Best Marketing Courses on YouTube

Finding the right YouTube marketing course can be a game-changer. The “best” course depends heavily on your experience level, learning style, and specific goals.

I’ve broken down the best YouTube courses into categories to help you find the perfect fit.

Table of Contents

🥇 Top Tier: The All-Around Champions

These are comprehensive, highly-regarded courses from established experts. They are a safe bet for most people.

1. Video Ranking Academy (by Tim Schmoyer)

Best For: Beginners to Intermediate creators who want a solid, foundational A-Z system.
Why It’s Great: Tim Schmoyer, through his channel Video Creators, is one of the most trusted voices in YouTube strategy. This course isn’t about hacks; it’s a deep, ethical, and sustainable framework for growing a channel. It focuses on the “why” behind the algorithm, not just the “what.”
What You’ll Learn: The core “CPS” framework (Context, Presentation, Satisfaction), keyword research, scripting for retention, thumbnails, and full-channel strategy.

2. YouTube Masterclass (by Phil Ebiner & Video School Online)

Best For: Absolute beginners who need to learn both the marketing and the production side.
Why It’s Great: This is one of the best-selling courses on Udemy. It’s incredibly comprehensive, covering everything from buying your first camera to advanced SEO strategies. It’s often on sale for a very affordable price.
What You’ll Learn: Equipment setup, filming, editing, writing YouTube-friendly scripts, SEO, thumbnails, analytics, and monetization.

🚀 For the Ambitious Creator & Business Owner

These courses are for those who are serious about turning YouTube into a significant part of their business or income.

3. YouTube for Bosses (by Roberto Blake)

Best For: Entrepreneurs, business owners, and serious content creators who view YouTube as a marketing channel.
Why It’s Great: Roberto Blake is a marketing expert who focuses on the business case for YouTube. The course is less about “viral videos” and more about building a profitable, lead-generating asset for your brand.
What You’ll Learn: Developing a business-minded content strategy, repurposing content, advanced audience building, and integrating YouTube with your sales funnel.

4. The YouTube Creator Academy (by Sean Cannell & Think Media)

Best For: Motivational learners who want fast-paced, actionable steps and a strong community.
Why It’s Great: Sean Cannell and the Think Media team are known for their high-energy, practical advice on their popular YouTube channel. Their paid academy provides a structured path, tools, and a supportive community.
What You’ll Learn: Their famous “1-Minute Thumbnail” method, high-retention video formulas, gear guides, and monetization strategies.

💰 Budget-Friendly & Free Options

You don’t always have to pay a lot to learn a lot. Some of the best education is free.

5. YouTube’s Own Official Creator Academy

Best For: Everyone. It’s free and straight from the source.
Why It’s Great: This is a collection of free lessons and tips directly from YouTube. It’s the most authoritative source on how the platform intends for features to be used. The information is always up-to-date with platform changes.
What You’ll Learn: The fundamentals of channel setup, community building, analytics, copyright, and all official platform policies.

6. Learn from Top YouTube Gurus (for free on their channels)

Before buying any course, spend time learning from these experts for free. Their channels are essentially free courses themselves.

Video Creators (Tim Schmoyer): Deep strategic thinking.
Think Media: Actionable tips on gear and growth.
Nick Nimmin: Great for shorts, community tabs, and Q&A.
Channel Makers: Modern, data-driven advice for the current algorithm.
Roberto Blake: Business-focused YouTube marketing.

🎯 Niche & Specialized Courses

7. Courses for Specific Skills:

Thumbnail Design: Look for courses on Skillshare or Udemy from graphic designers. A great thumbnail is a marketing tool itself.
YouTube SEO: TubeBuddy and vidIQ both offer excellent (and often free) academies and certifications focused purely on search and discovery.
Editing for Engagement: Courses on Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro that focus on pacing, storytelling, and using hooks.

How to Choose the Right Course for YOU:

Assess Your Level: Are you a complete beginner who doesn’t know what “SEO” stands for, or are you an intermediate creator stuck at 1,000 subscribers?
Define Your Goal: Do you want to build a personal brand, promote your business, or become a full-time creator? The best strategy differs for each.
Check the Instructor’s Credibility: Does the instructor have a successful YouTube channel? Does their teaching style resonate with you? Watch their free content first!
Look at the Curriculum: Does it cover the specific areas where you are weak (e.g., thumbnails, analytics, scripting)?
Consider the Price & Value: A free course from a guru’s channel might be more valuable than a paid course from an unknown. Start with free resources and invest in a paid course when you hit a specific plateau.

My Recommendation:

Start for Free: Go through the YouTube Official Creator Academy and binge-watch the free content from Video Creators and Think Media.
First Paid Course: If you want a structured, ethical foundation, invest in Video Ranking Academy. If you’re a complete novice who needs production and marketing, get the YouTube Masterclass on sale.
For Business Growth: If you’re an entrepreneur, YouTube for Bosses is the clear choice.