9 Content Marketing Courses That Employers & Clients Actually Value
Odds are you’re searching for a content marketing course for two reasons. You want to build your skills and stand out to future employers or clients.
Time and cost commitments can be high. So it’s good to be picky.
Yes, it’s important to choose a course that’s right for your skill level. But with the profusion of fake “institutes” and “academies,” you also need to be sure about quality.
What Do Content Marketing Courses Cover?
Content marketing courses usually cover a mix of the following:
- Strategy: High-level conceptual skills like putting together a long-term publishing plan, crafting a “narrative” that communicates brand values across content types, and identifying content opportunities in your organization.
- Tactics: Nitty-gritty execution techniques like writing blog and social media posts, editing videos, SEO, content repurposing, and measuring campaign performance.
- Soft skills: Softer abilities like pitching yourself to clients, handling interviews, negotiating stakeholder buy-in, and managing a team of creators.
Are Content Marketing Courses Worth It?
In a word, yes. Research by Coursera shows that 88% of employers value “micro-credentials.” These are shorter courses like the ones in this roundup that usually come with a certificate.
Our in-house research also shows that marketers are increasing spend on high-quality content, even in an age of AI. Demand for content professionals isn’t going anywhere.
1. Content Marketing Certification Course by Hubspot
Price: Free
Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
Format: Online video course with additional materials
Who’s It For?
Beginners and non-content professionals (like small business owners) looking for a solid intro. It’s a novice-level course that touches on some more advanced topics.
What Topics Are Covered?
Hubspot’s content marketing certification combines a mix of strategic and practical modules. Videos about long-term content strategy and storytelling sit alongside more granular lessons on topics like blog post writing, video editing, content promotion, and analytics.
What’s My Verdict?
Nine hours is a relatively small investment for a certification that commands such a level of industry respect.
Many content leaders value this course, probably because they’ve taken it. It’s a comprehensive introductory overview of the topic (though it does focus mainly on blogging) and a good springboard into more advanced training.
2. Content Marketing Certification by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI)
Price: $1395 ($100 discount for members of the American Marketing Association)
Time: 15 hrs
Format: Online video course
Who’s It For?
Entry-level and intermediate professionals eager to learn about content marketing theory.
What’s the Syllabus?
The course focuses on strategy. It covers the broader organizational role of content operations, audience personas, brand voice, campaign goal-setting, and performance tracking.
What’s My Verdict?
It’s a little on the expensive side for a course that doesn’t include any personal tuition.
That said, content marketers often over-focus on techniques and lack thorough strategic knowledge, so it definitely caters to a gap in the market.
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It’s a good option if you want to add a recognized qualification to your resume. The CMI and AMA, along with instructor Robert Rose, are highly regarded.
3. Content Marketing Unlocked by Neil Patel
Price: Free
Time: 2 hrs
Format: Online video course with worksheets
Who’s It For?
Marketers and business owners looking for a hands-on course. While it covers content marketing broadly, the emphasis is on generating traffic to your or your company’s website through search.
What’s the Syllabus?
The course is ideally consumed over four weeks. The idea is for you to implement a working content marketing strategy as you learn.
There are lots of practical examples. Topics covered include algorithms, keyword research, link building, guest posting, Google Analytics tracking, and more.
What’s My Verdict?
This is my content marketing course. It’s part of my comprehensive digital marketing immersion but can be taken as a standalone training.
While I’m obviously a tiny bit biased, it’s based on my extensive first-hand experience of what works in digital marketing. Give it a go and judge for yourself.
4. Content Marketing Certification by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI)
Price: $445
Time: 10 hrs
Format: Online video course with additional resources
Who’s It For?
Beginner content marketers looking for a comprehensive course that doesn’t require a large commitment of time and money.
What’s the Syllabus?
The course strikes a nice balance of theory and technique. There are four modules, each with supplementary materials like checklists and templates. The first two modules cover research, brand, and storytelling. The third and fourth look at specific content types—SEO, email, and social media.
What’s My Verdict?
It’s a thorough course for a reasonable price. The ten-hour length allows for a good level of depth without being over-long. If you’re starting out in content marketing, it provides a complete foundation of knowledge along with a certificate from a respected body.
The DMI also offers a free series of content marketing micro lessons. Try them out first to see if you like the teaching style.
5. Technical Content Marketing “Minidegree” by CXL
Price: $1198 (alternative recurring subscriptions are available)
Time: 49 hrs 30 mins
Format: Online video course with assignments
Who’s It For?
Intermediate and advanced content marketers who want to lock in their technical skills.
What’s the Syllabus?
It’s a big course that covers many advanced topics. These include working with voice of customer data, scaling campaigns, Excel skills, attribution, and technical SEO.
What’s My Verdict?
For content marketers that want to sharpen and fill the gaps in their technical understanding, this CXL “minidegree” is hard to beat. No course on the market matches its level of depth.
It’s light on the strategic aspects of content marketing, so it’s best suited to those who already have an understanding of the basics.
6. The Strategy of Content Marketing by UC Davis (Coursera)
Price: $59/month for Coursera Plus
Time: 19 hrs (more when reading time and assignments are included)
Format: Online video course with reading materials and peer reviews
Who’s It For?
Existing professionals who want to go deep into the strategic side of content marketing. Beginners with a head for theory will also benefit.
What’s the Syllabus?
The syllabus is heavily focused on theory. Core topics include the “7A” content marketing framework, customer journey mapping, the four strategic content types, and campaign management.
What’s My Verdict?
If you like strategy, this is for you. Prefer technique and application? Look elsewhere.
Because it’s delivered through Coursera, you’ll get full access for as long as you’re a monthly subscriber. If you have the time, you could complete it in one month and only pay $59.
You’ll also have access to the Coursera ecosystem, which includes peer reviews and forum discussions. It’s not at all bad for the price.
7. Digital Marketing Content Creation by the Open University
Price: £200.00 (approx $350)
Time: 40 hrs
Format: Mix of video, audio, and written materials
Who’s It For?
Content professionals who want to develop the craft of creating written, video, and audio content.
What’s the Syllabus?
The syllabus leans heavily towards actual content creation. The first module is about understanding various content channels and types. Subsequent modules cover online writing, podcast creation, and video editing.
What’s My Verdict?
Most courses give little attention to the art and science of content creation, focusing instead on the marketing side of things. For developing all-around writing, podcasting, and video editing skills, this is a brilliant option.
The Open University is a UK institution and is widely respected. The certificate will carry weight with employers and clients. For a 40-hour course, the price is excellent.
8. Advanced Content Marketing with Brian Dean by Semrush Academy
Price: Free
Format: Online video course
Time: 4hrs
Who’s It For?
Content marketing professionals and business owners who want to learn about content marketing specifically for blogs.
What’s the Syllabus?
The syllabus is exclusively about marketing and growing a blog. It covers all aspects of blogging, including content creation, templates, promotion, and audience monetization.
What’s My Verdict?
This isn’t an exhaustive content marketing course, but it’s very good for developing specialized blogging skills. Most content marketing roles involve managing a company blog in some capacity.
Both Semrush and Brian Dean are respected names in the content marketing world, and this certification will look good on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For four hours and a zero-dollar price tag, it’s more than worth your time.
9. Content Marketing Course by Ahrefs Academy
Price: Free
Format: Online video course
Time: 2hrs
Who’s It For?
Content marketers who want to learn the basics of managing and optimising a blog with Ahrefs.
What’s the Syllabus?
The short syllabus is focused exclusively on creating, optimizing, and promoting content for a blog with the help of the Ahrefs tool.
What’s My Verdict?
Ahrefs is the preferred tool of many companies, so it’s useful to have a grounding in the basics of how it works. It’s a good skill to include in job applications, and that’s the real value of this short course.
Remember: Quality over Quantity
There are a lot of great content marketing courses to pick from. And it’s easy to overdo it. You wouldn’t be the first to sign up for every certification going.
One or two courses are enough to give you a solid understanding of the basics, refine your skills, and differentiate yourself for employers.
Remember that certifications are just one part of your personal value proposition.
If you’re at the beginning of your career, they help you get your foot in the door.
If you’re further along, they’re an addition to your existing experience and results that will make you stand out even more.
