Learn how marketing segmentation can boost your campaigns

This course will give you the practical tools to analyse, assess, and improve marketing campaigns using different methods like customer personas, marketing segmentation, and customer relationship management systems.

Develop techniques to analyse consumer data and create customer personas

Understanding your customers is one of the most important parts of marketing and allows you to effectively target communications to the right audience.

One way to do this is by creating customer personas that allow you to easily identify your audiences.

On this course, you’ll find out how to analyse consumer data effectively to segment your customers and improve marketing communications and campaigns.

CRM: what is customer relationship management and why is it essential for marketers?

CRM programmes are vital for marketing teams and often help to link up multiple areas of a business like sales, support, and customer service.

This course will show you how to plan and deliver an effective CRM programme to meet your customers’ needs. By defining your processes and actions, you’ll be able to nurture customer relationships and help achieve your company’s objectives.

With more businesses seeing the benefits of CRM every year, having the skills to deliver a CRM programme and develop a CRM plan is extremely desirable for a career in marketing.

Apply your new skills to build CRM and marketing plans

Using the fundamentals of marketing alongside the new skills from this course, you’ll explore how to develop CRM plans and marketing plans.

With everything that you’ve learned so far, you’ll be able to match the right communication channel to the right audience and create more effective marketing communications.

Syllabus

Week 1
Customer data
- Welcome to the course
  In the first activity for week 1, you will spend some time learning how to get the most out of the FutureLearn platform.
- Consumer data
  Later on, you will be introduced to the different types of consumer data and how to effectively use it in marketing communication.
- How to segment your customer database
  Customer segmentation is the recognition that your audience isn’t all the same, and shouldn’t be treated as such.
- Putting personas into action
  Personas are a way to bring your customer data to life. They are a key tool for visualising your customers, helping you to put them at the front and centre of your organisation.
- How to use personas
  In this activity you will learn how to select the right communications channels to suit your audience; and how to develop creative that will appeal to your audience.
- Congratulations
  Celebrate having successfully completed your week’s activities.
Week 2
CRM programme
- Week outcomes
  This step introduces learners to the learning outcomes.
- Using customer data
  There is a wealth of data on potential customers out there. In this activity you will learn how to use it to benefit your marketing practices.
- Delivering a CRM programme
  In this activity, you will learn about the benefits of creating relationships with your customers. You will explore why not all customers have the same needs and wants at the same time and why they need to be treated differently.
- Developing a CRM plan
  This activity continues from the previous and focuses on the creation of a CRM plan document.
- Peer graded assignment
  Complete the CRM plan for a campaign of a brand or organisation with which you are familiar, for peer review.
- Additional resources
  The following links will take you to additional content that will enhance your learning experience.
- End of the course
  Take part in the end-of-course test, and celebrate having completed your week's activities.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Use marketing techniques to turn data into valuable actionable information
Analyse your marketing campaigns
Produce a step-by-step plan to improve the marketing activity you do, using insights
Use personas in creating effective marketing communications, matching the right communication channel to the right audience

Who is the course for?

This marketing course is designed for anyone looking to enter a career in marketing and covers the fundamentals to get started in the industry.

It’s also suitable for existing marketers wanting to refresh and improve their skills and knowledge.

Who will you learn with?

Rachel Whitter

I have a history of expertise in digital marketing, customer-centric communication strategies, and transforming customer engagement in B2C, B2B and not-for-profit.

I am head of learning at The IDM

Who developed the course?

Institute of Data & Marketing

The Institute of Data & Marketing, part of the Data & Marketing Association, is a leading body for the professional development of data and marketing practitioners.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn