Guide to Marketing Certifications

Best marketing certifications

These are the most in-demand certifications: 

• HubSpot email and inbound marketing
• Google Ads and Google Analytics
• Social media marketing 

We’ll discuss these certifications in more detail below.

Marketing certifications from accredited universities

Many accredited universities and colleges are responding to the high demand for marketing certifications. Some university certifications are intended for seasoned marketing professionals, while others are meant for recent college graduates who are entering the workforce or for people who are changing careers. 

Whether you’re a longtime marketer or transitioning into the field, a well-regarded university’s name on your resume can boost your professional standing. Here are some universities that offer marketing certifications: 

• Cornell: Cornell’s Marketing Strategy Certificate Program is a six-class program that takes three months to complete and costs $3,750. The program is sold as “MBA-level strategic marketing training” and is geared toward professionals looking to level up.
• Harvard: Harvard Extension School’s Marketing Management and Digital Strategy Graduate Certificate focuses on marketing fundamentals, digital marketing strategies and marketing management. Harvard’s program includes four graduate-level credit classes. The total cost for all four classes is $13,360.

In addition, these colleges and universities offer reputable marketing certifications:

• Duke University
• MIT
• Baruch College
• University of California, Berkeley
• Georgetown University
• University of Georgia 
• Oregon State University

Programs vary widely in price, duration, medium (online or in person) and focus. Most certification programs cost $2,000 to $5,000, but some go up to $15,000.

Before you enroll in a certification program at an accredited university, make sure you understand what you’re purchasing. Some programs are up to a week long and don’t offer college credits, while others in the same price range span months and do count for college credit.

Marketing certifications for specific digital marketing skills

Certifications for specific programs or services can bolster your resume and help keep you current in the constantly evolving world of digital marketing. Many specific-skill certificates are free or low-cost. Some are provided by the company that created the tool, such as Google or HubSpot, while others are offered through third-party online training companies.

The certification that will be most valuable for your career depends largely on your company’s marketing niche. Here are some of the most popular and reputable skill-based certifications for marketing professionals:

• Google Analytics Individual Qualification (free)
• Google Ads Search Certification (free)
• Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate (free)
• Meta (Facebook) Blueprint marketing certifications (free)
• X Ads Academy (free)
• HubSpot Academy (free)
• Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification ($199)

Marketing certifications from industry organizations and associations

It pays to be discerning about certifications from independent marketing associations. Many organizations that provide certificates are for-profit education companies that don’t operate as industry touchstones. Others are legitimate professional organizations that offer valuable certifications. 

Marketers who keep up with industry affairs value certifications from the following organizations.  

American Marketing Association

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is one of the country’s most established professional marketing organizations. In addition to hosting educational networking events and disseminating industry information through its publications and partnerships, the AMA offers the American Marketing Association Professional Certified Marketer program.

The AMA’s certification program has four tracks: digital marketing, marketing management, sales management and content marketing. All programs begin with an overview of the skills required for the certification and a free practice exam.

• Digital marketing: The AMA has two options:
  
  • Digital Marketing Pro: The Digital Marketing Pro program is done in cooperation with the Digital Marketing Institute and includes two certificates: PCM Digital Marketing and Certified Digital Marketing Professional. The course encompasses 30 hours of online learning about social media, pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing and digital marketing strategy. You finish the course on your own timeline and then schedule an exam at a local testing center. The cost is $2,060, but it’s sometimes reduced to $1,442.
  • Digital Marketing Expert: For more comprehensive training, you can choose the Digital Marketing Expert track, which includes 120 hours of learning. Marketers who complete this training earn two credentials: PCM Advanced Digital Marketing and Certified Digital Marketing Expert. Instead of a test at the end, students are required to write two 5,000-word assignments: a digital marketing research paper and a digital marketing strategy document. Both documents comprise a complete digital marketing campaign from start to finish. The Digital Marketing Expert program costs $5,310 and is sometimes discounted to $3,717.
• Marketing management: The marketing management track comes with a free handbook and the AMA Marketing Management Study Package ($749 for members, $849 for nonmembers). The price includes the certification exam.
• Sales management: The Sales Management Certificate Program costs $2,495 for AMA members and $2,795 for nonmembers. You can take the course in person or online. 
• Content marketing: The Content Marketing Certification costs $1,295 for AMA members and $1,395 for nonmembers. As with the sales management track, you can take this course in person or on the AMA website. 

To maintain your certification in any area of study, the AMA requires you to earn 30 continuing education units (CEUs) every three years, with a minimum of 10 units per year, and to recertify every three years. CEUs are determined by the AMA and may include events, webcasts, virtual conferences or training sessions. 

Interactive Advertising Bureau

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) counts more than 650 media and technology companies among its members and offers four certification programs: 

• Digital Media Sales
• Digital Video
• Data 360
• Digital Media Buying and Planning

Members and nonmembers may pursue certification through IAB, but fees are higher for nonmembers.

IAB requires certified marketing professionals to recertify within nine to 24 months of their initial certification. Staying certified may entail logging CEUs or retaking the certification exam. Most of IAB’s exam and training packages cost $299 for members and $399 for nonmembers. However, some have specific eligibility requirements, so read the guidelines carefully before you choose a program.

4A’s

Founded in 1917, 4A’s is one of the oldest and largest professional marketing organizations in the U.S. It serves 740 member agencies across 1,400 offices, and its Benefits division insures more than 164,000 marketing agency professionals. 4A’s offers various learning and development programs, including webinars, workshops, lectures and multiday networking events. 

4A’s offers four certification training programs:

• Team Leadership Certification for Managers (base rate: $1,400)
• Media Essentials: From Chaos to Clarity ($499)
• Agency Fundamentals ($299)
• Revenue Growth Certification ($1,799; special pilot pricing: $1,499)

4A members often get discounts on these prices.

What is the purpose of a marketing certificate?

A marketing certificate can be valuable if you think you need more formal training in marketing skills, including in the following areas:

• Media marketing
• Email marketing best practices
• Customer development
• SEO strategies
• Market research
• Strategic brand management 

Marketing certificate courses can also help you understand marketing tools, including social media platforms, Google Ads, Hootsuite, HubSpot and other web analytics tools. There are certificate courses for both longtime professional marketers and total newcomers. There are a few options for where to take marketing certificate courses: 

• Universities
• Specialized online institutions, like Hootsuite Academy
• Leading marketing associations

Should you obtain a certification in digital marketing?

There are many benefits of obtaining a digital marketing certification.

“Marketing certifications from well-established and respected certifying organizations benefit both individuals and companies,” said Laura Grant, senior marketing manager at Bluesky Solutions. “For individuals, they show their skills, knowledge and expertise meet a particular standard and that they are committed to ongoing professional development. This places them in a good position in the job market, as they have tangible worth to employers. For employers, individuals with these certifications should generate strong marketing campaigns and performance, and lead to strong ROI.”

Ask yourself these questions when you’re deciding whether to obtain a digital marketing certification: 

• Are you planning to expand your online presence? If you plan to build your business’s online presence, a digital marketing certification will likely be relevant to your work.
• Do you need to learn specific marketing tools? If you must learn certain digital marketing tools — like Hootsuite, Google Ads or HubSpot email marketing — pursuing a digital marketing certification can help familiarize you with these platforms on your own schedule, often for far less money than college courses. 

However, if your business requires minimal or basic use of internet platforms for marketing purposes, a certification in digital marketing might not be for you. Also, if you aren’t currently in the job market, you might want to skip the certifications. [Read related: 5 Best Digital Marketing Certifications]

“While certifications can give you that initial credibility, they are not all that useful in the real world,” said Jonathan Delamater, digital marketing manager at Course Unlocked. “I did find the Semrush and HubSpot courses to be somewhat useful because they offer clearer learning objectives and the modules are made without a lot of fluff. But to be honest, a lot of these certifications feel too corporate and dry.”

How do you become a certified marketing professional?

You don’t need a certification to work in marketing. However, if you want one, there are many ways to become a certified marketing professional:

• Taking courses at a university
• Completing online programs through marketing platforms and companies 
• Attending special in-person classes hosted by industry organizations and associations of longtime professional marketers

 Jennifer Dublino contributed to this article.