7 Industry-Recognized Social Media Marketing Certifications + How to Get One

Adding social media marketing credentials like certificates and certifications can help make you more effective in your work and competitive in the job market.

How important is it to have social media marketing certification? If you ever wonder, “Is a social media marketing certificate worth it,” consider this: social media marketing jobs only sometimes require a degree. However, you need a robust skill set, which you can develop while pursuing certifications. Social media marketing certificates and other credentials help prepare you for your work while giving you a way to verify your proficiency and add to your credibility with potential clients and employers.  

Explore social media marketing certifications in more detail to determine the proper path to support your career goals.

Getting a social media marketing certification in 2024

A social media marketing certification can be a valuable asset in today’s evolving social media environment. Hubspot’s State of Marketing 2024 report reveals that social media is the top channel marketers use in 2024 to reach millennials and Generation Z demographics, with platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube offering the highest return on investment (ROI) [1]. According to Statista, more than five billion people use social media across platforms worldwide. As of April 2024, Facebook was the most used social media platform, with around 3.06 billion users accessing it monthly [2, 3].

As different social platforms expand and afford brands more ways to reach audiences, digital marketers can update their skills with a certification or certificate in social media. 

Benefits of earning a social media marketing certification

Building digital marketing skills with a social media marketing certificate or certification program can offer several career benefits. Completing the coursework means you can master relevant, job-ready skills in this field, including building a target audience around a brand, designing social media marketing campaigns, and executing a content strategy. You can also explore your creativity inside a structured learning experience and combine your creativity with technology, strategy, and data analysis. A certification, rather than a social media marketing course, typically means you’ll hold a credential. 

In addition, getting a certificate or certification in social media marketing can lead to more job prospects in the marketing world. A certification can help show you have up-to-date social marketing training and know how to use social media marketing strategies to drive business goals. Some roles and opportunities you may qualify for include: 

• Social media manager

• Social media coordinator

• Social media strategist

• Digital media strategist 

• Starting a business as a social media consultant, specialist, or strategist 

According to Payscale, people with a social media marketing certification earn, on average, $58,000 in the US as of October 2024 [4]. 

Keep reading to explore social media marketing certifications and the steps to get your credentials. 

7 industry-recognized social media marketing certifications 

Explore seven social media marketing certifications from well-known brands and industry leaders. Each credential below offers digital marketers a comprehensive journey through the world of social media marketing and a shareable digital credential upon completion. 

Check out the following certification list, organized according to what you’ll learn, the cost to register and complete, and the time it takes to get the credential. 

Related social media and digital marketing certifications 

In addition to the social media marketing certifications above, you might consider certifications, certificate programs, or social media marketing courses that focus on specific skill sets. These could come in handy when completing an upcoming project or applying for a job requiring more specialized knowledge. 

For example, the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Meta Marketing Analytics Professional Certificate both offer material on using data to make informed business decisions. You could apply learnings to social media marketing scenarios, such as using software to track and analyze data on customer behavior. 

Read more: Marketing Analytics: What It Is, Why It's Important and More

How to get a social media marketing certification

It all starts with pinpointing your objectives and finding a relevant credential to pursue. Follow the steps below to begin your certification journey: 

1. Identify your social media marketing goals.

Get clear on what you want to achieve as a social media marketer, from skills you want to learn to a career path you want to follow so you can select a certification to help you reach those goals. Here are some examples of goals that you can draw from to articulate your own: 

• Become familiar with the latest features on different social media platforms. 

• Learn how to use marketing software. 

• Advance into a leadership position in marketing. 

2. Select the best social media marketing certification for you.

Using the table above as a starting point, research different social media certifications to select the one that aligns with your social media marketing goals. Factors you’ll need to consider include: 

• The cost

• The time it takes to complete the coursework

• The breadth and depth of the coursework 

• How the certification outcomes correspond to skills employers are looking for  

3. Register for and complete the coursework. 

Once you’ve chosen a program, your next step is to complete the coursework. Be sure to allot sufficient time in your schedule to learn the material and be mindful of any deadlines by which you have to take a certifying exam. 

4. Share your credentials.   

Depending on the certification you get, you may be able to showcase your new credentials online. Sharing your credential on your social media, website, portfolio, or in an email signature, for example, represents your new skills visually and can attract employers. 

5. Update your skills periodically. 

As social media continues to evolve, it’s important to update your skills to make the most of each platform and its features and remain competitive in the job market. 

Some certificate programs may require you to recertify on a regular basis to maintain your credentials. Taking social media courses and building digital skills in other focus areas such as email marketing, mobile marketing, Google Analytics, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO) can also expose you to the latest marketing tactics, technologies, strategies, and digital marketing tools.

Read more: 8 Industry-Recognized Digital Marketing Certificates + How to Get One 

Get your social media marketing certificate with Coursera

Obtaining social media marketing credentials can help you expand your skills and increase your credibility. Explore the options below to learn job-ready skills, such as building targeted ad campaigns in Meta, increase traffic to your website, engage with customers via email, and use social media analytics to make marketing decisions.