Digital Marketing Manager: strategy, budget and team

Questions about this course

What you will be able to do

• Audit and diagnose a company's digital marketing performance
• Develop a digital marketing strategy and objectives tied to revenue
• Build and manage a marketing budget based on acquisition cost and customer lifetime value
• Orchestrate a multichannel acquisition mix, a CRM and compliant automated follow-ups
• Set up measurement, attribution and management reporting (GA4, Looker Studio)
• Recruit and manage a marketing team, freelancers and agencies

About this course

Who it is for: Experienced community managers, marketing officers, communications managers, freelancers and SME owners in Dakar, Thiès, Abidjan, Bamako or Cotonou who want to take charge of a company's digital marketing: set the strategy, manage a budget, lead a team and outside providers, and report to senior management.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

1. 1

   Module 1· 16 exercises

   The digital marketing manager's role and the initial audit

   Understand what senior management expects from the role, audit a company's digital presence and numbers, and present three priorities.

   • What a digital marketing manager is expected to deliver in 2026: revenue, not likesFree preview3 exercises18 min
   • Auditing the digital presence: website, Google profile, social media, WhatsApp, reviews and adsFree preview3 exercises22 min
   • Auditing the numbers: where customers come from, what they cost, where they drop offFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Presenting the audit to management: three findings, three priorities, one decisionFree preview3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the 40-point audit grid, applied to a clinic in Bamako (fictional worked case)Free preview4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
   • Quiz: role and auditModule quiz
   • A company's digital marketing auditProject to submit
2. 2

   Module 2· 16 exercises

   Strategy: market, targets, positioning and objectives

   Write the strategy that guides every action: who the company serves first, why it is the better choice, and which numbers to reach.

   • Reading your market: competitors, prices, search demand and local seasonality3 exercises20 min
   • Segmenting and choosing priority targets, from consumers in Dakar to key accounts in Abidjan3 exercises20 min
   • Positioning and value proposition: what makes you the better choice, with proof3 exercises18 min
   • Objectives tied to revenue: from the sales target to the number of leads needed3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the two-page strategy memo, applied to a language institute in Abidjan (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: strategy and objectivesModule quiz
   • The strategy memo: targets, positioning and objectivesProject to submit
3. 3

   Module 3· 16 exercises

   Customer journey and sales funnel

   Map the real path customers take, put numbers on every stage of the funnel and find the leak that costs the most.

   • Mapping the real journey: discovery, research, contact, purchase, repeat purchase, referral3 exercises18 min
   • The funnel in numbers: stage-to-stage conversion rates and the costliest leak3 exercises20 min
   • Content and channels by stage: what builds awareness, what reassures, what drives the purchase3 exercises18 min
   • Retention and referral: the part of the funnel SMEs forget3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the journey map and the leak calculator, applied to a motorbike dealer in Bamako (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: customer journey and funnelModule quiz
   • The customer journey and the sales funnel in numbersProject to submit
4. 4

   Module 4· 16 exercises

   Marketing budget and acquisition economics

   Set a budget you can defend, justify it with acquisition cost and customer lifetime value, allocate it and track it every month.

   • Setting the budget: share of revenue, target to reach, cash capacity3 exercises18 min
   • Acquisition cost, customer lifetime value and payback period: the three ratios management wants3 exercises22 min
   • Allocating the budget across channels: core, tests and reserve3 exercises18 min
   • Tracking spend every month: committed, paid, variance and trade-offs3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the month-by-month annual budget in FCFA and the acquisition model, applied to a dry-cleaning chain in Dakar (fictional worked case)4 exercises40 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: budget and acquisition ratiosModule quiz
   • The annual marketing budget and its acquisition modelProject to submit
5. 5

   Module 5· 16 exercises

   The acquisition mix: search, content, advertising and partnerships

   Assign each channel its role, from the slowest to the fastest, and build a quarterly acquisition plan consistent with the budget.

   • Organic and local search: the slow channel that lowers acquisition cost3 exercises20 min
   • Local search and reference pages: directories, partners, reviews and consistent contact details, run as a channel3 exercises18 min
   • Multichannel advertising: Meta, TikTok, Google Ads, LinkedIn, and the role of each3 exercises22 min
   • Email, WhatsApp, partnerships, referral partners and events: the low-cost channels3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the quarterly acquisition plan and the campaign brief, applied to a restaurant in Abidjan (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: acquisition mixModule quiz
   • The quarterly acquisition plan by channelProject to submit
6. 6

   Module 6· 16 exercises

   Conversion, CRM and automated follow-ups

   Make sure no inquiry goes cold: pages that convert, a well-kept CRM, follow-up sequences and respect for personal data.

   • The page that converts: message, proof, form, WhatsApp and mobile speed3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing and setting up a CRM: pipeline, stages, sources and owners3 exercises20 min
   • Automated WhatsApp and email follow-up sequences, without spam3 exercises18 min
   • Personal data and consent: what Law 2008-12 and the CDP require of marketing3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the CRM pipeline, follow-up scripts and the real cost of WhatsApp, applied to a real estate agency in Bamako (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: conversion and CRMModule quiz
   • The CRM pipeline and follow-up sequencesProject to submit
7. 7

   Module 7· 15 exercises

   Brand, content production and reputation

   Give the brand a single voice, produce at scale with the team, creators and AI tools, and protect its reputation.

   • The brand platform and editorial guidelines the whole team follows3 exercises18 min
   • Producing at scale: quarterly calendar, smartphone studio, AI tools and review3 exercises20 min
   • Working with local creators and influencers: selection, contract, measurement2 exercises18 min
   • Reputation and crisis: negative reviews, controversy, a 24-hour response protocol3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the quarterly content calendar, the creative brief and the crisis protocol, applied to a juice brand in Dakar (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: brand, content and reputationModule quiz
   • Editorial guidelines, production plan and crisis protocolProject to submit
8. 8

   Module 8· 16 exercises

   Measurement, attribution and reporting to management

   Know where every customer comes from, present ten numbers on one page and run a marketing committee that produces decisions.

   • The measurement plan: UTM, Google Analytics 4, CRM sources, tracked WhatsApp links3 exercises22 min
   • Simple, honest attribution: first touch, last touch and asking the customer3 exercises18 min
   • The management dashboard in Looker Studio: ten numbers, one page3 exercises20 min
   • The monthly marketing committee: report, decisions and action follow-up3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: building the dashboard step by step and writing the monthly report, applied to Les Baobabs school group (fictional worked case)4 exercises40 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: measurement and reportingModule quiz
   • The measurement plan and the management dashboardProject to submit
9. 9

   Module 9· 16 exercises

   Building and leading the marketing team

   Organize roles according to company size, recruit, choose and manage agencies and freelancers, and develop the team.

   • The roles to cover and how to organize by size: one person, three, ten3 exercises18 min
   • Recruiting: job description, practical test and salary benchmarks in Dakar and Abidjan3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing, briefing and managing an agency or freelancers: brief, quote, service commitments3 exercises20 min
   • Team rituals, individual objectives and skills development3 exercises18 min
   • Workshop: the agency brief, the quote comparison and the 30-day onboarding plan, applied to a distributor in Abidjan (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: team and providersModule quiz
   • The marketing team structure and the agency briefProject to submit
10. 10

    Module 10· 16 exercises

    The annual marketing plan and defending it before management

    Assemble the annual plan, align it with local commercial seasons, prepare scenarios and get it approved by senior management.

    • The structure of the annual plan: diagnosis, objectives, strategy, actions, budget, organization3 exercises20 min
    • The annual calendar: back to school, Korité, Tabaski, Magal, year-end holidays and your sector's seasons3 exercises18 min
    • Scenarios and risks: conservative, target and ambitious plans3 exercises18 min
    • Presenting and defending the plan: ten slides and the objections of the CEO and the CFO3 exercises20 min
    • Workshop: the complete annual marketing plan of Les Baobabs school group, worked through end to end4 exercises45 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: annual planModule quiz
    • Final project: the annual marketing plan defended before managementCapstone

11. Certificate included

After the course

What you get once the course is complete

Optional services, free for learners. This is not a promise of employment.