Are you a freelance writer who wants to learn the skills necessary to take your writing and marketing to the next level? To succeed in most industries, you need continuing education every year to stay up to date on the latest news, trends, and technology. The same goes for the marketing industry. In this post, I’ll share the best online certificates and courses for freelance writers.
Writing Certification
Interested in improving your writing skills? The following certifications cover various aspects of running a freelance writing business.
- HubSpot Content Marketing Certification (Free)
- Digital Marketer Certified Direct-Response Copywriter ($495)
- Digital Marketer Certified Content Marketing Specialist ($495)
- Copyblogger Content Marketer Certification Program (Paid)
Google Certification
Why choose a Google certification program? Google offers several online courses and certifications for the following products.
- Google Analytics – This service allows you to learn more about the visitors on a website: where did they come from, what did they do, and where/why did they exit. You can use this training to learn how to make Google Analytics more actionable for your business and your clients.
- Google Ads – This service allows you to reach targeted audiences with a specific advertisement in Google search results, YouTube videos, and websites that display Google Ads for monetization (publishers are a part of the Google AdSense program). This portion of the certification program requires you to pass multiple exams for display ads, search ads, video ads, shopping ads, mobile app ads, and measurement.
Google also offers career certifications on Coursera. They focus on excellence in many business topics, including the following.
- Project Planning, Execution, and Management in the Real World
- User Experience (UX) Research
- System Administration and IT Infrastructure
- Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
- IT Security
- Responsive Web Design
For technical writers and developers, Google offers several certifications around Android development, TensorFlow, and Google Cloud.
HubSpot Certification
HubSpot offers several free certifications covering various aspects of digital marketing. They are not only great for your resume, but they will also help you transform your own marketing and sales. Certifications include the following.
- Content Marketing (as mentioned earlier)
- Email Marketing
- Digital Advertising
- Frictionless Sales
- Sales Management
- Social Media Marketing
- SEO
- Inbound Marketing
- Inbound Sales
- Contextual Marketing
Facebook Certification
Facebook offers several certifications for people who want to demonstrate expertise in Facebook marketing, advertising, and marketing development. Associate level certifications are $99, while Professional level certifications are $150. They cover the following topics.
- Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate
- Facebook Certified Marketing Science Professional
- Facebook Certified Creative Strategy Professional
- Facebook Certified Media Planning Professional
- Facebook Certified Media Buying Professional
- Facebook Certified Marketing Developer
- Facebook Certified Advanced Marketing Developer
- Facebook Certified Advertising API Developer
- Facebook Certified Community Manager
Microsoft Certification
Microsoft offers dozens of technical certifications, most for $165 per exam. They are perfect for freelance technical writers and aspiring developers. Certifications fall under the following roles.
- Administrators implement, monitor, and maintain Microsoft solutions
- Solutions Architects have expertise in compute, network, storage, security.
- Data Engineers design and implement the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data using the full stack of data services.
- Data Scientists apply machine learning techniques to train, evaluate, and deploy models that solve business problems.
- AI Engineers use Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Mining to architect and implement Microsoft AI solutions.
- DevOps Engineers combine people, process, and technologies to continuously deliver valuable products and services that meet end user needs and business objectives.
- Security Engineers implement security controls and threat protection, manage identity and access, and protect data, applications, and networks.
- Functional Consultants leverage Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform to anticipate and plan for customer needs.
Networking Certifications
For technical writers, the following certifications can help you stand out from a crowd of pitches. Most exams cost $199+.
- CompTIA A+ is the starting point for a career in IT. The performance-based exams certify foundational IT skills across a variety of devices and operating systems.
- CompTIA Network+ certifies the essential skills needed to confidently design, configure, manage and troubleshoot any wired and wireless devices.
- CompTIA Security+ provides a global benchmark for best practices in IT network and operational security, one of the fastest-growing fields in IT.
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) masters the essentials including security, automation, and programmability for rewarding work in a broad range of roles.
Niche Certifications and Online Courses
Similar to the above certifications for technical writers, seek out certifications that match the niche you cover. Coursera, edX, etc. are great places to start. Be sure to lookup reviews about certifications you are considering to ensure their value in your industry.
