These certifications will springboard your digital marketer career

Marketing has been touted to be one of the most promising career options in the job market today. With every business taking to the internet to increase standing and acquire customers, digital marketers are in as much demand as web developers were during the dot-com boom. Unlike web development marketing is, and always has been, in constant flux. New technologies pop up within months not years and this necessitates the learning of new skills at regular intervals. Since digital marketers don't need a college degree to start, or advance in, their careers, the field has become extremely competitive with every other working professional touting himself as an SEO expert, social media evangelist, or PPC guru. If you want to stand out in the marketing trade, then these eight digital marketing certifications are the surest way to do it:

Image: Shutterstock

Google AdWords

The final word in PPC advertising, Google AdWords is a must-have skill for all digital marketers today. The course not only teaches you how to navigate the world's most popular advertising platform, but also how to find what people are searching for, the fundamentals of A/B testing and how to write ad copy that works. To become certified, you have to pass the Google AdWords Fundamentals exam along with additional exams on search, mobile, display and video advertising.

Google Analytics Individual Qualification 

Mastering the use of Google Analytics is perhaps the quickest way to get ahead of your fellow marketers. Few marketers bother completing this course due to its technicality. But if you take and pass the Google Analytics IQ exam, you are certified as a marketer who can measure the performance of Google advertisements through reports and suggest improvements — an invaluable skill if there ever was one. 

Hubspot Inbound

You must have heard time and again that understanding the fundamentals is key for success in any field. Marketing is no different and Hubspot's Inbound course is the perfect place to learn the very basics of the industry. The course includes topics like SEO, content, conversion rate optimisation, sales funnel, lead nurturing, closing, buyers journey and personas - taught through simple and concise slideshows. The entire course, from the coursework to the final certification exam, is entirely free.

Facebook Blueprint 

Facebook is perhaps the most powerful advertising tool marketers have been endowed with in recent years. With a massive two billion monthly users, Facebook allows marketers to use incredibly specific targeting options to pander to their desired audience. All the possible outcomes of a marketing campaign — increasing traffic, generating awareness, building leads, improving sales, and more — can be achieved through Facebook advertising. And its integration with Instagram advertising has made it so much more important with the photo-sharing app becoming a vital advertising platform in recent years. 

Twitter Flight School

While advertising on Twitter is not as popular as it is on Facebook and Google, few platforms can match the level of engagement that the micro-blogging site offers. Twitter Flight School uses product tutorials, case studies and downloadable presentations to help users gain a deep understanding of how Twitter works and the different strategies they can use to engage their audience.

Microsoft Excel: Advanced Training

Undoubtedly, the most infuriating software in the Microsoft Office bundle, Excel is, unfortunately, vital for digital marketers. Marketing is as much about analysis as it is about content creation and advertising. Since Excel is the most popular and easy-to-use platform for this purpose, attaining a mastery of it is a must for marketers. This Udemy course will teach you everything you need to know about using MS Excel — from the very basics to advanced features like lookups, Pivot tables, and Macros.

Codecademy Make a Website

If you understand the fundamentals of HTML and CSS, and can code even a little bit, you can do things most marketers rely on developers for. Gaining this knowledge helps you add analytics tracking to your website, optimise website SEO, make design alterations to email templates and create and change landing pages. Codecademy teaches all this through a learn-as-you-go hands-on course that's free of charge and quite fun to undertake.

Canva Design School

With patience non-existent and distractions aplenty, visual content has become the most effective way to capture an internet user's attention today. Marketers who have a basic design sense can create visually engaging websites, advertisements, social media posts and even emails. While acquiring this skill set might have been challenging a few years ago, the Canva Design School — covers topics like fonts, colours, shapes, and branding — teaches you how to create professional grade visuals using their free tools.

Along with earning these marketing certifications, it's imperative that you dedicate enough time to put your newly acquired knowledge into practice. Remember to be on your toes, lookout for tech advancement that might require you to learn yet another skill to remain relevant.