CPD courses for marketing professionals

The Marketing industry is constantly evolving, placing an ever growing emphasis on the need for qualified, skilled and competent trainers. Marketing professionals identify the strategies and techniques used to attract customers to a business. They determine pricing based on product demand and supply, help maximize a firm's profits, and grow market share for a business.

This article will provide a brief overview of CPD for marketing professionals, the professional bodies within the marketing industry, as well as the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements in marketing.

Overview of the marketing industry

There are over 400,000 people employed in marketing roles in the UK. Working within the marketing, advertising and public relations industry will typically involve promoting a product, service or idea. The work can be challenging and fast-paced, involving a variety of responsibilities. Marketing professionals help clients to connect with their audiences, usually promoting brands, products and services. Many organizations have marketing departments, meaning that roles can be found in both the private and public sectors, ranging from the financial, retailing and media industries to voluntary and public sector organizations.

Individuals looking to work in marketing can expect:

• To work primarily in an office, with some travel to visit clients and attend events
• To be part of a dynamic and sociable team, working in a fast-moving, well-paying and highly creative industry
• To join an in-demand sector with the chance to work with the latest digital communications technologies
• Plenty of career choice and the flexibility to specialize in a particular area or transition into a related field 

If you are a marketing professional and want to have the backing of an institution, then you can become a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Professional bodies in the marketing industry

The largest of the professional bodies in the marketing industry is the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). The CIM was created to help you develop your marketing capabilities, expand your marketing communities and keep you up-to-date and informed. They help you to gain recognition as a current and actively engaged marketer by reaching chartered status. Chartered status can enable you to stand out from your peers by demonstrating that you stay up to date and relevant with the latest changes within the industry.

Although the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the largest, there are currently a number of professional bodies in the marketing industry. We have listed some of them below with a brief description of their function:

Data & Marketing Association: Formerly called the Direct Marketing Association, it is a UK organization for members involved in direct marketing. Their website provides research, reports, best practice and how to guides, most of which are only available to DMA members.

The Institute of Data & Marketing: It exists to support, encourage and improve marketing performance with development programs to help you be the best you can be.

Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing: It is a UK institute for the professional development of direct and digital marketers, which offers practitioner-taught training courses and professional marketing qualifications. 

Institute of Practitioners in Advertising: It is a professional body for practitioners in advertising and marketing communications.

Marketing Society: It is a professional network of senior marketers providing an opportunity to share best practice and grow skills.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements in marketing

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): The CIM – CPD is voluntary, unless you are a Chartered Marketer – in which case it is mandatory. Chartered Marketers and those applying to become chartered must complete, and have documented evidence, of at least 35 hours of CPD every year. CPD activities for the CIM are recorded via an online portal.

Data & Marketing Association (DMA): CPD is voluntary for DMA members. The IDM (part of the DMA) offers an accreditation scheme for CPD which requires 35 hours of CPD per year. This is then used to determine your formal membership and/or qualification honorific. CPD activities are recorded via the member’s online account and these are sampled randomly by the IDM.

Please note: This information was correct at the time this article was written. Please check with your professional bodies website as individual membership requirements can and do change.

Different types of CPD

Types of CPD learning can vary significantly and includes a range of different learning methods. From formal training to self-directed study, different types of CPD are available for an individual to complete their Continuing Professional Development. The three different types of CPD are as follows:

Structured CPD / Active Learning: This typically involves interactive and participation-based study. Structured CPD includes attending training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, online and e-learning course as well as CPD certified events and conferences.

Reflective CPD / Passive Learning: This form of CPD involves no participant-based interaction and is more passive and one directional. Examples of Reflective CPD can include reading relevant educational articles, podcasts & business case studies and industry learning updates. In some occasions, informal meetings can be applicable to Reflective CPD but the learning objectives must be made clear in an individual’s overall CPD plan.

Self-Directed CPD / Unstructured Learning: This type of CPD is considered for all unaccompanied and unstructured CPD activities. It covers the reading of documents, articles and publications; either in print or online. Reading relevant publications, books by leading experts, industry journals and trade magazines are all types of self-directed CPD.

Examples of CPD courses for marketing professionals

There are numerous examples of CPD courses for marketing professionals. It is really up to you to decide which courses are most relevant to the area you specialize in within the industry. We have listed a few topics below to give you an idea of types of CPD courses available:

• Marketing Planning and Strategy
• Marketing Training
• Marketing your business
• Marketing Analytics
• Marketing Design and Strategy 

If you are an individual that is considering a career in marketing, then we would advise having a look at some more examples of CPD courses for marketing professionals to get an idea of what specialist areas exist in the industry and what appeals most to you.

How to find marketing CPD courses

After reading this article you might be wondering how to find marketing CPD courses suitable for your ongoing professional learning. Well by clicking here, you can find a selection of different marketing courses available from our range of certified CPD providers. You can enquire about any course that you are interested in taking and we will pass your request on to the relevant course provider. Please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, training courses, and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.  

CPD accreditation for marketing courses

Having your marketing courses CPD accredited helps to support the professional development requirements of those working in the marketing industry. CPD accredited training courses helps to provide peace of mind for learners that the training has been independently checked to ensure it is suitable for ongoing Continuing Professional Development.

Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service has over 27 years’ experience providing CPD accreditation. With members in over 100 countries, our CPD providers benefit from the ability to promote themselves as part of an international community where quality is both recognised and assured.

We hope this article was helpful.. If you are interested in offering training courses, seminars, workshops, eLearning, or educational events 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.