When it comes to digital marketing, knowledge is power.
Marketers with industry experience know how to develop a paid social media strategy, which keywords to choose, and how to write magnetic content that converts.
To everyone else, these people must seem superhuman! But…I know their secret.
The truth is these marketers aren’t lucky or gifted. Most successful marketers have been through years of trial and error.
But maybe you don’t have years. Perhaps you want to start seeing results now.
Or maybe you’re having a hard time proving your marketing know-how to clients and employers. After all, it can be challenging to stand out in a field as competitive as digital marketing.
That’s where marketing certifications come in.
Years ago, I said certifications didn’t matter. Back then, it was true. But as time went on, marketing certifications have evolved and may be an excellent opportunity for many.
They became more specialized and solution-oriented—basically, they’re just more valuable. These days, I’d say there’s a place for marketing certifications on your resume, especially if you’re just getting started.
But it’s not just that the certification lessons offer insight and value. Marketing certifications can also validate your existing knowledge.
Unfortunately, there are still lots of useless marketing certifications available. How are you supposed to know which to get?
I did the hard work for you, going through dozens of marketing certification programs and dug into data to find the ten certifications worth getting.
Sound good? Great, let’s dive in.
Digital Marketing Institute’s Digital Marketing Pro
This certification is a two-for-one. When you complete your Digital Marketing Pro course, you’ll walk away certified by both the Digital Marketing Institute and the American Marketing Association.
But the real question is: What lessons are you learning, and how can you apply them to your work?
Well, let’s go through the syllabus! The certification requires ten courses, starting with an intro to digital marketing and wrapping up with an advanced digital marketing strategy class.
Once you’ve learned the basics of digital marketing (principles, research methods, consumer psychology, etc.), you can start to explore the more challenging subjects:
- What are the building blocks of a successful content marketing strategy?
- How frequently should you be publishing content?
- Should you focus on creating content or curating content?
This program covers everything from social media marketing to website optimization. It might not fit everyone’s budget, but it’s a certification that’s worth considering.
- DMI Expert (Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing): $3,787
- Digital Marketing Pro (DMI x AMA Dual Certification): $1,368*
- DMI Master (Certified Digital Marketing Master): $11,515
*This is the one we focused on for the information above.
Microsoft Advertising Certification
When it comes to marketing certifications, many tend to go with what’s well-known. But in reality, the best marketing advances often happen when you think outside the box.
That’s why I recommend you look into becoming a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional. For starters, it’s completely free. The program helps you make the most of your advertising dollars and optimize your ad campaigns.
Plus, once you’ve completed certification, you’ll be placed in the member directory, so potential employers can quickly confirm your certification status. You may even catch a marketing director’s eye as they scan the directory!
This certification is a great stepping stone for anyone getting started in the marketing world.
Cost: Free!
Google Analytics Individual Qualification
The Google Analytics Individual Qualification is highly specialized.
Google Analytics should be in every marketer’s tool belt. A well-trained digital marketing expert can use Google Analytics to identify any given ad strategy’s strengths and weaknesses quickly.
Armed with a strong understanding of Google Analytics, you’ll be one step closer to building effective digital marketing campaigns.
What’s it going to take to get certified?
The exam is 90-minutes long and takes place in a single session. Like most certifications on this list, you need a minimum score of 80% to pass. If you fail, you need to wait a week before trying again.
Lucky for you, you’ll have access to plenty of study materials, courtesy of Google.
Their Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics courses might seem simple at first glance, but they contain vital information that you’ll need daily as a marketer.
An absolute must, and all it’ll cost you is your time and attention.
Cost: Free!
OMCP Digital Marketing Certification
If you’ve never heard of the Online Marketing Certified Professional (OMCP) Certification, that’s not surprising. It’s a pretty advanced certification and not for anyone brand new to the digital marketing world.
If you want to earn an OMCP Digital Marketing certification, you need to fully demonstrate your digital marketing know-how.
While there are no official prerequisites to the OMCP exams, there are a few criteria you need to meet if you want to be certified. Right off the bat, you’re going to need lots of experience.
Not only do you need passing scores on your OMCP exams, but you’ll also need to meet at least one of these three requirements:
- 5000 hours of experience
- A post-secondary degree with 2000 hours of experience
- Completion of an approved digital marketing course with 1000 hours of experience
Once you pass your exam, you can request your certification and confirm your certification status.
So, what will you learn? You’ll start by learning the ins and outs of content marketing, how to optimize your conversion rate, and all about email marketing strategies. Then, the courses cover mobile marketing and paid search.
The course wraps up with an in-depth look at SEO, social media marketing, and general digital analysis.
The course might be demanding, but with an increased earnings potential of up to 26%, it’s no wonder that this course is in high demand.
Cost:
- OCMA: $225
- OCMP: $395*
*This is the exam we focused on in this section.
Hootsuite Academy Marketing Certification
The best part about this is you can use Hootsuite Academy as a tool to identify your digital marketing weaknesses—and strengthen them.
If you already know what you’re doing in the marketing world but you’re looking for more guidance on using Hootsuite’s program, there’s a course for that.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more in-depth program that tackles major social media marketing problems, they have a course for that too.
They even have highly specialized marketing courses for those who work in fields like healthcare or social advocacy.
My advice? Go through your resume and see what skills you need to develop. Take advantage of Hootsuite’s courses by spending some time and money to make yourself a stronger online marketer.
Cost: They have nine certifications available, ranging from $99 to $999.
Google Ads Marketing Certification
Google Analytics and Google Ads are two sides of the same coin. The more familiar you are with Google tools, the less likely you are to make marketing mistakes.
Google Ads can make or break your marketing strategy, which is why studying it is an absolute must if you’re just getting started.
Even if you’ve already run a few campaigns, it’s worth taking five or so hours to earn this certification.
The course helps shine some light on the more complicated Google Ads topics. If you’re not clear on the value proposition of digital advertising, building a campaign from scratch, or measuring metrics, this is the course you need.
Cost: Free!
YouTube Certified
It’s surprising how rarely this certification comes up—YouTube is a big deal in the marketing world.
Whenever marketers talk about certifications, they tend to focus on courses that cover the basics of navigating the digital marketing ecosystem.
But sometimes, that’s not really what you need.
Sometimes, you need a course that helps you understand what’s under the hood of a particular tool.
I can’t think of a course that’s more undervalued than the YouTube certification.
What makes video marketing so powerful is how compelling it can be. And learning the tips and tricks to creating engaging visual content is definitely worth the time.
YouTube Certification is all about taking the building blocks of digital marketing and applying them to the YouTube platform.
With courses like channel growth, content ownership, and asset monetization, they’re focused on teaching you how to make compelling content that converts visitors into buyers.
Cost: Free!
HubSpot Content Marketing Certification
If you’re serious about developing your content marketing skills, completing this program should be high on your to-do list.
The HubSpot Content Marketing Certification includes 12 courses, helping you build a strong content marketing foundation before teaching you how to create an exceptional content catalog.
What makes HubSpot unique is it helps you understand the value of storytelling and how to build a content creation framework properly.
They cover everything from how to build a guest blogging strategy to how to promote your content.
I’d highly recommend this to someone who just started a new blog or wants to grow an existing one.
Cost: Free!
Facebook BluePrint Marketing Certification
Facebook’s massive reach makes it irresistible to digital marketers. But the truth is, most don’t understand what makes a Facebook ads campaign work.
Usually, digital marketers use the same tactics they apply to Google Ads and call it a day.
But Facebook is its own world, and it’s essential to understand the lay of the land if you want to generate traffic and conversions.
Facebook offers two unique certifications: the Facebook Certified Planning Professional and the Facebook Certified Buying Professional.
Before you can become a Facebook Certified Planning Professional, you need to demonstrate you understand how to plan successful campaigns, target the right audiences for maximum impact, and maximize your reach.
If you want to be a Facebook Certified Buying Professional, you need to learn to manage Pages, understand Facebook Pixel, and generate compelling Facebook Ads.
Cost: $150 per certification
SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course
If search engines can’t see your business, it might as well not exist. If SEO keeps search engines like Google happy, why wouldn’t you want to make time for SEO?
My guess is there are plenty of marketers who are intimidated by SEO. It’s often a lot harder to wrap your head around SEO than content marketing or social media marketing.
Fortunately, SEMrush is here to help you out.
Their SEO Toolkit Course is a deep dive into the world of SEO and only takes about three hours to complete.
Once you pass their exam, you’ll be ready to handle keyword research, metric measurement, and campaign building.
Cost: Free!
Conclusion
Digital marketing changes every day. The platforms and tactics that worked just a few years ago don’t work as well today.
As a digital marketer, your job is to stay on the cutting edge. In an industry that moves this quickly, that can be pretty daunting.
That’s why courses like these can be so useful. They’re short and inexpensive enough that you don’t need to quit your day job and take out a loan. But they’re also thorough enough that you should walk away with valuable insights.
Have you found success with any of these certifications? Are there others you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments!
The post The Top 10 Marketing Certifications That are Worth the Money appeared first on Neil Patel.
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