Does a Digital Marketer Need a
Project Management Certification?
Many digital marketers tend to think of project management as a science best suited to software development or product manufacture.
They’re wrong.
Project management skills can help you in your current job to scope, organize and plan your projects therefore, deliver newer and stronger campaigns and digital marketing initiatives with greater efficiency and ease. These skills may also set you apart from other candidates when applying for a job.
But most importantly, getting certified in project management will encourage you to continue learning and advancing your professional skills to remain relevant and competitive in the digital marketing space.
In this article, we highlight:
- The benefits of project management in digital marketing
- Why you should get a project management certification
- The best project management certifications for digital marketers
Let's dive right in.
Why Is Project Management Necessary For Digital Marketing?
Project management gives digital marketing leads an organized process to organize, communicate, and carry out their vision across multiple teams and campaigns.
To carry out complex campaigns and strategies, a digital marketer will often need to handle resource allocation, budgeting, time tracking, and more to complete their projects. These responsibilities are at the heart of project management. With project management knowledge, a digital marketer will be able to efficiently manage work, invoices, and billing with ease and eliminate never-ending client feedback loops.
Digital marketing projects—as with other projects—have limited time, money, and other resources. Digital marketers need to spend their time and money effectively. Implementing project management in digital marketing projects enables team leads to plan effectively and, therefore, better manage their time and resources and get the results.
Why Digital Marketers Need a Project Management Certification
While a project management certification is not necessary to get a job, the skills earned can be beneficial for a digital marketing professional. Here are a few benefits of adding a project management certification to your digital marketing profile:
Build Your Skills
Project management courses will teach you— and allow you to practice— project management skills. You'll learn hard skills such as project planning, scheduling, and risk management. You'll also gain soft skills such as communication, organization, and prioritization, which have become vital in running successful projects no matter the industry or profession.
Gain Flexibility
One of the most valuable things you can get from a project management certification is increased flexibility in managing your projects. As you undertake your course, you'll gain knowledge of project management methodologies, processes, and management styles. This knowledge will help you find the best fit for your digital marketing project and your team. If one approach doesn't work out the way you thought, you can quickly pivot to another method and keep your project on track.
Boost your career profile
Project management certifications are great for boosting your digital marketing resume or profile. It tells your current or future employer that you have formal training and the hard skills to succeed as a project manager. It might also help you boost your salary as a digital marketer down the line.
Top Project Manager Certifications Fit For Digital Marketers
Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers you know your trade. However, not all certifications are created equal. Here are the most common certifications for digital marketing managers. Obtaining these certifications will give you a leg up when looking for a job and also increase your overall value.
1. Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) Certification
Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) is a good course for digital marketers who want to infuse transformation in their projects. ACP is offered by the industry greats, Project Management Institute (PMI).
The certificate promotes one of the most common project management processes—the Agile methodology for project management. When you run Agile projects, you develop, execute, and adapt them as the situation demands rather than having a pre-planned process.
ACP gives you a step-by-step guide on all the Agile practices and how to apply them in your projects.
2. Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Professional (PMP) is one of the most industry-recognized certifications for project managers, regardless of industry. With this certificate, you can work in virtually any industry with any project management methodology.
This certification can be beneficial for a digital marketer as it focuses on managing the three primary project management constraints: Time, Cost, and Scope. The course is administered by the PMI.
3. Professional in Project Management (PPM)
If you want to improve the way you plan, execute, schedule, manage, control, measure, and complete your digital marketing projects, then you should consider the Professional in Project Management (PPM). This mid-level certification places attention on these aspects of project management. It will also make you better at mitigating risks and handling crises.
4. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course is for the digital marketer who wants to kick off their project management with a small team. The Scrum framework emphasizes improved communication, teamwork, and increased development speed through collaboration, accountability, and iterative progress.
5. CompTIA Project+ certification
The CompTIA Project+ certification is an entry-level certification suitable for digital marketers with little experience managing projects but who would like to advance to managerial positions. This certification is an excellent choice for many digital marketers because it covers more than just a single project methodology. This course is ideal for starting your project management career as you work towards other advanced certifications.
Implementing Project Management Tools In Your Marketing Agency
According to the Marketing Agency Growth Report 2018, the lack of a project management system has been one of marketing agencies' most significant pain points. Inefficient time management practices have prevented 55% of agencies from growing their sales and marketing efforts, and 18% of agencies don't retain clients due to a lack of processes or organization. That's why so many marketing agencies are now investing in project management tools to run their projects.
A project management tool is an easy-to-use interface that you can use to track timelines, tasks, time, and budgets. You can also use it to store and share campaign briefs and other project documents. Use your project management software to generate powerful analytics reports to keep your stakeholders updated on project progress.
A project management course may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're looking to advance your digital marketing career. While certification in project management may not be a necessity when job hunting, becoming skilled in project management can be very useful for you. Project management skills can help you manage time, money, and other resources better, even when they're in short supply. By doing so, you'll be able to deliver your digital marketing projects successfully—an outcome every organization is looking for.
Mission Control, is a leading project management software, native to Salesforce. Head to our website to discover more great content and project management thought leadership.