Digital Advertising for Beginners: Day 1

6 Nov 2025

Level: Beginner

An accessible introduction to paid digital advertising across key platforms. This day focuses on helping participants understand what paid advertising is, why it matters, and how to get started without feeling overwhelmed.

Get started with simple, affordable digital ads that work. This workshop is perfect for business owners new to online advertising. You’ll learn the basics of paid advertising on platforms like Facebook, Google, YouTube and even podcasts. We’ll cover how to set a budget, choose your audience, and design your first campaign. This workshop will also feature how to set up email lists and advertising on blogs, plus an introduction to podcast advertising using Acast. Leave with a step-by-step plan and confidence to get started.

Core Topics:

  • What is Digital Advertising? Overview of paid vs. organic marketing, what ads look like across platforms (Google, Meta, YouTube, Spotify).
  • Platform Comparison: Choosing the right ad platform (Google, Facebook/Instagram, TikTok, Acast/Spotify) based on your audience.
  • Budgeting Basics: How to set and control a daily/monthly ad spend without wasting money.
  • Building Your First Ad: Walkthrough of creating a simple ad in Meta Ads Manager (image/text) and Google Ads. (Potential for pre-roll on Youtube if applicable)
  • Email Marketing: Tools to use to build an email list and deliver GDPR compliant emails to your existing and potential customers
  • Blogs Product and service reviews, listings, mentions, advertorials, seeking affiliate posts.
  • Intro to Podcast Ads & Acast: How podcast advertising works, what Acast does, and why it’s an exciting low-cost option for niche audiences.
  • Practical Exercise: Attendees will plan a basic ad campaign (goal, audience, message, platform, budget) and leave with a confidence-boosting template to try it later.

Takeaways:

  • A “Beginners Guide to Paid Ads” workbook
  • A pre-formatted ad campaign planning template
  • Email template and best practice blog template
  • Links to beginner tools (Meta, Google, Acast Open, Mailchimp, Mailerlite)

This workshop is suitable for beginners, and will be followed up by an intermediate workshop in January: Digital Advertising for Intermediates: Day 2.

When: Thursday 6 November, 10am-4pm (Full Day Workshop)

Where: Co-Lab Harrogate – Entrance 3, Convention Centre, King’s Road, Harrogate, HG1 5NX

Register now