Yearly Archives: 2023

Early in my career, my boyfriend (now fiancé) was helping me write my resume. I asked to see his and noticed he included personal interests. He’s an engineer, so seeing hobbies like basketball and video games stood out to me.

I asked him why he chose to include these, and he said, “I wanted a little more personalization to my resume and want [recruiters] to know me as a person beyond a piece of paper.”

And apparently, he’s not alone. According to a study by Standout CV, one in four people include hobbies and interests on their resumes.

Suppose you’re curious about what interests to put on your resume — and why — this is the article for you. We’ll also review the different interests and hobbies that will help you stand out in the job market.

Why You Should Include Interests on Your Resume

40 Interests for Your Resume

Why You Should Include Interests on Your Resume

While not always applicable, there are a few scenarios when mentioning your interests and hobbies on your resume makes sense.

Sarah Johnston, founder and CEO of executive resume writing firm Briefcase Coach, says if you choose to include interests on your resume, focus on customization. “We always consider the audience and the relevancy of the additional fun fact to the audience,” she suggests.

Here are a few reasons why you should add your interests to your resume.

1. You can showcase your personality.

The most compelling reason to include interests on your resume is to showcase your personality. Recruiters and hiring managers review countless resumes for every job role. They’re likely reading the same skills and similar experiences over and over. What better way to stand out than to give them a sense of your personality right off the bat?

In my experience, having interests on my resume has led to fun conversations with recruiters and hiring managers. Talking about hobbies was a great way to break the ice (and calm my nerves) before diving into the interview questions.

2. Interests help with culture fit.

If the company you’re applying to values uniqueness or specific personality traits, interests could help communicate how you’d be a good culture fit.

For example, here’s a job opening for a Senior Merchandising Manager at Tecovas, a direct-to-consumer western brand based in Austin. As a Western brand selling boots and apparel, Tecovas emphasizes its mission of “welcoming first-time boot buyers and Western enthusiasts alike.”

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If you consider yourself a Western enthusiast and enjoy activities such as horseback riding, it would be worth mentioning that on your resume to show that your interests and experiences align with the company.

3. You can match niche industries or roles.

Some companies operate in niche industries and may seek candidates with specific skills or interests. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing manager role at an art museum, the hiring manager would likely expect you to be interested in art or art history.

I did a quick search for this type of role to test this theory, and I found an old job posting for a social media coordinator at the MoMA. One of the job requirements was an interest in the art and non-profit worlds.

4. You’ll boost your resume if you have limited experience.

We all have to start somewhere. If you’re a new graduate or making a career change, you likely won’t have many relevant experiences to include yet. Listing your interests or hobbies on your resume can help an employer get to know you if you have limited work experience.

The key is to connect the dots between your interests and the job you’re applying for so recruiters understand how it can help professionally. Study the job descriptions and the company to get a sense of their culture and job requirements, figure out how your interests and hobbies relate, and showcase your strengths.

For example, sports can demonstrate your strength in team activities, while painting can showcase your creativity.

40 Interests for Your Resume

It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed for a full-time position, but occasionally, I share my resume for freelance work. And when I do, I want to make sure it’s tailored to the role and company to increase my chances of standing out.

I put together a recent resume using one of HubSpot’s resume templates.

I added an interests section that reflects my current work and is relevant to the types of companies I want to work with. Here are the hobbies and interests I included.

1. Pilates

I attend Pilates classes at least twice a week (it helps that my sister is an instructor!), and it’s always the best part of my day. As a writer, I’m sitting in front of my laptop screen for hours, so Pilates helps me get a break from my desk.

Why it works: Committing to a regular exercise routine — whether yoga, running, or even walking — showcases a healthy work-life balance.

2. Home Renovations

If you know my fiancé and me, then you know we love tackling home renovation projects. We aren’t shy about taking a sledgehammer to our cabinets or reconfiguring our house layout to create something totally our own.

Why it works: In my experience, this is usually a great conversation starter during interviews. People are interested in hearing about the process, mainly because we do the work ourselves to save money (for better or worse).

3. Vintage Collecting

On any given weekend, you can find me at a thrift store or an estate sale. I love searching for unique items and hidden gems and giving them a second life.

Why it works: I’ve found that this topic is another icebreaker. If I’m talking to someone who also enjoys vintage shopping, we usually swap stories about the types of items we collect and where to find them.

4. Book Clubs

Several years ago, I started my own book club here in Austin. We read nonfiction books on business, creativity, and entrepreneurship, such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic and Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Once a month, we’d meet up at a local business to share what we learned from the book.

Why it works: This hobby demonstrates my interest in continuing education and my eagerness to organize events (on a small scale) since I created the group and planned everything myself.

5. Small Businesses

I used to write for a local magazine covering lifestyle topics, such as where to shop and eat around town. The best part was interviewing small business owners, getting to know their day-to-day routines and motivations, and sharing their stories.

Why it works: This interest works for my resume because I now write for companies whose audience includes small business owners. I can use my enthusiasm and knowledge of small businesses to inform my writing.

These interests are specific to my experience and relevant to the types of roles I’d be interested in pursuing in the future.

If these aren’t a fit for you, here are some other interests to consider adding to your resume.

6. Sports

As I mentioned, my fiancé enjoys playing sports like basketball and golf. He’s regularly part of leagues with both colleagues and non-work groups alike. Including this on his resume demonstrates his enthusiasm for team activities and camaraderie.

What we like: If you’re an active sports team or community league member, add it to the interests section on your resume to showcase your teamwork outside of work.

7. Photography

I was scrolling through X (formerly Twitter) when I saw that senior product manager Diego Granados shared the resume he used to land a job at Microsoft in 2019.

In the interests section, he included iPhone photography, video games and playing musical instruments like saxophone and guitar.

What we like: Photography is a hobby that demonstrates an interest in the world around you. You can even get specific and list the type of photography you’re interested in, like iPhone, film, or product photography.

8. Community Service

Early in my career, as I was building my resume, I relied on my previous volunteer experiences to demonstrate my different skills and interests. I was an active member of a volunteer organization in college and even did some volunteer social media work for nonprofits after graduating.

What we like: Adding volunteer work to your interests section on your resume can demonstrate your passion for specific causes. This is especially helpful if the cause is relevant to the company or job you’re applying to.

9. Painting

Hobbies like painting or drawing are a great way to exercise creativity and demonstrate your creative skills.

What we like: Whether you’re applying to a creative job or not, creative hobbies can help improve your creativity at work.

10. Baking

My friend Micah Peterson, a web designer and developer, was a baker in a previous life and includes “baker by hobby, developer by trade” on his resume.

He explains that including this interest on his resume has helped form lasting impressions during interviews.

“Once, when I was being interviewed, [my baking interest] led to a conversation about the interviewer’s son, who was also a baker,” he said. “The interviewer admired that about his son, so I think it left a lasting impression on him.”

What we like: If you’ve ever had a career pivot, embrace it by including it in the interests section on your resume. It is an interesting conversation starter, but if you can connect your experience to the role you’re applying for, that’s even better.

11. Reading

Maybe you’re in a book club like I was or enjoy reading challenges. Or perhaps you’re active on #BookTok, the massive subcommunity on TikTok dedicated to sharing and reviewing books.

Why it works: One example of a role where this interest could intersect with a job you’re interviewing for is a social media position. Mentioning your interest in reading, and specifically #BookTok, demonstrates your knowledge of current social media communities.

12. Video Games

I’ve seen several people include video games as a hobby on their resume, including my fiancé and Diego Granados, whose resume I shared above.

What we like: Video games can demonstrate interest and knowledge in several elements, from the technical aspects of the gaming system to the visual aspects found in the graphics to the strategy that goes into the game.

13. Writing

Do you enjoy writing in your free time? Whether you prefer writing fiction, poetry, or blogs, those skills will likely translate to whatever role you’re applying for.

According to GMAC’s 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey, communication and writing skills are among the most in-demand skills employers look for when hiring.

What we like: Writing will always be an essential skill in the workplace, so this is a timeless interest to include on your resume.

14. Graphic design

According to Upwork, graphic design is one of the most in-demand skills for freelancers. Even if you’re not pursuing freelance work, this data proves the need for this skill among companies of all sizes.

What we like: If you have graphic design skills, even if this isn’t the focus of your role, it can boost your resume.

15. Animals

Yes, the furry friends in your life can be included as an interest on your resume. Whether you volunteer at a local animal shelter or are a proud pet owner, there are ways to mention this while keeping your resume professional.

Johnston, who works with some of the world’s top leaders at her executive resume writing firm, remembers when she’s seen pets successfully mentioned as an interest.

“I know a job seeker who applied for a role with Purina Corporate,” she recalls. “They listed at the bottom of their resume that they are a ‘proud dog dad to two golden retrievers,’ and the recruiter apparently loved this!”

Pro tip: This interest works well when the company you’re interviewing for is in the pet or animal industry.

16. Nonprofits

Like community service, an interest in nonprofits demonstrates your dedication to specific causes or communities.

Pro tip: Only include this as an interest if you’re genuinely involved in specific nonprofits or volunteer work.

17. Entrepreneurship

Do you want to start your own business someday? Are you a go-getter with a growth mindset? Entrepreneurship probably comes naturally to you, which makes it worth including as an interest on your resume.

What we like: Having an entrepreneurial mindset can be the key to success as a salesperson or at a startup.

18. Music

Applying to a position in the music industry? It makes sense to showcase your taste in music, whether you’re applying to a festival production company, a recording studio, or a streaming platform like Spotify.

If you’re perpetually online like I am, you may remember seeing this creative resume make its rounds on LinkedIn and Twitter (now X) back in 2021:

The Spotify-themed resume was created by product manager Emily Vu, who eventually landed a job at the music streaming platform thanks to her creativity.

What we like: As if the Spotify-branded design layout wasn’t creative enough, Vu added an interests section that called out her music interests. This further demonstrated her enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry.

19. Art History

Whether you went to school for art history or you have a strong interest and knowledge of the subject, including this on your resume can demonstrate that you’re well-rounded.

Why this works: If you work in a creative field, especially if you’re applying for a job in the art world, mentioning your interest in the arts is a good idea.

20. Camping

Anyone who’s been camping knows how much preparation and work is involved. From setting up your tent to preparing your food to connecting with your natural surroundings, camping demonstrates an adventurous personality.

What we like: If you’ve been camping before, chances are you have a funny story about the experience, which can make for a good icebreaker.

21. Teaching

If you teach classes related to your job role, it could be a good idea to list that on your resume.

For instance, do you teach coding classes during evenings and weekends? This can demonstrate your deep understanding of the role and dedication to furthering the industry.

What we like: An interest in teaching can set you up for a training or teaching role within your company. If you’re interested in pursuing this in the future, don’t hesitate to include your teaching experience on your resume.

22. Travel

An interest in travel can be especially relevant if you work at a distributed company that values journey and encourages its employees to see the world.

Marketing consultant Anna Crowe created an “About Me” section on her digital resume to mention her interest in traveling to national parks.

What we like: Travel demonstrates openness to learning about different cultures and an adventurous personality.

23. Hiking

Like camping, hiking can demonstrate a sense of adventure. You don’t have to check Mount Kilimanjaro off your list to consider yourself a hiker.

What we like: If hiking is your hobby, this can be a great conversation starter during an interview. You can mention any significant hikes you’ve completed, which can lead to exciting stories between you and your interviewer.

24. Running

Almost 50 million people in the U.S. consider themselves runners and 115 million are walkers, according to Statista. Translation? These popular activities are relatable interests to include on your resume.

What we like: Being a consistent runner speaks to your commitment and training regimen.

25. Continuing Education

There are so many online learning opportunities available today. Whether you want to learn a new language, how to draw, or how to master SEO, there’s an online course for it.

Not to mention, 62% of companies offer professional development as part of their benefits package, according to the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey. If continuing education is essential to you, it’s worth mentioning if you’re interviewing with a company that offers this as part of the job.

Why this works: An interest in continuing education shows dedication to learning new skills and subjects.

26. Interior Design

If you have an eye for interior design, don’t hesitate to mention it on your resume. You could even showcase your skills over a video interview by displaying your perfectly designed setup in the background.

What we like: Having design skills can translate across many roles.

27. Digital Organization

Do you use project management apps to manage everything from work tasks to grocery shopping? A passion for planning and dedication to organizing can go a long way in any role.

What we like: Bonus points if you create and share organization templates like this Notion creator does.

28. Real Estate

Aside from the obvious industries like real estate or mortgage lending, there are other roles that an interest in real estate could benefit from.

For example, if you are applying for a job in the personal finance industry, your interest in real estate could demonstrate an intimate knowledge of one of the biggest purchases the average buyer will make in their lifetime.

What we like: Some interests, like real estate, demonstrate your cross-industry knowledge, which can be beneficial if you apply to jobs in business, marketing, or sales.

29. Cooking

Do you have a food blog? Participate in cooking competitions? If cooking is a significant hobby of yours, there’s a place for it on your resume.

What we like: Like baking, cooking can demonstrate patience and creativity.

30. AI and machine learning

Interests don’t always have to be hobbies. Interests include subjects you’re interested in learning more about or are expanding your knowledge on, like AI.

Having an interest in technology like machine learning can also put you in a better position for future roles. These are the skills employers believe are the most important for the future, according to the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey.

What we like: Showing an interest in certain technologies demonstrates adaptiveness and a commitment to learning.

31. Personal Finance

I know a few people who have accomplished major financial achievements — like paying off their student loan debt within a year or saving up to buy a house — who now share their tips with others online.

What we like: If you’ve done something similar and regularly share your thoughts and tips on social media or through a blog, this can be an excellent interest to add to your resume to demonstrate your thought leadership.

32. Remote Work

If you consider yourself a digital nomad or are passionate about remote work, you can add that as an interest to your resume. This can also showcase your desire to work remotely and help connect you to the right employers.

While remote work may be more common than in years past, some people and companies have advocated for the digital nomad lifestyle for a long time. For example, Buffer has been a fully remote and distributed team since 2013.

Why this works: This interest doubles as a job preference for your resume.

33. Learning Languages

Learning a new language can be a challenge. However, a commitment to studying and practicing a foreign language is worth mentioning on your resume.

It showcases your interests. Plus, depending on your skill level, understanding several languages can also be an asset to any team.

What we like: Learning languages shows dedication to learning and an openness to different cultures.

34. Podcasting

It’s estimated that there will be over three million active podcasts in 2023. If you host one of them, consider mentioning it on your resume.

You might not want to include your podcast’s exact name or genre, depending on what your podcast is about. But if it’s something relevant to your industry, add it.

What we like: A lot of creativity, technology, and marketing goes into creating your own podcast. These skills can help boost your resume if you work in marketing or communications, for instance.

35. Web Design

According to Upwork, web design and development are both in-demand skills for independent professionals. If you’ve been exploring web design in your free time, consider including it as a hobby on your resume, even if you aren’t planning on pursuing freelance work.

What we like: This interest can double as a skill if you have a lot of knowledge and expertise on the subject.

36. Attending Conferences

If you enjoy networking events and attending industry conferences, this counts as an interest to include on your resume.

Why this works: If you’re applying for a sales position, your potential employer will likely be impressed that you enjoy networking in your free time.

37. Standup Comedy

Most of us love to watch comedy shows, but pursuing standup comedy as a hobby is a totally different story — one that’s much more interesting. If you practice comedy, this can demonstrate creativity, courage, and the ability not to take yourself too seriously.

What we like: Including standup comedy as an interest will lead to interesting (and funny) conversations during an interview.

38. Content Creation

Do you love creating cooking videos to share on TikTok? Or maybe you often post UGC (user-generated content) on Instagram to showcase brands you love.

Content creators have skills in photography, marketing, and social media, which can all be appealing skills in the eyes of an interviewer or recruiter.

What we like: Being a content creator can boost your resume if you’re looking for marketing and social media jobs.

39. Gardening

There’s something peaceful about getting your hands dirty, planting seeds, and watering flowers. Gardening is a relaxing pastime and is a great weekend activity to partake in.

What we like: Gardening can demonstrate patience and humbleness.

40. DIY Projects

Similar to my interest in home renovations, I also enjoy any type of DIY project. I usually find inspiration for a home decor DIY on Pinterest or Instagram and spend a weekend putting my own spin on it.

What we like: An interest in DIY projects showcases creativity, commitment, and a sense of individualism.

Showcasing your interests on your resume is a creative way to give recruiters and interviewers a better sense of who you are.

Not only do interests let people know what you enjoy outside of work, but they also give employers an idea of how those interests translate into your work.

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No one knows the saying change is the only constant in life better than a marketer.

We’ve seen the number of MarTech solutions grow from about 150 to more than 11,000 over the last 20 or so years.

We’ve seen mobile become its own channel… and then as the world became device agnostic, we watched it simply merge with online.

We watched the birth of social (remember MySpace anyone?).

And finally, we leaned in as, a little more than a year ago, OpenAI unleashed generative AI into our world.

When I think about all that we experienced in the last 12 months and what we’re likely to see in the next 12, all I can think is: be ready for more change.

As marketers, we live and breathe customer focus, and in 2024, we will be put to the test. Here, I’m delighted to share some top trends to keep in mind from some truly exceptional marketing experts.

Top Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024, According to Experts

1. Doing more with AI — with empathy.

HubSpot’s State of Marketing report (coming January 2024) found 64% of marketers are already leveraging AI in their roles.

Many marketers have already begun exploring AI’s powers when it comes to content creation, market research, administrative tasks, and even upleveling the user experience with their brands.

My guess? This number will continue to grow in 2024 and beyond.

Sean Downey, Google’s President, Americas and Global Partners, agrees with this sentiment.

As he puts it: “It should come as no surprise that in 2024, the biggest marketing trends will center around the possibilities of AI. Today, marketers are faced with pressing challenges to navigate evolving consumer expectations and consumption habits in today’s media landscape, which is fragmented and shifting dramatically — all while delivering business outcomes more efficiently.”

Downey adds, “The AI opportunity is coming at a time of transformation for everyone, including marketers. In fact, in addition to connecting brands and products to people, more than ever before, marketers need to be growth drivers for their companies.”

At many organizations, marketers will need to lead the charge when it comes to implementing AI into their workflows and demonstrating true impact before AI is adopted throughout the org.

This makes sense — marketing is about experimenting. So new technologies typically start with us.

AI will also shift the advertising landscape. In fact, Downey mentioned 80% of Google’s advertisers already use at least one AI-powered Search Ads product.

And marketers who use Google’s AI-powered video reach campaigns see 3.7X return on ad spend compared to those who don’t.

He says, “The days of guesswork to find your most valuable customers are behind us. This means you can get back to doing what you do best: Marketing.”

Downey continues, “Now here’s where we flip the script. Despite all the exciting things AI can do, it can’t work on its own. It takes people with expertise, creativity, and empathy to harness AI’s potential. It isn’t about the technology itself. It’s about what you, as marketers, will do with it. AI can’t do anything without you — but you can do so much more with AI.”

2. Harnessing generative AI to improve messaging performance.

46% of marketers report that AI tools help them with content creation.

Christy Marble, 3X CMO at Pantheon, Visier, and SAP Concur, says this is a big trend her team is watching.

She told me, “Marketing adoption of generative AI will accelerate as more experiment; learn to use it responsibly; and tell their friends — a transformative opportunity to improve brand and messaging performance. Solid messaging frameworks are essential to brand consistency, and paired with generative AI they’re game-changers.”

Marble provides some tips for making content review meetings obsolete by making it easy for every marketer to create messaging that’s on-brand:

Use your messaging frameworks as core parameters in AI-enabled content platforms to ensure message differentiation and consistency.
Empower your teams with messaging rubrics, enabling them to use generative AI for self-review, and continuous improvement.
Use generative AI not to create more content, but use it to land context — to hone your craft and deliver value to your target audience with the right message, through the right channel, and at the right time in the customer journey.

3. Crafting unique branding with “human intelligence”.

As more marketers begin incorporating AI into their writing processes, we’ll see a rise in low-value, generic content across the internet.

To stand out, it’s critical you continue to create high-quality, human-led content that isn’t simply copied and pasted from a chatbot.

To dig into this trend, I spoke with Holly Bowyer and Julie Neumark, Partners at Media & Marketing Minds.

They told me: “AI is clearly the darling of 2024 trends. Your challenge? Don’t get so seduced by its shimmer that you neglect ‘human intelligence.’ You need to be at the helm in order to maximize the efficiency AI brings by gathering and processing massive amounts of data.”

They add, “Before you start churning out prompts asking for ‘witty, clever, and unique’ messaging ideas, you need to know your audience, competition, and core differentiators. Think of AI as your assistant, capable of expediting the laborious research process and distilling it down into consumable pieces.”

In other words: Prompting an AI chatbot should not be crux of your messaging strategy. It should be used to research, brainstorm, and refine messaging — but each step of the process needs to be human-first.

As Bowyer and Neumark say, “Remember that human beings — including your target audience — can smell inauthenticity from miles away. So, embrace AI … just know that everyone else is, too. Stand out this year by anchoring your brand messaging to your uniquely human voice.”

4. Becoming more purpose-led as Generative AI transforms buyer journeys.

Marketers across the globe have been tasked with drastically shifting their SEO strategies in 2023 and 2024 to prep for generative AI in search.

Creating how-to content won’t be as powerful as it used to be for capturing leads. In 2024, personality-led thought leadership content will be the main type of content that helps brands stand out on the SERPs.

Andrew Wheeler, CEO at Skyword, agrees with this sentiment.

As he puts it, “In 2024, marketers must wake up to the fact that their mass-produced content is becoming obsolete with AI tools emerging as the go-to for buyers seeking instant answers, suggestions, and problem-solving advice.”

He continues, “Savvy marketers will adapt by leaning into purpose-led content that resonates in ways AI can’t. Purpose-led means you have an exact understanding of who your brand helps and why it matters. It means you’re exceptionally dialed into the context in which your audience needs you, what they hope to gain, and how you make their lives better. And it means 100% of your content is focused on fulfilling their functional, emotional, and social needs in that context.”

He adds, “Genuine purpose equals genuine relevance. Especially in a tough economy, brands will have to ditch the distractions and deliver standout content that’s indispensably relevant alongside the influence of AI tools.”

5. Owning the customer experience.

I believe marketing leaders’ scope will expand to (finally, formally) own or influence every aspect of the customer experience flywheel – from the first moments of awareness, through acquisition, and into the product itself.

We will elevate our contributions to customer advocacy to truly influence customer loyalty through brand-consistent experiences throughout the product and the professional services that surround it: onboarding, implementation, and customer support.

In short, Marketing will become responsible for the end-to-end customer experience.

6. Making more decisions with less data.

Over the past few years, we’ve all seen click-through rates continuously drop as social media and search features aim to keep users on-site.

Additionally, privacy laws and cookie policy changes means that many marketers now need to learn how to get by on less data.

For Andy Crestodina, Co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media, this isn’t an issue as much as an opportunity.

He says, “We’re in a low-data era of marketing, so get ready to make more decisions with less decision support. It’s going to be like the old days of advertising. Do the things that have always built awareness and trust. Create videos, publish research reports, get active with PR, collaborate with influencers. You won’t be able to connect all the dots, but strategy and fundamentals still apply. Those will never change.”

7. Preparing for organic search’s “no-click” future.

Google’s SGE roll-out in 2024 will cause monumental changes to content marketing and SEO.

To dig into this, I spoke with Casey Carey, Chief Market Officer at Quantive.

He told me, “GenAI’s impact on marketing will intensify in 2024, especially with Google’s SGE rollout. Featured Snippets will be AI-driven, multi-sourced, and not linked to sources. The ‘People Also Ask’ section will become a chat experience without links. Early SGE results show a 40% to 75% decline in organic traffic for generic and category searches like ‘What are OKRs’ and ‘OKR software for start-ups.’ Welcome to our zero-click future.”

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Fortunately, according to Carey, there are four things you can do early in 2024 to prepare:

Plan for the potential impact and communicate expectations to stakeholders and executives.
Google’s strategy is to answer all the generic questions and refer to other sources for more specific questions. Update your strategy to focus on unique and late-stage content such as templates, checklists, buying guides, calculators, etc.
Invest more in rich content experiences — primarily video and images — as the top assets will be included to augment the user experience.
SGE will outweigh results from high authority sources.

Now is the time to rethink the role of media and 3rd-party sources in your strategy. It‘s critical you consider how you’ll get ahead of this in early 2024.

8. Using an account-based approach for more than just enterprise.

Account-based marketing used to be reserved for enterprise customers.

But Sydney Sloan, CMO at Drata, believes that won’t be the case in 2024.

She says, “Platforms have evolved, making it easy to set up segments of similar accounts or buyers and target your ads and messaging to them. Stop throwing all your budget at PPC; there’s a smarter way!”

She continues, “By segmenting your target customers, you can create campaigns with messaging and offers that truly address their challenges. Work closely with the SDR team to align their warm outbound cadences, leveraging keyword insights to personalize their messages.”

Sloan adds, “I’m thrilled to see that platforms like Google are tightening up limits to prevent spam — this is the new way. In the era of tighter budgets and a drive for efficiency, this is a great method to drive higher-quality opportunities into your funnel!”

9. Leveraging automation & GTM plays.

In 2024, automation and go-to-market (GTM) plays will sweep the marketing world, leaving traditional ABM tactics behind.

Bryan Law, Chief Marketing Officer at ZoomInfo, says this is a big trend his team is watching.

As he puts it, “Repeatable and scalable GTM plays that leverage robust, centralized data for targeting — triggered by real-time intent signals — will increasingly drive integrated campaigns across sales and marketing.”

He adds, “Companies that master this motion will reap the rewards of improved conversions, lower costs, and better efficiency. In fact, Bain & Co. has found that companies who master GTM plays are nearly three times more likely to outpace their competitors.”

Creating a value matrix can help you as you formulate a GTM strategy for 2024 and beyond. Additionally, it’s key you lean into data to support your motion.

Law says, “The scalability and relevance of GTM plays will also be enhanced by the rapid adoption of generative AI tools. High-quality data that combines first- and third-party sources are foundational for success — both for GTM plays themselves, and the GenAI embedded in them.”

Prepare for Changes … But Stay True to Foundational Marketing

What do all these changes mean for marketers?

It means we must stay abreast of the multitude of new strategic frameworks, GTM approaches, and, of course, technologies like generative AI.

But we need to not become so entranced with the shiny new penny that we lose sight of the fundamentals: Like taking the time to deeply understand our customers.

While the ways in which we approach marketing will change in 2024, the foundational aspects of marketing will stay steady.

It’s no secret that embracing AI can come with a wide range of benefits for your marketing team — things like task automation, time and cost savings, increased productivity, and more. Despite these evident benefits, there is a lingering reluctance among many marketers to incorporate AI into their strategies.

In our report, The State of AI in Marketing in 2023, we found that only 35% of marketers use AI in their role. So, we wanted to dive into the challenges that marketers face when working with AI and find ways to bridge the gap.

We’ll also highlight expert insight from industry leaders so you can learn how to tackle these challenges and harness the power of AI in marketing.

Table of Contents:

The 10 Biggest Challenges When Implementing AI
12 Tips for Implementing AI

The 10 Biggest Challenges When Implementing AI

Along with the benefits of using AI in marketing outlined in the image below, the challenges of implementing AI in marketing are vast.

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This includes challenges related to the AI systems themselves, processes, team buy-in, and more. We‘re working through the biggest challenges and the data that justifies these day-to-day challenges. You’re not the only one feeling the struggle.

Here are 10 common challenges when it comes to AI in marketing.

1. Hampering Creativity

64% of marketers share a common concern — they believe that generative AI will alter (40%) or hamper (24%) the creativity of those who use it.

Deloitte Insights found that 42% of high-growth companies rely on marketing for their most creative ideas: “While creative ideas can come from any of these sources, the CMO is sometimes best positioned to be the champion of identifying and activating these ideas across the enterprise.”

With Deloitte Insights’ findings in mind, the notion of hampering creativity is a valid concern. We need marketing teams to feel creative. But, can AI and marketing creativity be achieved? We think so.

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In our marketing and AI survey, 36% of marketers agree that Generative AI will boost the creativity of those who use it.

Perhaps the key to overcoming the challenge of hampering creativity is marketers using these tools to get creative juices flowing.

2. Over-Reliance

Over-reliance on AI tools is on almost every marketer’s mind.

The overwhelming majority of those surveyed (88%) agreed that marketers should use generative AI. However, 67% said that marketers should avoid becoming overly reliant on it.

The challenge of becoming too reliant on AI may account for 47% of partially automated customer journeys, according to Ascend2.

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If it does, there’s a case that AI can still automate marketing to some degree. After all, 47% of automated customer service is 100% better than none.

3. Extra Time Commitments

You need an excellent input if you want a sound output from AI. That means you need to know what to ask for based on your goals.

Prompting AI for marketing is yet another thing to add to your swelling to-do list.

Like any new skill, prompting AI needs to be learned and practiced. The good news is that the time taken to prompt and use AI may be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.

Based on our research, if you can prompt AI to deliver generative content that you’re happy to publish, you could save as much as three hours and ten minutes when working on a single piece of marketing content from start to finish — not bad.

4. Creating Working Processes

A contributing factor to the challenge of time constraints when it comes to implementing AI is creating processes. But, navigating the challenges of AI will be easier with a working process.

If you use AI, you want all team members to work with it similarly. An AI process is required to help eliminate bias and ensure everything is fact-checked, and it naturally provides best practice tips to use AI tools efficiently.

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5. Inaccurate Information

In our state of AI in marketing research, we found that one of the top challenges for marketers implementing AI is pushback regarding inaccurate information.

It’s unsurprising, considering almost half of the marketers surveyed have received incorrect information from generative AI.

No doubt, for conscientious marketers, producing inaccurate information is a valid concern and could cause issues for brand reputation and brand/consumer relations.

6. Poor Quality Content

Similar to the challenge above, poor-quality content is a concern for conscientious marketers. But, there’s an argument that this does not need to be a challenge.

Creating content is the second most common task marketers use generative AI for. 45% of marketers surveyed use AI for content creation, including writing, images, and idea generation.

The top three uses for generative AI in content include:

Getting ideas/inspiration for marketing content – 22% of marketers
Summarizing text into key points – 21% of marketers
Writing copy and creating images for marketing content – 20% of marketers

7. Privacy and Data Analysis

Similarly to the above, there are still wide concerns about privacy and data analysis.

When it comes to data analysis, marketers use AI to analyze customer data and understand user behavior. It brings its own set of challenges.

8. Job Replacement

The worry about job replacement has been around for a while, and it’s understandable.

In 2017, a McKinsey report studied considerations around the workplace in 2030 and how AI might impact it. The report estimated that “between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030.”

The good news is the findings are yet to come to fruition. But the fear is still there. You might find some pushback when implementing AI with your team if they’re worried about job security.

In 2023, the subject of job replacement and AI is much more positive. Mike Maynard, the CEO at Napier, published an article titled Will AI Lead To The End Of Marketing Jobs? in Forbes.

Maynard said, “AI will inevitably replace certain aspects of traditional marketing, but by and large, it will probably be the tedious, mundane tasks, like analytics, that most of us aren’t particularly enthusiastic about anyway.

‘The truth is that although AI can potentially automate certain tasks and improve efficiency, it is unlikely to completely replace marketing teams for the foreseeable future.’

There are reasons to believe that AI is here to solve tasks and will never replace human teams in marketing. Naturally, marketing leaders have the challenge of convincing teams that their jobs are safe.

9. AI Bias

AI bias is a challenge that most marketers should be aware of.

Ultimately, AI will always be biased because humans are biased. Marketing leaders need to have a plan to rise to the challenge of teams inputting bias into a system.

Bias is a serious consideration and challenges for business, and the impact of data bias can be serious. DataRobot’s 2022 survey found that the impact of data bias can result in as much as 62% lost revenue.

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10. Keeping Up with New Trends and Technologies

The field of AI is constantly evolving, and it’s growing fast. Marketers can feel overwhelmed keeping up with the latest trends and technologies.

It’s hard to know what to try, prioritize, and invest your time into. This challenge is particularly overwhelming if you have business heads pushing your team for more.

12 Tips for Implementing AI

Okay, now we know what some of the biggest challenges are, let’s find out how to overcome them in a way that helps you reach your marketing objectives while you reap all the AI benefits you’ve heard so much about.

Here are 12 tips to help you do just that.

1. Enforce AI policies.

Dan Robinson, Head of Marketing and e-Commerce at instantprint, recommends that businesses implement and enforce AI policies to aid smooth AI implementation.

The solutions he‘s integrated into instantprint’s AI implementations include:

“Employees must adhere to the guidelines we‘ve set out. We nurture an environment of trust but also provide our team with the rules and regulations they need to be aware of to use these tools effectively and safely. Our ‘AI Code of Conduct’ is set out by each platform we use, with do’s and don’t for each tool.

“We want to make our AI policy a collaborative space. Those using AI and other models will get to know the platforms in great detail. Making policies a shared effort means that we’re more likely to have rules that will work for our team, developed by our team, with the exception of legal and ethical frameworks as a standard.”

What we like: Robinson doesn‘t deny the importance of AI policies that are legal and ethical but doesn’t stop the team from adding their thoughts. With a collaborative effort to develop policies, you’re more likely to get buy-in from team members.

2. Start with low-risk AI implementations.

Rosella Dello Ioio, Head of Content at Enate, says, “Businesses should be clearly defining the data they can and can’t share with public and private AI models. Consider hiring a Chief AI Officer to take the lead on security and governance within the business.

“Once the rules around these challenges have been clearly established, begin rolling out GenAI in your marketing department by identifying all the people whose job involves creating (writing, designing, and building) and let them find the best AI co-pilot for their tasks.

Creative roles such as Copywriting and Graphic Design are relatively low-risk in terms of sensitive data as opposed to a CRM Manager who wants to use GenAI to analyze customer feedback and complaints.

Test and procure low-risk tools to support these creative individuals in boosting productivity and slashing the time spent on mundane tasks while ensuring governance protocols are adhered to.”

What we like: It’s justified for marketers to be concerned about data and analysis by AI tools, but Dello Ioio has found a solution that allows marketing leaders to start implementing AI in a way that feels manageable and safe.

Sometimes, the first step is the most challenging, and once leaders get rolling with AI, they may be inspired to try more.

Look at HubSpot’s AI content assistant for low-risk AI experimentation. It’s free to demo, and you can write content, create emails, landing pages, and more.

3. Leverage AI alongside your existing tech stack.

Cassey Bowden, Director of Marketing at Promet Source, recommends that marketing leaders consider new AI tools with existing tech and your talented team.

She says, “When used effectively in combination with other tools and skills of our respective teams, the door is wide open for possibilities. I would encourage folks to look at AI as an assistive tool in their digital toolbox.

Those who will see the best results and realize the most benefits of AI, in my opinion, will be those who view this tech through a Venn diagram lens. Leveraging this tech along with your existing tech stack in addition to your skilled team, where these overlap, is where we will find success.”

What we like: Bowden’s tip could help marketing leaders close the gap on challenges that hamper creativity. If AI is used in addition to your skilled team, then there’s everything to gain through collaboration.

Consider taking the best of AI and the best of that all-important human touch and find the areas where they can best support each other.

4. Talk to your team.

Communication is, of course, everything! When it comes to AI, marketing leaders can eliminate a lot of AI challenges with team buy-in and communication.

Jessica Packard, Content Strategy Manager at ClockShark, found that some reassurance allowed her team to see AI for what it is; a marketing tool that can aid their workflow.

Packard says, “Initially, my team of copywriters was apprehensive about how AI could potentially replace their work in the organization.”

She continues, “The fear was understandable, but it was important to reassure them that the AI tools are still underdeveloped and they cannot create copy that successfully engages readers on an emotional level as humans do.

It’s also important to show them how leveraging AI can be beneficial to their work, from brainstorming content ideas to help writing creative titles and meta descriptions.”

Montse Cano, International SEO & Digital Marketing Consultant at Montserrat Cano, shared similar tips for overcoming AI challenges. She follows a set of questions and uses AI in a way that helps teams.

She shares her process, “We identify what needs we have in our team that we could meet by using AI. Is it code generation, text content ideas, or images? Then, assess current resources to test and validate outputs, i.e., do we need any training, hire someone else.”

Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO at Johannes Larsson, adds to the importance of communication with an onus on regular comms and empowerment.

Larsson says, “We regularly communicate with our team about the benefits of AI and how it can empower them rather than threaten them. We also aim to provide training and resources to help them develop new skills and expand their knowledge in areas where AI is involved.”

What we like: It might seem simple to suggest communication, but it’s easily forgotten when you’re all busy at work. Cano, Packard, and Larsson have recognized the why behind team challenges and recommended how you can solve this challenge through communication, reassurance, and future training.

5. Test AI with your team.

In line with the importance of talking to your team, Kevin Miller, co-founder and CEO of GRO, encourages marketers to improve their workflow efficiency with AI.

He started with a solid goal, improving his team’s efficiency by 400%, and worked with his team to document AI success.

Miller shares his story, “We experimented with ChatGPT earlier this year to improve writing efficiency for long- and short-form content creation.

For our clients, we want to produce the highest-quality work possible to help them grow their domain authority and online traffic, so automation was a natural strategy to pursue that goal. That being said, it’s not a one-stop-shop tool.”

He continues, “Aiming to improve workflow efficiency by 400% by leveraging AI tools, we asked writers to adapt their workflows and give feedback on how well ChatGPT helped improve their writing and deliverability.

Although we did not hit those marks because of many natural obstacles and limitations of the software, we increased workflow efficiency by 200% through content templates and research assistance.

ChatGPT is fantastic for content generation and assessment, but can‘t do the work alone. It is still a part of many of our writers’ workflows to use as they see fit, and I am confident that it will continue to grow in capacity and use.”

What we like: Miller and his team have experimented with ChatGPT and actively found that AI can improve team efficiency. We especially like the level of involvement Miller’s team had in AI experimentation.

With his team reporting back on their AI feedback, we feel Miller was more likely to get buy-in from team members.

6. Get your processes locked down.

Adam Smith, founder of The Content Machine, has mastered AI prompts. His test website was just 30 days old and boasted over 36,000 clicks and over 1 million impressions. All of his content was created using AI.

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Smith says, “I’m using totally un-edited AI content, straight from ChatGPT. There’s a big misconception that AI content is rubbish or garbage.

However you can create helpful content if you get your ChatGPT processes locked down! You aren’t going to be creating high-quality content with ‘write me a 1,500 word article on x topic’ type prompts.”

According to Smith, there’s more you can do to improve the quality of content, he advises you, “Add unique images, add internal links to other contextually relevant blog posts, add as much schema as possible, and embed related YouTube videos.”

What we like: With a well-thought-out prompting process, Adam Smith has proved that AI content can be helpful, and it can rank. (And it’s even better when the data backs up the claims.)

7. Find the areas where AI is most effective.

Using AI doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing scenario. You can find the opportunities or tasks that AI is most capable of solving; then you can do the rest.

Sara Cooper, Director of Web Strategy at SimPRO, found that her team found AI most beneficial at generating headlines or sections of copy.

Copper says, “One of the biggest challenges has been feeding AI the right directives to get the output we are looking for and learning to not ask for too much from AI upfront.

For example, as the team has started to leverage AI to generate more content across our website, it‘s clear that it’s most effective when supporting the personalization of headlines or sections of copy rather than generating whole landing pages from scratch.”

Jessica Ruane, Senior Content Manager at Beekeeper, echoes Cooper. Ruane says, “A big challenge that surrounds AI is effectively utilizing it in Content Marketing. Companies are definitely using AI to varying degrees during the content creation process.

Some may be fully writing content with the use of AI, while others are utilizing it for research and inspiration. The best way to implement AI in content is — slowly. Focus on the ‘voice’ that you’d like to use, and experiment with rewriting phrases to get started.”

What we like: Ruane and Cooper agree that there’s a place for AI in content writing. Equally, they’re both seeing the role of AI vary based on what marketers find more useful. Consider using AI for different tasks and find what works for you and your team. AI doesn’t have to write everything.

8. Experiment carefully.

Sofia Inga Tyson, SEO Content Editor at Juro, resolves the AI challenge of quality and brand with careful experimentation and full disclosure to key stakeholders.

Tyson says, “There are certainly concerns about the use of AI in content strategies diluting the quality and overall authority of the website.

Businesses are often keen to experiment with AI to scale their content production but content writers are naturally fearful that AI-generated content at scale will have a detrimental impact on the performance of existing, expertly crafted content.

I think it’s really important to manage stakeholder expectations in this regard and ensure that these risks are disclosed to other decision-makers in the business that might be encouraging this approach for aggressive growth.

I also think it’s important to be cautious about AI-generated content because the true impact won’t be felt immediately. It could be months or even years before the content is evaluated negatively based on the quality or use of AI.

Any experiments should be just that – careful, closely monitored and kept at a scale that means it can be reversed if needed. I think this approach will bring a lot of content writers comfort as it demonstrates that you’re approaching the use of AI with caution, not carelessly jeopardizing the online presence you have already.”

What we like: Tyson’s holistic approach to AI covers brand reputation, the team, and stakeholders. She considers the desire to leverage AI with the needs of the team who use it. We love the reassurance for all involved when experimentation is monitored carefully.

9. Monitor quality and accuracy.

Once you’re set up and using AI, you don’t want to neglect the all-important quality check.

Annika Haataja, Head of SEO at Seeker, says, “As you expand your use of AI, don‘t forget to monitor quality and accuracy. We all know that AI can sometimes make mistakes, which may hurt adoption if teams don’t trust the results.

Have people review a sample of AI output to catch errors, and empower them to have faith in their own expertise in the process.”

What we like: Diligence around AI output could decline as teams become comfortable with AI usage. Haataja reminds us to stay mindful of quality and accuracy as AI adoption scales, an important reminder for all of us.

10. Refine your data sources.

Simon Brisk, Director at Click Intelligence Ltd., found AI bias a challenge. Interestingly, they found better data once his team refined the data sources.

He says, “One significant challenge we‘ve faced at Click Intelligence when integrating AI is ensuring data integrity. AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on. Inaccurate or biased data can lead to misguided marketing decisions.

“For instance, while analyzing user behavior for an e-commerce client, skewed data initially suggested a preference for a specific product line. Only after refining data sources did we realize a more holistic preference trend, thereby recalibrating our marketing strategy.”

What we like: Brisk’s experience with AI bias shows the potential impact and the solution. By recalibrating data sources, Click Intelligence could recalibrate its marketing strategy based on reliable data.

11. Stay competitive.

The world of AI is developing fast. Chris Stott, Director at Seven Marketing, recommends staying ahead of AI developments.

He says, “Staying ahead of the competition is paramount. It’s essential for us to consistently deliver exceptional value. This means rigorously testing all AI software to keep us on the cutting edge and guarantee that we provide top-tier results to our clients.”

What we like: Incorporating AI into your systems can be exciting and empowering. Testing AI from a place of experimentation is a great way to explore AI capabilities with your team. You’ll soon get a feel for what supports you and what you can live without.

12. Overcome data integrity and change management.

Jessica Shee, Senior Tech Editor and Marketing Content Manager at iBoysoft, shares the importance of overcoming data integrity and change management.

She says, “Change management and data integrity are two significant obstacles to implementing AI in marketing. For accurate AI-driven insights and decision-making, it is essential to ensure high-quality, pure data.

Misaligned data can cause inaccurate forecasts and ineffective marketing campaigns. Invest in data cleansing, validation, and data integration tools to address this issue.

Change management is an additional obstacle. Integrating AI can disrupt existing workflows and require team members to acquire new skills. Transparent communication about the benefits of AI and training team members to cultivate acceptance and proficiency are necessary for a smooth implementation.

Working with AI experts, integrating teams in decision-making, and starting with trial projects can help integrate AI while resolving difficulties. A systematic strategy, continual training, and clear communication ensure a smoother transition and optimize AI marketing benefits.”

What we like: Shee recognizes that you don’t have to do everything alone. You can bring in experts and start with trial projects to help support your team through AI implementation challenges.

What’s stopping you from implementing AI?

Consider this: 70% of marketers consider it easy or somewhat easy to measure the success of marketing automation, so give it a go.

In the worst case, you‘ve run an experiment (and isn’t that what marketing is all about?), and in the best case, you’ve got the data to support the success of your AI endeavors. Getting buy-in from your team or stakeholders will be easier when they know AI drives marketing objectives.

Plus, with the top tips from marketing leaders, you’ll start with the best possible insights to make AI and marketing an absolute success.

Whether you’re looking to level up your paid search expertise or earn a certification to boost your industry credibility, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising courses are a great way to learn and to grow your career.

Even if you aren’t a PPC specialist or you’re new to digital marketing, well-rounded marketers should at least know the fundamentals of paid search marketing.

Let’s go over the best online PPC courses every marketer should know about to improve your paid advertising knowledge and gain hands-on experience.

Table of Contents:

What is a PPC course?
The 10 Best PPC Courses for Marketers

PPC course content can range from teaching the fundamentals to advanced strategies, and some even offer certifications for additional industry credibility.

The 10 Best PPC Courses for Marketers

Whether you want to boost your PPC knowledge or earn a certification, there are several PPC courses out there for marketers.

Here are 10 of the best PPC courses to add to your continuing education toolkit.

1. Google Ads Certification

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive and credible way to learn PPC, you’ll want to get a Google Ads Certification.

Google processes 8.5 billion searches per day, so it makes sense to get direct insight from the platform as you’re learning how to get in front of those billions of searchers. Plus, many PPC specialist or digital marketing roles require you to have a Google Ads Certification.

Google Ads currently offers several certifications for everything from Search to Display to Video. Each module offers training questions to help you prepare for the certification exam.

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Pricing: Free

Best For: If you’re a beginner marketer or are new to paid advertising, a Google Ads Certification is the most credible and comprehensive resource to learn the ins and outs of running ads on Google.

2. Semrush PPC Fundamentals Course

Semrush is a widely recognized search platform trusted by marketers around the world

In addition to its extensive lineup of SEO and digital management tools, the platform also offers a PPC course for marketers who want to hone their skills as PPC specialists or business owners who are looking to run PPC campaigns on their own.

Taught by PPC expert Joel Bondorowsky, the PPC Fundamentals course from Semrush offers a comprehensive breakdown of the PPC basics. After you’ve learned the essentials, you’ll gain knowledge on creating effective and profitable PPC campaigns.

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If you’re interested in furthering your digital marketing knowledge, Semrush offers a range of courses and certifications in Semrush Academy. Get certified in everything from SEO essentials to GA4 to social media marketing.

Pricing: Free

What we like: The self-paced course is only five hours in total which makes it easy to learn the basics of PPC over the course of a weekend.

3. Microsoft Advertising Certification

Microsoft’s Advertising Learning Lab offers several certifications designed around the Microsoft Ads (Formerly Bing Ads) platform, from native and display ads to shopping ads.

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If you want to hone in on PPC ads for search, consider taking the Search Advertising Learning Path.

The certification course focuses specifically on the Microsoft Ads platform, walking users through ad structure, targeting, and bid adjustments. The course is self-guided and takes about five hours to complete.

After you’ve completed all 21 modules within the learning path, you can take the certification exam and earn your certification badge. If you’re already confident with the platform, you can skip straight to the exam.

Pricing: The courses and exams are free to complete.

Best For: Anyone who plans to or is already active on Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads).

4. Wordstream’s PPC University

PPC University is a free PPC training course from Wordstream, a PPC platform. The course is broken down into individual guides for each level:

PPC 101: An intro to the fundamentals of PPC and all of the basic terms to know.
PPC 102: This section will go over identifying target keywords, writing ad copy, and understanding bidding strategies.
Advanced PPC: Once you have the basics down, level up to learn how to optimize and improve your ads.
Social Ads 101: This guide goes over the different ways to advertise on social media.

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Pricing: Free

What we like: For anyone who’s looking to learn and grow in the PPC industry, Wordstream offers countless resources in addition to its courses.

5. Meta Blueprint Courses

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, offers a range of free digital marketing courses.

If you’re interested in expanding your PPC skill set to include social media advertising, consider taking one of Meta’s Blueprint Courses.

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Start with the Business Advertising on Facebook course. The free, self-guided course walks you through how to reach your customers through Facebook by creating ads on your business page.

You’ll learn how to determine which ad objective is best for your business goals and how to create a budget using Meta’s ad tools. Meta also offers a full certification if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge on the full platform experience.

Pricing: Free

Best For: Marketers who want to increase their expertise on social ads, specifically for Meta which includes Facebook and Instagram.

6. Amazon Ads Certification

While search engines like Google are usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think about PPC advertising, we can’t forget about Amazon.

If you have an ecommerce business and sell products on Amazon, consider taking one of Amazon’s Ads Certifications.

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Amazon is a massive search engine for online retail, so it makes sense to learn directly from the source how you can get your products to reach more people on the platform.

The certifications Amazon offers cover topics like retail ads strategy, sponsored ads, and campaign optimization.

Pricing: Free

Best For: Marketers and advertisers in the ecommerce industry.

7. Coursera Google Ads Beginner Course

The online learning platform, Coursera, offers several courses around digital marketing topics taught by experts from top universities and major companies.

One of the courses offered by Coursera Project Network is Google Ads for Beginners.

In the course, an instructor walks you through how to set up your first Google ad campaign and concludes with a practice assessment.

If you’re a visual or hands-on learner, this course makes it easy to get experience as you learn by setting up your ad alongside the instructor.

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Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.

What we like: As a course within the Coursera network, this two-hour course is a convenient way to learn more about Google Ads if you’re already actively expanding your knowledge on the platform.

8. University of Colorado Boulder Social Media Advertising Course

Another course on Coursera, this one focuses on social media advertising. As a marketer or advertiser, you may have experience with search ads, but social ads are a separate skill set.

In this Social Media Advertising Course, taught by an instructor from the University of Colorado Boulder, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) advertising.

Each module takes about two hours to complete, with the final module diving into custom audiences and retargeting.

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Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.

What we like: The course is taught by a university professor which can provide a different perspective than other digital marketing online courses.

9. The Complete Google Ads Masterclass

If you’re a member of Skillshare, another online learning platform, check out The Complete Google Ads Masterclass.

Taught by two digital marketing experts, this class is an actionable course that teaches you how to set up a Google Ad Words strategy and create effective ads.

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Over 6,400 students have taken the course and the ratings are high, with 74% of students saying the course exceeded their expectations.

Pricing: Skillshare is free to try for one month. After your trial, monthly membership is $32 per month and includes access to thousands of courses.

Best For: This specific and actionable course is best for anyone who wants to focus on Google Ads whether as part of their marketing role or as a consultant or freelancer.

10. Digital Marketing Institute Paid Search Marketing Course

The Digital Marketing Institute is a recognized industry resource for earning certifications and career advancement through upskilling.

The DMI’s Paid Search Marketing (PPC) Course is a self-paced course with four interactive modules that break down PPC fundamentals, keywords and landing page best practices, and reporting and optimization.

The course takes about 10 hours to complete, includes actionable templates, and offers an associate-level certification.

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One of the few paid courses on this list, Digital Marketing Institute’s PPC course isn’t cheap but it could be worth the investment as it comes with a free Digital Marketing Institute Membership.

Pricing: $445

Best For: DMI partners with the American Marketing Association (AMA) which makes it easy to fulfill continuing education requirements or just keep your skills fresh.

Start Learning Today

PPC courses are a great way to learn how to be a PPC specialist or keep your marketing skills fresh.

Whether you want to earn a certification to land a new role or want to expand your knowledge with continuing education, keep these PPC courses in mind as you hone your paid search marketing expertise.