The use of digital marketing certificates is on the rise, as they provide a unique way to prove that a marketing campaign is valid and verified, without the need to conduct a detailed marketing audit or rely on costly, manual processes to track results.
In the online world, pixels cannot lie. When a consumer buys something within an eCommerce store – even if that something is a digital marketing certificate – the transaction can be traced back to the individual buyer.
Traditional offline marketing, in contrast, is much less transparent. With radio ads, billboards, and magazine spreads, it’s often difficult to attribute a direct result to an individual marketing campaign.
Further, when an ad campaign is rolled out across many platforms (such as print, radio, and online), it’s challenging to ensure that all the materials and methods are coordinated and integrated – a process known as cross-media marketing (CMM).
In the past, this would mean creating and running separate ads, with the possibility of them conflicting with each other (such as two different radio stations airing the same spot).
With the rise of social media and its billions of active users, the ability to measure, monitor, and report on the performance of a campaign across platforms is more important than ever – and that’s where digital marketing certificates come in.
The Growth of eCommerce and Digital Marketing
Many would argue that the rise of eCommerce and digital marketing can be directly attributed to the increase of social media users – and they would be right.
In 2014, the online retail market was valued at US$16.9 trillion, and it’s expected to grow to $26.9 trillion by next year.
It’s a massive industry, and one that’s only getting bigger – growing at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 22% between now and 2025.
In the coming years, we’ll see more and more companies turning to online channels to promote their products and services, as well as gain better consumer insights.
Why Are Companies Embracing Digital Marketing?
The main reason behind the rise of eCommerce and digital marketing is the simplification of the marketing process.
Even in today’s digital world, marketing is somewhat of a chore, and it can be difficult to keep up with all the various platforms and tactics – especially when you’re running a business.
With the advent of digital marketing certificates, this process is becoming much easier.
If you’re running a marketing campaign on social media, for example, you can easily see the results of that campaign, and take action if needed – without having to check multiple reports or run complex analytics to determine the optimal next move.
Further, with the introduction of marketing automation, companies can effectively scale and coordinate their marketing activity across various platforms and methods – from email to SEO and social media.
Thanks to the digital marketing certificate – which provides website visitors with a simple way to ensure that an ad or offer is valid and responsive – companies can ensure that the right consumers are reaching the right messages at the right time.
What Will Take Care Of My Business?
To better understand what a digital marketing certificate entails, it’s important to first grasp what it doesn’t include.
It doesn’t include website design, content development, or search engine optimization (SEO).
While these are all crucial pieces of the puzzle, they don’t constitute marketing, as these technologies can all be used for competitive purposes.
What it does include is:
- Validation of a Marketing Action
- Audit of Marketing Efforts
- Measuring the Overall Impact of Marketing
- Tracking Individual Consumer Behavior
- Integration of Marketing Activity Across Channels
- CMM of Multi-Platform Marketing Campaigns
- Competitive Analysis
- Performance Reporting
- Detailed Visitor Insights
- Actionable Insights from Data
- Setting Up and Maintaining Your Own Database
All of this can be easily handled by a professional service provider, who can ensure that your business gets the best possible exposure from a marketing standpoint – and that you’re able to easily measure the effectiveness of those efforts.
Thanks to the ease-of-use and functionality of digital marketing certificates, the burden is on you – the marketer – to prove the value of that marketing dollar.
How Do I Get Started?
To get started with your own marketing program, you’ll first need to choose a platform.
While there are dozens of platforms out there, we recommend using one of the big three (in order of popularity):
- YouTube
Each of these platforms has different attributes that make it suitable for various types of businesses – from small local businesses to large corporations.
The platforms are all massive, global communities, which means that you can bet your sweet ass that almost everyone you’ll ever want to reach already belongs there – especially if you’re a business looking to get started.
What Next?
In keeping with our theme of simplifying marketing, let’s briefly discuss what happens next.
Once you’ve made the decision to go digital, the next step is to choose a digital marketing agency or partner to help you get your feet wet.
While it’s important to find a company that is a good fit for your business, it’s also crucial to look for an agency that provides a solid knowledge base, a collaborative work environment, and the tools to get the job done.
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all of your marketing needs, check out this list of the top 30 digital marketing agencies to see if you could find the perfect fit.