Marketing for
SMEs and the Self-Employed

Presentation
Academic program
Teaching Staff
Tuition
Presentation
Academic program
Teaching Staff
Tuition

Marketing for SMEs and the Self-Employed

Overview

This micro-credential enables the design of viable and sustainable marketing strategies in small businesses, defining differentiated value propositions in competitive markets.
Students will learn to implement customer acquisition and retention strategies, manage budgets efficiently, use digital tools and basic artificial intelligence, and analyze key metrics for decision-making.

Goals
  • Design viable and sustainable marketing strategies for small businesses.
  • Define differentiated value propositions in saturated markets.
  • Implement customer acquisition and retention strategies adapted to the local and digital environment.
  • Manage marketing budgets efficiently.
  • Apply accessible digital tools and basic AI to optimize business processes.
  • Interpreting essential metrics for business decision-making.

Access requirements

To access the microcredential, the following requirements must be met:

Be between 25 and 64 years of age on the date the training begins.

A university degree is not required to access this micro-credential. However, students wishing to access it must meet at least one of the following access requirements:

1. Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.

2. Hold a Higher Level Vocational Training qualification, preferably in the fields of marketing, administration, management, commerce, finance or similar.

3. Demonstrate a minimum of two years of professional experience in the field of marketing, sales, customer service or operational management.

Academic program

Contents

MODULE 1. FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

  1. Introduction to Marketing
    What is marketing and what isn't it?
    Difference between selling and marketing.
    Marketing as a value creation system.
    Marketing in the context of small businesses.
  2. The market and the customer
    Needs, wants, and demand.
    Basic segmentation.
    Definition of ideal client (simplified buyer persona).
    Consumer behavior in local environments.
  3. The 4Ps of marketing (Marketing Mix)
    Product: value proposition and differentiation.
    Price: basic pricing strategies.
    Point of sale (distribution): physical and digital channels.
    Promotion: communication and visibility.
  4. Positioning and differentiation
    What does it mean to position oneself?.
    How to stand out in saturated markets.
    Basic branding for small businesses.

MODULE 2. FROM THEORY TO PRACTICAL STRATEGY

  1. Business objectives and SMART objectives
    How to set realistic goals.
    Common mistakes in small businesses.
  2. Simplified marketing plan design
    Basic environmental analysis.
    General strategy for customer acquisition and retention.
    Consistency between value proposition and actions.
  3. Acquiring customers with limited resources
    Local strategies (collaborations, networking, reputation).
    Social networks: strategic selection.
    Low-budget digital advertising.
  4. Customer loyalty and recurrence
    Customer experience.
    Simple loyalty programs.
    Post-sales communication.

MODULE 3. TOOLS AND MEASUREMENT FOR DECISION MAKING

  1. Efficient management of the marketing budget
    Resource allocation.
    Investment-results relationship.
  2. A practical introduction to digital tools and accessible AI
    Basic automation.
    Generative AI for content and planning.
    Commercial productivity.
  3. Measuring results and making decisions
    Basic indicators (sales, margin, conversion).
    Customer acquisition cost.
    Simplified dashboard for SMEs.

The training activities to be carried out during the delivery of the micro-credential will be:

  • Theoretical classes: expository, explanatory or demonstration sessions of the contents and
    knowledge.
  • Practical classes: sessions of practical application of the content developed in the
    theoretical classes, through the resolution of exercises, problems or theoretical-practical assumptions.

Methodology and activities

Regarding the way to organize the teaching to achieve the objectives set out in the micro-credential, the organizational modality summarized below will be followed:

  • Lectures/expository method: presentation or explanation by the
    faculty.
  • Seminars: completing exercises, solving problems or practical cases, others.
  • Group work: group preparation of assignments, projects/reports.
  • Evaluation: written, oral, and practical tests.
  • Exhibitions, debates and presentation of works and projects: activities supervised by the teaching staff.
  • Active methodologies: cooperative learning, project-based learning, classroom
    Inverted learning, service learning, game-based learning, case studies, problem solving… These are aimed at making learning a participatory process and are based on student agency.

Evaluation criteria

The microcredential will have an evaluation system (ES) based on the following assessment tests:

– Objective tests (true/false, multiple choice, test type, fill-in-the-blank, ordering, etc.): These are measurement instruments that allow the evaluation of knowledge, skills, performance, aptitudes, etc. The answers are closed-ended, thus promoting objectivity during the scoring process.

– Case, exercise and problem solving: tests in which students must solve, in a reasoned manner, within a certain time, and according to the established criteria, the cases, exercises or problems posed by the teaching staff, with the aim of applying the knowledge acquired.

– Works, memoirs, internship memoirs, reports and written projects: document prepared on a topic or activity carried out, following the instructions established by the teaching staff.

– Oral presentation and defense of topics, assignments, etc.: oral presentation on a topic related to the micro-credential content or on the results of an assignment, exercise, or project, followed by a discussion with the teaching staff. This can be done individually or in a group.

General information

Credits: 3 ECTS

Duration: 27/04/2026-17/05/2026

Teaching modality: Virtual

Location: ULL Virtual Campus

Free enrollment

Valued at: €217.50

Registration
More info and registration help

Formación subvencionada por el “Plan para el desarrollo de microcredenciales universitarias”, inversión 6 del componente 21 de la Adenda del “Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia – financiado por la Unión Europea – Next Generation EU», para el ejercicio 2025 y por la Cátedra Fundación DISA de Jóvenes Emprendedores de la Universidad de La Laguna.

Flexibility

Short courses available in various formats (in-person, online, or hybrid). Ideal for learning without interrupting your professional life.

Employability

Content created and delivered by professionals and experts in the field, designed for immediate application.

Certification

Endorsed by the University of La Laguna. You will receive an official ECTS certificate, valid in the European Higher Education Area.

Teaching staff

Sebastian Ramon Mendoza Torres

Business consultant and vice president of the technical marketing body of the General Council of Economists of Spain, with extensive experience in strategy, marketing and business advice.

Edgar Javier Sabina del Castillo

Professor and researcher of Marketing at the University of La Laguna, specializing in strategy and consumer behavior, with experience in the agri-food sector and in entrepreneurship.

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