According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Marketing Managers boasted an annual median wage of $135,000 in 2021, and the field’s growth rate is higher than average. As the importance of social media continues to rise in marketing, positioning oneself as an expert in the area is a positive step toward job security in a thriving field.
While a university degree is one option for building social media marketing expertise, certificate programs offer a considerably faster and cheaper alternative to building an impressive skill set and demonstrating it via a resume and social media profiles. Certifications similarly demonstrate a social media marketing professional’s credentials, but typically as more specific verifications that the individual has the knowledge to pass the certifying organization’s exam.Â
Noble Desktop: Social Media Marketing Certificate
Key Information: You can jump-start a rewarding career with the Social Media Marketing Certificate program offered by Noble Desktop, a leading design and code school licensed by New York State. Aspiring Social Media Marketing Managers can pay $2,495 as a single payment or by taking advantage of Noble’s flexible installment plan. Tuition covers 72 hours of live online instruction, all curricula and supplementary materials, and the option to retake the course or any portion for a year. Students will earn a certificate of completion at the end of the course, which may be completed in as little as one month when following a schedule of 12 seven-hour weekday sessions. Eight modules comprise the Social Media Marketing Certificate, and you can take these in their recommended order or as they fit within your schedule.
Noble Desktop students will learn all they need to thrive in a social media marketing career. With individual modules focused on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (formerly known as Twitter), the program arms participants to utilize all of the major social media platforms to their greatest advantage when it comes to selecting the best ones for individual marketing campaigns, developing high-performing cross-platform strategies, and expanding your reach with smart usage of analytics and market positioning.
Hands-on projects are significant program components, especially in the Social Media Industry & Portfolio module. By the time you complete the certificate course, you will have an overflowing professional portfolio of social media campaigns and other projects that you can use to showcase your skills to future employers or clients. These skills include mastery of the biggest and most popular content categories, including written content, short-form and streaming video, and images.
Noble’s expert instructors will not only lead you to expertise in social media marketing, but they will also assist you in optimizing your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other social media accounts to help you land your dream job. At the program's close, you will earn a NY State-licensed certificate verifying that you have completed Noble’s comprehensive education in social media marketing. The program is available live at Noble Desktop’s NYC campus on Madison Avenue or online for students in Boston and elsewhere. You must provide your own computer and software if attending the class online.
Noble Desktop: Digital Marketing Certificate
Key Information:
Noble Desktop offers a Digital Marketing Certificate in-person in NYC and online for students in Boston and elsewhere. Online students must provide their own computer and software. No experience is required for the comprehensive beginner-friendly program—students only need to be comfortable using a computer. Tuition for the program is $3,995, which may be paid through a 12-month financing plan or via installments. Payment for the course covers Noble’s proprietary curricula and supplementary materials, a free retake option, and 120 hours of live instruction in social media marketing, paid search strategies, analytics, and SEO.
Aspiring Digital Marketers or Social Media Marketing Managers will find everything they need to get started with their career in the Digital Marketing Certificate program. Small business owners seeking guidance in marketing their own products and services will also find the course helpful. Noble offers exceptional flexibility in scheduling, with 14 modules that may be taken in their recommended or customized order. Class recordings are available for live classes you may have to miss, or you can retake the class or the entire course, thanks to the free retake option.
Six of the 14 modules focus on the major players in social media today, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube. As you master these platforms, you’ll also gain mastery of the arts of content writing that sells, images that catch eyes, and videos that create engagement. The program thoroughly covers other topics such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, and SEO. You’ll also learn how to stream, blog, monitor the performance of your website and campaigns, and market via email newsletter.
When you complete the program, you’ll receive an NY-state certificate that you can share on your social media accounts and list on your resume. Along with the portfolio of hands-on projects you create throughout the program, this certificate will help you land your first entry-level job in digital marketing or launch your freelance social media marketing career.
Harvard Extension School: Digital Marketing Strategy: 5-Day Course
Harvard Extension School provides a Harvard education to busy individuals through its part-time undergraduate and certificate programs. Tuition for their Digital Marketing Strategy: 5-Day Course is $5,995. The program length is five consecutive days, with classes meeting 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET. The program meets at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge. As a prerequisite, students should have some knowledge of various digital and social media platforms, as well as how business drivers apply to digital marketing initiatives. Digital marketers wishing to build their credentials, marketing leaders seeking to learn about digital marketing, and executive-level leaders who would like to understand the field better are all individuals who would benefit from this program.
In this Digital Marketing Strategy course, students will gain a thorough understanding of the digital marketing world and learn how to plan successful strategies and campaigns in this landscape. Participants will learn many unique skills such as understanding customer journeys and changing preferences, developing data- and solution-driven plans, working with tools and partners, and gaining support from the C-suite by establishing the business case.
The interactive, hands-on course features ample opportunities for students to put their new skills to work, including a final team presentation of digital strategies to the class. Lectures, case studies, articles, and videos are all part of the dynamic programming of the course that covers a myriad of topics, including SEO, digital paid advertising, social media marketing, the role of content creators, and many other aspects of successful digital marketing. When students complete the program, they will receive a Certificate of Participation awarded by the Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
Harvard Extension School: Marketing Management and Digital Strategy Graduate Certificate
Key Information:
The Marketing Management and Digital Strategy Graduate Certificate is another Harvard Extension School option for a certificate program helpful for Social Media Marketing Managers. However, its structure differs from the five-day Digital Marketing Strategy course. This graduate certificate program includes four courses for a total of 16 credit hours. The average cost of the program is $12,880. While Federal Aid is unavailable for certificate programs, some scholarships may apply.
The Marketing Management and Digital Strategy Certificate program is flexible and customizable, allowing students to choose from various classes and take them at their own pace. One Foundations course in Marketing Management or Digital Management is required. Students must also select one of the five Digital Tools classes, which includes the option of Video Storytelling for Social Media. Finally, participants will take two electives such as Luxury Marketing, Strategic Brand Marketing, or Sustainability Marketing and Branding. Whichever track students choose, they will receive a thorough education in the strategic tools and tactical techniques necessary to market across the platforms of today’s digital world.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree before pursuing Harvard Extension School’s graduate certificate in marketing management and digital strategy. The classes taken for the graduate certificate can be applied toward a Journalism or Management Master’s Degree at Harvard Extension School, if desired, at a later date. Harvard Extension’s certificates are concentrated academic pathways to expertise in a subject and prove to employers that an individual is determined, disciplined, and proficient in the skill set. This Marketing Management and Digital Strategy Certificate communicates that the holder knows the principles of digital marketing, including data-driven analysis, communication strategies, and other essential skills.
North Shore Community College: Social Media Marketing Credit Certificate
Key Information:
A public non-profit school in Danvers, Massachusetts, North Shore Community College offers a wide selection of associate degrees and certificates. Their Social Media Marketing Credit Certificate is completable in one school year when approached as a full-time student. Participants will take 21 credit hours over the course of seven classes. Tuition varies based on the student’s residence, but those who live in Massachusetts will pay $4,683 for the program before fees. No prerequisites are needed to apply, but communications and mathematics proficiencies are required before the certificate will be rewarded.
This program is ideal for young adults getting ready to jump into the workforce for the first time, business owners who want to learn to market their own services or products, and marketing professionals looking to update their skills. In addition to the credit certificate, students in this program will earn four industry-recognized certifications: Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Hootsuite Platform.
In their first semester, students will build a solid foundation of knowledge about digital media literacy, marketing theory, advertising and marketing integrations, and either business or entrepreneurship. The second semester gets more specific, with classes on social media marketing, digital marketing, and an option between video for social media or scripting. By the end of the program, students will be able to build a visible social media presence, write marketing objectives and goals, build and execute a social media marketing plan, create content in all formats, and proactively apply ethical principles to all their work.
Middlesex Community College: Social Media Certificate
Middlesex Community College offers a variety of educational paths to choose from at their Lowell and Bedford campuses and online. Tuition for the college’s remote Social Media Certificate program is $275. The prerequisite for this course is to have established accounts and a working knowledge of all social media platforms covered in the program. These platforms include Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. The 18-hour course runs for one month, featuring weekly lessons.
Small business owners are the intended audience for this course, teaching them how to reach potential clients and customers through social media today. Individuals can use the skills learned in the program in other career situations, including as a freelance Social Media Marketing Manager. This foundational class provides an overview of the most popular platforms and how to navigate them as a savvy marketer with a message most effectively.
This certificate class features lessons on Facebook, where students will learn the basics of utilizing the platform to its fullest potential. Participants will also study the art of growing a business through smart posting on X and Instagram. Other lessons cover Pinterest and its unique capacity to market products on autopilot, and still others introduce students to effective uses of YouTube to successfully build an audience and make sales. Throughout the program, participants will create a social media plan, which they will present to the class for feedback at the close of the course.
Hootsuite Academy: Social Media Marketing Certification Course
Key Information:Â
Hootsuite is a leading social media management platform, and its educational branch, Hootsuite Academy, hosts a Social Media Marketing Certification Course. The program and exam are available for $199, though the course may be skipped by those confident enough to take the exam without preparation. The class contains intermediate-level information, but no prerequisites are required. As an on-demand class, it features prerecorded lectures, and students may complete the 3.5-hour course at their own pace. While most certifications expire, Hootsuite’s Social Media Marketing Professional Certification never does.
This course features five chapters of lessons that all students need to know to pass the 60-question timed exam. There is no limit to the number of times one can take the exam. A score of 80% is necessary to pass and earn the certification. Topics covered by both the course and the exam include strategy, content marketing, inclusivity and accessibility, building a community, and how to measure success.
Hootsuite Academy’s certifications are industry-recognized and are linkable to the certified individual’s websites, blogs, and social media profiles. The Social Media Marketing Professional Certification verifies that a person is an expert in the most vital skills necessary to market across the most popular social media platforms. While this certification doesn’t verify that the holder knows Hootsuite itself, social media marketing professionals can earn a Hootsuite Platform Certification to complement it.
FAQ for Social Media Marketing Certificates
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
Certificates and certifications can both serve as more accessible alternatives to a university degree to prepare for a career in social media marketing. Certificates can function virtually as a one-to-one substitute for a diploma, as they are very similar. Individuals can earn certificates by completing a certificate program, which may be offered by an independent school, a college, or a university. Certificate programs vary in length and format, and some even feature credit-earning courses and can be stacked toward a future undergraduate or graduate degree. Others are terminal educational awards, but all are effective verifications of hard work and determination to gain expertise in an area for a fraction of the time and money required by a degree.
Meanwhile, certifications are verification that an individual has passed an exam rather than that they have completed an educational program. Certifications are usually associated with specific makers of software, applications, and platforms in the tech world, who sometimes provide free or low-cost courses to prepare an individual to pass their exam. Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate, HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Certification, and Hootsuite Academy’s Social Media Marketing Certification are some of the most common certifications in social media marketing. Be aware that certifications often require renewal, while certificates never expire.
Should I Pursue a Certificate or a Certification?
Whether an individual would most benefit from a certificate or certification depends on many factors, including where they are in their career. Those with little or no experience in social media marketing are likely to benefit more from a certificate program. Most provide plenty of opportunities to create hands-on projects and support in building a professional portfolio, one of the most important things an aspiring Social Media Marketing Manager can have in their job-hunting toolbelt. A certificate also plays a similar role to a diploma on an entry-level candidate’s resume, proving competency and expertise when experience is minimal.
Certifications can also be helpful for an entry-level candidate looking for opportunities to add credentials to their resume. However, they may be more beneficial for mid-career marketing professionals looking to add to their skill set or even those with a degree unrelated to social media marketing. Certifications are more budget-friendly than certificate programs, but they are unable to help entry-level candidates gain experience or build portfolios.
Do I Need to Become Certified to Find a Job?
There are many alternative paths to securing a job in social media marketing, but few are as streamlined and value-packed as a certificate program. Some entry-level candidates come to the job hunt with a four-year or even graduate degree. In contrast, others take the slow road to success by gaining experience and building a portfolio via unpaid internships and volunteer work. A certificate program is a unique opportunity to gain an education that arms an individual for success in their career path while also building a professional portfolio and often receiving career support as part of the educational experience.
Certifications can also be helpful in finding a social media marketing job, though they are not necessary by any means. However, when two candidates’ resumes are otherwise identical in terms of experience or education, a certification can be the line on the resume that nudges one above the other. Certifications are earned by taking an exam and are verifications of information or skills an individual holds, whether through a course, self-study, or experience. As they do not offer career support or an opportunity to build a portfolio, they are not an ideal substitute for a degree or certificate program. However, certifications can be an excellent addition to a resume already packed with education or experience, especially for mid-career professionals.
What Certificate Program is Right for Me?
Which is Better: In-Person or Online Classes
Both in-person and online classes can provide a solid educational foundation for a social media marketing career. Whether one or the other is better for an individual depends on their needs and goals. Both can provide similar benefits, including classes led on a set schedule by a live instructor and a community of classmates in a similar stage of their learning journey.Â
However, in-person classes offer the opportunity to interact with a teacher in the same room and often in a professional lab environment, where up-to-date computers and software are provided for hands-on components of the class. Online classes, on the other hand, offer students the experience of interacting with their instructor from the comfort of their own home and using their own tech. The right in-person class opportunity can be hard to pass up for those who can fit the commute into their schedule. Still, remote educational programs can offer a wide selection of class topics, schools, instructors, and schedules to meet every student’s needs.
Which is Better: Live Online or Asynchronous Classes?
While live online classes offer students a similar experience to in-person ones, asynchronous classes provide a different learning opportunity that can make an education possible for those who might not otherwise be able to fit one into their schedule. In a live online program, instructors lead scheduled classes in real-time, just as they would in an in-person course. This provides a structure many students appreciate, as well as the opportunity to ask their teacher questions in an online classroom environment.
On the other hand, asynchronous classes provide an environment where students can learn at their own pace in on-demand courses. With all lectures prerecorded as videos that students may watch whenever they like, they can pursue their studies at whatever speed they prefer during their lunch hours at work or late at night after they put the kids to bed. While this format doesn’t allow the same immediate communication with instructors as is possible with a live online class, teachers or other mentors are typically available to answer questions or give feedback via a messaging system in an asynchronous course.