Do you take advantage of digital marketing services like PR Digital? If you are a brand manager or an entrepreneur; chances are you do. And you must have had your fair share of frustration with your digital marketing efforts. However, as the global best practices tell us, there’s more to life than the blind boosting and static uploads. In fact, there is an ocean of knowledge that can drive your business forward along every step of the sales/conversion funnel whether you are selling knowledge or clothing or shampoo!
With over a billion users, Facebook is a force to reckon with when it comes to digital marketing in this country. The sad part is that most marketers today understand boosting and uploading graphic contents when they say Facebook marketing. But that’s just a small part of a big bright ocean of marketing. Facebook noticed this knowledge gap and on March of 2015 they released their prestigious Blueprint certification with a view to creating certified professionals with knowledge, integrity, and professionalism who can create ROI for the brands and businesses advertising on Facebook. Rivaling the AdWords certification provided by Google, the Facebook Blueprint certification platform has seen over 1 million aspiring professionals enrolled in just 18 months. How many of them have received this prestigious professional certification for the digital marketers still remains a mystery since Facebook does not officially publish the total number of certified professionals as of yet.
However, with a lot of research, we have found out at least one person who is believed to be a Facebook Blueprint Certified Professional for the core competencies. We’re talking about the Co-founder and Managing Director of GEEKY Social Ltd., Mahadi Hasan Sagor. With over three years of experience of running campaigns worth over BDT 1.5 crore for 100+ brands/businesses, Mr. Sagor is said to be one of the leading minds in Bangladesh’s digital marketing arena. Rightly reflecting the mantra of “knowledge leadership in digital”, Sagor and his company GEEKY Social Ltd stands for knowledge-driven digital marketing in all aspects of the game starting from content production to content distribution to content monetization. To know more about the Facebook Blueprint certification program, we had a conversation with Mr. Sagor and the excerpts following.
The Blueprint certification exam is as rigorous as your college exams. Facebook offers two certifications: Facebook Planning Professional (FCPP) and Facebook Buying Professional (FCBP). It covers around 50 modules which guide you through the complexities of using Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Every exam costs USD 150. If you fail, you will have to pay the USD 150 again to reappear for your examination.
Becoming a blueprint certified professional is a combination of real-life experience of at least 6 months to 1 year of digital campaigns. And you need proper digital knowledge of Facebook social platforms before preparing and appearing for the exams. Previous work experience will boost your knowledge and grant confidence over the modules.
So, how much effort is needed to be blueprint certified? A person with at least 6 months+ of Facebook dashboard management, social media campaigns will find it comparatively easier. Because he will find the questions far more relevant to his experience. It’s advised to get some hands-on experience before diving in for the certification.
Blueprint goes beyond being just another online course. It aids in the development of yourself and the agency you work at. Precision is very important when it comes to digital marketing. Facebook Blueprint helps you have more confidence in your ability and it teaches the tips and tricks in a very simplistic fashion. You will understand the entire backbone of the ecosystem better. You will understand Facebook’s roots and the whole blueprint of Facebook which will help you become a more result-oriented marketer. Today GEEKY’s campaigns get better results because of the precision in their work gained from Facebook blueprint certification and therefore their clients are happy. It is due to their singular emphasis on knowledge, which has helped them become one of the fastest growing players in the digital marketing industry.
We asked Mr. Sagor if he would suggest others to take the certification. He remarked, “Definitely! Every digital marketer should take it to get a better grasp on the platforms. Now it is still a bit of a grey area. But within a very short time, it will be a mandatory prerequisite for every digital marketer.”
The strategists and corporates working in the marketing department should take it too. Or else there will be a knowledge gap. Bidding is increasing, the market is getting more and more competitive every day. To outperform and stay ahead of the competition you must know how Facebook ad platforms work. If you want to be a pioneer in this sector; this gives you an added edge over your contemporaries. Business today is less money-based and more knowledge-based. We must adapt and learn to capitalize on knowledge to get the best out of digital platforms.
Moreover, a better pool of marketers will enhance the overall social media environment in a positive way. This positive reinforcement will follow through to the end users and ultimately their time spent on social media will rise.
In the dynamic digital marketing space of 2018, you can do a lot more than just boosting and posting regular posts which the users are tired of seeing. You can use a plethora of tools offered by Facebook to engage and interact with your audience. You can use Facebook live to answer their queries real time. You can use pixel to remarket your products to your website visitors, mass customized to their preference. The data of your previous campaigns can be used to remarket to the previously engaged audience and target audience with similar interests and preferences. Facebook Canvas; a newly introduced form of content can be used to tell stories in an immersive way. Conversion-driven campaigns can assist you in closing the deal on messenger or your website. These are just a few examples of the ocean you can dive into using Facebook. And only a blueprint certified professional is the guru who can show you the way to dive in and catch the big fishes.
Facebook, Instagram, Messenger combined is the face of media in this generation. Digital marketing is not the future anymore, it is the present. Business today is not money-centric, rather it is built around knowledge. And knowledge gives you a head start when you are in the digital marketing game. In this race, either you are in or you are out, there are no seats for the spectators. It’s time you fasten your seatbelts and enlighten yourself with the essence of the digital world.
