In addition to providing a streamlined educational experience focused on what is necessary to succeed as a marketing professional in the 2020s, a certificate demonstrates expertise, dedication, and professionalism to potential clients and employers. A certification is likewise beneficial, verifying that an individual has the knowledge required to pass an exam on the subject.Â
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a job outlook of 10 percent growth from 2021 to 2031 for Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, a field where social media becomes increasingly vital every day. A social media marketing certificate or certification can be the first step to a high-paying Marketing Manager position or assist one in establishing authority and expertise as a freelancer in the field.
Noble Desktop: Social Media Marketing Certificate
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A design and code education leader since 1990, NYS-licensed Noble Desktop offers a Social Media Marketing Certificate to prepare students to thrive as professionals in an exciting field. Tuition is $2,495 and is payable via a flexible installment plan. The all-inclusive program includes 72 hours of live online instruction, a free retake option for one year, all curricula and supplementary materials, and a verified digital certificate of completion. The course features eight modules and can be taken in Noble’s recommended order or customized according to your needs. You can complete the program in one month if you follow the default schedule of 12 seven-hour weekday sessions.
The Noble Desktop team designed their Social Media Marketing Certificate to help you stand out as a job candidate in the high-demand field of social media marketing. As a student in the program, you will learn the ins and outs of the biggest social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (formerly known as Twitter). With a thorough understanding of these unique social media ecosystems, you’ll be well-equipped to determine the best ones for each of your marketing projects, develop the best cross-platform strategies, and use analytics and market positioning to expand your reach.
In addition to learning the most popular social media platforms, you will discover the industry secrets behind all the major content categories. The program teaches you how to create eye-catching images, scroll-stopping videos, and content writing that sells. You’ll explore what it takes to market products and services through streaming video and how to use paid advertising effectively. Throughout this hands-on certificate program, you will create many social media projects, which will help you gain confidence in the skills you learn as you immediately put them into practice.Â
In the Social Media Industry & Portfolio course module, you will create a professional portfolio of your work in the program to showcase your social media marketing prowess to your future clients and employers. Combined with assistance from expert instructors in optimizing your resume, social media accounts, and LinkedIn profile, this portfolio will make you a stand-out Social Media Marketing Manager in the next phase of your career. At the end of the program, you will receive an NY State-licensed certificate that informs your professional network that you have the know-how to make a business gain a following and make sales across social media platforms. Noble’s certificate program is available online and in-person at 185 Madison Avenue in NYC. Online students must provide their own computer and software for the class.
Noble Desktop: Digital Marketing Certificate
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Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Certificate is a comprehensive education in social media marketing, SEO, analytics, and paid search strategies. The program tuition is $3,995, payable via installments or a 12-month financing plan. This fee covers 120 hours of live instruction—either online or in-person in NYC—and Noble’s proven proprietary curricula. You must provide your own computer and software if you attend the course remotely. The only prerequisite for the class is comfort using a computer.
This Digital Marketing Certificate is for you if you are looking to jump-start a career in social media marketing or are looking for guidance in effectively promoting your own small business online. This program includes 14 modules, with some flexibility in customizing your schedule. If you miss a class, you can make it up by watching a class recording or taking the course later, thanks to Noble’s free retake option. This allows students to review classes, modules, or even the entire program for a year after their start date.
Noble’s certificate program features six modules focused on unique social media giants, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and TikTok. As you learn to navigate these platforms, you’ll also master the most popular content forms, including content writing, images, and video. You will also learn other invaluable skills such as streaming, blogging, email marketing, and monitoring the performance of your website and campaigns through Google Analytics. Through units on Google Ads and SEO, you’ll learn how to increase a business’s visibility and engagement organically and via paid search marketing.
By the end of this program, you will be ready to create compelling digital marketing campaigns either for your own business, in an entry-level position or as a freelancer. You will earn Noble’s NY-state certificate optimized to share on LinkedIn and other social media accounts and have many new skills and proficiencies to add to your resume. Throughout the program, you’ll create many hands-on projects and graduate with an impressive portfolio showcasing your digital marketing skills to potential clients and employers.
Phoenix College: Social Media Marketing Certificate of Completion
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Phoenix College is a network of ten schools comprising Maricopa Community Colleges. Its Social Media Marketing Certificate of Completion (CCL) will arm participants with the skills needed to succeed in the field in two semesters as a full-time student or three semesters as a part-time student. The program includes six classes for a total of 17 or 18 credits. Prerequisites are those typical of an undergraduate program, including a high school diploma or equivalent. Classes are a mix of online and hybrid.
Tuition can vary widely depending upon many factors, including where the student lives and how many classes they enroll in at a time. Many financial aid options are available, including federal aid, scholarships, and grants.
Phoenix College’s social media marketing certificate provides students with skills useful in marketing across social media, as well as in digital communications, media relations, integrated marketing, and brand management. Classes in the program include Marketing and Social Networking, Introduction to Social Media, Principles of Marketing, Applied Marketing and Social Networking, Workplace Communication Skills, and a related elective. These courses may later count towards an Associate of Applied Science in Marketing and Sales through Phoenix College.
By the end of the program, students will have the know-how to utilize social media marketing models, theories, and research in creating successful campaigns. They will also excel at identifying the best social media platforms for the desired audience for their messages as well as how to craft their campaigns in ethical and socially responsible language and design. These skills and others learned through the program will set up students for success in finding a job in social media marketing or a related field. No prerequisites are necessary, and all are welcome to this no-application program.
University of Phoenix: Social Media Marketing Essentials
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Known for its plethora of online education opportunities, the University of Phoenix offers a Social Media Marketing Essentials certificate program online. Tuition for the self-paced course is $149.99, which covers access to the 30-hour course for one year, a seven-day satisfaction guarantee, and a certificate of completion. No books or other materials are necessary beyond the technology required to access the program online.Â
This social media marketing course focuses on four unique skills. The first is a thorough knowledge of the major social media platforms, their audiences, and their benefits. The next is the ability to effectively plan and execute marketing campaigns, factoring in each project's unique parameters and markets. The third skill students will learn is how to gauge campaign performance by interpreting analytics for specific metrics and goals. Finally, participants will be able to evaluate marketing plans regarding goals, conditions, and limitations.
By the end of the program, students will know how to use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X as effective marketing platforms. Students must score 85% or higher on the final exam to earn their certificate of completion. A permanent link to the certificate can be shared on social media profiles, verifying digital marketing professionals’ knowledge of the four skills covered in the program.
University of Arizona: Digital Marketing Certificate Program
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A highly ranked public university in Tucson, the University of Arizona hosts its Digital Marketing Certificate Program online with live weekly study sessions. Tuition for the program is $2,500, with discounts and payment plans available. A new ten-week class starts each month, allowing students to begin any time of the year. The University of Arizona partners with GreenFig, a leader in tech-enabled career education, to provide this certificate program. No prerequisites are required, though the University recommends the program to college graduates, entrepreneurs, and professionals desiring to gain new skills for their current or future careers.Â
In addition to a digital badge and certificate of completion, students will receive several industry-recognized certifications, including Google Ads Search Certification, Google Analytics Individual Qualification, and HubSpot Email Marketing. The program is an approximately 80-hour learning experience featuring on-demand videos and reading, hands-on assignments, and optional weekly mentor-led live video conference broadcasts.Â
Students will spend about four to six hours per week learning independently and practicing their new skills by completing a Strategic Digital Marketing Playbook. By the end of the program, participants will have a strong competency in Google Analytics, Google Ads, and HubSpot, as well as in SEO, paid search, paid social, content marketing, email marketing, marketing strategy, and marketing analytics. All of the program is online, making it easily accessible to students anywhere in the world.
Arizona State University: Digital Marketing Boot Camp
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Public research university Arizona State University awards a digital badge and Professional Certificate to all students who complete their Digital Marketing Boot Camp. Students will need 18 weeks to complete the part-time program. Classes run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, MST. Prerequisites are minimal, with no experience in marketing or programming required. Flexible interest-free payment plans are available to cover the tuition of $9,495.
To apply to the program, prospective students must complete a skills assessment to assist admissions in determining if the program is right for them. The bootcamp’s hours cater to professionals seeking to add digital marketing to their skill pool to advance in their current job path or to change careers. ASU offers bootcamp participants support in building effective social media profiles and resumes, one-on-one career coaching, and additional forms of assistance in career planning.
By the end of the bootcamp, participants will meet learning goals, including mastery of Facebook Ads Manager, WordPress, Google Ads, and Google Analytics. Graduates will be able to create and launch successful digital marketing campaigns across social media and search engines. Their cutting-edge marketing knowledge will span topics from user acquisition retention strategy to content marketing and SEO. Through the hands-on program, students will develop projects that will together form a professional portfolio useful in their career journey. They will also have the opportunity to showcase a final project at Demo Day, a quarterly networking event connecting students with local Phoenix professionals.
Hootsuite Academy: Social Media Marketing Certification Course
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The educational branch of the social media management powerhouse Hootsuite, Hootsuite Academy offers a Social Media Marketing Certification Course for one payment of $199. As a certification rather than a certificate, experienced professionals may skip the course and simply take the exam. Unlike many certifications, however, Hootsuite’s Social Media Marketing Professional Certification never expires. While there are no prerequisites for this course, Hootsuite advertises it as suitable for those with an intermediate knowledge of the material. The on-demand course features 3.5 hours of learning material, which may be completed at the student’s own pace.
Hootsuite’s Social Media Marketing Certification Course includes five chapters of prerecorded lessons covering the topics of strategy, content marketing, inclusivity and accessibility, building a community, and how to measure success. These chapters will prepare students for the 60-question timed exam. Test-takers can take the exam as many times as needed to pass it with a score of at least 80%.
Hootsuite Academy’s Social Media Marketing Professional Certification is an industry-recognized verification of the holder’s expertise in the foundational skills of marketing across social media platforms. The certification includes a permanent link that may be featured on social media marketing professional’s websites, blogs, and other profiles. Note that this certification is in social media marketing strategy rather than in the Hootsuite dashboard itself. Hootsuite recommends their Hootsuite Platform Certification as a partner certification demonstrating proficiency in their services.
FAQ for Social Media Marketing Certificates
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
Certificates and certifications may sound like interchangeable terms, but they are very different things. Certificates are earned by completing an educational program, verifying that the student successfully completed the training and has learned the skills taught by the school. Certificate programs are available at colleges and universities and through independent schools like Noble Desktop, and the certificates earned in these programs function much like diplomas. They are an impressive accomplishment to list in the education section of a resume.
Certifications, on the other hand, are earned by passing an exam given by an industry-recognized organization rather than by completing a training program. Common certifications in social media include Hootsuite Academy’s Social Media Marketing Certification, HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Certification, and Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate. Free and low-cost courses to prepare students to pass these exams are common in social media marketing. Note that certifications often expire, while certificates never do.
Should I Pursue a Certificate or a Certification?
Social media marketing certificates and certifications have their place on the LinkedIn profiles and resumes of Marketing Managers and Social Media Specialists. Which one is more beneficial for an individual depends on several personal factors.Â
Suppose someone is interested in social media marketing but needs more experience. In that case, a social media marketing or digital marketing certificate can be the perfect educational jump-start to their career. While a certificate is typically a more extensive investment than a certification, it’s a much smaller one than a college degree. Still, it functions similarly as an impressive verification of an individual’s dedication and expertise gained through an educational program. On the other hand, certifications may benefit a mid-career professional’s resume more, especially when that person already holds a university degree.
Do I Need to Become Certified to Find a Job?
Most employers seeking an expert in social media marketing will be more concerned with the candidate’s experience than their education. However, because the pool of social media marketing professionals searching for jobs is full of individuals holding degrees, certificates, and certifications, bringing any or even all of those to the table can move a person’s resume to the top of the stack.
A social media marketing or digital marketing certificate is an exceptional tool in the marketing job-hunter’s arsenal, as it can hold nearly identical weight as a diploma on a resume but can be earned for a fraction of the time and money. A certification can be ideal for aspiring Social Media Marketing Managers pivoting mid-career away from another industry, especially when they hold degrees but not in social media marketing. In any case, when one has no experience in social media marketing but wants a job in the field, they can gain that experience in a hands-on certificate program while building a professional portfolio, often vital for landing the position.
What Certificate Program is Right for Me?
Which is Better: In-Person or Online Classes
In-person and online classes both offer a valuable education in social media marketing, with neither being objectively better than the other. Many factors can determine which one is better for an individual, with accessibility arguably the most important one of all. In-person classes in tech and tech-adjacent fields can be challenging to find post-Covid, as many moved online during quarantine and never returned to brick-and-mortar classrooms. Online courses allow access to programs anywhere in the U.S., no matter where the student lives, which means many more options in terms of programs, schools, instructors, and times classes are offered.
However, when a suitable in-person class is available, the experience can be exceptionally fulfilling as it allows immediate access to instructors in the same room. Meanwhile, live online classes can offer a similar opportunity, as students can interact with a teacher in real-time, much like in a classroom. A significant difference in the two experiences lies in the technology students use for their hands-on projects. In-person courses are often in labs equipped with powerful computers and up-to-date software, while online classes typically require students to provide their own tech to attend the class and do their homework. While this can be a determining factor for some students, most aspiring social media marketing professionals will already own the necessary devices.
Which is Better: Live Online or Asynchronous Classes?
Those who choose a remote learning experience sometimes have the option between live online classes or asynchronous classes. The latter, also known as on-demand or self-paced classes, allow students to enroll and begin their learning journey anytime. Any lecture components of the course are prerecorded, so participants can watch lessons and complete projects whenever they have an opening in their schedule and at whatever speed they prefer. A self-paced class can be ideal for busy professionals, parents, or college students wishing to supplement their current educational track with a certificate program.
Live online classes offer an experience more similar to in-person ones. While some larger programs offer rolling admissions and frequent program start dates, their schedules will virtually always be more locked into the experience than an asynchronous class. Some students appreciate the accountability of a set schedule, and many enjoy the ability to attend class sessions led by a live instructor, with the bonus of not having to leave the comfort of their homes.