Silicon Valley Business School

Contents of SVBS Course: Marketing

The essentials of marketing are provided in this module, together with the special challenges and opportunities experienced by startup companies. Modern, online marketing techniques are discussed as well as more traditional methods.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

Appreciate the scope of marketing and the roles of market research, advertising, public relations, tradeshows and events, telesales and other components of the marketing mix.
Create a digital marketing plan involving search engine advertising, social media marketing, online videos, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, email and marketing analytics.


Course Sections

The course is organized into the following sections:

Marketing: The Marketing Function
Marketing: Creating & Presenting the Marketing Message
Marketing: Market Research
Marketing: Advertising
Marketing: Public Relations
Marketing: Tradeshows & Events
Marketing: Email Marketing
Marketing: Telemarketing
Marketing: Search Engine Marketing
Marketing: Online Video Marketing
Marketing: Marketing Analytics
Marketing: CRM ~ Customer Relationship Management Systems for use in Marketing
Marketing: Distribution Channels
Marketing: Social Media Marketing
Marketing: Marketing for Startup Ventures
Marketing: International Marketing
Marketing: The Company Website
Marketing: Telesales

Marketing: The Marketing Function
  • Video ~ Fundamentals of Marketing: Part 1, The Marketing Mix
  • Video ~ Fundamentals of Marketing: Part 2, Branding
  • What is a brand? How do you measure brand value? In this video, you will get acquainted with the concept of branding.

  • Video ~ Q&A with Philip Kottler
  • Video ~ Philip Kotler & Marketing Strategy
  • Video ~ New Rules of Marketing in the Internet Age
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Marketing
  • This article provides an introduction to Marketing, as well as the four Ps of Marketing.

  • Reading ~ The Marketing Mix and the 4Ps of Marketing
  • The 4 Ps of Marketing can help you to effectively position your market offering. In this article, you will learn about the 4Ps of Marketing.

  • Reading ~ How Google Breaks Through
  • Lorraine Twohill, Google's senior vice president of global marketing, describes what has and hasn't changed for marketers trying to connect with customers.

    Marketing: Creating & Presenting the Marketing Message
  • Video ~ The 15 Second Pitch
  • Video explains how to pitch anything in 15 seconds using a "Message Map".

  • Video ~ How To Create a Unique Value Proposition
  • Why should a buyer/potential customer choose you over another brand? What makes you different? In this video, you will learn how to Create a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) for your business.

  • Video ~ How to Create an Elevator Pitch
  • How do you get your ideas across succinctly? In this video, you will learn tips that will enable you to come up with an "Elevator Pitch.

  • Video ~ Presenting Your Message
  • How do you sell your ideas? Steve Jobs was a co-founder of Apple. In this video, you will get acquainted with how Steve Jobs communicated the vision and value behind Apple’s products.

  • Silicon Valley Trends Podcast ~ Creating & Presenting the Marketing Message
  • Former Apple World Marketing Manager, David Smith explains how to build your elevator pitch, your core value proposition, how to build a brand and change your brand image.

  • Reading ~ Formulate your Core Messaging and Corporate Identity
  • Marketing: The Company Website
  • Video ~ Choosing the Right Domain Name for Your Business
  • In this video, you will learn how to select the right domain name for your business. Eytan Elbaz, the former Head of Domain Channel at Google (google.com) provides tips that will help you decide what website name will stand out in the crowd and attract more business.

  • Video ~ What is the Goal of Your Website?
  • Video ~ Getting Your Website Built
  • Video ~ Websites, Email & Social Media: Corporate Identity
  • In this video, you will learn how to use your website, email communication and social media to set up a corporate identity for your business.

  • Video ~ Three Tips for Getting Your Website Ranked by Google
  • In this video, you will learn tips that will help you increase your website's search ranking on Google.

  • Video ~ Keys to Making Your Website User Friendly
  • Video ~ How can small sites become popular?
  • Video ~Two Most Vital Types of Content In Order to Optimize Your Website
  • Video ~ 3 Ways to Use Content Marketing for Your Website
  • Content marketing involves creating valuable content that solves a problem. In content marketing, you need to figure out how your audience consume content. In this video, you will learn tips for using content marketing for your website.

  • Video ~ Content Marketing Explained
  • This video explains what content marketing is and how it can help your business.

  • Reading ~ What is Content Marketing?
  • Content Marketing is used by many prominent organizations in the world. It is also used by small businesses and one-person shops around the globe. This article explains what Content Marketing is.

  • Video & Reading ~ Content Marketing
  • Content marketing is a practice that is getting a lot of traction in the marketing world. In this article, you will learn how content marketing can help your business.

  • Video & Reading ~ What Content Attracts Viewers?
  • It is important to create content that people are spreading around, which in turn helps to spread your marketing message and your brand. In this article, you will learn how to create successful content.

  • Video & Reading ~ Promoting your Content
  • When you have made your content and have put it online, how do you get that content to be seen by many people as possible? In this article, you will learn tips for promoting your content.

  • Video & Reading ~ Which Content to Create
  • Blogs remain a popular way to create content. Research statistics and charts are great content. Photos and visuals tend to get shared a lot on the internet. Video has a strong branding impact. Interactive tools create excellent engagement. Against the backdrop of the different types of content to choose from, in this article, you will learn tips for choosing the right content to create.

  • Video & Reading ~ Inbound Marketing
  • Things like pop-ups, social ads, etc. all interrupt us as we surf the web. What if there was a way to earn the attention of users of the internet naturally? Blogging and content marketing are things that users of the internet want to see and seek out. Against this backdrop, this article explains what Inbound Marketing is.

  • Video & Reading ~ The Marketing Funnel
  • Video & Reading ~ Evaluating Inbound Channels
  • Marketing: Market Research
  • Video ~ The Technique of Market Research
  • Have you ever wondered about the origins of various market research techniques? In this video, you will get acquainted with the history of market research techniques.

  • Video ~ What is Market Research?
  • How well do you know your target audience? In this video, you will understand what “Market Research” is.

  • Video ~ What is a Buyer Persona?
  • Developing a Buyer Persona is a useful step in planning your marketing efforts. In this video, you will learn how to develop a Buyer Persona.

  • Video ~ How To Create a Customer Persona
  • Do you know what content (e.g. on your website, in your marketing-related materials, etc.) will resonate with your target customers? Do you know what your customers really need? In this video, you will learn how to create a Customer Persona.

  • Video ~ Segmentation & Personas
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Market Research
  • The importance of identifying and analyzing the market need, market size and competition, as part of your marketing efforts cannot be overemphasized. This article provides an introduction to "Market Research". Terms like “Market Segmentation” and, “Market Trends” are also explained.

  • Reading ~ How to Create Detailed Buyer Personas
  • Buyer personas will help you to understand your customers as well as your prospective customers better. In this article, you will learn how to create detailed Buyer Personas.

    Marketing: Advertising
  • Video ~ History of Advertising ~ Timeline
  • In this video, your knowledge of the evolution of the field of Advertising will be deepened. This video presents a timeline regarding the history of Advertising.

  • Video ~ Psychology and Advertising
  • What is the role of colors (e.g. red, black, green, etc.) in advertising? Why do advertisements often contain positive charged emotional images and slogans? What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)? In this video, you learn about how techniques from psychology are used in the field of advertising.

  • Video ~ Partnering with Celebrities to Boost Your Brand Engagement & Exposure
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Advertising
  • This article provides an introduction to “Advertising” and outlines how "Advertising" has evolved.

  • Video ~ Sell & Spin ~ A History of Advertising
  • Marketing: Public Relations
  • Video ~ What is PR?
  • PR is about your story. PR offers you an opportunity to influence attitudes as well as change perceptions.

  • Video ~ What is PR?
  • PR involves managing your reputation. It involves sending out positive messages to your target audience.

  • Video ~ The Goal of PR
  • What is the goal of PR? PR can create awareness for your brand. PR can help you manage your reputation.

  • Video ~ Getting Free PR for Your Business
  • This video discusses how to get free PR for your business. This will help businesses who are on a tight budget. Note: the website that the presenter in this video referred to is www.helpareporter.com

  • Video ~ How to Choose the Right PR Firm
  • A PR firm can make all the difference in determining your success. But how do you find the right one for your business? Interviewing different firms can be overwhelming if you don't know what to look for. Asking the right questions will help this process immensely.

  • Video ~ How to Craft Your PR Message
  • PR messages can be incredibly impactful if you know how to craft them. Understanding the essence of what makes a PR message resonate with your audience will allow you to connect with them on a deeper -- more meaningful -- level.

  • Video ~ Why PR is Important for Your Business
  • Public Relations is one of the most powerful and effective tools any business can utilize to further their success. Understanding the relationship between your company and the media -- and how to make the most of this dichotomy -- will allow you to reach the widest audience in the best way possible.

  • Video ~ Building Relationships with Journalists
  • Journalists can be great allies when it comes to promoting your business. Learning how to identify the right kinds of journalists for your needs and the best way to reach out to them will be a vital asset for your PR campaigns.

  • Video ~ Press Releases for Your Business
  • Press releases are an invaluable part of any PR campaign. Whether you're an established business or a new startup, learning the basic structure of press releases is crucial to communicating with the media.

  • Video ~ Finding Free Publicity
  • Video ~ How to Use Social Media in PR
  • Reading ~ Introduction to PR
  • The aim of public relations by a company often is to persuade the public, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders to maintain a certain point of view about it, its leadership, products, or of political decisions. This article provides an introduction to "Public Relations", as well as outlines common Public Relations activities.

  • Reading ~ How to Write a Press Release
  • What should you include in a press release? How do you structure and present the press release? In this article, you will learn how to write a Press Release.

    Marketing: Tradeshows & Events
  • Video Playlist ~ Tradeshows
  • Video ~ 3 Tips on How to Work a Trade Show
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Trade Show Marketing
  • Trade shows help companies build brands, generate sales leads, and strengthen relationships with customers and key prospects. Trade shows provide valuable face-time with the buyers in a compact period of time. This article provides an introduction to Trade Show Marketing.

  • Reading ~ Learn Trade Show Marketing
  • Marketing: Email Marketing
  • Video ~ Email Marketing
  • Video ~ 5 Steps to Start Email Marketing
  • Video ~ 5 Ways to Grow Your Email List
  • Video ~ Commercially Available Mailing Lists
  • Video ~ Email Marketing & Newsletters: Email Body
  • Video ~ Professional & B2B Emails: Email Body
  • Video ~Professional & B2B Emails: Sending Tactics
  • Video ~ Three Marketing Myths Debunked
  • As the Internet introduced many new marketing channels, it also fostered many new marketing misconceptions. It's time to analyze some these and separate fact from fiction.

  • Video ~ Successful Email Marketing - How It's Done
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Email Marketing
  • Since the advent of the Internet, email has grown into a pervasive medium providing a high-speed, low-cost and readily accessible channel of communication between individuals and organizations. This article provides an introduction to "Email Marketing".

  • Reading ~ The Social Economy: Unlocking Value and Productivity Through Social Technologies, McKinsey Global Institute
  • This study by IDC and McKinsey reports that 28% of the average office employee workweek is spent reading and answering emails. It is not necessary to read the entire study.

  • Reading ~ Fridge Caught Sending Spam Emails In Botnet Attack
  • Reading ~ CAN-SPAM Act Controlling Unwanted Email & Text Messages
  • U.S. Federal regulations controlling unwanted texts and email.

  • Reading ~ Bulk Senders Guidelines from Google
  • Reading ~ Intelligent Conversations
  • Marketing: Telemarketing
  • Video ~ Outbound Telesales
  • In this video, you will learn about the skills required for Outbound Telesales.

  • Video ~ Best Practices For Telemarketing
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Telemarketing
  • Calling potential customers on the phone is a popular form of marketing. Telemarketing has become more sophisticated over the years, with the growth of dedicated call centers, the use of web conferencing, automated dialers and pre-recorded sales pitches.

  • Reading ~ U.S. National Do Not Call Registry
  • Marketing: Search Engine Marketing
  • Video ~ What is Google AdWords?
  • Video ~ How Search Works
  • Video ~ How does Google search work?
  • Video ~ Creating your first Adwords Campaign
  • Video ~ Getting Started with Google Adwords
  • This video outlines the benefits of Google AdWords and goes through step-by-step instructions on how to create your first campaign.

  • Video ~ Google Adwords Bidding Strategy
  • This video explains the how to adjust your bids to maximize the profit from your marketing investment on Google AdWords.

  • Video ~ Google Adwords for Video
  • Video ~ 5 common mistakes in SEO (and 6 good ideas!)
  • Video ~ SEO for startups in under 10 minutes
  • Video Playlist ~ Google Adwords
  • Reading ~ SEO Book by Andreas Ramos & Stephanie Cota
  • In this book, you will learn how to use SEO to increase traffic, leads, and sales.

  • Video & Reading ~ What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
  • Video & Reading ~ How Do Search Engines Rank Pages?
  • Video & Reading ~ Keyword Strategy
  • Video & Reading ~ Keyword Research
  • Video & Reading ~ Keyword Optimization
  • Video & Reading ~ On-Page Content Optimization
  • Video & Reading ~ The Value of Links
  • Video & Reading ~ Hyperlinks
  • Video & Reading ~ How Search Engines Value Links
  • Video & Reading ~ Finding Good Link Prospects
  • Video & Reading ~ Earning Links
  • Reading ~ How to Create a Google Adwords Account
  • Reading ~ 29 Tips for Adwords Beginners
  • Useful tips for getting started with Google Adwords. When creating your first Adrowds campaigns, these tips will be quite useful.

    Marketing: Online Video Marketing
  • Video ~ Tips for Great Content Creation on Youtube
  • Video Playlist ~ Marketing via YouTube Videos
  • Video ~ Who Is The Ideal Viewer Of Your Video Marketing?
  • Video ~ Hangouts On Air ~ On Air Broadcasts
  • Video Playlist ~ How To Make Your Videos Go Viral
  • Video ~ Value of the Internet & Online Videos in Modern Advertising
  • Reading ~ Online Video Marketing
  • Television has proven that video is a medium that can be highly engaging and effective for advertising. As video can now be embedded in a web page, an application, even in a smart watch, online video has grown into a compelling vehicle for advertising and promoting your products.

  • Reading ~ About Advertising on YouTube
  • Video ~ Marketing on Vimeo
  • Marketing: Marketing Analytics
  • Video ~ Google Analytics
  • Video ~ What Is Analytics?
  • Video ~ Different Types of Web Analytics
  • In this video, you will learn about the following types of web analytics: user analytics, traffic source analytics, behavioral analytics as well as acquisition analytics.

  • Video ~ Why Use Google Analytics?
  • Reading ~ Understanding Marketing Analytics
  • Marketing analytics is the practice of measuring, managing and analyzing marketing performance to maximize its effectiveness and optimize return on investment (ROI). Marketing analytics can offer great insights into your customers' preferences and trends. In this article, you will understand what marketing analytics is.

  • Video & Reading ~ Metrics for Creating Successful Content
  • In this article, you will learn how to measure the success of your content. You will be acquainted with the following metrics: Consumption Metrics, Engagement Metrics, Sharing Metrics, as well as Conversion Metrics.

    Marketing: CRM ~ Customer Relationship Management Systems for use in Marketing
  • Video ~ Marketing Automation with SugarCRM
  • Video ~ What is Salesforce.com?
  • Reading ~ Introduction to Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • In this article, you will understand what Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is. You will also understand the objectives of CRM as well as how CRM is applied to Marketing.

    Marketing: Distribution Channels
  • Video ~ Distribution Channels
  • Slideshow Handout ~ Distribution Channels
  • PDF slides for the learning material titled: "Video ~ Distribution Channels".

    Marketing: Social Media Marketing
  • Video ~ Social Media...You Haven't Seen Anything Yet
  • In this video, you will learn how to leverage on the power of social media to communicate and engage with your target market.

  • Video ~ Advertising on LinkedIn
  • In this video, you will learn how to create Linkedin Ad campaigns. You will also be acquainted with best practices on ad targeting.

  • Video ~ How to Become a Social Media Influencer
  • This video outlines traits that will enable you to become a Social Media Influencer.

  • Book ~ Download #TwitterBook, by Andreas Ramos
  • This book is for people who do not yet use Twitter and want to know what it is. It is also for people who use Twitter and want to learn more about it. In this book, you will learn how to set up your Twitter account, how to get followers, how to use Twitter Advertising, among other things.

  • Reading ~ Social Networking Statistics Report
  • This report brings together statistics and forecasts regarding business and consumer adoption of Social Networking.

  • Reading ~ How to Promote your Business on Facebook
  • Video & Reading ~ Sharing on Social Networks
  • Video & Reading ~ Which Social Channels are Best for You?
  • Video & Reading ~ Measuring & Testing Social Media Efforts
  • Video & Reading ~ Which Content Gets Best Response on Social Media?
  • How do you figure out which social media content is getting the best engagement? In this article, you will gain insights regarding how to measure engagement relating to your content on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

  • Video & Reading ~ Facebook Marketing
  • In this article, you will get acquainted with best practices for Facebook Marketing.

  • Video & Reading ~ Twitter Marketing
  • Video & Reading ~ Google+ Marketing
  • In this article, you will learn about Google+ Marketing. You will learn how to set up your Google+ account, what and how to share on Google+, as well as how to measure success.

    Marketing: Marketing for Startup Ventures
  • Video ~ Startup Marketing
  • Video ~ Startup Marketing Bootcamp
  • Video ~ PR for Startups
  • Why is PR important for a startup? When do you start thinking about PR? In this video, you will learn tips regarding PR for startups.

  • Slideshow Handout ~ Startup Marketing
  • PDF slides for the learning material titled: "Video ~ Startup Marketing".

  • Read Pages 87-90, 101-103, 118-138, 148-155, and 165-168 of the Zero-to-IPO book.
  • Video & Reading ~ Inbound Campaigns on a Small Budget
  • In this article, you will learn how to start an effective inbound campaign if you have a small budget. You will learn how to identify customers and influencers, as well as how to carry out a competitive research, among other relevant issues.

    Marketing: International Marketing
  • Video ~ Q&A with Jon Rortveit, International Marketing Expert
  • Why do many startups migrate to the United States? In this question and answer session, Jon Rortveit, an International Marketing expert, outlines reasons why companies expand to the United States.

  • Video ~ How to Open an Office in a Foreign Country
  • Video ~ How to Communicate with Overseas Staff
  • When you are communicating with overseas staff with different cultural backgrounds, it is important to set expectations, as well as to listen to feedback. In this video, you will learn tips that will enable you to effectively communicate with overseas staff.

  • Reading ~ International Marketing
  • With the advances in international trade, it is now much easier for companies to do business across the world. In this article, you will understand what "International Marketing" is.

    Certificate Course
    This certificate tracks your progress and tests you in each section. Once you have passed all the quizzes, submitted an assignment and reviewed all the materials, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.