Social Media Marketing Certifications and Certificates

There are many different certifications and certificates that you can earn for social media marketing. Some of the certifications come from the social media platforms themselves and show that you know how the different channels work. Others are from companies that make software tools and apps used for social media marketing. You can also take training courses on social media marketing techniques like paid and unpaid advertising and analytics. When you complete the course, you receive your certificate. This shows hiring managers that you know what to do as a Social Media Marketer and that you are motivated to succeed.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing uses platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok to connect with a target audience. According to Hootsuite’s Digital 2021 report, more than 4.48 billion people use these platforms daily, making social media marketing a smart choice to help drive website traffic, build a widely-known brand, and gain revenue.

There are two types of social media marketing: paid and unpaid. Paid marketing means buying ads on different social media sites, while unpaid marketing relies on high-quality content, clicks, likes, and shares. It’s also called “earned marketing.” While earned marketing is valuable because it doesn’t cost any money, it can take a long time to see results, so Social Media Marketers need to be patient and persistent.

A social media marketing campaign is based on these five essential activities:

• Strategy–setting goals, choosing the best channels, and deciding what type of content will attract your audience.
• Planning and publishing–understanding your audience, knowing what and when to publish, and maintaining consistency.
• Listening and engagement–interacting with your audience and tracking changes in the market.
• Analytics–collecting, tracking, and analyzing data on social media accounts so you can figure out what is working for you.
• Advertising–earned and paid advertising.

Read more about what social media marketing is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing is a powerful way to get the word out about your product or message, and one of the best things is you can do it for free. It doesn’t cost anything to open accounts on the different social media platforms, and many of the digital marketing tools you need are free to use or have a free version.

Data analytics tools allow you to research the market, identify a target audience, and tailor your message directly to them. Engagement tools let you interact with potential customers, get important feedback, see what your competitors are doing, and change your campaign as you need to. Social media marketing creates and maintains a community through regularly posted, high-quality content.

It can take a bit of time to see organic results, but you can use paid advertising to speed things up. Advertising increases engagement and is a good investment. Social media marketing tools allow you to pinpoint your audience and advertise just to them.

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

If you want to work as a Social Media Marketer, you can get a college degree in marketing, or you can enroll in a certificate program. Four years at a college or university is very expensive, so many people opt to earn professional certification to learn about digital marketing. Certificate programs take several months to complete, which is considerably shorter than going to college. These intensive courses focus exclusively on the latest social media marketing best practices.

Once you complete the course, you will be awarded a certificate that you can attach to your online resume or profile on LinkedIn. This tells prospective employers that you have been trained in the latest techniques in social media marketing, such as choosing social media channels, search engine optimization, content management, and analytical tools. Training programs hire experienced Social Media Marketers as instructors. These marketing professionals tend to be more familiar with the rapidly changing internet trends than college professors.

Certifications are documents indicating that you took a competency test to prove that you know a software tool or process. Sometimes the test is given at the end of a training course, and some certifications have an expiration date and have to be renewed.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Social Media Marketing

Noble Desktop

You can earn a Social Media Marketing Certification from Noble Desktop. The course covers the major social media channels, as well as analytics and paid advertising.

Google

Search giant Google has several opportunities for Social Media Marketers to take tests and earn certifications in using their products. This includes Google Ads, Google Analytics, and a collection of digital marketing skills called Google Digital Garage. The course and tests are all free. The downside of Google certifications is that they expire in a year, but then Google is constantly changing, which is not surprising.

LinkedIn Learning

The business-to-business social media network offers over 16,000 classes when you buy a subscription to LinkedIn Learning, among them courses in social media marketing. The first month is free. When you finish one of the video classes, you receive a certificate that you can post on your LinkedIn profile or resume.

Hootsuite Social Media Marketing

The social media management platform Hootsuite offers 15 lessons on social media marketing and certification that will not expire. The six-hour course covers social media marketing, from content marketing to SEO. To earn the certificate, you need to score 80% or better on a 60-question exam.

Hootsuite also offers an Advanced Social Advertising Certification that covers strategies for paid advertising on social media. This exam has 50 questions, and you must get 75% correct to earn the certificate.

Cornell University's Social Media Marketing Certificate

You can earn a Social Media Marketing Certificate through Cornell University. The program takes three months to complete and includes six online classes. After completing the classes and a final project, you receive a certification demonstrating that you have mastered the most important aspects of social media marketing.

Twitter’s Flight School

Learn the ins and outs of navigating Twitter at Flight School. Participants earn badges as they learn how to use the social media channel and manage a campaign, post video content, and gauge the audience’s reaction. It’s not quite a certification, but you can add the badges to your resume or portfolio website. It’s a way to show prospective employers that you know your way around a tweet.

Facebook's Blueprint Certification

Facebook offers a certification program called Blueprint. You can take classes on different topics like how to get started with social media marketing on Facebook or create paid ads. You must score 700 or better on the certification exam to pass; the certification is valid for up to 2 years.

Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Social Specialist Certification

Customer management software company Salesforce offers an online education service to teach Social Media Marketers how to use their products for content creation or analytics. To earn the certificate, you must get at least a 67% score on the exam.

Should I Get Certified in Social Media Marketing?

Employers don’t often require certification when hiring Social Media Marketers, but taking the time to earn certificates shows that you are dedicated to your craft and interested in staying up-to-date. Earning certifications demonstrates to hiring managers that you understand how the different social media channels work and have the knowledge to do a good job.

How to Get Certified in Social Media Marketing

You can earn a Social Media Marketing Certificate through Noble Desktop. The course curriculum includes a LinkedIn Marketing Bootcamp, YouTube Marketing, TikTok Marketing, Social Media Content Marketing: Blogs and Twitter, Instagram Marketing Bootcamp, Facebook Marketing Bootcamp, Streaming for Social Media, and Social Media Industry and Portfolio. This class will give you the tools and techniques you need to succeed in social media marketing. In addition to the interactive training, you get four 1-on-1 mentoring sessions that you can use for a portfolio review, review challenging concepts, polish your resume and LinkedIn profile, get advice from a marketing professional about applying for jobs, and ensure you are on track with your learning goals.

You can take live online classes from anywhere in the world with a set-up similar to in-person instruction. A real-time, remote instructor can answer questions and has the ability to share your screen to show you how to do things. You get the same level of attention as in in-person classes. When you complete the course, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion licensed by the New York State Department of Education. The certificate does not expire.

Learn Social Media Marketing with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop’s social media marketing courses teach skills that can help you start a career in the industry. Classes are small, with expert instructors, and you can retake a course for free up to a year after you take it. Those ready to dive into the field can attend in-person classes at Noble Desktop’s New York City location or attend live online social media courses from anywhere in the world.

In Noble Desktop’s Social Media Marketing Certificate, you can master successful social media marketing tools and techniques. You will learn about strategy development, content creation, brand building, analytics, and conversion optimization.

Noble Desktop also offers more detailed courses for those looking to hone their skills on specific channels, such as Facebook Marketing, email marketing, Social Media Content Marketing: Blogs & Twitter, and Video Marketing: TikTok & YouTube, or go for a Social Media Marketing Certificate. Other Noble Desktop resources that can help prepare for a career in digital marketing include its digital marketing blog, which has detailed articles about social media marketing, SEO, and other essential tools for digital marketers. Further resources include Noble’s seminar on YouTube entitled The Pillars of Digital Marketing Success.

Key Insights

• You earn certificates after completing courses on different aspects of social media marketing.
• Certifications are badges or documents that you can attach to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio website to show that you passed a test on the topic.
• Certificates and certifications indicate that you have a mastery of social media marketing concepts and are willing to work to stay up-to-date or acquire new skills.
• You can receive comprehensive social media marketing training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.