LinkedIn Marketing Labs has added a new Content and Creative Design certification course for all LinkedIn users.

The free certification promises users will be able to “demonstrate expertise in creating and maintaining paid and organic content.”

According to statistics, LinkedIn has proven to be a lead-generating machine, with 277% more leads generated on the site than on Facebook and Twitter.

Additionally, LinkedIn accounts for 80% of lead generation for B2B marketers, and 91% of marketing executives believe LinkedIn is the platform for relevant leads and content.

Users can access the following three units through their LinkedIn account:

• Building an organic presence with LinkedIn Pages
• Creative design for LinkedIn
• Building a full-funnel content marketing strategy on LinkedIn

Units range from 10 to 40 minutes, and a practice test and certification exam are available when the user is ready to move forward.

While the content is focused on LinkedIn, the meat of the course can be helpful in any sort of application, experts say.

For example, in the “Creative Design for LinkedIn” unit, training touches on how to create concise, compelling, and clear copy, as well as how to mix up content and test campaigns.

In a statement, LinkedIn said the new certification is “critical” because it comes at a time when content strategy and creative design has industry-wide interest.

Users who complete the course can add the certification to their profiles.

Marketing experts suggest businesses scour the web for free, reputable courses such as the LinkedIn course to expand their knowledge and stay current on the latest trends.

Other reputable sources for learning digital marketing, according to marketing experts, include:

• HubSpot Academy
• Google Digital Garage
• Neil Patel

According to Forbes, some of the biggest struggles marketers face today include having a clear marketing plan, staying ahead of change, and standing out.

Not all businesses have the luxury of a full marketing team backed with the right types of experience, experts say.

Free marketing courses can help teams hone in on what’s working, what’s not, and what tools they can use to improve.

In the long run, working with an experienced content marketing agency may be the best way to get a business’s content strategy up and running for many years of success, experts say.

Digital marketing agencies have the resources to fully support businesses with their content goals. They also often are much more cost-effective than hiring a team of individual marketing professionals, according to experts.

Image by Pete Linforth.