Digital Marketing is a very interesting field comprising talented experts who work hard to excel in the competition.
Hiring managers of many digital agencies and companies are in search of candidates who stay updated with the latest trends, tactics, and news. Hence not being able to get into the digital marketing field may also be due to a lack of relevant skills on your resume. Spending enough time on gaining digital marketing certification can speed you up with the latest trends and tools that are used in many best digital marketing agencies.
It is not possible to opt for a best online marketing course which suits you with a lot of choices of courses and certifications. So below is the list of the top courses and digital marketing certification programs which yields good results.
You’ll learn quite soon that all features of digital marketing are related to Google in one way or another. One need not necessarily have to be a marketing analytics wizard to succeed in digital marketing. Yet it is important to know about measuring the campaign metrics as well as monitor KPIs to enhance marketing tactics. The Google Analytics Individual Qualification certificate presents a working proficiency in Google Analytics to potential employers who pass the final assessment consisting 70 questions.
You must set up an Academy for Ads account and go through Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics courses to begin your preparation for the exam. You are suggested to complete the course prior to applying for jobs as it is a required skill set for leading an effective marketing campaign.
Where to go: Create a Google Analytics Academy profile to start
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 4-6 hours
Social media tends to be a powerful tool yet is also very crowded these days. Hence the employers these days are looking for candidates who are committed to learn new things and stay ahead of the game.
Hootsuite is a popular social media management platform between the marketers. It provides online social media marketing certification training for all abilities. You can opt to train from introductory courses to advanced social media strategy certification.
This Social Marketing Certification analyses your understanding of core concepts of social media marketing and signifies your skills as a social marketing wizard. Hootsuite suggests the users start with the free social media training course before attending the 60-question online exam to earn the certificate. Completing a social media certification program shows the employers that you are eligible and possess required knowledge and also is willing to learn new things.
Where to go: Hootsuite Academy
Cost: There are multiple plans available with the top 3 listed below.
Time Commitment: varied
It is quite necessary to become familiar with various Google tools. An efficient Google Ads campaign also known as adwords certification is able to make or break your marketing plan. Especially advertising on Google yields quick results in many businesses who want to enhance their ROI.
To succeed in the program, a test is conducted on the basis of your basic and advanced knowledge of Google Ads. You must understand the concepts such as the value proposition of online advertising, campaign setup and management, measurement, and optimization.
You get the certificate after completing the Google Ads Fundamentals assessment and one of the additional advertising product assessments. You also have to score 80% or higher to pass.
The other additional tests include Search Advertising, Display Advertising, Mobile Advertising, Video Advertising, and Shopping Advertising, and are available through Academy for Ads.
Where to go: Create a Google Analytics Academy account to start
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 4-6 hours
“Content always remains the king” because it influences the other online strategies especially when it is high-quality, relevant. Employers are looking for applicants who maintain excellent writing and communication skills.
The HubSpot Certification includes 12 separate categories which updates you on top practices and research. They remain the masters of the inbound methodology and also know the usage of the Hubspot marketing tool in the day to day world. This acts as the key point for aspiring content marketers who wish to learn the importance of content marketing and contribute to companies that boost marketing ROI. The best thing about HubSpot is that they’re free.
Where to go: HubSpot Academy
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 4 hours
Google’s Digital Garage provides free tutorials about each digital marketing concept. The training modules are almost perfect for people wanting to learn every basic thing in the same place. Topics cover from analytics and data insights to display advertising.
The whole course consists of 26 topics.It is authorized by the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University.
Beginners looking to learn the essential core concepts of digital marketing and marketers who are willing to refresh fundamental skills are sure to fall in love with the interactive layout and design of these courses.
Marketing agencies like Brandastic acknowledge certificates from top platforms like Google while hiring for jobs.
Where to go: Google Digital Garage
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: varied
80% of the marketers tend to practice visual assets in their social media marketing. Video seems to be the top, efficient and engaging form of any content. The ability to form an exclusive video content strategy is a demanded job skill in 2019 and beyond.
We all know that YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google and a certification from this platform is highly reliable.
The Certified Program of YouTube is dedicated to educating every creator and user on this platform. Tutorials are provided for the latest best practices and also the advanced industry-level knowledge. It consists of three separate courses to opt from that includes channel growth, content ownership, and asset monetization.
Certifications are available only for the qualified YouTube and Google Advertising partners. Once your eligibility criteria is fulfilled and you get recognized by the YouTube Certified, then you are able to move further and complete the program as a Google partner.
Where to go: YouTube
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: varies
It is another essential certification provided by HubSpot. Inbound marketing is a technique used to attract visitors and potential customers in, besides pushing a brand, product, or service. HubSpot acts as the authority in the inbound marketing space. Hence getting certificated here is the best choice for those who wish to stay updated on the best practices.
The course comprises seven modules which includes everything one must learn from fundamentals of inbound, creating buyer personas to understanding the buyer’ journey.
The course and exam can be taken by anyone.
Where to go: HubSpot Academy
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 2 ½ Hour
Facebook shows off its 1.49 billion members worldwide, and 22 billion ad clicks per year. It is a popular platform for businesses to achieve their target audiences and create brand awareness. So a digital marketer becomes more successful when they excel in advertising on Facebook.
The Facebook’s program provides two different certifications – the Facebook Certified Planning Professional and the Facebook Certified Buying Professional.
The Professional who plans should represent their efficient skills in planning fortunate campaigns on Facebook, while targeting audiences for greatest impact, maximizing reach and frequency. The Professional who buys must show efficiency in different disciplines such as generating and buying Facebook ads, managing Pages, and comprehension of Facebook Pixel.
These certificates comprise two exams (Need a score of 700 to pass) and are valid for a period one year. The Blueprint Certification authorizes advanced-level proficiency with Facebook’s family of products and services. You can earn credentials to differentiate yourself in the world of digital marketing after completing these courses.
Where to go: Facebook BluePrint Certification
Cost: $150 for each exam
Time Commitment: 2-3 days
Artificial intelligence known as AI changed our fundamental knowledge of social media, SEO, data, and content marketing. The machine learning course conducted by Stanford University, from the former head of Baidu AI Group/Google Brain, is a most subscribed course on Coursera platform. Yet the certificate fails to represent official academic credit from Stanford University.
Where to go: Coursera
Cost: Enroll for free
Time Commitment: 11-week course
The Digital Marketing Institute provides various courses and certification programs in digital marketing for all skill levels. This includes The Digital and Social Selling Specialist, Certified Digital Marketing Professional, Certified Digital Marketing Leader, and Certified Digital Marketing Manager courses.
The courses period varies from 30 minutes to complete a professional level program to two years for completing the Master’s level Certified Digital Marketing Manager course. Completing the course enhances your skills such as SEO, Digital Advertising, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and more. Based on the The Digital Marketing Institute records, 95% of students are currently employed, 80% are working at Senior or Management Level, and 81% were officially promoted after receiving their diploma. In highlight, some recent graduates work at Google, Nike, Facebook, Coca-Cola, HubSpot, and Twitter.
Where to go: Digital Marketing Institute
Cost: Varies by course
Time commitment: 2 hours up to 2 years (depending on the program)
The University of Vermont is recognized as a top New England Higher Education. It secured a 11th rank by Value Colleges for the best value in digital marketing certificate. The Digital Marketing Fundamentals Certificate is also recognized as one of the best in the nation by Best Online Marketing Degrees. These courses are being taught by professionals in the field and are created for general marketers, people who are new to marketing, and even seasoned marketing veterans.
Where to go: University of Vermont
Cost: $1,695
Time commitment: 10-week program
Yet another one of the top courses from Coursera related to AI is the Deep Learning Specialization course by deeplearning.ai and The NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. It teaches the basics of deep learning. You are sure to have a complete knowledge of convolutional networks, RNNs, LSTM, Adam, Dropout, BatchNorm, Xavier/He initialization and more by the end of the course. Remember that the course is best for marketers with some experience and seems to be advanced for beginners.
It is suggested to complete the Introductory Machine Learning Course from Stanford and Coursera before opting for the Deep Learning Specialization courses.
Where to go: Coursera
Cost: Enroll for Free
Time Commitment: 3 months
The American Marketing Association (AMA) happens to be the largest professional marketing association across the world. They have partnered with LinkedIn Learning to offer a learning path of AMA-approved courses to become a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM)® in Digital Marketing. The course and exam ensures that you have confidence to conceptualize, execute, and track your digital marketing strategies. It is flexible for you to move through the classes at your own speed.
Where to go: American Marketing Association
Cost: $249 for AMA members and $349 for non-AMA members
Time Commitment: work at your own pace
14) Duke University Digital Media and Marketing Certification
Yet an astonishing offer from Duke University is the Digital Media and Marketing Certification. This virtual course was initiated for industry professionals those wanting to develop their current skills or start a new career in marketing.
It is a 12-month course taught by industry known influencers, speakers and consultants that gives you a real-time curriculum and experience online. It consists of 350 hours of online lectures which teaches topics such as SEO, content marketing, social media, mobile marketing, PPC, conversion optimization, web analytics, email marketing, and many more. But the credits completed in this certificate program are not able to be transferred over for Duke or other University students.
Where to go: Duke University Continuing Education
Cost: $3,195
Time Commitment: work at your own pace
eCornell provides the best online and professional development program. This certificate provides an overview of the digital marketing landscape and methods to succeed.
It was developed by the faculty from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. The Education quality is almost similar to a full-time enrolled student. But completing the course doesn’t result in college credits.
You will be able to create an integrated digital marketing plan which fits with your company’s goals and resources by the end of the course.
Where to go: eCornell
Cost: $3,600
Time Commitment: 2-months
The Copyblogger Certified Content Marketer Program is one of the premium content marketing certification available online yet is only open at particular times in a year. You have to submit your email to get a notification when sign ups begin for registration. It usually happens twice a year.
You are certified by turning in your content samples to be reviewed by professional writers after completing the course works. After getting approved, you get the certificate which never expires. You are given the opportunity to be listed in the Certified Content Marketer directory on their website and also become eligible for master-level training (invitation only).
Where to go: Copyblogger
Cost: $495
Time Commitment: varies
Twitter offers two different ‘paths’ to assist digital marketers to gain traction and start advertising on the platform. The Marketing Leadership program is the best to explore larger business opportunities on the social media platform. The course comprises 10-15 minutes courses which means that the entire program can be completed in an hour. The Executive Leadership course is to enhance your personal brand and it takes only 10 minutes. You can easily log in with your Twitter account and get access to these two individual courses.
Where to go: Twitter Flight School
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 60 minutes for the Marketing Leadership program and 10 minutes for the Executive Leadership course
You can conduct an excellent social campaign, yet it is necessary to track or report your goals.
The digital marketing course by Quintly Academy includes the basic principles of social media analytics which is perfect for beginners or qualified marketers searching for a refresher. You will learn how to track and measure your performance goals on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Instagram, and more through this course.
Being able to backup your digital strategy in numbers is an efficient skill for social media marketers.
Where to go: Quintly Academy
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: Work at your own pace
The Bing search engine provides few valuable things to the online marketers. Even if it is not a top search engine, it saw growth stemming from its acquisition of Yahoo and integration capabilities with Microsoft digital marketing tools.
The accreditation program of Bing teaches you on how to maximize your ROI while advertising on the platform. It is completely free of cost. You can take the free courses in your own time to prepare for the exam. You have infinite time for finishing the free Bing Ads accreditation exam. You must secure 80% or higher to pass.
Where to go: Bing Training
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: Work at your own pace
The Digital Marketing Certificate by The New England College of Business is a very expensive program yet also gives the most freedom. There are a lot of courses to opt from that includes data analytics/metrics, content marketing, email marketing, viral marketing, and more. It provides opportunities to work with new and emerging technologies, study the trends, and learn from experts.
This program gets theories from many leading marketers like Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk and more.
Where to go: New England College of Business
Cost: $10,185 for full program (additional application fees)
Time Commitment: Work at your own pace (21 credit hours to complete)
BrainStation is a totally tech-focused and certificate learning platform. Classes are virtual and at physical campus locations in Chicago, New York, Boston, Toronto, and Vancouver. The program is designed to train the digital skills in brand strategy, social media, analytics, search marketing, and email marketing.
Additionally you are able to work with industry tools like Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console.
Where to go: BrainStation
Cost: Visit the site to view a full list of scholarship opportunities and payment plans
Time Commitment: Work at your own pace (30 credit hours to complete)
22) SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course
The SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course helps to make the most of the SEMrush suite of digital marketing tools. This comprises 14 exclusive video lessons conducted by a team of SEMrush professionals that consist of modules like learning, building, and measuring on the platform.
You can become a proficient SEMrush SEO user in just 3 hours and the course is totally free. You can also study the materials and quiz yourself on various topics.
After completing the course, you can easily pass the SEMrush Certification Exam for SEOs.
Where to go: SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course
Cost: Free
Time Commitment: 3-5 hours
You can learn about landing pages from Unbounce co-founder Oli Gardner in an actionable course. You have to follow the step-by-step instructional videos that help to create a very own landing page. The separate modules consist of landing page fundamentals, page architecture, call to action design, lead capture forms, landing page copywriting, and more.
It is a recommended program for the entrepreneurs wanting to increase conversions while not spending any extra money. This course is self-paced hence it is easy to complete it in a fast or slow manner.
Where to go: Unbounce
Cost: Free
Time-Commitment: Self-Paced
The HubSpot Email Marketing Certification course helps you learn to generate an email marketing strategy which enhances the growth of business and career. They teach everything including contact management, segmentation, deliverables and analyzing email sends. You will be able to structure an email marketing strategy by the end of the course. The whole course comprises 9 lessons, 27 videos, and 9 quizzes. It is also a totally free course!!
Where to go: HubSpot
Cost: Free
Time-Commitment: 3 1/2 hours
Market Motive is now a best recognized online training program. It has been offering certificate courses and certifications since 2017. Their specific masters in digital marketing provides a course access of about 365 days, 20+ hands-on projects, a certificate to show your experience. The course curriculum includes advanced web analytics, advanced search engine optimization (SEO), Advanced Pay Per Click (PPC), and advanced social media. Separate membership plans can be opted based on your plan to pay for the program.
Where to go: Market Motive
Cost: $1,149
Time-Commitment: 1-year (self-paced)
Always remember not to overwhelm yourself by taking lots of courses. Opt for one or two courses that are the best choices for you.