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Job candidates with marketing certifications are in high demand by many employers, who use certifications as a sign the applicant has the necessary knowledge and skills for the job, and has a desire for continued learning and training. Digital marketing professionals use certifications to show they’re committed to keeping their skills current.
Many brands today encourage a culture of learning, whether it’s through online learning, certifications, upskilling or reskilling. Employees who are always learning are more engaged, loyal, productive and satisfied. They increase their knowledge and enhance their career opportunities and have an improved employee experience in the process. Let’s look at the top marketing certifications in high demand.
According to the Robert Half 2023 Salary Guide, an entry-level digital marketing manager of the 25th percentile can expect to make $73,500, the 50th percentile can expect to make $91,250, and the same role in the 75th percentile can make as much as $108,750. Robert Half defines each percentile as follows:
According to Robert Half, the eight key roles in a “marketing dream team” are:
Brandon Wilkes, marketing manager at The Big Phone Store, told CMSWire that as an electronics retailer operating primarily online, it looks for job applicants with marketing certifications in order to guarantee they have the latest knowledge when it comes to digital marketing and associated technologies. “The continued learning that is provided by these qualifications is an excellent measure of how proactive an employee can be, given that they have gone out of their way in their own time to develop this bank of knowledge in order to benefit their career,” said Wilkes. “Such qualifications are not only useful to potential candidates but also to current employees, who can use them to boost their reputation as staff members and give their opinion more weight when backed up by professional qualifications.”
A 2020 getAbstract survey indicated over half of millennials (58%) and Gen Z (52%) said success in their careers depends on frequently updating their skills and knowledge. Continued learning remains important for older employees as well. More than a third of Gen X (35%) and baby boomers (34%) stated career success depends on continual learning. Online certifications and training courses provide marketing professionals and job candidates with an effective way to continually enrich their knowledge and add to their skill sets.
Coursera is a commercial online learning academy. After a seven-day free trial, students pay $39 per month to continue learning. Students then have access to over 7,000 courses, projects and certifications, including the Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce course. According to Coursera, 75% of Google Career Certificate graduates in the US report a positive impact on their careers within six months.
The Digital Marketing and E-commerce course teaches students how to use tools and platforms including Canva, Constant Contact, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify and Twitter. It consists of seven courses:
Each course takes from 18-to-27 hours to complete, and upon completion, students will receive a certificate that can be shared or displayed.
Related Article: Should Your B2B Company Offer Brand Certifications?
For students on a tight budget, Google Garage offers free certification courses that cover a wide variety of topics. Its Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course is accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University. It consists of 26 modules — each with practical exercises and real-world examples—that cover topics including:
The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing certification course takes approximately 14 hours to complete although there is no time limit to finish the course. Students can access the content at any time, and like most Google Garage courses, it is self-paced. Once all of the modules have been successfully completed, the student will receive a certificate of completion that can be displayed on their LinkedIn profile or downloaded as a PDF file that can be printed and displayed.
HubSpot certifications are also free, and are well-recognized and very comprehensive. Its Digital Marketing Course consists of nine lessons, including 37 videos and 11 quizzes, and takes approximately four-and-a-half hours to complete. Lessons include:
Digital Marketing Fundamentals
Building a Content Creation Framework
How to Find the SEO Strategy that Fits Your Business
Improving Website Performance
Creating Quality Blog Content Your Audience Loves to Read and Share
How to Create a Successful Video Marketing Strategy
Developing a Social Media Strategy
Introduction to Paid Search Advertising
Creating a High-Performing Email
HubSpot certifications are valid for two years. On an average day, there are many job listings on SimplyHired and LinkedIn Jobs that request knowledge of HubSpot. Prospective employers may expect candidates to be HubSpot certified, be experienced with HubSpot software or be prepared to become HubSpot certified.
Christy Pyrz, chief marketing officer of Paradigm Peptides, told CMSWire HubSpot certifications are a great addition to an employee's education. "This shows the hiring manager you've developed specific professional skills for these digital platforms and have received proper training in best practices. Whether you started as a beginner, intermediate or advanced, this certificate offers modernized practices and tools to help anyone succeed in the workforce."
Related Article: Top 5 Free and Paid SEO Courses and Certifications
Meta Blueprint offers a Digital Marketing Associate certification exam for $99, as well as free courses students should study in order to pass the certification exam. Students are also provided with practice exams they can use to prepare for the official exam. The Digital Marketing Associate certification exam courses are not to be confused with the free 19-module Digital Marketing Essentials course Meta offers.
Though the Certified Digital Marketing Associate exam courses tend to be focused on Meta properties, they are very thorough, and include the following lessons:
All total, there are 240 minutes worth of videos and quizzes. Once the student is ready, they can take the practice exam, and then complete the course by taking the official exam. The Digital Marketing Associate certification is valid for 24 months after successful completion.
LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of courses on a wide variety of topics for professionals interested in furthering their education. A monthly subscription to LinkedIn Learning is $39.99, starting with a one-month free trial period, and an annual subscription is $19.99 per month (billed annually), also with the free trial month. LinkedIn Learning includes LinkedIn Premium as well, and those who already subscribe to LinkedIn Premium also receive full access to LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning’s Master Digital Marketing course teaches students the fundamentals of digital marketing, how to use social media in a marketing strategy, and how to use SEO principles and analyze site SEO. It consists of 18 videos totaling 23 hours of instructional material. Topics include:
Once students have successfully completed the course, they will receive a certificate of completion that can be added to their LinkedIn profile page.
Marketing specialists are in high demand across industries, and marketing certifications are one way for job candidates to set themselves apart from others as being educated, informed and highly motivated. With many certification options and prices ranging from free to $99, marketing professionals can stay current while providing employers with a credible third-party assessment of their skills and knowledge.
For nearly two decades CMSWire, produced by Simpler Media Group, has been the world's leading community of customer experience professionals.
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Today the CMSWire community consists of over 5 million influential customer experience and custom service leaders, the majority of whom are based in North America and employed by medium to large organizations. Our sister community, Reworked gathers the word's leading employee experience and digital workplace professionals.
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For nearly two decades CMSWire, produced by Simpler Media Group, has been the world's leading community of customer experience professionals.
.
Today the CMSWire community consists of over 5 million influential customer experience and custom service leaders, the majority of whom are based in North America and employed by medium to large organizations. Our sister community, Reworked gathers the word's leading employee experience and digital workplace professionals.
