From advanced search engine optimization to video advertising, the digital marketing landscape is growing and reaching more potential customers online. Potential employers are now looking for applicants who are up to date with the latest industry trends, digital skills, and tools. To meet these new requirements, you should invest in the best digital marketing certifications.
The best online marketing techniques can be achieved through the completion of professional certificates for digital marketing. These programs will help you advance or kickstart your digital marketing career. Continue reading to find the highest-paying certifications and their prerequisites, as well as the job outlook in this field.
What Is a Professional Certification?
A professional certification is a credential that ensures you are qualified to undertake a job or task. It is a third-party validation of your degree of knowledge or competency in a specific industry or profession by a professional association, university, or private certificate-granting agency.
What’s the Difference Between a Certification and a Certificate?
The difference between a certification and a certificate is that a certification is proof of passing a relevant exam or achieving industry training requirements, whereas a certificate is an educational document that serves as proof of successful completion of a particular program, degree, or learning period.
Additionally, certificates are usually undertaken by people seeking to gain experience, and a certificate of completion is granted at the end of the structured learning program. On the other hand, professional certifications spotlight an individual’s mastery of a core concept with hands-on experience, as specified by industry standards or a regulatory body.
Why Is a Certification in Digital Marketing Important?
A certification in digital marketing is very important because it demonstrates your broad knowledge base and desire to enhance your skills. Most employers will prefer someone with proven expertise beyond a standard digital marketing degree, and having a certification shows that your skills are in line with those of industry experts.
Best Digital Marketing Certifications by Salary
| Certification | Provider | Average Salary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Music Certification | YouTube Music and Google | $73,000 | Free |
| Meta Blueprint Certified Marketing Science Professional | Meta | $68,000 | $150 per exam |
| PCM Digital Marketing Certification | American Marketing Association (AMA) and Digital Marketing Institute | $61,000 | $249 (members) $349 (non-members) |
| Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing (DMI Pro) | The Digital Marketing Institute | $60,000 | $1955 |
| Google Ads Marketing Certification | Google Skillshop | $60,000 | Free |
| Google Analytics Individual Qualification | Google Skillshop | $58,000 | Free |
| HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification | Hubspot Academy | $54,000 | Free |
| HubSpot Content Marketing Certification | Hubspot Academy | $53,000 | Free |
| Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification | Hootsuite | $52,000 | $199 |
| OMCP Digital Marketing Certification | Online Marketing Certified Professional Organization | $51,073 | $395 |
Best Digital Marketing Certifications to Further Your Career
If YouTube is an important element of your digital marketing plan, it's worth taking the time to invest in this video marketing certification. This comprehensive program is divided into six courses that cover every facet of YouTube marketing, from channel optimization and content strategy to production and YouTube Analytics. Students are not required to complete all the courses before taking the certification exam.
YouTube Music Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $73,000
- Cost: Free
- Requirements: Must be a content creator or partner with a partner manager
- Valid For: 18 months
- Exam Length: Two hours
- Best Suited For: YouTube creators and channel managers looking to expand their digital marketing and digital rights knowledge base
Potential Careers With YouTube Music Certification
This Meta Blueprint Certification is Facebook's official digital marketing certificate program. It includes numerous certification programs, such as a Digital Marketing Associate Certification and a Marketing Science Professional Certification. Since Facebook is an important channel for social media advertising and ecommerce marketing, all digital marketing professionals should look into this Facebook certification training program to learn from industry experts.
Meta/Facebook Blueprint Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $68,000
- Cost: $150 per exam
- Requirements: Recommended three years of relevant work and data analytics experience
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: 105 minutes
- Best Suited For: Experienced marketers and students looking to delve into the field of digital marketing analytics and quantitative research
Potential Careers With Meta/Facebook Blueprint Certification
The PCM Digital Marketing Certification program assesses your understanding of digital marketing essentials such as search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, search advertising, and display advertising. This learning path also covers integral tools like Google Analytics while verifying an individual's expertise in the vast field of digital marketing.
PCM Digital Marketing Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $61,000
- Cost: $249 (members), $349 (non-members)
- Requirements: No additional requirement
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: Two hours
- Best Suited For: Marketers and business owners looking to harness the latest digital marketing tools and trends
Potential Careers With PCM Digital Marketing Certification
Touted as one of the world's most recognized digital marketing certification courses, this online marketing certificate program positions itself as a must-have for any digital marketer. With frequent course updates and hours of content, the Digital Marketing Institute ensures that learners have unlimited access to cutting-edge online marketing skills. Students will gain in-depth knowledge about Google Ads, mobile advertising, and social media marketing.
Digital Marketing Pro Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $60,000
- Cost: $1955
- Requirements: You’ll need to enroll through a DMI course, DMI partner universities, or their corporate partners depending on your preferences
- Valid For: N/A
- Exam Length: A three-hour exam split into three sections
- Best Suited For: Business owners, traditional marketers looking to expand, and entry-level marketers
Potential Careers With Digital Marketing Pro Certification
The Google Ads Marketing Certification is a professional digital marketing certificate for professionals who want to expand their understanding of Google Ads and channel optimization. Whether you are a small business owner or a beginner in marketing, this comprehensive online program provides the core skills necessary to utilize Google Ads and significantly increase digital marketing return on investment (ROI).
Google Ads Marketing Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $60,000
- Cost: Free
- Requirements: Google Skillshop account
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: 75 minutes
- Best Suited For: Entry-level marketers looking to expand their knowledge about Google Ads
Potential Careers With Google Ads Marketing Certification
The Google Analytics Individual Qualification digital marketing certification program features online courses that cover both basic and advanced Google Analytics concepts. The program trains students in in-demand digital marketing trends, such as social media advertising and implementation.
Since Google is the largest search engine, successful completion of this online marketing certification is essential. Google Analytics Academy is a useful resource to help students obtain this Google digital marketing certificate.
Google Analytics IQ Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $58,000
- Cost: Free
- Requirements: Advanced Google Analytics and Google Analytics for Beginners courses (optional)
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: 90 minutes
- Best Suited For: Beginners and entry-level digital marketers looking to understand the foundation of Google Analytics
Potential Careers With Google Analytics IQ Certification
Inbound marketing is a business strategy used to engage customers by providing them with material and real hands-on experiences that are personalized to their needs. Through its inbound-centered online courses, this professional certificate will prepare you to become an efficient online marketer and make you stand out from traditional marketers.
HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $54,000
- Cost: Free
- Requirements: Complete the Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification course
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Students, marketing managers, and content marketers looking to upskill
Potential Careers With HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification
This professional certificate will teach you how to become a successful content marketer. It focuses on how to develop, implement, and repurpose content that will appeal to both humans and search engines. Students of this online marketing certification will improve their experience in marketing and learn how to become more strategic in the field of digital and mobile marketing.
Hubspot Content Marketing Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $53,000
- Cost: Free
- Requirements: Complete the Hubspot Content Marketing Certification course
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Experienced marketers and business professionals looking to implement the latest digital marketing practices
Potential Careers With Hubspot Content Marketing Certification
Hootsuite is one of the most popular social media management platforms among marketers. It offers online training courses in social media marketing for people of all skill levels, allowing candidates to quickly move from a beginner course to a certification in advanced social media strategy. The Social Marketing Certification assesses your understanding of essential social media marketing, social selling, and mobile marketing principles.
Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification
- Average Salary: $52,000
- Cost: $199
- Requirements: No additional requirements
- Valid For: No expiry date
- Exam Length: 60 minutes
- Best Suited For: Entry-level marketers with a passion for social media marketing
Potential Careers With Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification
This OMCP digital marketing certification program is intended for professionals with confirmed experience in marketing to master online marketing disciplines across a wide range of fields. OMCP standards are taught at over 900 colleges and training programs. Consequently, professionals with OMCA and OMCP professional certifications have an advantage in the job market.
OMCP Digital Marketing Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $51,073
- Cost: $395 for the online exam
- Requirements: OMCP certification exam must be passed, and candidates must possess either 5,000 hours of experience, 2,000 hours of experience with a post-secondary degree, or 1,000 hours of experience plus an approved digital marketing course completed within six months of application
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: 75 minutes
- Best Suited For: Experienced marketers looking to pivot into digital marketing
Potential Careers With OMCP Digital Marketing Certification
How to Choose the Best Digital Marketing Certification for Your Career
If you want to know how to become a digital marketer in 2022, choosing an adequate certification program is crucial. This process can be quite challenging. However, with the right evaluation criteria, you will easily find the best digital marketing certifications for your needs. Below are some of the most important factors to consider:
Define Your Career Goals
Before you start looking for a digital marketing certification program, you should make a list of reasons as to why you want to master it and how it ties into your long-term goals. This will give you insight into what you want to learn and help you decide which course is best for you. A range of certifications may be the best way to gain a wide-range of real hands-on experience and impress future employers.
Learning Format
Learning format can either be a self-taught or mentor-led structure. A self-paced online learning platform allows you to study at your own pace, while a mentor-led course allows collaborative learning with like-minded people. With a deeper understanding of your preferred learning format, you can figure out your time commitment and which format works best for you.
If you are unsure what learning format suits you best, try enrolling in a free digital marketing bootcamp. You’ll discover if self-paced learning is for you without having to shell out hundreds of dollars.
Available Networking Opportunities
You should look for a digital marketing program that provides professional counseling, essential soft skills, and job prospects. These often come from ample networking opportunities, where you can connect with experts in the digital marketing industry. You can also consider some of the best digital marketing bootcamps to get hands-on experience.
Which Digital Marketing Certifications Pay the Most?
The digital marketing certifications that pay the most are PCM Digital Marketing certification, YouTube Music certification, and Meta/Facebook Blueprint certification. These online certifications teach in-demand skills like channel optimization and advanced search engine optimization that are relevant to the field of marketing and are directly connected to world-leading organizations in the digital marketing industry.
Highest-Paying Digital Marketing Certifications
- YouTube Music Certification: $73,000
- Meta Blueprint Certification: $68,000
- PCM Digital Marketing Certification: $61,000
- Digital Marketing Pro Certification: $60,000
- Google Ads Marketing Certification: $60,000
Which Digital Marketing Certifications Are the Best for Beginners?
The digital marketing certifications that are best for beginners are the PCM Digital Marketing Certification and the Google Analytics Individual Qualification Certification. These certifications provide the right mix of beginner-friendliness and in-depth marketing knowledge.
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Best College Certificate Programs
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How to Prepare for Your Digital Marketing Certification Exam
When considering digital marketing exam prep, the task can appear quite daunting. However, knowing the best resources that you can utilize will set you on the path to exam success for beginner and advanced certifications. The following section will cover the best courses to prepare you for your digital marketing certification exams.
Best Courses to Prepare for Digital Marketing Certification Exams
For a field as vast and diverse as digital marketing, you must consider an even wider range of topics if you want to grasp the full scope of the field. Luckily, the next section goes over some of the best digital marketing advanced courses that will ensure you achieve a passing score on your certification exams.
- Cost: $495
- Duration: Six hours
- Best Suited For: Email Marketing Mastery Certification, Inbound Marketing Certification
This course provides you with the knowledge and confidence to utilize email marketing strategies to build your business. Its learning path is structured with a variety of online courses that will equip you with the skills needed to become an expert in the field, such as advanced communication skills.
- Cost: $3,195
- Duration: 350 hours
- Best Suited For: OMCP Digital Marketing Certification
This online program is a self-paced course for anyone who wants to improve their digital marketing skills or start a new profession in this fast-growing field. Duke Continuing Studies has teamed with Simplilearn, an online training provider, to give students advanced knowledge about digital marketing. This advanced course features real-world projects and virtual simulations for practical experience.
- Cost: Approximately $2,260
- Duration: Six months
- Best Suited For: Meta Blueprint Certification
This online, postgraduate marketing course by Purdue University is open to anyone interested in advanced SEO, social media marketing, and conversion optimization. Students also work with leading experts in the field of digital marketing, which provides an opportunity to network and advance their knowledge even further.
- Cost: N/A
- Duration: Four hours
- Best Suited For: OMCA certification, OMCP Digital Marketing Certification
LinkedIn Learning, an online education platform, offers this training course that features comprehensive test preparation for the OMCA certification exam. It covers a range of topics that will be on the exam, such as mobile marketing optimization and conversion rate optimization. LinkedIn Learning has also created nine quizzes to test students’ knowledge and prepare them for the practical examination.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: One hour
- Best Suited For: Meta Blueprint Certification
This Coursera digital marketing specialization class is a free online training course that will adequately prepare you for the Meta Blueprint certification exam. The Blueprint online marketing certification is a high-demand training program that enables digital marketers to effectively utilize Facebook and its wide array of tools.
Other Resources to Prepare for Your Digital Marketing Certification Exams
When considering digital marketing certification exam prep, there are endless resources that can help your learning experience in marketing and solidify your path to success. These resources can be in the form of books, websites, blog posts, podcasts, or events that will keep you up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends.
The Ultimate Guide To Digital Marketing
The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing is a fantastic quick-start guide for anyone looking to improve their marketing skills by getting up to date with the latest digital trends. The book contains a slew of effective marketing strategies for entry-level marketers, business owners, and students.
The Ultimate Guide To Digital Marketing Overview
- Type of Resource: Book/PDF
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People who want a definitive guide to the digital marketing field
Search Engine Land
Search Engine Land’s regular newsletter gives marketers up-to-date search engine marketing news, analysis, and practical knowledge on a wide range of topics. Every workday, the email is sent out to customers, informing them of crucial business materials and updates. It focuses on search engine optimization, advanced Google analytics, and content marketing strategies.
Search Engine Land Overview
- Type of Resource: Newsletter
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People who want to learn about advanced search engine optimization and how it can be applied to digital marketing
Digital Marketing for Dummies
- This book by Ryan Deiss provides you with the tools you need to enter the digital world and modernize your experience in marketing. The book shows you how online tools can help you grow your brand’s reach and attract potential customers. It also includes methods for channel optimization, social selling, and mobile marketing to effectively engage customers.
Digital Marketing for Dummies Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $20
- Ideal For: People who want to learn the ins and outs of digital marketing trends
Marketing O’Clock
Marketing O’Clock is a weekly podcast by digital marketing experts aimed at teaching SEO practices and spotlighting advanced social media marketing subjects and online marketing campaigns. They also host Marketing O’Talk panels with other digital marketing experts to discuss new digital marketing trends and tactics you can use to get actual results.
Marketing O’Clock Overview
- Type of Resource: Podcast
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Business owners who want to say up-to-date on digital marketing trends and updates
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk, is a learning plan for effective social media marketing methods. It aids professionals in determining the best ‘hook’ for their next sale or campaign, allowing them to outperform the competition. It also provides the appropriate tools for dealing with clients to establish relationships for successful marketing campaigns.
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $25 (Hardcover), $18 (Kindle)
- Ideal For: Marketing team members or business owners looking to sell their products and increase their brand’s visibility
Best Online Courses
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Digital Marketing Job Outlook and Average Salary
Digital marketing is a fast-growing industry that encompasses several specializations with a wide range of occupations. As such, the field’s job outlook is quite encouraging. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of marketing has a job outlook of 10 percent from 2020 to 2030.
Furthermore, digital marketers are respectable earners in their own right. PayScale reports that the average salary of a skilled digital marketer is $72,000 per year. This figure is subject to change based on skill level, experience, location, and the company you work for.
Best Digital Marketing Jobs After Certification
As a rapidly growing industry, digital marketing has a wide range of jobs in line with online marketing plans and ecommerce marketing. As such, one of the most significant benefits of a digital marketing certification is that it can assist you in preparing for a career across multiple industries. The next section will go over some of the best digital marketing jobs available with a certification.
Marketing managers are in charge of marketing and advertising teams and have a wide range of duties, such as providing marketing advice to clients, approving or creating promotional content, and negotiating contracts. They are responsible for the marketing department of a company and work to engage customers as much as possible with the content they oversee.
Best Certification for the Job Role
PCM Digital Marketing Certification. The PCM Digital Marketing Certification is a certification that will grant you an entry-level digital marketing job, but the same skills gained from the program are shared by senior-level professionals.
Data scientists are important in the digital marketing industry because they are responsible for making sense of user and search engine data. These professionals use raw data and create visuals that are easy to understand and help explain their findings to business owners and clients.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Meta Blueprint Certification. Meta’s digital marketing training program focuses on the analytical science behind marketing rather than content creation or social media strategy, making it a great certification for data scientists.
Email marketing specialists specialize in using emails to communicate with current or potential consumers. They are responsible for writing emails that are engaging enough for recipients to open and act on. Required skills include social media analysis, ecommerce, copywriting, and interpersonal skills.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Email Marketing Mastery. This certification provides the critical skills needed to become an email marketing expert while providing a solid, stepwise process for planning and implementing successful email marketing campaigns.
Digital marketing specialists are in charge of promoting a company or product through all accessible digital marketing channels. Their responsibilities include developing, implementing, and monitoring SEO campaigns and the management of digital marketing channels. This job requires skills like people management and strategic project management.
Best Certification for the Job Role
PCM Digital Marketing Certification. This certification equips professionals with a compact learning path that teaches in-demand skills and gives hands-on experience in the digital marketing field.
Web content specialists create content for a website. Their responsibilities include conducting research, writing, and editing content. This role requires strong writing skills, online marketing skills, search engine optimization proficiency, and social media management skills.
Best Certification for the Job Role
HubSpot Content Marketing Certification. This free certification, provided by HubSpot Academy, provides learners with hands-on experience in content marketing.
Best Digital Marketing Associations
The digital marketing industry is always advancing. Therefore, digital marketing professionals should consider joining relevant associations to keep up with the top new trends in digital marketing. These digital marketing associations also give you access to the pooled knowledge of other industry experts, as well as opportunities to expand your career.
American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association hosts intensive conversations on marketing excellence, making it a valuable community for marketing professionals. They also publish marketing research publications, public policy and marketing journals, and worldwide marketing news.
Digital Marketing Association
This global marketing association aims to educate both entry-level marketers and experienced professionals in the digital marketing sphere. The Digital Marketing Association also provides a forum for multi-faceted industry collaboration, while encouraging education and research.
Sales and Marketing Executives International
This is one of the few international marketing professional organizations that host conferences for its members, such as the Sales & Marketing Leadership Conference. Additionally, members gain access to educational video lectures. They also offer a variety of online marketing courses with discount options.
Are Digital Marketing Certifications Worth It?
Yes, digital marketing certifications are worth it because they indicate a high level of knowledge and marketing skills. In addition, a certification indicates your level of advancement and experience in marketing, making you more attractive to potential employers.
Additional Reading About Digital Marketing
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Digital Marketing Certifications FAQ
The biggest mistake digital marketers make is focusing too much on brand recognition. Although the basic purpose of marketing is to generate leads as you engage customers, a brand-centric sales strategy deflects interest from your firm. It is best to make your online marketing strategy engage customers with a consistent stream of relevant and engaging content to the channels you use.
To create a digital marketing strategy that meets your business goals, you need to improve or build digital marketing plans, which can be achieved by learning how to write SMART goals. Your web or mobile marketing team should examine data from current and previous digital marketing campaigns and conduct channel optimization with the results.
The most effective social media platform for digital advertising depends on your company’s target audience. You may not need to be on a social media platform if your target consumer isn’t. You need an effective social media strategy after analyzing the demographic data provided by the platform. This makes it easier to determine which channels your target audience prefers.
You can choose a good digital marketing agency for your business by analyzing the vital factors that the company needs. This involves identifying your demands and budget, goals and objectives, and service offers. Using these parameters, you can evaluate the service provider’s technical abilities to decide whether they are the right fit for your target audience.
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