Forge
Convert - Digital Marketing Course
Learn how to find your audience, launch campaigns, and create loyal customers.
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1) Course Overview
Discover what you'll learn in Convert. Learn more ↓
2) Meet Your Instructors
Get to know your new marketing guides. Learn more ↓
3) Extra Perks
Explore Forge student perks. Learn more ↓
4) All the Details
Learn about dates, deadlines, & tuition. Learn more ↓
Course Overview
Tackle brand strategy in the digital world
Convert is a 10-week introduction to digital marketing that equips students with core marketing principles, skills, and tools. You'll learn about paid and organic social media, search engine marketing, email marketing tools, basic website optimization, best practices for presentations, and the basics of design.
Through several real-world marketing projects, you'll learn how to create a marketing strategy and master the tools you need to make it happen. Projects include creating an email publication for a specific target audience, writing BuzzFeed and Medium articles, and acting as a marketing consultant for CIO events.
Through several real-world marketing projects, you'll learn how to create a marketing strategy and master the tools you need to make it happen. Projects include creating an email publication for a specific target audience, writing BuzzFeed and Medium articles, and acting as a marketing consultant for CIO events.
I really enjoyed Convert as a crash course in marketing. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to explore marketing but doesn't know where to start!
Katie Novak
CONVERT COURSE GRADUATE
Convert taught me a lot about digital marketing, and gave me a chance to apply what I learned to real world marketing projects. Collaborating with groups was fun too, and put into perspective what a career in marketing would look like for me.
Sydney Levine
CONVERT COURSE GRADUATE
Explore the past, present, and future of marketing
We'll look at traditional marketing tactics and how they compare to today's latest tools. As the digital world grows and becomes increasingly relevant for day-to-day business operations, companies need more employees than ever to be versed in digital marketing. Convert is a great jumping off point for students looking to explore digital marketing as an interest or as a career path.
Skills You'll Learn
Search Engine Optimization
Copywriting
Google Analytics
Brand Strategy
Projects You'll Complete
Project 1: PowerPoint Palooza
Students will make a presentation on the 4 P's of a company's marketing strategy, and make one recommendation as to how they can use a 5th P to increase conversions.
Project 2: Social Justice Marketing
Students will pick a company and choose a social justice / current issue that they think would be valuable for the company to focus on. Examples would include the environment, social justice reform, equitable vaccine rollout, etc. The goal is to come up with a strategy and vision for how the company will become a voice for the issue chosen. Suggested strategy will be compiled into a well organized written report with assets attached.
Project 3: Buzzfeed Challenge
First, students will pick an audience to target by looking at Buzzfeed Community for inspiration. Then, they will write an audience-specific quiz or listicle in a Google doc, and eventually post to see who's article or quick can gain the most views.
Project 4: Side Hustle Branding
Develop a marketing strategy for a side hustle you could start while still at UVA. Outline what it's all about by creating 8-10 deliverables (emails, posts, landing page, etc.) along with a 4-8 slide deck (pitch & marketing strategy), a logo, and your outline to present for the class.
Students will make a presentation on the 4 P's of a company's marketing strategy, and make one recommendation as to how they can use a 5th P to increase conversions.
Project 2: Social Justice Marketing
Students will pick a company and choose a social justice / current issue that they think would be valuable for the company to focus on. Examples would include the environment, social justice reform, equitable vaccine rollout, etc. The goal is to come up with a strategy and vision for how the company will become a voice for the issue chosen. Suggested strategy will be compiled into a well organized written report with assets attached.
Project 3: Buzzfeed Challenge
First, students will pick an audience to target by looking at Buzzfeed Community for inspiration. Then, they will write an audience-specific quiz or listicle in a Google doc, and eventually post to see who's article or quick can gain the most views.
Project 4: Side Hustle Branding
Develop a marketing strategy for a side hustle you could start while still at UVA. Outline what it's all about by creating 8-10 deliverables (emails, posts, landing page, etc.) along with a 4-8 slide deck (pitch & marketing strategy), a logo, and your outline to present for the class.
Meet Your Instructors
Charlotte Carey and Mary Douthitt
Charlotte and Mary will be your guides in learning digital marketing this spring. Both of them are Forge members who took Convert themselves one year ago.
Our student teaching model means our courses are constantly changing and improving, enabling you to learn skills that are more up-to-date than what you might learn in a typical classroom.
It also means we can be better mentors and guides for you. We know where you might get stuck and how to guide you through those challenges because we've been in your shoes before. And we know what makes a lesson fun (or extremely boring), so we always design programs that we'd want to participate in ourselves.
Our student teaching model means our courses are constantly changing and improving, enabling you to learn skills that are more up-to-date than what you might learn in a typical classroom.
It also means we can be better mentors and guides for you. We know where you might get stuck and how to guide you through those challenges because we've been in your shoes before. And we know what makes a lesson fun (or extremely boring), so we always design programs that we'd want to participate in ourselves.
95%
of Convert graduates would recommend the course to a friend
100+
UVA students graduated Convert in the last 2 years
Joining the Forge Community
At Forge, we give our people the skills they need to realize their big ideas and a community they can call home. Our courses are a great place to get to know our community, make new friends, and prepare for your future. All of our students get access to exclusive perks and opportunities beyond whatever course they're taking:
Free access to all of our Crash Courses
Exclusive community events and jobs
Opportunities for (sometimes paid!) projects to practice your new skills
Priority applications for Launch summer internship program
Dates, Deadlines, and Tuition
Workshop Schedule
Convert has two sections:
- Section A meets online Sundays, 3-5pm
- Section B meets online Tuesdays, 5-7pm
Course content is identical between the sections. Courses start the week of February 14 and continue for 10 weeks.
- Section A meets online Sundays, 3-5pm
- Section B meets online Tuesdays, 5-7pm
Course content is identical between the sections. Courses start the week of February 14 and continue for 10 weeks.
Time Commitment
Courses expect a 4-6 hour/week commitment. Outside of the 2 hours in your online workshop meeting time, you can expect to meet with your instructor weekly for labs (at flexible times) and to spend some time working with your classmates on projects.
Application Process and Deadlines
You can apply at any time here before Tuesday, February 9 at 11:59pm.
If you're accepted, you'll hear back from us later that week and will then need to submit your course fee (details below).
If you're accepted, you'll hear back from us later that week and will then need to submit your course fee (details below).
$200 Course Fee
$125 for college students
Only $95 for UVA students
$125 for college students
Only $95 for UVA students
For UVA students, each of our courses is just $200 $95 — that's less than a weekly lunch out for the semester. We're proud to partner with these two UVA schools to make this reduced cost possible.
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Do you offer financial aid?
We are committed to making our courses accessible to all. We reduce or eliminate the program fee to all students who need it, no questions asked. Our aim is to enable everyone who wants to learn and join the Forge community. This is made possible by $20,000 in generous donations from our alumni network each year.
15% of students receive financial aid from Forge. 54% of aid goes to first-generation college students, and 80% of aid goes to people of color.
15% of students receive financial aid from Forge. 54% of aid goes to first-generation college students, and 80% of aid goes to people of color.
What's your refund policy?
We think you'll love Forge, but if you decide you need to drop, you may request a refund within 10 days of your course's first workshop meeting time. You'll receive a full refund, less a $20 operations fee. Beyond this date, no refunds will be given.
What are your online courses like?
We know how to do online teaching right. Our Skills Courses will be all-online for the foreseeable future to protect the health of our students and instructors. Teaching online is not new for us - we know how to make online courses fun, engaging, and interactive. We know you can't just film a traditional lecture and hope for the best!
Since we've moved our courses online, our student satisfaction ratings haven't changed -- 95% of students would still recommend their course to a friend.
Since we've moved our courses online, our student satisfaction ratings haven't changed -- 95% of students would still recommend their course to a friend.
Do I need to have any background experience to apply?
No, you don't! This course is designed for people with little-to-no background experience.
What's your climate impact?
We donate 1% of all course tuition to carbon removal initiatives around the world. We also power our clubhouse with 100% clean wind and solar power. Learn more.
I have a question that wasn't answered here.
No problem! Reach out to hello@joinforge.co, and/or come to our online Open House to talk to our team and learn more.
"It's electric being at Forge. Surrounded by my people and given all the tools I need for success, I feel like I can do absolutely anything. The relentless creative energy of our students is what makes Forge unlike anything I've ever been a part of.
There is something so fundamentally special about our members that just working and learning beside them has helped me grow enormously as a leader and a learner."
- Rachel, Forge alumna
There is something so fundamentally special about our members that just working and learning beside them has helped me grow enormously as a leader and a learner."
- Rachel, Forge alumna
Explore Other Forge Programs
⛰ 1% of our membership dues and courses tuition goes toward carbon removal. ⛰ Learn more →
About Forge (formerly HackCville)
Forge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that prepares students with the modern skills they need to make an impact in the world. Over 1,000 students each year learn things like design, marketing, and data science through our fun, engaging, community-driven projects and programs. We strive to empower students to realize their own potential while creating opportunities for them to make an impact for good.
In turn, we provide talent to 200+ tech companies, startups, and nonprofits in Charlottesville and across the country. Our home is our clubhouse near the University of Virginia, but our broader network of 2,000+ spans the globe. More about us →
In turn, we provide talent to 200+ tech companies, startups, and nonprofits in Charlottesville and across the country. Our home is our clubhouse near the University of Virginia, but our broader network of 2,000+ spans the globe. More about us →
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© 2021 Forge Academy
A 501(c)(3) non-profit
EIN: 46-1626349
A 501(c)(3) non-profit
EIN: 46-1626349