DigitalMarketer Complete Review: Is It Worth IT?

Launch Your Online Business in Just 7 Days

The world is digital, and we’re all living in it.


If you plan on starting a new business in 2020, or you’ve been running a business for a while and want a sales boost, you’re going to need digital marketing.


Now, digital marketing covers a lot of ground:

  • Search engine optimization
  • Advertising
  • Social media
  • Content marketing

It’s practically impossible to master all of these without having a good source of information.


So today, I’m going to discuss DigitalMarketer - a one-stop shop for all your digital marketing knowledge.


Let’s see what they have to offer!

1. What is DigitalMarketer?

digitalmarketer

DigitalMarketer is a website with tools and training for digital marketers.


(Yep, that also means business owners who want to promote their businesses online.)


Founded in 2011 as DigitalMarketer Labs, this organization has been working hard to turn every novice into an expert at digital marketing.


So far, they’ve helped hundreds of thousands of businesses increase their traffic and generate more sales.


Their clients include Uber and HarperCollins.


How do they do it?


With free resources like guides, and other resources such as: courses, membership programs, training, and conferences.

2. What is DigitalMarketer Lab?

DigitalMarketer lab

DigitalMarketer Lab is DigitalMarketer’s flagship program.


It’s a membership program with plenty of digital marketing resources, so you’re expected to pay a monthly fee for ongoing support and access to tutorials, videos, and training.


They have 3 plans, depending on your needs and levels of knowledge:

2.1. DigitalMarketer Lab: DM Insider review

DigitalMarketer DM Insider review

Cost: Free


DM Insider is a neat way to get started with marketing education, as it’s completely free.


You’ll get access to a compilation of various marketing resources, with different channels and methods.


Again, this is really the best program to start with, especially if you don’t know a lot about digital marketing, and you want to test the waters.


(I also don’t support paying for something you haven’t personally tried first, so give it a whirl with this free option.)


DM Insider consists of:

  • The DM Insider Newsletter
  • 40+ marketing tools, templates, and audits
  • Weekly live training sessions
  • Marketing guides
5 new marketing tactics

You’ll get 5 new marketing tactics to try out every Monday.


And you’ll also be able to check out the DigitalMarketer guides and tools.


How do they do it?


By reviewing 100+ marketing blogs every day, and then curating the most important information to send in the newsletter.

2.2. DigitalMarketer Lab: Lab Plus review

DigitalMarketer Lab Plus review

Cost: $95/month - 14-day free trial


DigitalMarketer Lab Plus is a significant upgrade from the free DM Insider, so I recommend it if you’re serious about mastering marketing and scaling your business.


If this is your first time reading up on digital marketing, I’d advise you to start with DM Insider and their free guides.


So, what will you get with DigitalMarketer Lab Plus?

DigitalMarketer Lab Plus

First, you’re getting access to 36 digital marketing playbooks (step-by-step training):

  • Advertising playbooks - Facebook Ads, Google Ads, video ads
  • Email marketing playbooks
  • Landing page builder and sales funnel builder playbooks

And more!

 digital marketing workshops

Moving on, the second thing you’ll get are monthly digital marketing workshops:

  • Video ads
  • SEO strategies
  • LinkedIn marketing
  • Instagram ads
  • Email marketing automation

And so on.


Again, the workshops are great for beginners. But they’re still just that - workshops with basics.


You can get the information online for free.


Still, if you want to get it in one place, and you liked DM Insider, then DigitalMarketing Lab Plus is worth checking out.


Or, you know, just get a tool that you can actually use to set up your sales funnels and email marketing automation with proven templates.

DigitalMarketer Facebook community

You’ll also get access to the DigitalMarketer Facebook community.


It’s a bit of a hit or miss, since the majority of the members are beginners, and there are only a few DigitalMarketer moderators.


Additionally, you’ll get discounts for tools like:

  • HostGator
  • OptInMonster
  • ActiveCampaign

This is neat.


However, there are all-in-one marketing tools that can keep your costs to a minimum, and help you stop switching tabs and going through various tutorials.


Finally, you’ll get a DigitalMarketer certification. It’s neat to have if you plan on offering marketing services to clients. However, it doesn’t have a lot of value on its own.

You can get the majority of digital marketing content offered in DigitalMarketer Lab Plus online for free.


At the same time, they’re not offering advanced tactics.


I’d skip this one.

2.3. DigitalMarketer Lab: Lab ELITE review

 digitaldarketer lab elite

Cost: $295/month


Finally, DigitalMarketer Lab ELITE is a private community, which means DigitalMarketer folks will have to approve your application.


Sounds fancy, right?


Let’s see what you’ll actually get!


First, you’ll get everything from DM Insider and Lab Plus: workshops, courses, playbooks, etc.

the 90-day gameplan

You’ll get access to The 30-Day Growth Accelerator, which is a workshop that’ll help you create a growth strategy.


Again, you can get that information online for free.


You don’t have to pay that much to watch a video explaining what you should do - but not how to do it.


However, once you do create your marketing plan, you can get feedback from DigitalMarketer coaches and pros.


This is a huge benefit, in my book, especially if you’re a beginner.


Unfortunately, it seems like ELITE is for pro marketers, so... why would pros need that kind of feedback?


It doesn’t add up.

Zoom call

You’ll also get weekly live coaching calls with the rest of the community and someone from DigitalMarketer.


This is neat for getting hands-on advice, too.


You’ll be getting “power plays,” as well, which is similar to playbooks, only a little more advanced.

Social media mastery

You’ll also get access to DigitalMarketer courses. And you’ll get DigitalMarketer certifications for each.


Again, it’s nice to have if you’re a marketer, but not necessary if you’re a business owner.


Unfortunately, they courses and playbooks are generalized, and the first rule of digital marketing is: what works for one industry might not work for the other.


It has to be applicable.


So if you’re a business owner, you might find yourself digging into the fundamentals of digital marketing too deeply, and not leveraging marketing to increase your sales.

facebook groups

Finally, you’re getting access to a Facebook community, similarly to Lab Plus.


Again, I’m not impressed. I don’t think that you’re going to extract much value from it as a business owner.


The strategies and tactics aren’t tailored to your industry or your product type.


They’re just your general marketing strategies.


Consequently, the community has too much noise to really get valuable information, and participation is required.

Again: all the best to DigitalMarketer folks - their free content helps a lot.


But this paid program?


I’m not impressed, and I don’t think you will be, either.

3. DigitalMarketer certifications and courses

DigitalMarketer certifications and courses

If you plan on building a business selling your marketing services to clients, then DigitalMarketer certifications and courses will come in handy!


Like I said before, DigitalMarketer courses offer generalized insight into different fields of digital marketing, allowing you to work on becoming a full stack marketer.


They’re practically a full stack academy.


(This is not ideal for business owners who work in specific industries. But it’s a goldmine for digital marketers.)


Some of the DigitalMarketer courses you can take include:

3.1. DigitalMarketer: Copywriting Mastery review

Copywriting Mastery

Copywriting Mastery comes in handy for writing all kinds of sales and landing pages.


You’ll also get a certification of completion when you finish it.


You’ll learn:

  • Direct response copywriting fundamentals
  • How to dramatize product benefits with a 5-step system
  • How to write attention-catching headlines
  • 3 rules of selling
  • What buyer personas are, and how to create yours

And more!


You’ll also get worksheets, checklists, and templatesto help you write your copy.

DigitalMarketer Copywriting Mastery course

All in all, this is a good course if you want to boost your sales through copywriting, or help your clients boost their sales.


However, DigitalMarketer Copywriting Mastery course is $495.


It might be better to get a Lab Plus subscription, and then cancel it once you’ve taken the courses you need.

3.2. DigitalMarketer: Paid Traffic Mastery review

DigitalMarketer’s Paid Traffic Mastery course

DigitalMarketer’s Paid Traffic Mastery course is a good one if you want to get sales through paid advertising.


It covers Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Instagram adsso there’s something for everyone.


Again, this course is great if you’re turning into a full stack marketer.


You’ll learn:

  • The details about every advertising platform listed
  • How to create buyer personas
  • How to set up and monitor your ads
  • How to retarget visitors
DigitalMarketer’s Mastery course

All in all, it’s a good course for testing the waters of paid advertising.


I like the fact that they have a new module for video ads, they’re getting hotter by the minute.


However, $495 seems like a lot, consider that... yeah, you can get that information online for free, too.


The main benefit of these courses is that you can get it all in one place, plus a neat certification.

3.3. DigitalMarketer eComerce Marketing Mastery review

DigitalMarketer eComerce Marketing

Finally, the last course I’ll touch on (they have quite a few) is DigitalMarketer’s eCommerce marketing course.


Why?


Because this course is specific to an industry.


If you own an eCommerce business, this is the one for you.


You’ll learn:

  • How to set up a successful eCommerce store and build an online brand
  • Which tools, widgets, and services you need (alternatively: replace all of them with systeme.io)
  • How to promote your content
  • How to automate your email marketing

Some extra materials you’ll get include worksheets.

digitalmarketer HQ worksheets

The entire course takes 4 hours to complete, which seems like too little for such a complex subject.


But then again, all DigitalMarketer courses are for total beginners.


If you already know how to set up an online store, and what email marketing automation is, you’re not going to get much value out of them.


But if this is the first time you’ve toyed with the idea of opening an eCommerce store, then it’s a good fit!


DigitalMarketer eCommerce Marketing Mastery costs $495.


(You’ll also get a certification.)

4. DigitalMarketer Playbooks review

DigitalMarketer Playbooks

If you don’t need a DigitalMarketer certification, you can also get their crash courses AKA Playbooks.


I personally find the Playbooks to be the most useful because they’re step-by-step tutorials.


So if you want to apply knowledge immediately, you can follow along as they explain.


Here’s my two cents on some of the most popular DigitalMarketer Playbooks:

4.1. DigitalMarketer Facebook Ads Playbook review

DigitalMarketer Facebook Ads Playbook

Short and sweet, DigitalMarketer Facebook Ads Playbook ($27) is just the way you want it when you’re first testing the waters.


What I like the most about this Playbook is that it helps you get started with $10 as your budget.


Not many tutorials will start you off that low, but the truth is: you can make magic with that little.


Still, you’ll need to do plenty of your own researchto optimize and refine your future campaigns. This is just a quick-start guide.

4.2. DigitalMarketer Product Launch Playbook review

The Product Launch Playbook

The Product Launch Playbook is great if you’re not sure how to launch your product and start generating sales right away.


Again, it explains the basics, and you’ll have to do your own ground work, but it’s better than nothing!

4.3. DigitalMarketer Funnel Builder Playbook review

DigitalMarketer Funnel Builder

Alright, grab a comfortable seat because we’re going to be here for a while.


Listen, I’m not going to beat around the bush: you need a sales funnel to generate steady revenue.


Your sales funnel is a mechanism that attracts visitors, converts them into leads, which are then turned into customers.


Rinse & repeat.


It’s an incredibly useful system, especially when you add automation to the mix.


The folks at DigitalMarketer really explained the basics of how sales funnels work with their Funnel Builder Playbook ($27).


However, they did not mention that there is an all-in-one tool that helps you build and implement your entire sales funnel: systeme.io.

Systeme.io's dashboard

systeme.io's dashboard

I’ll talk about systeme.io more in a while, but just rest assured: there is a way to set up and manage your sales funnel in one place.

5. Traffic and Conversion Summit

Traffic and Conversion Summit

Finally, the folks from DigitalMarketer also work on the Traffic and Conversion Summit- one of the biggest digital marketing and digital retail conferences.


This year in December, it’s taking place in California.


You’ll hear from:

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Ryan Deiss (the founder of DigitalMarketer)
  • Jay Abraham

Key topics include: online branding, selling courses and platforms for doing so, improving your customer acquisition and reducing your costs, and more.


All in all, it’s a good mix of content, even if you’re not a pro marketer, but an online business owner.


I already wrote more about the T&C Summit in this review, so make sure you check it out if you’re interested in mingling with marketers and getting the best insights.


It’s a great conference!

6. Is DigitalMarketer worth it?

The moment of truth.

I’ll be upfront: DigitalMarketer is an indispensable resource for digital marketing.


Especially with their constantly-updated free content and guides.


They have a whole archive of free digital marketing guides:

And more!

DigitalMarketer blog

Add the DigitalMarketer blog and DigitalMarketer podcasts to the mix, and you’ve got a marketing site you can check every week over a cup of coffee to make sure you’re keeping your business competitive.


However, their paid materials aren’t that useful.


They’re really targeted to marketers, not business owners. You won’t get industry-specific knowledge.


You might even feel inundated with content, trying to do everything at once.


This is the first mistake: you can’t spread yourself too thin. Instead, find two channels that work, and focus on them.


Then, automate everything else, and give yourself some time to think.

doing my thinking with coffee in hand

I like doing my thinking with coffee in hand

Personally, I really love DigitalMarketer.


I check them a few times a month because their tactics are great.


But the courses? Not so much. In fact, I’d say that the blog is more valuable than the courses and Playbooks.

6.1. Do you need a DigitalMarketer certification?

If you’re a marketer, or want to get a job in marketing: yes.


DigitalMarketer is a popular site in those circles.


However, you can take their certification quiz with notes, so it’s not exactly the most trustworthy.


Still, it could help convince your clients of your skills.


If you’re a business owner: just straight up nope.

6.2. Other sites and alternatives to DigitalMarketer

backlinko's homepage

If you need specific SEO knowledge, I recommend Brian Dean and his website, Backlinko.


He offers in-depth guides on all things SEO, and he’s been in the game ever since people first realized Google displayed some results first.

Neil Patel's blog

Secondly, Neil Patel is good for all things marketing.


His blog covers different topics, and it’s definitely one of the most comprehensive resources on the web.

blog covers

Finally, if you want to take a digital marketing course, I recommend finding a specific course that specializes in marketing for your product or industry.


For example, Beau Crabill offers specific courses for eCommerce and dropshipping.

7. Start your online business with systeme.io

systeme.io's logo

systeme.io logo

I promised I’d get around to systeme.io, didn’t I?


Once you’ve gotten the knowledge you need to market your business, it’s time to put it into practice.


Now, they majority of courses will tell you that you need:

  • Hostgator for website hosting
  • A web designer for web design
  • Shopify for eCommerce
  • WordPress for a blog
  • MailChimp for email marketing
  • ClickFunnels for sales funnels

... the list goes on and on. And all these tools come with a price tag.


By the end of the month, you’ll have spent hundredsof dollars without generating more revenue.


There’s a much better way: pay only for one tool that replaces the rest of your marketing stack.


systeme.io successfully replaces:

  • Website hosting
  • Web designers
  • Sales funnel software
  • Email marketing tools
  • Automation tools

And more!

systeme.io's funnel

systeme.io's funnel

systeme.io has everything you need:

  • Templates
  • Email marketing
  • Easy and visual set-up (build your website, pages, and sales funnels by dragging & dropping)
  • Automation (automate your entire marketing)
  • Affiliate marketing (don’t pay for ads; pay a commission only after affiliates have successfully sold your product)
  • Sell digital products: eBooks, services, membership sites, online courses, webinars
  • Sell physical products: eCommerce and dropshipping

And more!

systeme.io's workflow builder

Automation has never been easier

The best part?


systeme.io starts from $27/month!


That’s quite a pretty penny you’ve saved there by using one tool instead of dozens.


So, what do you say?


Let’s get those sales for you!

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