Performance Marketing

A. Product Name & One-Line Positioning

Product name: Professional Certificate in Performance Marketing & Growth (PC-PMG)
Positioning (one line): A practitioner-led program that teaches data-driven acquisition, creative optimization, and measurable growth systems to plan, execute, and scale high-ROI paid campaigns across channels.

B. Target Audience & Market Fit

• Primary: Marketing managers, growth marketers, paid media specialists, performance analysts, founders, and agency staff.

• Secondary: Social media managers, e-commerce operators, product marketers, and operations leads responsible for acquisition.

• Prerequisites: Basic digital marketing literacy (familiarity with ad concepts & analytics). Offer a prep module for absolute beginners.

• Pain points solved: Poor ROAS, inability to scale profitably, weak creative testing, poor tracking/attribution, and unclear experimentation frameworks.

C. Transformational Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be able to:

1. Design channel-agnostic performance funnels and growth experiments.

2. Launch, optimize, and scale paid campaigns on Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok, and programmatic channels.

3. Build attribution models and measurement frameworks using GA4 and server-side measurement.

4. Run creative testing loops that improve conversion rates and lower CPAs.

5. Implement CRO and landing page optimization for higher LTV and retention.

6. Build dashboards, automate reporting, and communicate ROI to stakeholders.

7. Lead a growth team and translate analytics into strategy and budget allocation.

D. Curriculum Structure — Module & Lesson Breakdown (Recommended 12–14 modules)

Module 0 — Onboarding & Foundations (self-paced, 1 week)

• Marketing funnel fundamentals, LTV:CAC concepts, tracking basics, account access setup.

Module 1 — Strategy & Growth Frameworks (1 week)

• North Star metrics, unit economics, audience funnels, north-star + OKR alignment.

Module 2 — Media Channel Deep Dives (3–4 weeks total; split by channel)

• Paid Search (Google Ads): keyword intent mapping, shopping, smart bidding, search funnels.

• Paid Social (Meta & Instagram): campaign structure, audiences, advantage+ adaptation.

• Performance on TikTok & YouTube: short-form creative, sound design, discovery formats.

• Programmatic & Display: DSP basics, viewability, brand + performance balance.

Module 3 — Measurement & Tracking (2 weeks)

• GA4 setup, server-side tagging, GTM, conversion modeling, UTM governance, event taxonomy.

Module 4 — Attribution & Experimentation (1 week)

• Attribution models, incrementality testing, holdouts, geo experiments, uplift measurement.

Module 5 — Creative Strategy & Testing (2 weeks)

• Creative brief templates, hypothesis design, A/B/n testing, creative velocity frameworks.

Module 6 — Landing Page & CRO (1 week)

• Conversion heuristics, copy testing, form optimization, heatmaps, AB testing tools.

Module 7 — Data, Dashboards & Automation (1 week)

• Tracking pipelines, Looker Studio, BigQuery basics, automated reports & alerts.

Module 8 — ROAS & Budgeting (1 week)

• Mix modeling, budget allocation frameworks, scaling playbooks, efficiency vs growth tradeoffs.

Module 9 — Retention & Growth Loops (1 week)

• Email & CRM integration, push & in-app messaging, onboarding funnels, referral mechanics.

Module 10 — Compliance, Privacy & Ad Policy (0.5–1 week)

• Ad policies per platform, privacy (GDPR, CCPA impact), consent, cookieless strategies.

Module 11 — Agency & Client Management (1 week)

• Briefing, reporting cadence, SLAs, SOWs, pricing models, RFP responses.

Module 12 — Capstone Project (3–4 weeks)

• Real brief: plan, execute & optimize a cross-channel campaign (simulated budget or live), deliver dashboards, performance report, and scaling plan.

E. Delivery Format & Learning Experience

• Format: Hybrid cohort — weekly live masterclass + tactical labs + mentor office hours + group projects.

• Cadence: Pre-work (2–3 hrs), live workshop (90–120 min with demos), lab/practice (3–6 hrs), weekly QA.

• Mentorship: 1:12 mentor ratio; capstone 1:1 mentor for premium cohorts.

• Hands-on: Sandbox ad accounts or simulated ad platform UI, sample datasets for bidding simulations.

• Community: Slack/Discord channels for channel-specific troubleshooting and creative reviews.

• Assessments: Labs, creative briefs, campaign post-mortems, capstone evaluation.

F. Cohort Options & Duration

• Flagship (part-time): 12 weeks (recommended).

• Intensive: 6 weeks (full-time).

• Self-paced: 4–6 months access, no live mentorship.

• Micro-programs: 2–4 week mini-courses (e.g., TikTok Performance, GA4 for Marketers).

G. Certification, Badging & Criteria

• Certificate: “Professional Certificate in Performance Marketing & Growth” with cert ID and verification page.

• Badges: Channel badges (Search, Social, Creative, Analytics).

• Passing Criteria: Complete labs, 70% on quizzes, approved capstone performance plan and post-mortem.

H. Capstone Standards & Deliverables

• Brief: Simulated or partner business with KPIs (CPA, ROAS, CAC, LTV).

• Deliverables: Campaign plan, creative test matrix, GA4 dashboard, looker report, campaign logs, post-mortem presentation.

• Evaluation: Strategy (35%), execution plan (30%), data & measurement (20%), presentation (15%).

I. Instructor & Mentor Profiles (hiring & onboarding)

• Lead instructor: Senior growth marketer with proven multi-channel scaling experience.

• Mentors: Paid media specialists, data analysts, CRO experts.

• Guest Lecturers: Platform reps, successful founders, creative directors.

• Onboarding docs: Teaching guides, grading rubrics, account sandbox instructions.

J. Tech Stack & Tools (recommended)

• Ads & Channels: Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads, YouTube, DV360 for programmatic.

• Measurement & Analytics: GA4, BigQuery, Looker Studio, Funnel.io (or Supermetrics), Tableau/PowerBI.

• Tagging & CDP: Google Tag Manager, Segment, RudderStack.

• CRO & Creative: Optimizely/VWO, Hotjar, Canva/AdCreative.ai, Figma.

• Automation & Ops: Zapier, Make, Sheets automations, scripts for bid management.

K. Content & Materials Build Process

1. Define module outcomes and KPIs.

2. Create concise theory videos (6–12 min) + demo walkthroughs.

3. Build hands-on labs (ad account simulated tasks, analytics walkthroughs).

4. Author templates: media plan, creative brief, tracking spec, post-mortem.

5. Peer review + pilot cohort + iterate.

L. Pricing Strategy & Packaging

• Self-paced: $199–$499.

• Standard Cohort: $799–$1,999 (depends on market).

• Premium Cohort: $2,999–$6,999 (includes 1:1 mentorship, live audits, campaign credits).

• Enterprise: Custom private training & retainers per seat or cohort.

• Payment: Installments, scholarships, revenue share options for startups.

M. Marketing Funnel & Go-to-Market (step-by-step)

Top-Funnel (awareness): webinars (e.g., “How we cut CPA by 30% in 90 days”), thought pieces, YouTube tactical explainers.
Mid-Funnel (engagement): free mini-course, campaign templates, demo case studies, creative swipe file.
Bottom-Funnel (conversion): live cohort preview, limited seats, early-bird pricing, free audit for applicants.
Channels: LinkedIn, YouTube, industry newsletters, partnerships with performance agencies.
KPIs: Lead quality, demo signups, cohort conversion rate, CAC, LTV of students.

N. Website & Sales Page Structure (high-conversion)

1. Hero: Program name + clear ROI promise + CTA (Apply / Enroll).

2. Outcomes: What you’ll be able to do (3–6 bullets).

3. Curriculum: Module list with time commitment.

4. Tools you’ll master (icons).

5. Capstone & deliverables.

6. Instructor bios & guest speakers.

7. Pricing and payment plans.

8. Testimonials & case studies (before/after metrics).

9. FAQs.

10. Apply/Enroll form + scholarship CTA.

O. Email Sequence (high-converting, 6 emails)

1. Welcome + lead magnet (media plan template).

2. Problem + proof (case study with metrics).

3. Curriculum walkthrough + what you’ll build.

4. Social proof + instructor note.

5. Offer & payment plan details.

6. Final reminder & limited seats.

P. Community, Career & Post-Course Support

• Private community for peer reviews and job leads.

• Demo days with industry guests & hiring partners.

• 1:1 resume & interview prep for premium students.

• Alumni discounts, continuous masterclasses.

Q. Operations & Admin (daily deliverables)

• Admissions team, onboarding checklists, technical readiness checks.

• Student success managers assigned per cohort.

• Billing & refund workflows, scheduling, recorded session library.

R. Legal, Compliance & Data Privacy

• Terms & conditions, refund policy, IP ownership for ad creatives (clarify rights).

• Data processing agreement (if handling student data), cookie & consent policies.

• Platform compliance (ad policy training, disallowed content).

S. KPIs & Measurement (what success looks like)

• Academic: Completion rates, project submission rate, capstone pass rate.

• Commercial: Conversion rate, CAC, cohort fill rate, revenue per cohort.

• Impact: Average CPA reduction or ROAS improvement in capstone projects, job/hire placements.

• Engagement: Active community members, office hours attendance, mentorship uptake.

T. FAQ (site & sales) — sample lines

• Q: Do you provide live ad accounts?
  A: We provide sandbox accounts and templates; premium cohorts may access live ad credits under supervised conditions.

• Q: Will I get jobs?
  A: We provide hiring support and portfolio building; outcomes depend on student effort and market conditions.

• Q: Is prior paid media experience required?
  A: Helpful but not necessary — a prep module is provided.

U. Upsells, Specializations & Career Pathways

• Upsells: 1:1 campaign audits, campaign management starter packs, creative production services.

• Specializations: Programmatic, Performance Creative, Growth Analytics, Ecommerce Scaling.

• Career paths: Paid Media Specialist, Growth Lead, Performance Analyst, Paid Social Manager.

V. Partnerships & Industry Outreach

• Partnerships with ad platforms, analytics vendors, and agencies for guest sessions and hiring pipelines.

• Sponsor demo days with agencies and brands to hire top students.

W. Student Onboarding Flow (detailed)

1. Enrollment confirmation & welcome email.

2. Pre-course survey (experience, goals, current stack).

3. Access to LMS, Slack, sandbox repo, and resource pack.

4. Orientation live session + tech checks.

5. Mentor assignment and cohort calendar.

X. Continuous Improvement Loop

• Post-module surveys, mentor feedback sessions, quarterly content reviews, and analytics-driven curriculum updates.

Y. Resource Pack & Templates (deliverables to include)

• Media plan template, creative brief template, tracking spec, post-mortem & experimental design templates, Looker Studio dashboard templates, GA4 event taxonomy sample.

Z. Implementation Timeline & Quick Launch Checklist (10–14 weeks)

Weeks 1–2: Define outcomes, scope, hire lead instructor.
Weeks 3–6: Produce core curriculum (videos, labs, templates).
Weeks 7–8: Build sales page, lead magnets, email flows.
Weeks 9–10: Run pilot cohort (beta) + collect feedback.
Weeks 11–12: Refine content, finalize pricing, set launch date.
Weeks 13–14: Launch marketing, open enrollment, start first full cohort.