CourseVerdict

The Complete Digital Marketing Course – 12 Courses in 1 vs Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)

Same Bayesian formula, same rubric — so the difference in scores reflects the difference in the courses, not the difference in how we evaluated them.

Daragh Walsh & Rob Percival (Codestars) · Business & Marketing

The Complete Digital Marketing Course – 12 Courses in 1

3.9/ 5 · 32 opinions
21 positive7 neutral4 negative/ 32 total

LinkedIn Learning · Dennis Taylor · Business & Marketing

Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)

4.1/ 5 · 40 opinions
28 positive8 neutral4 negative/ 40 total

Per-criterion

Content quality3.7 / 5

Twelve disciplines in 23 hours gives beginners a coherent map of digital marketing, but each channel averages under two hours. The Google Analytics module was built on Universal Analytics, retired by Google in July 2023, leaving a material gap for learners in 2025–2026.

Instructor4.1 / 5

Daragh Walsh is consistently singled out for clear, analytical explanations and responsive Q&A. Rob Percival's Codestars brand carries broad recognition. Reviewer frustrations centre on scope and currency rather than delivery quality.

Value for money4.6 / 5

At $11.99 on sale, twelve channels for less than a lunch bill is the consensus judgment. Even at the $89.99 full price the breadth-to-cost ratio outperforms single-channel courses. Lifetime access and periodic updates reinforce the value case.

Practical frameworks3.5 / 5

Each module includes projects, checklists and downloadable resources. Reviewers report applying the frameworks to freelance pitches and small-business planning. The limit is depth — projects are introductory exercises rather than full campaign builds.

Real-world use3.4 / 5

Useful for interviews and freelance proposals. YourDigitalAid's reviewer explicitly flags the gap — the course equips you to hold your own in an interview but not to independently run paid campaigns and generate revenue from a website.

Content quality4.1 / 5

Clear, well-paced and current — the 2025 Microsoft 365 refresh covers PivotTables, charts, multi-sheet formulas and Microsoft Copilot inside Excel. Depth stops at "essential," so power users wanting Power Query, dynamic arrays or VBA outgrow it quickly.

Instructor4.5 / 5

Dennis Taylor has taught Excel on this platform since the Lynda.com era. Reviewers reach for the same words — calm, clear, methodical. The 4.7-star aggregate from 8,000+ LinkedIn Learning ratings reflects unusually consistent praise for delivery.

Value for money3.9 / 5

Bundled in the LinkedIn Learning subscription (~$40/month or via LinkedIn Premium). HN commenters repeatedly flag that most US public libraries offer free LinkedIn Learning access via library card — which moves this to effectively free for many readers.

Practical frameworks3.8 / 5

Coherent walkthrough of the daily Excel surface — data entry, formulas, formatting, charts, PivotTables, multi-workbook references, Copilot prompts. Stops short of the analyst-grade stack — Power Query, Power Pivot, dynamic arrays, LAMBDA — driving modern Excel work.

Real-world use4.0 / 5

Excel is one of the most universally job-applicable skills in business, and Taylor's coverage maps cleanly onto what finance, ops, marketing and admin touch daily. Ceiling — data-analyst roles still need Power Query and deeper pivots this course barely touches.

Scoring methodology applies identically to every course on the site — see the formula.