The Gist
- Career impact. Marketing certifications can significantly increase salary and career advancement opportunities.
- Skill enhancement. Certifications help marketers stay current with industry trends and technologies, such as AI and analytics.
- Accessibility. Many valuable marketing certifications are self-paced, online and available for free.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on September 19, 2024 to include new data and information. The original content was authored by Scott Clark.
Marketing certifications are in demand in many industries. Employers use certifications as a sign that an applicant has the necessary knowledge and skills for the job. Even experienced digital marketing specialists use certifications as a way to demonstrate their commitment to keeping skills current.
Are Digital Marketing Specialists in High Demand?
Marketing specialists are in high demand, and that’s not expected to change in the next 10 years.
The job market for marketers is growing faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicted nearly 75,000 new marketing jobs to open up between 2023 and 2033. That’s faster than the average job growth for all occupations.
Marketing professionals, such as market research analysts, can expect to make around $74,000 per year. A marketing manager, on the other hand, can expect to make $156,580 per year or $75.28 per hour.
Many of these option positions require only a Bachelor’s degree, however some will ask for a Master’s degree. Marketing certifications are a great way to fill in the gaps of your knowledge and show organization’s that you’re interested in keeping your skills up-to-date.
Is a Marketing Certification Worth the Money?
According to Robert Half Technologies’ 2024 Salary Guide, an entry-level Marketing Manager with no certifications can expect to earn $79,500 per year. An experienced, certified Marketing Manager earns approximately $111,000. That’s a difference in earnings of over $31,000.
Recent graduates often question whether certifications are worth paying for. The average price of public, in-state university tuition is $10,662 per year, according to US News.
However, some of the certifications we list here are offered free of charge.
The cost of a premium certification program varies from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Still, these courses can be completed quite quickly and have the potential to offer a significant increase in earnings.
Related Article: The 8 Most Popular Types of Digital Marketing
The 14 Best Certifications for Marketing Professionals
Certifications are an effective way for candidates to show competency in key skills or the use of common marketing tools. In many industries, digital marketing certifications have become job prerequisites and requirements for promotion.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most in-demand certifications available for marketing professionals, including:
1. Digital Marketing Strategies: Data, Automation, AI & Analytics
The two-month-long Digital Marketing Strategies: Data, Automation, AI & Analytics is offered by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. It’s ideal for digital marketers who want to better understand the digital-centric behaviors of consumers.
The course includes eight modules, which covers topics like:
- Customer segmentation
- Behavioral insights
- The customer journey
- Content marketing
- Brand storytelling
- Marketing automation
- Artificial intelligence in marketing
The course costs $2,750, with a payment plan available, and is offered entirely online. Testing is a rigorous process, and you’ll need to achieve at least an 80% success rate to pass. Professionals who pass the course will earn a verified digital certification.
2. Professional Digital Marketing Course + PCM Advanced Digital Marketing
The Professional Digital Marketing Course from the Digital Marketing Institute is offered in combination with the PCM Advanced Digital Marketing course from the American Marketing Association.
This professional development program is entirely online and includes access to various templates you can put to use in your marketing career, calendars to help you manage campaigns, AI tools, AI prompt guides and more.
This digital marketing pro course covers key skills like:
- Social Media Marketing
- Search engine marketing
- Paid Search (PPC) using Google Ads
- Email Marketing
- Analytics with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Digital Marketing Strategy
According to the Digital Marketing Institute and American Marketing Association, graduates with this marketing certificate see a number of career benefits — such as an average of $12,000 salary increase. The groups also claim that 79% of graduates received a promotion within six months of completing the course.
The cost of enrollment for these certification programs (as a bundle) is $2,060. Once you complete the course, you’ll earn a globally recognized certification and gain access to the DMI Network, which includes more than 300,000 marketing industry professionals.
3. Google Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Professional Certificate
This Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Professional Certificate offered by Google covers the in-demand skills you’ll need to learn for a career in digital marketing — and you can learn it all at your own pace.
This credential includes seven courses and is ideal for beginners. It will take around six months to complete when dedicating 10 hours per week. Those who finish the certificate program can earn a degree credit.
Topics covered in the course include:
- Strategies to build brand awareness and customer loyalty
- How to optimize content for SEO
- Core pillars of social media marketing
- Where email marketing fits into the digital marketing strategy
- How to evaluate marketing metrics against performance goals
- How to build, launch and manage ecommerce stores
- How to successfully manage the customer experience online
4. The OMCP Digital Marketing Certification
The Online Marketing Certified Professional (OCMP) Digital Marketing Certification is unique in that it’s only awarded to those with verified marketing experience. The traditional route of certification requires a passing score on the OMCP exams as well as 5,000 hours of experience.
OMCP digital marketing certification covers a number of marketing disciplines, including:
- Social media marketing
- Digital analytics
- Paid search
- Mobile marketing
- Conversion rate optimization
- Email marketing
It’s free to create an account with OMCP, after which you can set goals for certification and track your status. To earn the Digital Marketing Certification, you’ll need to pass two specialty exams and one broad digital marketing exam. The cost for all three exams is $395.
Once you pass the exams, OMCP certification is valid for two years. After which, you can extend your certification by participating in recognized events or training programs or by passing another OMCP exam.
Related Article: 21 AI Applications to Explore for Marketing, Customer Engagement
5. Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing certification is offered by Google and accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau. It’s ideal for those looking to learn foundational skills in digital marketing that will help you achieve long-term career growth.
The course consists of 24 modules that cover topics like:
- Building your web presence
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Social media marketing strategy
- Content marketing
- Display advertising
- Getting started with digital analytics
- Building your ecommerce shop
This free course takes approximately 14 hours to complete, though there is no time limit. Learners can access the content at any time and everything is self-paced.
Once you complete all the modules — including a final assessment — Google will provide you with what it calls an “award,” which you can showcase on LinkedIn.
6. Content Marketing Institute’s Master Class Certification
This Content Marketing Master Class from Content Marketing Institute covers 11 core modules, along with additional content on the latest trends and strategies from top industry leaders. Each module includes a video that learners can watch at their own pace, followed by a short quiz.
This master class covers key skills and topic areas like:
- Building audience trust
- The three pillars of content marketing strategy
- The primary charters of a content team
- Developing customer-centric content marketing standards
- Developing audience personas
- The four archetypes of content
- How to measure content marketing efforts
This course is ideal for the digital marketing specialist looking to grow in the area of content marketing, or content marketers who want to expand their skill set. It’s self-paced and costs $1,395 (or $1,295 for AMA members). Once you sign up, you’ll have access to the course and training materials for 12 months.
7. The SMEI Certified Professional Marketer Course
Sales & Marketing Executives International, known as SMEI, offers the SMEI Certified Professional Marketer (SCPM) Exam Preparatory Course.
This course includes four parts and 18 total modules, with topics covered including:
- Creating customer relationships
- Understanding consumer behavior
- Reaching global customers and markets
- Managing successful products, services and brands
- Market segmentation and targeting
- Implementing interactive and multichannel marketing
- Using social media marketing and mobile marketing to connect with customers
The price of this marketing certificate course is $989 and includes access for six months. Those who get a grade of 75% or higher on the certification exam will receive the SCPM credential as well as a verifiable digital badge that you can share on LinkedIn or in your email signature.
The SMEI certifications may be of interest to individuals who are looking to move into senior management roles. Managers need an understanding of all marketing channels, PR and market research. The SMEI course covers these topics better than vendor-specific digital marketing courses would.
8. UC Berkeley Extension Certificate Program in Marketing
The UC Berkeley Extension Certificate Program in Marketing is a college-level certification program. It promises to teach students everything they need to know to become a digital marketing expert.
The program, which costs an estimated $4,700, includes 150 hours of instruction and is typically completed within two years. There is no prerequisite for this certification program, though a bachelor’s degree is recommended.
Skills that are taught include:
- Marketing management
- Social media marketing strategy
- Managing product and go-to-market strategies
- Marketing data visualization
- Strategic brand management
- Paid digital advertising
The courses within this marketing certificate are available online and in the classroom. All coursework must be completed within five years with a completed grade of C or better to earn certification.
9. Google Ads Measurement Certification
A number of Google Ads certification programs exist that you can add to your to-do list. One excellent option for marketers is the free Google Ads Measurement Certification, which teaches learners the skills required to measure and optimize digital ad performance.
Skills covered include:
- Turning marketing objectives into measurable actions
- Setting up tracking for measuring sales, app downloads, app installs and more
- How to analyze and act on insights from tracking data
- Choosing the right attribution model for your business goals
The course includes four sections and 14 activities, and takes just over three hours to complete. To pass, you’ll need to achieve a score of 80% or higher on the certification assessment. If you don’t pass the assessment, you have the opportunity to retake it a day later.
Other Google Ads certifications offered include:
- Google Ads Apps Certification
- Google Ads Search Certification
- Google Ads Display Certification
- AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification
- Google Ads Video Certification
Related Article: Conversational AI Brings Google Gemini to Google Ads
10. HubSpot Content Marketing Certification
HubSpot’s Content Marketing Certification course is popular for many reasons, chief among them being that it’s free, well-recognized and comprehensive. HubSpot’s tools are used by many marketing agencies. Marketing specialists should find the skills they learn while studying are highly transferable.
The 12 lessons in this marketing certificate cover topics like:
- The power of storytelling
- Building a content creation framework
- Generating content ideas
- Planning a long-term content strategy
- How to create a successful video marketing strategy
- Creating topic clusters and pillar pages
- How to measure and analyze content
The course consists of 14 lessons, 54 videos and 11 quizzes. It takes approximately 8.5 hours to complete. Once you complete the course, you’ll earn a certification that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. HubSpot’s marketing certificates are valid for two years.
11. Google Analytics Certification
This free Google Analytics Certification is ideal for the digital marketing expert who wants to become a pro at Google Analytics 4. Those who complete the certification will understand how to set up and structure a property, as well as how to use the various reporting tools and features within the platform.
By passing the course, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you can:
- Set up a GA4 property for a website or app
- Collect the data you need for your business
- Use the various reporting tools and features
- Demonstrate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
This certificate program includes two sections and six activities. It will take around five hours to complete, though you have unlimited access and can work through modules at your own pace.
This program is part of Google’s Skillshop, where they offer a number of certification and e-learning programs for digital marketers. Other certifications available for GA4 include:
- Get Started Using Google Analytics (GA4)
- Manage GA4 Data and Learn to Read Reports
- Dive Deeper Into GA4 Data and Reports
- Use GA4 With Other Tools and Data Sources
12. SEMRush SEO Toolkit Course
If you’re a marketer that wants to become an SEO pro, the SEO Toolkit Course through SEMRush Academy might be the option for you. This course is completely free and is ideal for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of their competitors’ online presence, including paid search and organic strategies.
In this course, you’ll take a deep dive on the search engine optimization tools offered by SEMRush, including the:
- Doman Overview tool
- Traffic Analytics
- Organic Research
- Keyword Gap tool
- Backlink Gap tool
This certification program includes nine videos and will take around 45 minutes to complete. Once complete, you’ll have the skills you need to thrive in a position that requires essential SEO knowledge and tool use.
13. HubSpot Social Media Marketing Certification Course
Another option from HubSpot, the free Social Media Marketing Certification course will cover all the fundamentals of building a successful social media strategy. It’s ideal for social media marketers who want to broaden their skillset and marketing managers who want to up-level their digital marketing expertise.
The course covers a variety of skills, including:
- Developing a social media strategy
- Social media listening and monitoring
- Extending your reach on social media platforms
- Using social media profiles to build one-on-one relationships
- Social media advertising
- How to measure your social return on investment
The course includes 10 lessons, 38 videos and 29 videos. On average, it takes users around five hours to complete. Once finished, you’ll earn a certificate that you can share on your LinkedIn profile.
14. Google Think Outside the Box: Email Marketing Course
This Think Outside the Box: Email Marketing Course is part of the Google Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Professional Certificate. However, it can be taken as a standalone course for those who specifically want to brush up on their email skills.
This course covers topics like:
- The types of email marketing
- Useful marketing tools for email
- Collecting and analyzing email campaign data
- How to run your own email marketing campaign
This email marketing course includes five modules, 38 videos, 37 readings, 25 quizzes and six discussion prompts. According to Google, it takes learners approximately 25 hours to complete. Once complete you’ll earn a shareable certificate you can share on your LinkedIn profile. You can also choose to go on and progress towards a full professional certificate.
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Academic Courses vs. Marketing Certifications
Kyle Shea, EVP of partnership development at All Campus, told CMSWire that academic courses are often aimed at newcomers to the field and can help those looking to start a career in digital marketing. These courses provide a broad, basic understanding of each discipline.
With digital marketing certificates, however, course content is more focused on one or two areas “in order to provide students with a deeper understanding of each.”
Digital marketing certification courses may focus on specific marketing tools. Some courses are common prerequisites for employment with certain businesses. It’s rare to see a job advertisement requiring candidates to be certified by the Kellogg School of Management. However, one is very likely to encounter job listings that require candidates to be Google Ads certified.
A candidate looking to earn a marketing position at a small business may find free Google marketing certifications put them in good standing. Those looking to join a marketing agency may wish to look at more specialist tools, such as HubSpot.
Final Thoughts
Marketing certifications can help make a marketer more valuable and more knowledgeable for a reasonable cost and effort. Usually self-paced, there are quite a few marketing courses that culminate in certification. Some, such as Google’s and HubSpot’s certifications, are free of charge. Starting with basics, such as the free Google marketing certifications, is a good option for those considering a career change.
