Which Digital Marketing Professional Certificate Is Best for You? Google vs. Meta vs. Adobe

Key takeaways

Digital marketing has become a crucial part of modern business strategy. Whether you’re interested in a digital marketing job or learning the tools you’ll need to amplify your business online, you can build that knowledge through Professional Certificates from Google, Meta, or Adobe on Coursera. Which is best for you depends on your goals: 

• If you’re new to digital marketing and want a comprehensive foundation: Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate

• If you want to build expertise in social media marketing: Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate

• If you’re interested in developing skills in visual storytelling and brand content creation: Adobe Marketing Specialist Professional Certificate

Let’s review the differences between the digital marketing Professional Certificates available on Coursera. Afterward, gain access to all three with a Coursera Plus subscription. 

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

• 
• 
• 
• 

Start 7-day free trial

Digital Marketing Professional Certificates on Coursera: Key differences

Google, Meta, and Adobe all offer Professional Certificates in digital marketing on Coursera. Professional Certificates are online credentials you can earn from leading industry and university partners. They’re designed to help you develop specialized knowledge and job-relevant skills, which you can feature on your resume. 

Digital marketing is a broad category, and Google, Meta, and Adobe’s programs approach the topic from different angles. Let’s review how they compare:

Price: You can preview the first module of many courses at no cost. Visit the Learner Help Center for more information about your account, payments, subscriptions, and Coursera policies.

Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate: Topics, tools, and skills

The Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate is intended for individuals who have no prior knowledge of marketing, so you’ll start by learning about some of the major goals that digital marketing aims to achieve, relevant jobs to explore, and key concepts like the marketing funnel.

Topics 

Beyond the fundamentals of digital marketing, Google’s program covers the following topics: 

Tools

Google’s curriculum encourages working with various tools that don’t adhere to a particular brand or ecosystem, including:

Skills

The digital marketing skills you can expect to develop with Google include:

The Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate is ideal for: 

• Early career professionals interested in working in digital marketing. 

• Established professionals who have been working in another capacity and want to pivot to digital marketing. 

• Individuals seeking a comprehensive introduction to both digital marketing and e-commerce, as this program uniquely combines both fields.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn how to market and sell products or services online.

• Small business owners looking to expand their digital presence and implement e-commerce strategies.

• Marketing professionals who want to update their skills with the latest digital marketing techniques and tools, especially those used in Google's ecosystem.

Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate: Topics, tools, and skills

Social media is a key channel within the broader digital marketing category. The Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate provides a strong entryway into the fundamentals of social media marketing with several hands-on projects. 

Topics

In addition to learning about the social media marketing landscape compared to more traditional forms of marketing, Meta’s program covers the following topics: 

Tools

Meta’s program covers other platforms, but tends to emphasize the Meta ecosystem. You’ll gain more proficiency in the following tools:

Skills

The social media marketing skills you can expect to develop in Meta’s program include:

The Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate is ideal for: 

• Early career professionals seeking relevant social media training applicable to an entry-level social media role, such as a social media specialist.

• Someone who has gained transferable skills in another role and wants to pivot into a social media career.

• Entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to navigate social media and amplify their business presence online.  

• Digital content creators looking to understand the business side of social media and how to monetize their online presence.

• Traditional marketers transitioning to digital marketing who need to build expertise in social media strategies.

• Students or recent graduates in marketing, communications, or related fields seeking to add a practical, industry-recognized certification to their resume.

Adobe Marketing Specialist Professional Certificate: Topics, tools, and skills 

The Adobe Marketing Specialist Professional Certificate covers key topics in digital marketing and social media, but you’ll also learn about AI-powered design and content creation.

Topics

With Adobe, you’ll gain a strong understanding of design fundamentals to amplify the assets you create for various digital marketing campaigns. The program also covers:  

Tools

Adobe emphasizes many of the primary tools available within the Adobe ecosystem. You’ll gain more proficiency in the following tools:

Skills

The digital marketing skills you can expect to develop in Adobe’s Marketing Specialist program include:

The Adobe Digital Marketing Specialist Professional Certificate is ideal for: 

• Aspiring marketing professionals interested in the intersection of design, technology, and marketing.

• Individuals who want to leverage AI and cutting-edge tools in their marketing efforts.

• Visual thinkers who want to combine their creative skills with data-driven marketing strategies.

• Professionals in adjacent fields, like graphic designers, looking to expand their skill set into marketing.

• Early-career professionals who want to develop a portfolio showcasing their expertise in market research, content creation, and digital marketing strategies.

Digital marketing resources on Coursera

Keep learning about digital marketing as a topic, career, and skill set on Coursera. There are lots of resources to explore, including: 

• Career Resource Hub: Take advantage of free career development tools designed to support your learning and career growth.

• Career Chat: Stay updated on important topics and trends with Coursera’s free weekly newsletter on LinkedIn. 

• YouTube: Watch informative videos to learn more about different career paths and important skills.

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

• 
• 
• 
• 

Start 7-day free trial