The Digital Marketing Curriculum

Students of all abilities and skill levels can successfully learn digital marketing. If some students are stronger in verbal communication but weaker on the technical side, their talents can serve as motivation to improve in weak areas and use foundational math skills to understand the results of their work. Likewise, a student who is more inclined toward the technical aspects of digital marketing can explore those aspects to great depth, using advanced math and CS skills, and improve in verbal communication skills along the way as part of the bigger picture. Students can work in teams, each team member specializing in a different area, learning from and supporting each other as they work toward a common goal.

Here are only a few of the ways the Digital Marketing Curriculum can be used to strengthen and add motivation to a college prep curriculum:

English/Language Arts

Write effective landing pages, ad copy, and emails that clearly communicate value.

Understand the points of view of different audiences and how to speak to each one.

Learn about the needs of a market through qualitative survey responses and written reviews, and apply that comprehension to reach people in that market and show that you understand their needs.

Mathematics

Pre-Algebra: Determine how a specific strategy changes how an ad performs: “Adding a video lowers CPC by 60%.”

Algebra I, II, Precalculus: Extrapolate a graph of cost per conversion over time to make predictions. “Cost per conversion is decreasing due to increased ad engagement. If it decreased by 50% from Day 3 to Day 5, what will it be at Day 7?”

Calculus/Statistics: Given a graph that illustrates cost-per-conversion over time, model the graph with a function and use a definite integral to determine how long it will take to achieve a goal: “Does cost per conversion decrease linearly, quadratically or exponentially? How long will this ad need to run to generate 1000 total conversions?”

Computer Science

Logical and systematic thinking: “How can I construct a fully automated sequence that draws viewers to sign up for a list, receive offers and email communication, and then buy products?”

Understanding how different pieces of code communicate with each other: “On what web page do I need to place tracking code if I want to track sales of a product?” “The HTML for an opt-in form references a CGI file. Where is this file located, and what is its function?”

Programming: "Write a script that sends different offers to users based on when they subscribed to a list."

Research Skills that can be applied in Science and Social Science

Qualitative Research - using consumer reviews to analyze a customer base’s response to a product: “What are the most commonly used words that consumers use to describe a good or bad experience with this product?”

Quantitative Research - testing multiple elements of an ad campaign to see which element plays the greatest role in its success: “How do we figure out if targeting men vs. women yields better results? How do we control for other variables if we want to test just one? How could we efficiently test multiple variables at a time?”

Marketing is about building relationships. In order to cultivate relationships with customers or clients, a marketer must be able to make a genuine connection, establish trust, and clearly communicate the value of products or services.

In this current time, when social media is widespread and is still growing in its popularity, businesses of all kinds, as well as public institutions and nonprofit organizations, seek to use it as a way to communicate to wider - and more specific - audiences.

As our media gets increasingly saturated with content, it's more important than ever to make a real connection, speaking to audiences as human beings rather than just customers.

Social media is already enmeshed in the lives of many secondary school students, who can naturally use it as a platform to develop their verbal communication skills and relate on a genuine level with others.

While digital marketing is dependent on the ability to connect and communicate, it’s also vital that marketers are well-versed in the technical skills necessary to integrate multiple software platforms, automate communication sequences, and analyze the performance of campaigns to optimize results.

What intertwines these two disciplines together is the need to adapt to a rapidly growing and changing market. Research skills are the hallmark of an excellent marketer - the kind needed to understand what customers are saying about their needs, as well as the kind needed to draw conclusions and predictions from charts and numbers.

Entrepreneurs see online business as “the new jungle”, a place where anything goes and it’s anyone’s call what new method will bring great, unexpected success. It’s a place where innovators and creative thinkers of all kinds can shine.

Kian Xie, M.A.

I'm an interdisciplinary educator, primarily focused in mathematics. I'm also an online business entrepreneur and digital marketer. I've helped clients in a wide variety of industries communicate value to their markets as well as navigate the technical and logistical side of digital marketing.

I believe the best education is motivated by immediate, real-world results. As a teacher, I challenge and motivate my students to learn beyond their comfort zones by realizing the connections between different disciplines and applying their skills to create clear and valuable outcomes.

The Digital Marketing Curriculum

Naturally Interdisciplinary, Easily Differentiated

Communication + Tech + Research Skills = Success in the Workforce

Putting It Into Action