muy importante)
Es obligatorio entregar todos los sprints.
- Si no entregas 1, no habrá impacto en la nota final de la evaluación continua.
- A partir de la 2ª falta de entrega, se te restarán 0,25 puntos de la evaluación continua por cada sprint no entregado. Hay 2 sprints calificados. El profesor te informará de cuándo se calificará un sprint o no.
*Presentación intermedia del proyecto Backbone (20% de la nota final) (muy importante)
*Entrega/presentación final del proyecto Backbone (25% de la nota final) (muy importante)
Comentarios de tu equipo (5% de la nota final) (moderadamente importante)
POLÍTICA DE RECUPERACIÓN
Si un grupo no ha aprobado la asignatura, tendrá hasta la fecha que le indique el profesor para entregar de nuevo el proyecto revisado. El proyecto deberá entregarse durante el horario de recuperación. Si solo uno o algunos de los miembros del grupo no han aprobado la asignatura, deberán entregar un proyecto individual de marketing online siguiendo los pasos estudiados durante las distintas sesiones. En ambos casos, la nota final máxima posible para la asignatura es un 5.
Nivel 4 – IA para realizar tareas con evaluación humana
Uso de la IA: Se autoriza el uso de IA para completar partes concretas de la tarea. El foco está en el análisis crítico y la evaluación humana del contenido generado.
Requisitos para el estudiante: Usar la IA en las partes indicadas, comentar, analizar o valorar críticamente sus resultados y citar el contenido generado por IA de forma transparente.
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- Fishkin, R., & Høgenhaven, T. (2013). Inbound Marketing and SEO. Wiley.
- Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2018). Social Media Marketing. SAGE Publications.
- Kaushik, A. (2010). Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity. Wiley.
- Pulizzi, J. (2014). Epic Content Marketing. McGraw-Hill.
- Fishkin, R., & Høgenhaven, T. (2013). Inbound Marketing and SEO. Wiley.
- Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2018). Social Media Marketing. SAGE Publications.
- Kaushik, A. (2010). Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity. Wiley.
- Pulizzi, J. (2014). Epic Content Marketing. McGraw-Hill.