Diagnose
Nicola examines your customers, competitors, positioning, digital footprint and marketing opportunities in a Business Intelligence Diagnostic.
The Insights Loop Digital Marketing & Implementation Programme
Improve your marketing. Build the capability to keep it moving.
Twelve weeks to turn your business priorities into practical marketing action — while developing the person responsible for delivering it.
Start with a Business Intelligence Diagnostic and a bespoke priorities plan. On the live programme, work with Nicola Martin throughout to implement, review and improve, with strategic consultancy and accountability built in.
Live programme £2,500 per person · Starts 2 November 2026 or 5 January 2027
Built around your business
Your priorities become the work.
For employers developing a marketing assistant, junior executive or colleague who has taken on marketing responsibilities — and owners implementing their own marketing. The business gains useful work and clearer decisions; the participant develops the capability to deliver them.
Prioritise
A bespoke Marketing Priorities Plan identifies three to five commercial objectives, practical actions and measurable KPIs. These guide the participant’s work.
Implement and improve
Build the assets, plans and measurement your business needs. Submit work for marking and feedback. On the live route, Nicola also provides strategic oversight and accountability throughout.
The diagnostic and priorities plan are included for employers enrolling someone in November or January, on either route.
Why Nicola built this
Commercial understanding. Put to work now.
Nicola’s experience teaching marketing apprentices showed how valuable it is when people connect their day-to-day activity with the wider business.
This programme brings commercial thinking, practical work and feedback together over twelve structured weeks. The aim is meaningful progress on your marketing priorities while your employee builds confidence and capability.
80CPD-certified learning hours
12structured teaching weeks
10assessed portfolio pieces
12learners maximum per cohort
Flexible Skills Programme
Welsh employers: up to 50% funding may be available
Eligible Wales-based employers may receive 50% towards approved training costs, potentially reducing the £2,500 live programme fee to a net employer cost of £1,250 if the full fee is approved as eligible. Apply and receive approval before training begins. Funding is not guaranteed. It is subject to eligibility, approval and available funds, and is reimbursed after completion with the required evidence. Funded training must be completed by the end of March 2027.
What your business works towards
Clear priorities. Useful assets. Measurable progress.
Implementation is part of the programme itself. The participant applies each stage to your business and receives feedback as the work develops.
- A business diagnostic and three to five commercial priorities
- A clearer view of your customers, positioning and channel choices
- Practical content, social and email assets aligned to those priorities
- An SEO audit and paid campaign brief to inform better decisions
- A marketing dashboard with five KPIs, baselines and targets
- A practical 90-day strategy to guide what happens next
What implementation means
The participant creates and improves the work; Nicola guides and reviews it. Some outputs are plans or briefs, others are draft assets ready for your business to review. Publishing content, launching campaigns and configuring tracking depend on your systems, access, budget and approval. This is supported implementation by your participant, rather than an outsourced marketing service.
Progress is assessed against the work and agreed priorities. Revenue or lead growth is not guaranteed.
Choose the support your business needs
Work alongside Nicola, or implement independently.
Both routes include a business diagnostic, priorities and KPIs, practical resources, marked work and feedback. Ongoing consultancy and accountability are included in the live route.
Consultancy + implementation + accountability
Live supported programme
£2,500
Per person · 12 structured weeks · live online
For businesses that want Nicola involved as the work develops. Regular contact gives her the business context to provide strategic consultancy, challenge decisions and keep implementation commercially relevant.
- Business Intelligence Diagnostic and bespoke priorities plan
- Commercial objectives and measurable KPIs
- Weekly live sessions and three-hour Implementation Labs
- Strategic oversight, consultancy and accountability during the programme
- Marked assessments, practical work and feedback
Maximum 12 participants. Payment plans available.
Choose a live cohortIndependent implementation + assessed feedback
Self-study programme
£1,750
Per person · own pace · complete within 12 months
For people who can organise and implement their own work. Follow the programme in your own time, using your audit and KPIs to focus your effort. Submit each stage for marking and feedback before progressing.
- Business Intelligence Diagnostic and bespoke priorities plan
- Commercial objectives and measurable KPIs
- Recorded learning, resources and practical activities
- Marked assessments, practical work and feedback
No live sessions, Implementation Labs, ongoing consultancy or accountability are included. Feedback is on submitted work; it does not include the ongoing involvement needed for Nicola to advise on your wider business.
Payment plans available.
Choose self-studyChoose your cohort
Get your marketing moving.
All sessions run online, 9am–12pm UK time. Maximum 12 learners per cohort.
Cohort 1 · November 2026
Monday 2 November 2026
Teaching: Mondays, 9am–12pm
Implementation Lab: Wednesdays, 9am–12pm
Seven teaching weeks before Christmas, from 2 November to 16 December. Start building your strategy and core channels before 2027, then return in January for the remaining five weeks.
January return and final dates will be confirmed before booking.
Join the November cohortCohort 2 · January 2027
Tuesday 5 January 2027
Teaching: Tuesdays, 9am–12pm
Implementation Lab: Thursdays, 9am–12pm
Teaching starts Tuesday 5 January; your first Implementation Lab is Thursday 7 January. Twelve consecutive weeks to build and improve your marketing.
Final session: Thursday 25 March 2027.
Join the January cohortThe practical work behind the outcomes
Twelve weeks from foundations to execution.
The sequence matters. Learners build the customer and brand foundations first, then create the channel activity, measurement system and 90-day strategy that sit on top of them.
01
What is marketing?
Understand marketing beyond social media, distinguish B2B from B2C and connect the right offer with the right audience.
Assessed output: About Me statement and personal brand brief
02
Understanding your customer
Use demographics, psychographics, problems, motivations and barriers to build an evidence-led customer profile.
Assessed output: Customer persona document
03
Your brand identity
Define the values, tone of voice, visual direction and positioning that make a brand coherent and recognisable.
Assessed output: Brand brief
04
Content marketing
Connect content to the customer journey, choose useful formats and plan purposeful activity rather than posting for the sake of it.
Assessed output: Four-week content calendar
05
Social media strategy
Separate organic and paid social, choose platforms for a reason and make five strategic decisions before creating content.
Assessed output: Social media strategy and three posts
06
Email marketing
Understand why email can deliver strong ROI and build a sequence with a clear purpose, structure and next action.
Assessed output: Three-email welcome sequence
07
SEO basics
Understand search intent, keywords, on-page SEO and technical signals, then turn observations into prioritised recommendations.
Assessed output: SEO audit of a real website
08
Paid advertising
Compare paid social with paid search, define the audience, platform, budget, creative direction and success measures before spending.
Assessed output: Paid advertising campaign brief
09
Data and analytics
Choose meaningful KPIs, distinguish leading from lagging indicators and establish the baselines needed to measure progress.
Assessed output: Marketing dashboard with five KPIs, baselines and targets
10
Marketing strategy
Separate strategy from tactics and bring the work together using SOSTAC, SMART goals and realistic commercial priorities.
Assessed output: 90-day marketing strategy
11
Presenting your work
Use the Brief–Thinking–Result framework to explain the commercial thinking behind the work and present it with confidence.
Assessed output: Final presentation script and outline
12
Portfolio showcase
Present three pieces of work in a live 10-minute presentation, reflect on progress and leave with clear next steps.
Assessed output: Completed ten-piece portfolio
How the live programme works
Learn it. Then put it to work.
Live teaching · 9am–12pm
Three hours with Nicola Martin each week to develop the commercial thinking behind your decisions, covering customers, positioning, channels, content, data and campaigns. Connect each topic to your business priorities.
Implementation Lab · 9am–12pm
Your time to build the campaign, write the content, set up tracking or work through your customer segments. Work independently and dip in and out when you need support, feedback or a second pair of eyes. Nicola is available throughout; this is not another three-hour lesson.
Review and improve
Nicola reviews progress, challenges the thinking and helps keep the work commercially relevant. Use feedback to improve the assets and track progress against your priorities and KPIs. Successful completion leads to Digital Marketing Executive certification.
80 hours of CPD-certified learning across teaching, implementation, portfolio work and assessment. Teaching attendance is required; you do not need to remain on the Lab call for all three hours. Employers should protect time for the weekly three-hour session and implementation work, provide access to relevant systems and data, and agree who can approve changes. The work should support existing business priorities; time needed outside sessions depends on the participant and project.
Assessment with a point
The evidence is work you can actually use.
The portfolio is the primary assessment. It is also a working marketing system: ten connected assets built across the course, reviewed as they develop and brought together in the final presentation.
Weekly quizzes contain five questions and use an 80% pass mark. A lower score triggers review of the key concepts rather than a penalty. The purpose is to find and close gaps in understanding before they become gaps in execution.
Your place also supports Fentro CIC
Build your business. Support a young person’s future.
10% of every programme fee supports the work of Fentro CIC, helping young people aged 16–24 who are outside education, employment or training.
Every full-price live programme place contributes £250; every full-price self-study place contributes £175.
Businesses joining either programme in 2026/27 can also be recognised as Founding Supporters of Fentro CIC, with their company listed and linked on the Fentro website. Recognition is optional; you can support the work without being publicly listed.
Let’s talk about your marketing
Not sure which route fits?
Start with the commercial problem you want to solve, who will do the work and how much ongoing support they need. Nicola can help you choose a route and discuss funding before you request a place.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
Who is the programme for?
It is designed for employers developing a marketing assistant, junior executive or employee with marketing responsibilities. Owners implementing their own marketing can also take part. The business supplies the working context; the participant builds the capability and practical work.
What is the weekly commitment?
Each teaching week has a three-hour live lesson and a three-hour Implementation Lab, both 9am–12pm UK time. Work independently during the Lab and dip in and out for help from Nicola. The programme includes 80 hours of CPD-certified learning; this is not 80 hours of compulsory live calls. Portfolio work and assessment also form part of the programme.
Is this a recorded online course?
The live route is participative rather than a library of recordings. Sessions are recorded for enrolled learners to recap, but recordings do not replace participation. The self-study route follows the same learning sequence, resources and assessment evidence without the live consultancy.
How is the programme assessed?
Weeks 1–11 include a five-question knowledge check with an 80% pass mark. The main assessment is the cumulative ten-piece portfolio, followed by a live portfolio presentation in Week 12. Work is reviewed weekly, with feedback and any required rework recorded.
Do I need previous marketing qualifications?
No. The programme builds from core commercial foundations through customer understanding, channels, data and implementation. Your own business or organisation can become the working case.
What technology do I need?
You need a PC or laptop with webcam and microphone, stable broadband, Microsoft Teams and a free Google account. No paid software is required.
How many people are in a live cohort?
A maximum of 12, so the teaching, practical support and feedback can remain consultative and specific to the businesses in the room.
Are payment plans available?
Yes. Payment plans are available for the live and self-study routes. Use the programme enquiry form to discuss the most suitable option.