Digital marketing is like a bomb, only that it has already exploded and we are the ones that are going through the aftermath of it. Digital marketing training institutes, online course and several books authored by the top digital marketers are seen to be booming in the recent past. The scope for a career in digital marketing is skyrocketing, and people from all age groups want to be able to perform digital marketing. So, here’s a review on one such pioneering effort in the vast land of digital marketing, Digital Scholar. Digital Scholar is an agency-based digital marketing classroom institute based out of Chennai. Happy to say this, it was a notion that was brought to action by my mentor and the Digital Guru, Sorav Jain. Learn more about him in the #expertspeaks interaction that I had with him not long ago.
The puzzle of ‘how to bridge the market gap for industry-ready professionals’, solved:
Digital Scholar was started as a program for people who want to set up or enhance their career, for entrepreneurs looking to scale their business or for anyone who wishes to be in the digital league. To know Digital Scholar, you have to first understand about agency-based training. When asked Sorav as to what exactly led him to conceive Digital Scholar, he replied, stating that there is a gap between the number of jobs available and the number of skilled professionals in the field. To lay the groundwork for this, he came up with the idea of bringing agency-styled learning to aspiring digital marketers.
The inception
A rigorous effort was put in before even starting the first batch of digital Scholar. The modules of the 3-month course cover the vast umbrella of digital marketing, including SEO, SEM, SMM, WordPress management, content marketing, email marketing, event marketing, reputation management, personal branding, automation, agency orientation, and making money online. This module was curated, keeping in mind the skills on-demand in the market and the requirements in the industry. 80 handpicked students with high energy and enthusiasm started their journey to become career-ready digital marketers on September 8th, 2019.
Just listening to how this course was sculpted by some of the masterminds in the industry, I went on a quest to understand how the first batch at Digital Scholar went. Here’s a rough timeline of the major events that were instrumental in the success of Digital Scholar:
Activity 1: Their icebreaker session blew my mind
The time when random people from different walks of life came together and became a part of an inspiring journey a.k.a the orientation session at Digital Scholar. Usually, the orientation session in a training institute students would be introduced to the faculty and vice-versa, but Digital Scholar is anything but ordinary. They stepped up the game and asked the students to create their own agencies along with a name and a tagline for it. This stuck with them throughout the runtime of the course, which also illustrated the importance of teamwork in an agency. Sorav’s Gyan on ‘what to expect and what to aim for’ was also a highlight of the session. The session came to an end by the students taking an oath that read, ‘We are digital Scholars and we are awesome!’.
Watch the video to get a taste of the orientation session at digital Scholar- https://www.instagram.com/p/B2MdENLlyMK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Activity 2: One of the many fun-filled learning sessions
Who knew that learning could be so much fun. I found this one session at digital Scholar to be really intriguing; it can also speak for the rest of the sessions there. It was time for the students to learn Instagram; they played the game of taboo. What a way to learn, right?
Activity 3: Meet and greet with the real-time clients
Digital Scholars were given real-time clients to get hands-on experience, and the management of Digital Scholar went beyond just getting them projects within the walls of the classroom. They went to the client offices and learned about how brand persona influences the way digital marketing works, how client meetings go, and how the requirements are met.
Activity 4: Abishek Shah spoke on the topic, “Discover the Creative Brand in You.”
Then came the first guest lecture at Digital Scholar by a creative head, Abishek Shah, founder of bepositive24, an electronic media, press, outdoor and corporate film advertising agency. Guest lectures from industry experts are always an interesting way to get a scoop of insider-insights. For instance, in this particular guest lecture, they learned about how to become a brand directly from a person who is a brand! The star of the session was when Abishek asked the crowd to connect via social media.
Activity 5: They brought the roof down during their Diwali celebration
The theme for the event was ‘Sparkle & Dazzle’. A lot of healthy competitions such as the best-dressed team, adzap, talent show were conducted, and the students came up with the craziest of ideas for the competitions. Let me just give you a slice of the craziness that went around… The adzap team that won was an agency called Ping. They were told to come up with an ad for a toothpaste brand. The tagline they came up with was, ‘Ping makes your teeth bling!’. Winners were felicitated, and they also had an epic dance floor moment towards the end.
Activity 6: Neil Patel spoke about digital Scholar
Neil Patel is one of the leading digital marketers in the world and him talking about digital Scholar was such a great addition to the line of reviews that Digital Scholar was receiving.
Here’s what Neil Patel had to say!!!-
https://www.instagram.com/p/B39gzpml_lG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Activity 7: They had their first placement drive
Yes, they had a placement drive with some stellar companies such as m-tutor, Fisto sports and Big F Day. Digital Scholar’s module includes preparing the students for their interview sessions as well. Students had their video resume done with the guidance of the faculty.
And they took up the bala challenge…
Quirky as they are, they had to be a part of the bala challenge.
What points will you be driving home?
By the end of the course, students would be receiving 12 certifications and a fair chance to land a job during the placement program at Digital Scholar. Other major takeaways from the course include:
# The ability to handle your own projects:
In an agency, people work in groups and deal with real-time scenarios. At digital Scholar, students are allowed to work on live projects with their team and crack different situations. They are led to cultivate decisiveness. By the end of the course, each Digital Scholar can easily take up their own projects and start working on real goals.
# Work in tandem with the industry requirements:
Digital Scholar allows you to experience agency life during the course period. Gaining industry experience throughout your journey, digital Scholar makes you industry-ready from day one. Also, they would be working closely with experts who live and breathe digital marketing.
# A perfect job that suits your skills:
Two things that make a placement at digital Scholar impressive are, the guidance they provide with building a social presence for their and the creation of a resume.
Moreover, they help the students connect with suitable industry partners.
# Insider Knowledge from industry experts:
Sorav has been imparting digital knowledge one way or the other throughout his digital expedition. There’s a lot to learn from him. At digital Scholar, you can learn how personal branding can help scale yourself and your business to heights all from the expert himself.
# You own domain name and blog:
Digital Scholar is a place where you can gain a plethora of experience and learn from them. The students are given domains and are asked to experiment with them. They were also a blogging competition among the students who were able to gain high traction for their blogs.
So, who is this course for?
- Students who want to set a career path in the most fascinating chapter of digital marketing.
- Business owners who want to scale their business using world-class strategies and techniques.
- Entrepreneurs who want to perform digital marketing for their business on their own
- Professionals who want to add value to their career.
If you are someone who wants to be in the digital marketing league, here’s your chance. The next batch of Digital Scholar starts in January 2020!!!
My genuine wishes to Digital Scholar and Sorav; they are breaking barriers and making history! Shout out to them, and all you aspiring digital marketers out there, do not miss this opportunity.