In March 2015, Facebook launched Blueprint, a free educational resource platform and training program developed for users to acquire skills and discover best practices for advertising and marketing campaigns.
Facebook Blueprint currently holds over 50 in-depth online courses available to anyone with a Facebook account, and as of September 15, 2016, has had over 1 million course enrolments since launch.
Beyond being an information hub, Blueprint combines online courses with in-person training, while awarding professional certifications for brands that have mastered the art of Facebook marketing.
Now, here’s how Facebook Blueprint Certification works:
There are currently 2 certification paths available; the Facebook Certified Planning Professional and the Facebook Certified Buying Professional.
Once you select your certification path, you’ll have the opportunity to prepare for and take 2 secure, proctored exams – the Facebook Advertising Core Competencies exam, and then the particular exam in your chosen specialty.
This is quite similar to Google Adwords certification, which also has a compulsory general exam usually preceding the chosen area of specialization.
According to Facebook, the exams were designed to rigorously measure advanced-level competency in understanding and applying skills required for effective Facebook Marketing/Advertising (Buying & Planning).
Facebook is even nice enough to allow you take the exams with an online proctor in the convenience and privacy of your office or home.
Once you pass your exams, you will then receive a digital badge (like Google Partners, Hubspot, Coursera and others) that can be uniquely verified online by anyone. The Facebook Blueprint Certification badge can also be posted on Facebook, and other social platforms as well as your website or blog or even in your email signature or electronic résumé.
However, because Facebook platform, products and services are constantly evolving, marketers will have to complete recertification requirements every year.
You’ve gotta keep up with the high speed digital train, bruh!
Blueprint Certification is now available in Nigeria and all over the world, including in French and Indonesian, plus more languages to be released soon. Facebook also announced a new partnership with the Miami Ad School on Blueprint.
Here are some interesting stats on Facebook Blueprint courtesy of Adweek
- More than 170,000 new global average monthly enrolments, including 20,000 in the U.S.
- The most growth in Blueprint course enrolments is coming from India and Brazil.
- Blueprint has nearly 450,000 global users, with an average of 10,000 new ones per month.
- The average time spent per course is more than 20 minutes.
- The top five courses for brands and agencies are: Facebook Terminology, Welcome to Marketing on Facebook, Brand Best Practices, Successful Campaigns and A/B Testing.
- The top five countries using Blueprint are: U.S., India, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea.
Facebook, now valued at about $330 billion earned an estimated advertising revenue of $5.2 billion in the first quarter of 2016, a 57% increase from the previous quarter. Something tells me those numbers will not be dropping much anytime soon.
With increasing popularity of ad blockers on the web and growing difficulty in reaching consumers organically with content on social, many marketers are fast realising the inevitable truth that one must spend significant $$$ to get good engagement on Facebook.
Even the most cynical minds can no longer ignore Mark Zuckerberg’s invention when it comes to brand advertising and marketing.
Surely one expects marketers, brands and agencies to be lining up to score themselves some shiny new Facebook Blueprint Certification badges. Makes business sense and of course… a major key for digital bragging rights!
You can begin your Facebook Blueprint Certification journey here. And good luck with the badge-hunt.