Often, the difference between a mediocre marketing function and a great one is a leader who knows not just the essential marketing channels and best practices but has a library of sales, marketing, and product knowledge to refer to. Marketing is all about experimenting with all of the hundreds of possible marketing levers. Knowing all the possible levers to pull, when to pull them, and how to manage marketing’s eternally limited resources is what makes a great leader.
B2B SaaS marketing certification courses are a great way for CMOs and other executives to quickly expand their bank of knowledge and learn more about how people outside their company manage and lead their marketing teams.
In this article on the Kalungi blog, we took a look at some of the fast, valuable certification courses for marketers that not only show off your skill on LinkedIn but also give you a quick leg up on your next marketing campaign. However, in this piece, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into those certification courses that are a good fit for developing high-level strategy, managing executive conversations, and effectively leading a well-rounded marketing function.
The one course that made both this and Kalungi’s certifications list, we built the T2D3 Masterclass to serve as both a quick guide for t-shaped marketers and a strategic playbook for B2B SaaS leaders and executives.
The 17 lecture series, pre-reads, quizzes, study guides, and templates walk you through the core components of building and executing a complete go-to-market for B2B SaaS. Including…
- Positioning and messaging
- Channel marketing
- Prioritization and planning
- SEO and content
- ICP and personas
- Pricing
- Reporting and analytics
- Account-based marketing
Learn about the most effective channels for SaaS marketing and how to build focused, efficient campaigns in each. Then, get tips on reporting back to the rest of the executive team or board, planning and goal setting, and optimizing your existing marketing campaigns.
Harvard’s rotating selection of executive education courses offers leaders of B2B SaaS and non-software companies insights on driving effective sales and marketing strategy from an executive's perspective. Because of the limited size of these courses, you’ll have a better opportunity to interact with the course instructors, who may either be leaders of innovative businesses or members of Harvard’s faculty.
The downside? Many of these courses are not offered remotely, meaning they are most accessible to those who are able to stay near the Harvard campus for an extended period or those who live in the Boston/Cambridge area. Their high cost will also dissuade many, with currently available courses ranging from $11,250 to $16,000.
Reforge’s Growth Series course is designed to give marketers, product managers, and team leaders an introduction to the models, metrics, and strategies for tracking, analyzing, and improving growth at your company. This course focuses in particular, on customer acquisition and retention, monetization strategy, and growth models.
Other benefits of the course include access to their library of supplemental templates and a guarantee of small course cohorts for improved discussion and instructor access. A free course preview is also available for those curious to explore. A pricetag of $1,495 for a five-week course makes this course a relatively low-cost option as well.
One of the most important roles you can take as the leader of any marketing function, but especially in an industry as fast-moving as SaaS, is that of a metrics and analytics pro. With all of the data being brought in by your marketing department every day, you’ll often need to step in as the voice of guidance to understand, interpret, and act on that information.
Taking you through modeling cause and effect, conjoint analysis techniques, social media analytics, and market research strategies, this course is built for anyone looking to get a quick leg up on a wide variety of marketing analytics fields. Whether you're optimizing your marketing campaigns, segmenting your customer base, or predicting future trends, this course empowers you to leverage data as a strategic asset for your organization.
This course is particularly well suited for those who have not previously worked in B2B marketing, sales, and customer service. Forrester’s Decisions for B2B Marketing Executives courses are focused on teaching B2B marketing executives their approach for developing and executing a long-term strategy for their team. Forrester focuses in on creating customer value and building trust with your audience to capture large B2B deals and cut down on churn.
Cultivate a strong brand identity with Cornell University's Brand Management course. In today's crowded marketplace, executives must build and sustain powerful brands that resonate with their target audience. This course covers essential topics such as brand positioning, messaging, architecture, and extension. Whether you're launching new brands, repositioning existing ones, or defending market share, this course provides the strategic framework needed to build enduring brands.
Created for B2B marketing, sales, and company leaders, Kellogg’s course walks you through the core principles of marketing B2B products and services and what makes marketing B2B in an increasingly digital world a unique undertaking. With course modules both on creating a strong go-to-market and overall strategy as well as more tactical lessons on demand and lead generation, it seeks to provide its students with an all-up overview through an eight-week program.
At the end of the certification course, you’ll create a marketing plan for the next 90 days based on their B2B marketing playbook—a powerful, actionable takeaway.
As more and more B2B SaaS companies seek to transition into a product-led growth model, PMA has remained a leader in online product marketing education and innovation. Cover essential topics such as market analysis, competitive positioning, and building a go-to-market strategy based on creating value, attracting customers, and building lasting relationships with them. Whether you're launching new products, entering new markets, or refining your product messaging, this certification equips you with the strategic insights and practical skills needed to drive product success in the dynamic world of B2B SaaS.
Why invest in a B2B SaaS marketing course?
Investing in your B2B SaaS marketing expertise is not just a career move; it's a strategic imperative. Hopefully, this quick guide is a helpful starting point for you to find the right courses to gain the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to lead your SaaS company to new heights of success.
For some instant added knowledge on creating a better GTM strategy for your B2B SaaS company, check out this collection of resources on the Kalungi blog.