HubSpot Digital Advertising Certification study plan

Map each of the 11 exam domains to its weight and rank them by hours needed, producing a one-page allocation table

Define a buyer-journey framework (awareness, consideration, decision, delight) and write three ad objectives that fit each stage

Draft a full-funnel media plan for a fictional B2B company that assigns budget percentages across journey stages

Calculate CPL, CAC, and ROAS from a sample campaign dataset and explain which metric governs which funnel stage

Build three audience segments (demographic, behavioral, and retargeting) and justify the targeting criteria for each

Sequence a three-touch journey-based ad campaign that changes message between touches

Compare first-party, platform-native, and lookalike audience sources and note one compliance risk for each

Set frequency caps and exclusion lists in a mock campaign build and explain the reasoning

Write five ad copy variants against a single value proposition using different hooks (pain, proof, curiosity, offer, urgency)

Apply character limits for at least three ad platforms and trim each variant to fit

Design a creative testing matrix that isolates one variable per test

Specify landing-message match rules and rewrite one landing page headline to mirror its ad

Define a conversion event set and place pixels or tags conceptually for each event

Compare organic versus paid reach on two social platforms and state when each is appropriate

Build a paid social campaign structure with campaign, ad set, and ad levels for a stated objective

Select three creative formats (static, video, carousel) and match each to a funnel stage

Draft a paid social budget that allocates spend across prospecting and retargeting

Build a keyword list grouped by intent (informational, commercial, transactional) and assign match types

Write three responsive search ads that satisfy headline and description limits

Configure a mock account with campaign, ad group, keyword, and negative keyword hierarchy

Explain bidding strategies and choose one for a stated conversion goal

Diagnose three common underperformance scenarios (low quality score, high CPC, low conversion rate) and propose a fix for each

Explain the programmatic ecosystem roles (DSP, SSP, ad exchange, DMP) and trace one impression from bid to render

Distinguish open exchange, private marketplace, and programmatic guaranteed buying and state one use case for each

Compare programmatic and paid social buying on targeting control, inventory, and measurement

Identify two brand-safety or fraud controls and describe how each is applied

Define KPIs per funnel stage and map each to a data source

Build a reporting dashboard outline with the four to six metrics that matter most to a stated stakeholder

Write an insight-first performance summary that leads with a finding, not a metric dump

Set up a weekly optimization cadence with triggers for pausing, scaling, or refreshing creative

Consolidate all prior deliverables into a single portfolio and check coverage against the 11 domains

Complete a timed 60-question practice set and log every missed question by domain

Re-study the two weakest domains using the logged misses

Write a 90-day post-certification action plan for applying the skills at work