Introduction to Marketing Principles

Course Overview

Introduction to Marketing Principles

Foundational Marketing Training for Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and New Marketers

What is marketing, really? This entry-level course cuts through the jargon to explain how marketing works in the real world. Whether you’re starting your own business, working freelance, or pivoting careers, this course equips you with essential marketing knowledge and practical tools to help you grow with confidence.
You’ll explore customer needs, branding, promotion, ethics, and how to develop simple strategies that resonate—using relatable UK-based examples and step-by-step guidance.

Step into the World of Modern Marketing

Marketing has never been more dynamic, more creative, or more influential. Every message you see, every product you choose, every brand you trust—behind it all is a marketing story crafted to connect with you. This course is your invitation to learn how those stories are made, why they work, and how you can create your own.

At The Northern School of Marketing, we believe that great marketing is about more than clever slogans and glossy adverts. It’s about understanding people, delivering real value, and building relationships that last. Whether you’re launching your first business, changing career, or simply curious about the strategies behind the brands you love, this course will give you the skills and confidence to stand out.

A Learning Journey in Three Acts

Your path begins with the fundamentals—what marketing really is and why it matters—before moving through the shift from traditional to digital, and finally exploring where the future will take us.

We start with The Foundations of Marketing, where you’ll uncover the building blocks of the profession. You’ll explore the meaning of customer value, discover how brands stay ahead in competitive markets, and learn why understanding your audience is the key to success.

From there, we’ll guide you From Traditional to Digital, charting the transformation from newspapers and billboards to the interactive, data-driven world of social media, streaming, and influencer campaigns. You’ll see how the best marketers blend offline and online channels into seamless, memorable experiences.

Finally, in The Future of Marketing, you’ll peer ahead at emerging trends, from artificial intelligence and immersive technologies to the growing importance of ethics and adaptability. You’ll learn how to spot change coming—and how to use it to your advantage.

Who Is This Course For?

  • Start-up founders, sole traders and small business owners
  • Freelancers looking to grow their client base
  • Individuals making a career switch into marketing
  • Students or early professionals looking to strengthen their understanding

No previous marketing experience is required.

Find out more about what you will learn

Explore how this course will support you and your Marketing Journey.

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Build a simple but effective marketing plan
  • Understand what marketing is (and what it’s not)
  • Identify your target audience and what drives their behaviour
  • Apply the 7Ps of marketing to real-life business situations
  • Distinguish between marketing and sales—and see how they work together
  • Communicate with customers clearly, responsibly and inclusively

The course is delivered across five in-depth modules, each broken down into clear, easy-to-follow lessons. Each module includes:

  • Optional extension activities for deeper insight
  • Practical examples from UK freelancers and small businesses
  • Interactive worksheets and checklists to apply your learning
  • Short quizzes and reflection tasks to reinforce your understanding

  1. What is Marketing?
    Covers the purpose, history and practical role of marketing in business.
  2. The Marketing Mix (4Ps to 7Ps)
    Understand how product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence shape effective strategy.
  3. Value Creation & Market Orientation
    Learn how to deliver meaningful value and put the customer at the heart of your decision-making.
  4. Marketing vs. Sales
    Discover how these two disciplines align and differ, and how to move people from interest to action.
  5. Ethics & Sustainability in Marketing
    Build long-term trust through inclusive, honest and environmentally conscious marketing practices.

  • Worksheets and checklists you can apply to your own brand or business
  • Step-by-step exercises to build out your marketing plan
  • Downloadable templates for brand positioning, customer journeys and promotional messaging
  • Interactive elements to help solidify learning without overwhelming complexity.

You can complete the full course in approximately 6 to 8 hours, at your own pace. It is designed to fit flexibly around busy schedules, family life or freelance work.

Why Choose IMA?

This course is designed by a UK university lecturer in digital marketing and TechStartUp Awards Finalist 2025 and Tech Rising Star Finalist 2025, with over 13 years of hands-on industry experience working across agency, corporate, and consultancy sectors.


What sets this course apart is its balance of academic insight and real-world application. It avoids overcomplicated theory, instead offering actionable knowledge grounded in current UK marketing standards, ethical practice, and entrepreneurial challenges.

You’re learning from someone who has:

  • Taught at undergraduate & postgraduate level in a UK university
  • Built and scaled marketing systems for small businesses and start-ups
  • Developed and led tech platforms for freelancers and micro-businesses

Start learning with confidence from a course built on real-world experience and academic credibility. Whether you’re new to marketing or looking to sharpen your skills, you’ll gain practical, up-to-date knowledge tailored to the UK market.

Join now for instant access to all courses on the site – not just this one. Learn at your own pace, revisit content anytime, and grow your marketing expertise with full support.

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