Becoming Certified in Marketing Analytics

There’s no doubt that big data growth in recent years has presented endless opportunities for companies wishing to step up their marketing game and reach customers on a personal level. With those new opportunities, companies now face the challenge of finding talented marketing professionals who are capable of wrangling and analyzing vast amounts of available data—and building lifelong relationships with customers.

Whether you’re a marketing pro in need of a refresher on the latest analytics developments. Or maybe, you’re a trying to determine whether or not you’re interested in a the field of data-driven marketing. Regardless of your professional footing, a certificate in marketing analytics will help you become well-versed in the world of data and use meaningful metrics to best support a business.

Tell Me More! What Exactly Is a Marketing Analytics Certification?

Traditional marketing tactics rely upon potential customers initiating a search for products or services. While an age-old lead generation strategy, it doesn’t allow companies to learn much about potential customers, which can often result in communication that is impersonal and, at times, unrelatable. It’s also very difficult to track results from these interactions and understand why certain marketing efforts succeed and others don’t. Traditional marketing uses generalized market research—such as consumer surveys, focus groups, or in-store customer observation—and while it can still be very useful, it comes with limitations such as delayed results. Any gathered information can also quickly become obsolete.

Whether gleaned from business transactions and social media “likes”, big data has revolutionized the way we’re able to market to businesses and consumers. Studies show that with the availability of big data, we can look beyond campaign execution and improve customer insight and responsiveness. Data technologies allow marketers to develop more meaningful relationships and improve customer experiences. Results are instant—companies can see exactly where they lose people and gain insight on how they can improve in the future.

Marketing analytics leverages big data as a means of determining whether a company’s marketing initiatives are working. It uses the measurement and analysis of marketing performance—such as cost per click (CPC) or cost per install (CPI) of an app or program—to determine the effectiveness of marketing efforts like paid social media posts or banner ads and improve the return on investment.

Where traditional marketing operation generates ambiguous leads, marketing analytics can provide insight into specific customer behaviors and needs.

The field of marketing is quickly evolving, from social media to the use of data to assess, develop, and enhance a business’ marketing plans and techniques. When you earn a marketing analytics certification, you’ll receive specialized training in topics such as how to:

• Design marketing campaigns to produce different types of data
• Develop a plan to measure web analytics data and evaluate return on investment
• Analyze that data to develop insights and improve future marketing campaigns

You can expect to study many different marketing topics and theories, such as:

• Data analytics software
• Survey software
• Social media measurement tools
• Web analytics
• Data mining and visualizations

What Are the Benefits of Earning One?

The great news is that there is a growing need for marketing analysts. According to VentureBeat, companies are massively increasing marketing analytics budgets, which means more jobs and a greater need for qualified candidates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for market research analysts should grow by 23% into 2026. This is more than three times faster than the average growth for other occupations and will make for plenty of future job opportunities for marketing analysts.

As a certified marketing analyst, you will be able to work for many different businesses, including advertising agencies, market research firms, manufacturers, and even in governmental offices. According to PayScale, marketing analysts also enjoy career advancement opportunities, and with time and hands-on experience, you may be able to move into marketing manager, marketing director, and senior marketing analyst roles. From here, there are plenty of opportunities for personal and career growth, with further advancement possible in positions such as marketing director, vice president of marketing, and marketing communications director

A marketing analytics certification not only positions you for a solid salary early on in your career, but these advancement opportunities mean you can further increase your earning potential. PayScale identifies the average marketing analyst salary as $54,047, with marketing analysts with over 20 years of experience earning an average salary of $65,000. Advancing into other marketing roles brings higher average salaries:

• Marketing manager: $64,867
• Marketing communications director: $79,714
• Marketing director: $84,854
• Vice president of marketing: $144,226

Think of your marketing analytics certification as being the foundation to support you on your way to landing those initial jobs. With experience and skills that you acquire through your work, you can continue to advance into bigger roles with more responsibilities and larger salaries.

If you’re interested in even more opportunities within your marketing career, check out our Ultra Guide: Obtaining a Master’s in Marketing Analytics and Obtaining an MBA with a Marketing Analytics Specialization.

One thing to note is while companies have specified minimum and desired qualifications, there is currently no mandated educational requirement for performing marketing analytics functions. Which makes it imperative that you evaluate your personal circumstances and goals to determine which educational path is right for you.

I Want to Know About the Best Online Marketing Analytics Certification Programs.

If you think online marketing analytics certification programs aren’t legit, think again. One of the most respected online certification programs can be found at Wharton Online at the University of Pennsylvania. In this course, you’ll grow your understanding of the approaches to best make data-driven decisions. This program is largely done through a lecture approach and upon completion, will have you ready to make a positive impact on the business or organization you work with. Other esteemed online programs include Berkeley’s MicroMasters program as well as Marketing Analytics by the University of Virginia.

What About Marketing Analytics Certification Programs for Continuing Education?

Here’s who should consider getting this certificate.
Current marketing professionals and executives who are interested in understanding the new rules of marketing to advance in their career, or professionals looking to enter the field of marketing analytics.

What do recipients gain from this training?
Continuing education is a non-degree professional certificate from a university. With this certificate, you’ll have the opportunity to expand upon your knowledge regarding marketing strategies and learn how to apply big data to help your business grow. These programs tend to mirror the more traditional university setting and therefore carry more weight with prospective employers.

What’s the value?
People interested in this certificate have most likely already completed higher education and are looking for a refresher for or supplement to their education to strengthen their marketing knowledge. Although this program does not provide a degree, it’s far less expensive than a master’s program. Upon completion, graduates will have the opportunity to present a certificate of completion to current or potential employers, confirming formal training and knowledge of marketing analytics.

Marketing analytics certification programs to consider:
Digital Marketing and Social Media Analytics at MIT Management Executive Education
Marketing with Concentration in Digital Marketing at UCLA Extension

More About Online Marketing Analytics Certification Courses.

Here’s who should consider getting this certificate.
Current or prospective marketing professionals looking for a refresher or introduction to foundations of marketing analytics.

What do recipients gain from this training?
Participants in this program will get an overview of marketing analytics in a less traditional educational setting. Given that these courses are offered online, participants are typically able to complete the course at their own pace and are not bound by a semester or quarter system.

What’s the value?
These programs are a very cost-effective way to introduce the concepts of marketing analytics. Although they are more casual and do not carry the label of a big-name university, they still provide invaluable knowledge that you can put into action at your current job, or talk about in an interview. Remember that being self-taught and taking the initiative to expand your knowledge is valuable and very respected in the tech space.

More online marketing analytics courses to consider:
Marketing Analytics: The Full Marketing Research Masterclass at Udemy
Digital Analytics for Marketing Professionals at Coursera

When It Comes to Professional Marketing Analytics Associations…

Here’s who should consider getting this certificate.
Current marketing professionals wishing to expand knowledge in marketing analytics to improve job performance and create efficiencies.

What do recipients gain from this training?
These courses will focus on helping you reach your business goals by providing strategies and tactics to achieve measurable outcomes. These courses are typically taught by trainers who have worked in the field for a long time, so you can count on gaining a lot of wisdom and advice in addition to the structured coursework.

What’s the value?
The benefit in attending a training seminar with a professional association is that you are affiliating with other marketers. This is a great way to not only learn and expand your marketing knowledge, but also meet new people and expand your professional network. Furthermore, given that these courses are designed for employees currently in the marketing field, it is likely that your company will pay for your tuition and travel expenses.

Professional Association certificates to consider:

• Web & Digital Analytics eLearning Module at American Marketing Association
• Marketing Analytics Certificate at Data & Marketing Association

(Last Updated on February 26, 2024)

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