Member StoriesStaci Grimes

Tell us a bit about your experience before the Digital Marketing Institute?

I originally studied under the Digital Marketing Institute to complete a blended certificate in digital marketing from DMI and AMA. Prior to that, I had completed a bachelor's degree in business with a marketing focus. I have career experience in marketing in both higher ed settings and in freelance capacities (with an emphasis on non-profit institutions).

Why did you choose to study your Specialist Course with Digital Marketing Institute?

My first certificate course with DMI and AMA was a great experience. I use the tools provided to follow along with and highlight the study notes while watching the presentations so studying for the exam later is focused. The quizzes are a great way to measure comprehension throughout the course, and later in preparation for the exam. The invited lecturers are world class, and all the topics are relevant to my work.

The specialist course became available literally at the moment that it became clear to me that the direction of my institution would require me to achieve heightened responsibilities in both strategy and leadership. As the course progressed, I identified numerous talking points from the course materials that supported our office leadership's conversations related to strategy best practices.

Since completing the course, how has your skills/knowledge and career progressed?

Throughout the course, and beyond its completion, I've presented with my colleagues on various topics related to our digital marketing strategies at a higher ed marcomm conference (2 presentations), cross-divisional meetings, the President's division meeting, and across campus. My social media manager and I have been interviewed twice for articles, one of which was recently published by SproutSocial, the other, by The Nonprofit Communications Report should be published in the next few months. We've finalized a strong College brand social media policy, strengthened the integration of the work of all our office teams to support the College Strategic Direction, and reorganized our office to reflect our work's emphasis on bringing meaning to our audiences in our institutional messaging.

I also appreciate ongoing access to short courses and webinars that cover topics that arise in the field of digital marketing. I don't foresee a time when I won't have an active membership.

What was the most valuable lesson or skill you gained from completing your specialist course?

This course reinforced the importance of empathy for our audiences, throughout our work in different channels. I also feel better equipped to catalyze digital transformation through new approaches to leadership in these spaces.

How would you describe your time in the Digital Marketing Institute?

Membership in and course completion through the Digital Marketing Institute are some of the most important opportunities I've opted for in my current career. As I recently said in a LinkedIn post, the digital marketing field will never be static, so neither can our skills be.

These certificate courses require commitment: the course work is asynchronous, and the only person holding you accountable for completion by the final deadline is yourself. Time commitment throughout the process is important to consider -- there aren't any shortcuts to completion without a real investment.

And they're worth it. Beyond the extra letters I've added to my title, beyond the certificates I can show my colleagues, all the material covers subject matter that is relevant, timely, and helpful.”Anyone struggling to find their footing in a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing could benefit from completion of courses by DMI”.

As I mentioned previously, I lean into my active membership and the ongoing access that provides to short courses and webinars. If I need to dig into the how-to of any skill I identify as needing to strengthen, or if I need to prepare to lead my team through new territory, DMI is where I search first for resource.