The Best Free Online Qualifications For Digital Marketers

Introduction

One of the best (and worst) things about digital marketing is its low barriers to entry. But, with everything moving so rapidly across each channel, even the most experienced paid media specialists need to keep their knowledge and experience in check. 

Whether you’re experiencing a career change, are a business owner, want to start a career in digital marketing or it’s simply a topic that interests you, below is a breakdown of the best free online qualifications for digital marketers.

We’ve split each of the courses mentioned below into categories, depending on whether you’re an all-rounder, a search or SEO specialist, a social media advocate, or a creative marketer. Remember that while none of these exams will guarantee you a job in marketing once completed, they go a long way in both proving and improving your resume and skillset.

All-rounder digital marketing free qualifications

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing by Google Digital Garage

An excellent starting point for beginners or those with a passion for digital, the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing promises to help its users master the basics of advertising online. Accredited by both Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University, this free and interactive online course is a must-have on the resume. 

Estimated time to complete full course: 40 hours
Certificate or badge: Badge
Certificate or badge validity: No expiry
Level: Beginner
Exam?: No 

HubSpot Digital Marketing & Advertising Certification Courses

Although well-known as a CRM, HubSpot is well-known in the marketing world too, and over the last decade have created a wealth of innovations to support businesses with their marketing efforts. The HubSpot Academy has one of the most comprehensive and free libraries of free digital marketing courses available. For all-rounders or beginners in marketing, we recommend taking the HubSpot Digital Marketing Certification Course.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 13 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes

Once you’ve nailed the fundamentals, next up we’d recommend HubSpot’s Digital Advertising Certification to round out your knowledge. Both HubSpot exams mentioned have a passing score of 75%.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity:  13 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes

Free qualifications for search or PPC marketing

Google Ads Search Certification

The best sources for PPC channel training are undoubtedly the platforms themselves. Google Skillshop has a wealth of content, resources, and exams available across its entire platform. For those new to search marketing, we’d suggest the Google Ads Search Certification as an effective starting point. As an aside, if search marketing is the route you’d like to pursue as a career, this qualification is sometimes a must-have before the interview stage even begins! The passing score for this exam is 80%.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 12 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes

Microsoft Advertising Search Advertising Learning Path

Relaunched in July 2024, the Microsoft Advertising Learning Lab is full of both short courses and qualifications to obtain. For beginners to Microsoft Search, the Search Advertising Learning Path is the best place to start: packed with tips from digital fundamentals to practical hands-on advice with an exam at the end. Once completed, you’ll earn Microsoft Advertising Search Professional status. (If you’re a real go-getter, by completing the four exams for Search, Display Native & Video, Retail, and Retail Media, you’ll earn Microsoft Advertising Certified Expert status!)

Estimated time to complete full course: 3 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 12 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes 

Free email  marketing online qualifications

HubSpot Academy Email Marketing Certification

Not only for users of HubSpot, the HubSpot Academy Email Marketing Certification is a free qualification for beginners in email marketing. Covering topics such as email personalization, automation, and best practices, this course is perfect for business owners, small marketing departments, and entry-level marketers alike! The exam is made up of 60 questions with a passing score of 75%.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 12 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes

Google Digital Garage Email Marketing Basics

Also known as Connect Through Email, this free course from Google Digital Garage is a super-speedy walkthrough of the basics. Containing knowledge checks throughout, this quick guide covers topics such as how to craft great emails, how to measure success, and how to manage successful email marketing campaigns. 

Estimated time to complete full course: 20 minutes
Certificate or badge: Badge
Certificate or badge validity: No expiry
Level: Beginner
Exam?: No

Social media marketing free qualifications

Meta Digital Marketing Essentials

As with search, the best free training for social media marketing (often) comes from the platforms themselves, and Meta is a good example of this! While the official Meta certifications are paid for, they have a wealth of free and smaller courses designed to point you in the right direction. The Meta Digital Marketing Essentials modules are perfect for those who are brand new to advertising across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

If you’re looking for a qualification on Meta, we’d suggest  Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate as the best all-rounder for beginners. However, you'll need to pay an exam fee to take the exams and obtain the qualification for this course. At the time of writing, the exam fees are $99 for each exam attempt. As well as the online training modules, there’s also a study guide - access to both of these is free.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Exam
Certificate or badge validity: N/a
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes

TikTok 101

As one of the newer social media advertising platforms, TikTok isn’t all the way there yet with creating overly comprehensive training but completing TikTok 101 will give you many of the tools you need to understand the platform and the extent of advertising on the platform. While there’s no official exam, there are plenty of short quizzes and knowledge tests throughout the course.

Estimated time to complete full course: 2 hours
Certificate or badge: Badge
Certificate or badge validity: No expiry
Level: Beginner
Exam?: No

LinkedIn Fundamentals

While notoriously known for B2B marketing efforts, B2C can also be very effective on LinkedIn - so don’t ignore the relevancy of learning LinkedIn as a platform, no matter your brand! We suggest starting with LinkedIn Fundamentals for a comprehensive breakdown of audiences, ad formats, and advertising on the platform. The final exam requires a passing score of 75%.

Estimated time to complete full course: 3 hours
Certificate or badge: Exam
Certificate or badge validity: 24 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes 

Pinterest Media Buyer Certification

The Pinterest Media Buyer Certification is new for 2024 and is available to anyone with a Pinterest Business account. This is ideal for those who have a little bit of experience with Pinterest, as the questions involve plenty of hands-on and practical advice. However, there is no official study guide for this exam. The exam itself has a 90-minute limit including 60 questions from their large question bank.

Estimated time to complete full course: n/a
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 24 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes 

HubSpot Social Media Marketing I & II

Although not strictly from a social media platform, these are two of the best all-round and free social media marketing qualifications available. We’d suggest starting with HubSpot Social Media Marketing I which covers all the must-have knowledge such as developing a social media strategy, social listening, content creation and planning, and measurement tools.

Estimated time to complete full course: 6 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 25 months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes 

Once completed, Social Media Marketing II is the natural progression! However, this course is definitely a step up from its predecessor and will require some hands-on experience with social media marketing in order to fully grasp it. Social Media Marketing II delves into advanced techniques, community-led growth, and advanced guidance on measurement without the use of cookies. Both of these exams require a passing score of 75%.

Estimated time to complete full course: 3 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 25 months from completion
Level: Intermediate
Exam?: Yes 

Creative free marketing qualifications

Google Ads Creative Certification 

While technically a creative certification, this course is also a must-have for PPC marketers. The Google Ads Creative Certification is an in-depth guide to creating effective ads across Display, YouTube, Performance Ma, and even Search campaigns. Even if you don’t create the content yourself, you’ll learn the skills and creative guidelines to create effective briefs for third parties. The final exam is made up of 50 questions and requires an 80% passing score.

Estimated time to complete full course: 4 hours
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 12 months from completion
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Exam?: Yes 

LinkedIn Content and Creative Design

Similarly to Google’s creative exam, the LinkedIn Content and Creative Design course is designed to share creative best practices for all forms of LinkedIn ads. There are breakdowns for organic content as well as paid ads covering each ad format. The final exam contains 60 questions and requires a passing score of 80%. 

Estimated time to complete full course: 1 hour
Certificate or badge: Certificate
Certificate or badge validity: 24  months from completion
Level: Beginner
Exam?: Yes 

Canva for Beginners

Canva is usually a must-have in a digital marketer's wheelhouse - ideal for adding images to social media posts, ads, emails, or presentations. Luckily, Canva has had the Canva Design School since 2014, with a wealth of guides and tools. For beginners to the platform, we’d suggest Canva for Beginners. With 5 stars and over a quarter of a million students, this course covers all the basics for successful graphic design. While there’s no strict certification, badge, or exam, completion of the training will prepare you for your first day on Canva! 

Estimated time to complete full course: 30 minutes
Level: Beginner

Final Thoughts

Remember that you don’t need to complete all of these! But by picking a handful that is most relevant to your current role or future desired role, you can quickly get up-to-speed with the latest and greatest in digital marketing platforms and developments.