The Benefits of CPD in the Marketing Industry

Marketing is a constantly evolving profession and important to organisations across industry sectors. With the rise of digital technology and social media, the role of marketing and the expectations of marketing professionals continues to expand and develop. Those who actively engage with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) have the opportunity to stand out in an increasingly competitive field by cultivating a varied skillset that can be applied to the continued changes and requirements of the industry.

CPD marketing courses offer professionals the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be successful within marketing. This CPD article examines the role of marketing in organisations and the benefits of CPD marketing courses.

The role of marketing within an organisation

Marketing can be defined as how an organisation promotes a brand, product or service. It supports an organisation with some of its key objectives such as lead generation, brand positioning and market reach. Marketing is also a means to improve an organisation’s strategy, messaging, content creation, and campaign execution.

Fundamentally, marketing is important as the basis by which organisations connect with their audience. It allows them to build a relationship with their community and provide messages that reflect the organisation’s interests, culture and value proposition. This is accomplished through marketing processes that follow a strategy - such as advertising, social media presence, communications and public relations.

What is CPD in marketing?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and is the term used to describe the learning activities professionals engage in to develop and enhance their abilities. CPD is a holistic approach towards the enhancement of personal skills and proficiency throughout a professional’s career. At its core, CPD is about a commitment to lifelong learning and the search for constant improvement. Many organisations actively encourage members of their marketing team to engage with CPD as a means to improve proficiency in the delivery of marketing tasks and objectives – but also to develop wider skills and to stay ahead of developing trends, industry requirements and best practices.

CPD in marketing includes a focus on areas such as social media strategy, SEO, digital advertising, affiliate marketing, advertising and public relations. Marketing professionals may engage with CPD through marketing courses, events and seminars, webinars and workshops. It may also involve engaging with informal CPD, which includes non-participatory methods of learning such as relevant marketing articles, blog posts, books and podcasts.

The benefits of CPD for marketing teams

Marketing teams can greatly benefit from participation in CPD. Organisations that encourage their marketing teams to actively engage in CPD will see better overall results as it upskills the workforce and fills knowledge gaps. CPD is a crucial means of keeping employees up-to-date with changing industry standards and technologies. Marketing CPD courses are also a cost-effective option for many organisations. Rather than investing in expensive bespoke training schemes, CPD encourages a proactive approach to ongoing learning and improvement. Establishing this culture of learning can improve productivity, overall growth and profitability. Individuals will have the opportunity to develop more varied skills and knowledge, and this in turn may compliment and enhance the skills of other team members.

A simple example is a team member focusing on CPD in the area of social media strategy. An individual will develop the competence through CPD participation to help the team devise a comprehensive social strategy. This subsequently can increase organic lead generation, allowing an organisation to promote its products and services to a wider audience, and potentially improve growth and profitability.

Advantages of CPD for marketing professionals

For professionals in a marketing field, CPD is beneficial as gaining new skills and knowledge will increase an individual’s value in their role, improving future career prospects as it allows them to stay competitive within the market and increase overall productivity. Although by no means an exhaustive list, marketing professionals that engage with CPD can benefit from some of the following:

• Stay up-to-date with changes and new technologies in the marketing industry. Acquire vital knowledge about emerging practices.
• Build a versatile and future-ready skillset that can add value across various use cases. Become a valuable team contributor able to take on critical tasks like lead generation and social media strategy.
• Improve performance and exceed expectations within a current role. Develop the expertise to take on new responsibilities within an organisation.
• Enhance proposition as a marketing freelancer by understanding how to complete key measurable tasks.
• Increase professional value for future career progression opportunities, whether within a current company or new job roles. Keep academic and practical qualifications current.

CPD can also benefit individuals more broadly in that it aids development of wider skills beyond a specific field or job role. It helps develop fundamental skills such as communication, leadership and strategic planning and is also the basis for gaining a wider understanding around core aspects of organisational structure and decision making. Ongoing CPD will build the key transferable skills that are vital throughout organisations but also across industries and potential careers.

With the pace in which the marketing industry continues to change and develop, it is important for professionals to engage with CPD in order to maintain a relevant skillset. Many new technologies, such as social media and AI, have shifted the role of marketing professionals and understanding these emerging technologies and best practices can ensure increased importance within an organisation as well as enhancing career prospects.

Where to find CPD marketing courses

For marketing professionals, it is important to engage with accredited CPD courses and training as this provides assurance that any learning has been assessed to meet recognised international industry standards. The CPD Certification Service has accredited members in more than 100+ countries and growing.

Within the CPD Courses Catalogue, there are a comprehensive range of marketing courses, educational events, eLearning programs, conferences, workshops and seminars – all of which have been formally CPD certified. To find out more about a particular CPD course listed on our website, complete an enquiry form and the details will be sent directly to the relevant CPD provider.

How to become an accredited CPD provider

We hope this article was helpful. Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service is the world’s leading and largest CPD accreditation organisation working across all industry sectors. If you are looking to provide training courses, seminars, workshops, eLearning or educational events that may be suitable for Continuing Professional Development, please visit the Become a CPD Provider page or contact our team to discuss in more detail.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a free online CPD record tool to help manage, track and log your ongoing learning, as well as store your professional training records and attendance certificates in one simple place, go to the myCPD Portal page.