5 Best Digital Marketing Certifications

The best digital marketing certifications

Leading platforms like Meta and Google, as well as independent learning centers, offer many of the top digital marketing courses available. Below are five top providers:

1. Meta Certification.

The Meta Blueprint Certification program offers six certifications for three levels of proficiency in social media marketing.

• Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate (beginner level): This certification focuses on creating, managing, and reporting on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ad campaigns.
• Meta Certified Community Manager (beginner level): This program explores building, growing, moderating and sustaining online communities. Also, it looks at tools for measuring and analyzing community activity.
• Meta Certified Media Buying Professional (intermediate level): This certification focuses on building, managing, optimizing and reporting on paid social media advertising campaigns. Many businesses try to strike a balance between paid and organic social media marketing, making this program’s insights valuable.
• Meta Certified Creative Strategy Professional (intermediate level): This option involves developing creative briefs based on insights derived from research and evaluating and measuring their effectiveness.
• Meta Certified Media Planning Professional (intermediate level): This specialty will help you learn which media placements to recommend to clients based on advertiser needs and market insights. It also explores tools to measure and improve marketing ROI.
• Meta Certified Marketing Science Professional (advanced level): This certification explores reviewing marketing campaigns, developing and testing marketing ideas for effectiveness, and making recommendations based on those results.

The exams for these certifications cost between $99 and $150 each, but the training itself is free. However, before embarking on a specialty marketing program, consider taking Meta Blueprint’s free online courses; this way, you can build a solid foundation in Facebook marketing strategies and much more.

2. Google Ads Certification.

Google Ads is a powerful platform for boosting brand awareness and increasing sales. There are nine Google Ads Certifications to pursue:

• Measurement Certification: This specialty looks at tracking and improving Google Ads campaign performance.
• Creative Certification: This certification explores effective video, display, app and search ad creation for the Google Ads platform.
• Grow Offline Sales Certification: This program focuses on omnichannel marketing to connect with customers online and offline.
• Search Certification: This program provides Google Ads Search campaign management training.
• Display Certification: Digital marketers will learn about effective display advertising creation and management to meet specified marketing goals.
• Shopping Ads Certification: You’ll receive training in how to connect with customers using Google Shopping ads.
• Video Certification: This program provides training on optimizing results from YouTube and Google Video advertising solutions.
• Apps Certification: This specialty offers training in the creation and optimization of effective app campaigns to meet specified marketing goals.
• AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification: Learn how to use Google’s AI solutions to meet business goals in advertising campaigns on the platform.

The first step is signing up for the Google Partners program, which also lets you register for free training. Then, you can certify as an individual and sit for an exam. Each Google Ads certification is valid for one year, after which recertification is required to maintain your credentials.

3. Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification.

The social media and platform company with the catchy name — Hootsuite — offers eight certifications. The Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification covers core concepts related to social media marketing; the topics include strategy development, community building, content marketing and social media advertising.

Other certifications include:

• Social selling
• Advanced social advertising
• Advanced social media strategy
• Specialty credentials

Hootsuite encourages candidates to take a series of free online courses before sitting for the Social Marketing exam, which costs $199. Prices for the other courses vary, and the credential doesn’t expire. The certifications teach beginner and advanced marketing skills for those planning to advertise on social media. The self-paced lessons are

4. HubSpot Content Marketing Certification.

In our review of HubSpot, we found it to be one of the best CRM software systems for small businesses because of its all-around functionality. The platform also offers extensive training and certifications through its HubSpot Academy.

The HubSpot Content Marketing Certification is particularly relevant. It recognizes professionals who create and promote content to attract new customers. The associated course provides strategies for building a content library of valuable assets. Other certifications include:

• Inbound Marketing Optimization Certification
• Email Marketing Software Certification
• Sales Hub Software Certification

To earn the HubSpot Content Marketing Certification, take the associated online course and then the exam — both are free. For details, see HubSpot’s Certifications and Programs FAQs.

5. PCM Digital Marketing Certifications.

The American Marketing Association (AMA) offers the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) program, providing formal certifications in various marketing disciplines. Additionally, the AMA offers the Digital Marketing Pro program, a dual-certification opportunity created in partnership with the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI). This program includes the PCM Digital Marketing Certification and the Certified Digital Marketing Professional designation from DMI. It covers comprehensive digital marketing topics, including social media, content marketing, SEO and analytics.

The Digital Marketing Pro program typically costs $2,060, though discounts are often available.

Top 5 certifications by the numbers

The following table lists the top digital marketing certifications and the number of open relevant positions on a single day. This isn’t a scientific analysis in which every job description is examined, but rather an overall glance at search numbers.

Job site search results

* Includes searches for “Facebook Blueprint,” “Facebook Certified,” “Meta Ads” and “Meta Certified.”

** Includes searches for “Google Ads” and “Google AdWords.”

More marketing certificates to consider

Other excellent marketing certifications include the following:

• Adobe: The Adobe Certified Professional program offers several levels of training; it covers topics such as web page creation and management, digital experience building, and how to analyze digital data and audience behaviors. The Adobe Certification Portal shows you everything you need to know about becoming Adobe Certified.
• Salesforce: Salesforce marketing certifications — specifically, the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant and Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist courses — may appeal to professionals who use Salesforce for marketing campaigns.
• X: If you want to learn more about digital marketing on X (formerly Twitter), check out X Ads Academy. While no certifications are offered, you can take free courses and earn badges for your efforts.
• SEMRush: The SEMRush Academy has dozens of free online marketing courses. They range from content marketing on Shopify and boosting e-commerce SEO through internal linking to improving email marketing conversions and keyword research.
• Content Marketing Institute: The Content Marketing Institute offers a comprehensive Content Marketing University program for those who want to advance their skills in the field of content marketing. Topics covered include planning, audience, conversions and metrics. Once you finish with the self-paced lessons and all the quizzes, you’ll receive a certificate of completion. Enrollment costs $1,395 per student or $1,295 for AMA members.
• Market Motive: Market Motive offers another potential certification to help you beef up your digital marketing credentials. Its platform has 10 courses, including a Master’s in Digital Marketing and a Complete Google Ads Professional. There are also courses in SEO, web analytics, content marketing, mobile marketing, pay-per-click and more. Prices vary, but many are around $899.
• Digital Marketing Institute: Another option to consider is the Digital Marketing Institute. It offers the Professional Certification in Digital Marketing in partnership with the AMA, mentioned earlier; also, it offers a comprehensive Certified Digital Marketing Expert certification at the postgraduate level for $5,310. DMI offers 25 courses in total, 15 of which are short courses at $445 on topics like content marketing, social media marketing and e-commerce.

How to obtain a digital marketing certificate

To obtain a digital marketing certificate, take the following five steps:

• Decide what you want: Know why you want the certificate. You may want to hone your company’s SEO strategy or simply improve your overall skills and chances for promotion.
• Choose the right course: Digital marketing is varied, and the skills and knowledge needed for one branch of the field can be very different from another. Choose the subject that will teach you the most about what you want to specialize in.
• Select a provider: Compare what different learning centers like Google, Meta, and HubSpot offer in terms of cost, content, and what’s right for your experience level. It might be worth signing up for a free course first to test the waters.
• Sign up and study: Once you’ve made up your mind, enroll. Make sure you spare enough time during the week to complete the tasks set for you.
• Add to your resume: When you qualify, add your certification to your resume so employers know you have the right skills. Another way to stand out is to include case studies of the work you’ve done during the course and as a freelancer in this field.

Benefits of obtaining digital marketing certifications

Rita Cidre, who heads the SEMRush Academy, emphasized that adding digital marketing skills to your resume can give you an advantage over other job candidates. “Employers today are looking to hire candidates with the digital marketing skills needed to do the job from day one,” Cidre explained. “Marketing certification programs satisfy this need and give candidates a leg up in the recruiting process. In some ways, these digital certifications are a great equalizer.”

Consider the following benefits of obtaining a digital marketing certificate:

• Give yourself credibility: A digital marketing certification shows employers and peers that you know your subject matter. When employers are looking for a specific skill set, they’ll see you have what they need.
• Set yourself apart from others: Many in digital marketing are self-taught. Earning a certificate shows that you’re committed to developing in your field of expertise and staying current. It also shows you’ll do what you need to keep improving and growing.
• Boost your skills: You learn from industry experts who work for leading companies like Meta and Google. They’re at the cutting edge of digital marketing trends; plus, they’ll often have experience on both sides of the digital divide as a marketer and marketing platform provider.
• Explore creative and strategic areas: Digital marketing is technical but it’s also creative. You’ll have a better understanding of the mechanics of campaign management and the skills required for content creation.

Jason Mudd, CEO and managing partner of Axia Public Relations, prioritizes digital marketing certifications for his team. “Every new employee at our public relations company must complete a series of digital marketing certifications — mostly HubSpot,” Mudd said. “Content marketing is a significant part of PR, and we want our team to know the best practices from day one.”

Mudd emphasized that investing in digital certification courses has paid dividends. “Teams trained in current digital strategies improve brand visibility, boost engagement and drive more conversions,” Mudd explained. “Certified employees cut onboarding time and contribute faster because they come prepared with in-demand skills. Certifications are a powerful way to strengthen the bottom line.”

However, you shouldn’t over-rely on digital marketing certification to help you win job offers, according to Elie Berreby, founder of organic growth advisor SEM King. “Certifications may impress people who do not understand SEO, but the only way to stay at the top of your game is to be a constant learner,” Berreby advised. “Most new digital marketers fall into the trap of learning SEO using outdated content. When they implement outdated strategies, they conclude that ‘SEO is dead’ because, unsurprisingly, the outcome is disappointing.”

​​Kim Lindros contributed to this article.