9 Best Paid Media Courses To Take In 2025

Paid media is one of marketing's most challenging disciplines to learn. The ad algorithms change every other month. Most strategies or tactics become irrelevant after a while. A short while sometimes.

So you either get surface-level courses or outdated material. The best way to sidestep this issue is to find paid media courses that teach you the fundamentals. These fundamentals ensure you are always in good hands no matter how often the algorithm changes.

Here are my top 9 picks of the best paid media courses available today (both free and paid) that teach you the fundamentals.

Best Paid Media Courses Shortlist

Here's a shortlist of the best paid media courses I think are worth your time in 2025:

1. Digital Media Planning and Buying (HubSpot Academy)
2. Introduction to Paid Media Marketing (Simplilearn)
3. Assessing Opportunities In Paid Digital Media (eCornell)
4. The Basics & Fundamentals of Paid Media (HubSpot Academy)
5. Digital Media Analytics: Paid Media (FutureLearn)
6. Introduction To Paid Social Advertising (Biddable Moments)
7. Introduction To Paid Media (M32 Ads)
8. Training for Paid Social Media (Social Media Training)
9. Paid Media (PPC) (Digital Academy)

Find out each detail of the course below.

Overview Of The Best Paid Media Courses

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1. Digital Media Planning and Buying (HubSpot Academy)

This course guides participants through the key aspects of developing and executing effective digital marketing campaigns. It covers the essentials of budget allocation, multi-channel planning, and campaign optimization to maximize impact. Learners will gain expert insights to enhance their understanding of digital advertising strategies.

• Who It’s For: Marketing professionals looking to improve their media buying skills, marketers, small business owners
• Topics Covered:
  • Media planning and buying
  • Campaign management
  • Strategic decision-making
  • Fundamentals of paid media
  • Building a paid media plan
  • Maximizing media buying budget
  • Using reporting to optimize paid media
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 1 hour and 28 minutes
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free
• Take The Course: HubSpot Academy

2. Introduction to Paid Media Marketing (Simplilearn)

This course offers a comprehensive look into paid media marketing, helping learners understand how to leverage different channels for optimal impact. Learners will explore effective ways to allocate budgets, optimize ad performance, and choose channels suited to various campaign goals. This online course equips individuals with skills to craft targeted and impactful digital ad campaigns.

• Who It’s For: Beginners in digital marketing, marketing managers, content writers, digital marketing executives, entrepreneurs, and influencers
• Topics Covered:
  • Basics of paid media
  • Marketing skills strategies
  • Campaign analysis
  • Introduction to Google ads
  • YouTube ads
  • Facebook ads
  • Instagram ads
  • Facebook algorithm and news feed
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 11 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free
• Take The Course: Simplilearn

3. Assessing Opportunities In Paid Digital Media (eCornell)

This course is designed to help learners explore the potential of paid digital media. It covers key approaches to effectively promoting products or services through paid channels, such as search engine ads, email marketing, and social media ads. Through the course, you’ll gain insights into how to build a paid media plan that aligns with your unique marketing goals.

• Who It’s For: Marketing professionals, product managers, entrepreneurs, and individuals aiming to move into digital marketing
• Topics Covered:
  • Market assessment
  • Paid media strategy
  • Evaluate the relevance of paid media channels
  • Identify resources for specific paid media channels.
  • Marketing plan creation for the use of paid media
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 2 weeks
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 3 to 5 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Take The Course: eCornell

4. The Basics & Fundamentals of Paid Media (HubSpot Academy)

This course introduces the foundational aspects of paid media and provides practical guidance for launching effective media campaigns. This free course emphasizes the role of paid media in strengthening your inbound marketing approach. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to leverage basic paid media techniques to boost the impact of your inbound efforts.

• Who It’s For: Individuals new to paid media
• Topics Covered:
  • Core components of paid media
  • Campaign strategies
  • Performance metrics
  • Media planning
  • Media buying
  • Media optimization
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 9 minutes
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free
• Take The Course: HubSpot Academy

5. Digital Media Analytics: Paid Media (FutureLearn)

This course teaches you how to evaluate and improve your social media ads. You’ll learn to measure how these ads impact your website and track social media activity effectively. It also covers using Google Analytics to get insights and monitor website performance.

• Who It’s For: Data-driven marketers, and professionals seeking to advance in social and digital media analytics
• Topics Covered:
  • Data interpretation
  • Media strategy optimization
  • Digital marketing analytics
  • Benefits of using paid media
  • Social Media Advertisement and ROI
  • Google AdWords
  • Difference between campaign, ad set, and ad
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 2 weeks
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: 6 hours per week
• Eligibility Requirements:
  • Google account for Google Analytics
  • Access to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts
  • A laptop or computer and
  • Some familiarity with technology
• Take The Course: FutureLearn

6. Introduction To Paid Social Advertising (Biddable Moments)

This course introduces the basics of social advertising, guiding participants through key techniques for running impactful ad campaigns. You’ll learn about major social advertising channels and how to incorporate them into your marketing efforts. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to recognize the unique audiences on each platform and create a high-level social advertising plan.

• Who It’s For: Social media marketers and advertisers
• Topics Covered:
  • Paid social strategies
  • Advertising tools
  • Campaign management
  • Tracking
  • Targeting
  • Audience Insights
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 7 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: £1,620
• Take The Course: Biddable Moments

7. Introduction To Paid Media (M32 Ads)

This introductory course offers learners a comprehensive overview of media advertising, focusing on essential concepts for effective use. The lessons can be accessed from anywhere, and course notes are provided in PDF format for easy review of key information.

• Who It’s For: Beginners in paid media marketing
• Topics Covered:
  • Paid media channels
  • Campaign fundamentals
  • Strategy development
  • Dimensions of online advertising
  • Advertising success metrics
  • Advertising pricing models and Ad format types
  • Editorial environments and platforms
  • Ad targeting options
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 1 hour and 55 minutes
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: Free
• Take The Course: M32 Ads

8. Training for Paid Social Media (Social Media Training)

This training program equips learners with the skills to design effective social media marketing efforts. It introduces practical techniques to help businesses connect with potential customers by promoting products and services online. Through expert instruction, participants will learn methods for engaging audiences and enhancing the impact of their promotional campaigns.

• Who It’s For: Social media professionals and enthusiasts
• Topics Covered:
  • Social media advertising
  • Campaign strategies
  • Platform functionalities
  • Defining target audience
  • Ad content creation
  • Ad placement
  • Ad campaign management
  • Success measurement
• Exam Required? No
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Take The Course: Social Media Training

9. Paid Media (PPC) (Digital Academy)

This course provides a solid foundation in Pay-Per-Click advertising, helping learners start and improve their campaigns. With interactive modules and practical resources, students get hands-on experience they can apply immediately. By the end, they’ll be ready to manage campaigns effectively, using skills like data analysis and problem-solving to achieve strong results.

• Who It’s For: Digital marketers specializing in PPC, business owners and managers
• Topics Covered:
  • PPC strategies
  • Campaign optimization
  • Ad management
  • Search marketing and eCommerce
  • Creating optimized campaigns
  • Visualizing and presenting results
• Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
• Exam Required? No
• Duration: 8 hours
• How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
• Eligibility Requirements: None
• Price: $375
• Take The Course: Digital Academy

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