Because digital marketing is an ever-evolving industry, it can be a great use of time to sharpen your skills to keep up with the latest trends and strategies. A great way to do that is through achieving a certification in digital marketing, regardless of the medium or vertical.
Many employers like to seek out individuals who are willing to consistently self-educate, conduct research, and make the most of digital marketing tools at hand. If you’re not sure where to get started, take a look at our list of some of the best certifications for digital marketing.
What is a Digital Marketing Certification?
Not to be confused with a full fledged marketing degree, a digital marketing certification is the successful completion of one or several programs/courses awarded to individuals who are seeking to verify and improve upon skills in the digital marketing field. There are free digital marketing certifications as well as paid training programs to choose from, and many of these programs cover several digital marketing topics, such as:
- SEO and Organic Social Media
- SEM and PPC
- Marketing Analytics
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing
Signing up for digital marketing certification programs are great for seasoned marketing professionals seeking to improve their skills as well as those who are curious how to get started in digital marketing.
Do I Need a Digital Marketing Certification?
Digital marketing certifications are not usually required by employers, but completing some of the best digital marketing certification programs can make you stand out from a pool of job applicants or amongst your colleagues.
The successful completion of a digital marketing certification demonstrates your willingness to learn and will provide you with the skills you need to remain agile in your role and stay up-to-date on industry trends. Better yet, many of the best digital marketing certificates are free, so there’s really no reason not to take advantage of the resources out there.
So, no, you are not usually needed to take any digital marketing certification courses, but if you do — whether it’s a free amazon advertising certification or a paid online course on social media marketing — you’ll gain knowledge and skills you might not have acquired otherwise.
6 of the Best Digital Marketing Certificates
Free Certificates
1. Google Skillshop
This is Google’s self-proclaimed “one-stop-shop” for those who want to expand their knowledge in all-things digital marketing. The best part is that all of the topics are wide-ranging and free. Google’s Skillshop covers these areas and more:
- Google Ads
- Google Analytics
- YouTube Marketing
- Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business)
So if you’re wanting to learn more or enhance your breadth of knowledge about the fundamentals of digital marketing, start your Google learning and certifications.
2. HubSpot Content/Inbound Marketing Certification Course
If you’d like to become an overall more effective content marketer, this is the course for you. To stay ahead of the curve in all things content and inbound marketing, this can be your go-to course. It’s quick, organized, and you’ll be able to become a more strategic content marketer.
HubSpot’s certification covers these topics and more:
- Planning a long-term content strategy
This is an important point for content marketing managers that want to stay updated on the best way to plan out content, especially in a day and age where AI is improving and enhancing on a daily basis. - Creating quality blog content
With so many Google Helpful Content Updates, creating quality blog content is crucial to understand how best to put the best and most effective content pieces on a blog, while not just providing “fluff” content. - Video marketing strategies
With video content continuing to prove its muster in a world of text copy, get all the details on how video can improve your content strategy.
Watch a course preview video and sign-up.
3. SEMrush PPC Fundamentals
For the digital marketers out there that want to focus on paid ads certifications, SEMrush offers an opportunity to learn about PPC strategies from Joel Bondorowsky, one of the world’s most respected advertising specialists. There are 36 lessons that take only a total of five hours to complete and by the end, you’ll feel like a PPC wizard.
Check out the course contents and sign-up for free.
4. Coursera Digital Marketing Courses
Although this option for a digital marketing certification offer is free, Coursera does have many paid courses, in addition to online degree courses. Whether you are seeking out general Google skills, social media marketing skills for Meta and its business (most notably Facebook and Instagram), or are looking for ways to improve your SEO strategy mindset, Coursera likely has a free certification that you’ve been looking for.
5. Certifications for SEO
Yes, we’ve already identified the SEMRush Paid Search offerings, however, SEMRush offers multiple choices for certifications in SEO that are free. From certifications including keyword strategy to optimizing for mobile SEO and all that in between, SEMRush is a great resource for those in the organic search space.
Paid Certificates
6. Hootsuite Social Media Certification
One of the best digital marketing certifications out there is Hootsuite’s social media certification. It costs $199, but is well worth the price, especially if you are a marketer that focuses on paid advertising or organic social media strategy.
By the end of the six-hour, beginner course, you will be a well-versed social media expert in:
- Social Media Strategy
- Growing Social Media Communities
- Social Media Advertising
Watch the course introduction video and sign-up on Hootsuite’s website.
7. Content Marketing Institute
The CMI Marketing certification is in-depth and covers a wide range of topics, from marketing segmentation strategies, to digital branding, social media channel plans, media planning, and much more.
This certification is a bit more costly at $995 per individual, but offers more coursework and hands-on learning than most other digital marketing certifications.
Take a look at the course catalog.
8. Cornell Digital Marketing Certificate
If you’re interested in dedicating serious time and effort into your digital marketing career, consider enrolling Cornell’s online digital marketing certificate program. It is instructor-led and you will feel like you are back in the classroom.
The cost of this two-month program is $3,600 and covers topics such as:
- Digital Marketing & Advertising Strategies
- Social Media Strategy
- Website Conversion
- Developing comprehensive digital marketing plans
- Identifying Customer Needs
Learn more and enroll on the Cornell website.
9. Digital Marketing Institute
Whether you are seeking out a full-on degree or simply a certification course on leadership and management, digital marketing essentials, or email marketing, amongst many others, the Digital Marketing Institute offers short courses (which come with a certificate) ranging from 5 to 11 hours and cost about $500.
Looking for a specialist-level professional marketing certification, they have those, too; just note that those are pricier as they are more comprehensive.
Online digital marketing certificates and programs are a great way to hone skills as a professional and get your foot in the door as a marketing novice. Any one of the courses listed here would be a great place to start for anyone interested in marketing, but, of course, we recommend shopping around and comparing your options until you find the digital marketing certificate that’s right for you.
