Learning to manage social media is a must-have skill in this digital age. You can become a digital marketer, information technology expert, or content manager and take advantage of the impact of social media in the global marketplace. If you want to learn how to work in the social media industry, this guide can help you get started.
Read below to learn more about all the information you need to know to learn social media marketing strategy. In the list below, you will read a curated selection of the best online social media classes, courses, and programs. Social media advertising is one of the best new ways to meet business goals.
Social media governs so much of our daily lives. Whether you are an active social media user or a passive observer, much of your online life is likely influenced by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and more.
For good reason, social media marketing and digital marketing have grown massively in the past decade. The big data that makes social media marketing possible means companies can reach potential clients through their specific demographics and interests. Social media platforms allow companies to seamlessly advertise products and services through targeted ads or social media content.
If you are interested in learning more about this ever-expanding sphere of marketing, you should consider taking a social media marketing course. From learning the basics of social media and social networks to exploring the intricacies of email marketing, content marketing, and content creation, there is a lot to learn. Who knows, maybe one course will be enough to convince you to pursue a career as a social media manager or a digital marketer.
What Is Social Media?
Social media consists of a wide set of websites, platforms, and mobile applications that allow millions of Internet users to create, share, and publish content. Social media was originally created for individuals, but businesses and organizations use it to create brand recognition and reach a wider audience.
Social media marketing classes can teach you about social advertising, Google My Business, email marketing, and more. Online learning is one of the best ways to learn social marketing skills and other important knowledge for the digital world. Social media experts are the future of digital marketing efforts.
Reasons to Take a Social Media Marketing Course
Social media has become such an integral part of how we live our lives, both only and in the real world. Without social media, you may not have found your favorite cafe or met your significant other, for example. These connections are part of why it’s important to learn how to use social media. But how should you use it differently as a professional?
Having professional and/or educational experience in social media marketing can open up a world of professional opportunities. If you work in communications or development, for example, chances are that you have been asked to participate in new initiatives that require social media marketing skills.
From a business perspective, it is in a business owner’s best interest to prioritize marketing professionals and marketing campaigns to advance their company’s goals. Business leaders want to make sure that all of their expenses, including advertising and marketing, are going to bring in the highest possible ROI (return on investment). Investing in qualified and knowledgeable social media marketers can increase a company’s ROI, meaning that your job prospects as in the field will be good.
Whether you work for a small business, a large corporation, or for yourself, understanding the business of social media is an extremely valuable skill. For example, you may think you understand the basics of Instagram because you use it in your personal life, but do you have the graphic design skills necessary to take your posting to the next level? Thankfully, there’s a course for that.
Why Online Social Media Courses Are Important for Professional Development
Social media management is an essential competency that marketing professionals must have. This quality allows them to increase their professional performance in the job market. Education on social networks brings better salaries, greater responsibility for company objectives, and sustained growth within the digital market.
More and more employers are looking for social media courses on resumes when hiring marketing experts and communications managers. You can earn a higher salary with more experience and education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marketing managers earn an average salary of $141,490.
Should You Attend a Coding Bootcamp to Learn Social Media?
Yes, a coding bootcamp is a great way to learn how to manage and utilize social media platforms. Social media bootcamps are specialized educational centers offering specific technical skills. Topics can include creating engaging content, managing programmed information, and communicating with followers.
A bootcamp is almost always more affordable than a degree program, especially because it only lasts a few weeks or months. A social media course is even shorter, and you can learn new skills in less than a day. With training from one of the best social media marketing bootcamps, you can dominate traffic and increase your social presence using your new skills.
Overview: The Best Online Social Media Courses, Classes, or Training
Digital education is the present and future of learning. Take a look at the list of courses and training below and choose the right path for your needs. This selection includes bootcamp courses and online course platforms, which can be very useful depending on the specific skill you want to develop.
| Provider | Course | Price | Length | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boot Camp Digital | Social Media Marketing 101 | $197 | 7 hours | Yes |
| BrainStation | Social Media Marketing Course | $3,150 | 7 – 10 weeks | Yes |
| Constant Contact | Social Media Quickstarter | Free | Self-paced | No |
| Coursera | What Is Social? | $49 per month | 7 hours | Yes, with a fee |
| Facebook Blueprint | Getting Started with Facebook and Partner Measurement Solutions | Free |
20 minutes | No |
| Fiverr Learn | Social Media Content Strategy | $46 | 1.4 hours | No |
| GCF Global | Social Media | Free | Self-paced | No |
| Hootsuite Academy | Social Media Marketing Course and Certification | $199 | 6 hours | Yes |
| Hubspot Academy | Digital Advertising 101 | Free | 3 hours | Yes |
| Learning.ly | Preview of Social Media Success for Business | Free | 20 minutes | No |
| LinkedIn Learning | Digital Marketing Trends | Free | 2 hours, 27 minutes | Yes |
| Northwestern University | Content Marketing and Strategy: Brand and Business Growth | $2,000 | 6 weeks | No |
| Skillshare | Introduction to Social Media Strategy | $8 per month | 43 minutes | No |
| Social Creators | Video Storytelling for Social Media | Free | 5 days | No |
| Udemy | Social Media Monitoring | Free | 3 hours, 19 minutes | No |
In Detail: The Best Online Social Media Classes, Courses, or Training
Social Media Marketing 101 | Boot Camp Digital
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level to advanced
- Subjects Covered: Marketing trends, website design, SEO application
Social Media Marketing 101 is an all-inclusive course that goes far beyond learning how to use social networks. The classes offer you precise technical knowledge about different types of marketing and website creation. You’ll learn about current market trends, including email software and Google Analytics.
Key Takeaway: If you want to learn everything you need to know about social media, Boot Camp Digital’s training has you covered.
Social Media Marketing Course | BrainStation
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: User personas, content strategy, Facebook and Instagram marketing
BrainStation is an online bootcamp that allows students to develop their social media strategies. Each lesson has a unique concentration in three major areas of the learning process: Developing a Social Strategy, Optimizing Performance, and Creating Campaigns. In addition, you will learn skills in social media marketing ads platforms.
Key Takeaway: This social media-focused course will teach you the technical aspects of marketing online.
Social Media Quickstarter | Constant Contact
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat
This course is specially designed for beginners and consists of a series of blog posts to help you learn about each social media platform. The program consists of eight social media platform tutorials, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. You will learn how to give your future customers a step-by-step plan to increase their digital media presence.
Key Takeaway: This resource is a good choice if you want to learn the basics of a specific platform.
What Is Social? | Coursera
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Social Media Marketing
Coursera is one of the most popular online platforms in the world to learn about almost any topic. This course is the first installment in the Social Media Marketing Specialization from Northwestern University. The curriculum includes essential and valuable topics such as social marketing, social trends, and the business of social.
Key Takeaway: Coursera’s interactive course provides you with the knowledge to continue in a specialization program if you want a certificate.
Getting Started with Facebook and Partner Measurement Solutions | Facebook Blueprint
- Learning Format: Online, self-paced
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Facebook, ad insights
Facebook Blueprint has tons of quick online courses that you can use to learn more about social media marketing on Facebook. In this course, you will learn how to start analyzing your Facebook ad insights. Additionally, this online platform includes a series of social media marketing courses on Instagram content marketing strategies.
Key Takeaway: This short course is a great place to start if you’re interested in creating ads on Facebook.
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Social Media Content Strategy | Fiverr Learn
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Content strategy, target personas, post planning
The main objective of this class from Fiverr is to create and deliver a content strategy for social media. In total, all the classes add up to 23 tutorial videos. The videos include Setting your Objectives for Social Media Marketing, Identifying your Online Audience, and Defining and Executing your Social Media Strategy.
Key Takeaway: This practical and interactive course increases your chances of landing an excellent job in the social media market.
Social Media | GCF Global
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Social media platforms, blogging
This set of tutorials can teach you about different social media platforms, including Zoom, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. GCF Global’s educational approach points to the commercial dominance of social media consumption patterns. The tutorials are easy to follow for social media beginners.
Key Takeaway: GCF Global offers this set of tutorials to help students learn more about individual platforms and how to use them.
Social Media Marketing Course and Certification | Hootsuite Academy
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Social media, audience engagement, content marketing
This social media marketing course leads to certification, which makes it a great choice if you want to become a social media manager. Here, you will learn how to generate engagement and business development for your future clients. You will also learn how to build a community organically and optimize your profiles.
Key Takeaway: This hands-on course ends in a certification exam that can prove your skills in the marketing industry.
Digital Advertising 101 | Hubspot Academy
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Social media, inbound marketing, paid search advertising
Hubspot Academy is one of the best-known digital marketing training centers in the world. The online course offers you complete social media training as well as other strategies. The course’s goal is to teach students how to create, develop, and use advertisements on digital platforms. In addition, you will learn to build your digital advertising and social media presence.
Key Takeaway: This comprehensive course is completely free and will give you a well-rounded digital marketing education.
Preview of Social Media Success for Business | Learning.ly
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Business marketing, social media management
Learning.ly provides a specialized course in social media management for companies. If you have or aspire to have a business, this platform can guarantee its success in the digital market. Keep in mind that this is a 20-minute free preview, and you’ll have to pay for the full 130-minute version. You’ll get the chance to try the course before committing.
Key Takeaway: This quick preview will help you get a feel for a social media course before you dive deeper into the topic.
Digital Marketing Trends | LinkedIn Learning
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Social media presence, marketing trends
This course from LinkedIn Learning has a month-long free trial, which means you can finish it before you have to pay the monthly fee. In this course, you will learn about digital marketing and communication trends classes to improve your professional profile in social media management. You’ll finish with a certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.
Key Takeaway: This course from LinkedIn learning is the perfect choice if you use LinkedIn to find social media and digital marketing jobs.
Content Marketing and Strategy: Brand and Business Growth | Northwestern University
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Marketing, advertising, social media
The course teaches the commercial communication techniques necessary to promote brands on a social network. At Northwestern University, you will learn the fundamental social media skills to understand the behavior and mobility of information in social networks. This individual course only takes six weeks, and you can access more courses from the same school.
Key Takeaway: If you want to get a university-level education in social media, this course is a great choice for you.
Introduction to Social Media Strategy | Skillshare
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Entry-level
- Subjects Covered: Creating and curating content, social media strategy
Skillshare and Buffer teach you the basic knowledge to design social media strategies. The lessons focus on introducing students to social media best practices and teaching them how to find their choice. In addition, you will learn about creating and curating content and applying the right online marketing tools to audiences and platforms.
Key Takeaway: The main educational premise of this course is to teach you to create authentic connections with a target audience.
Video Storytelling for Social Media | Social Creators
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Video storytelling
If you want to learn more about video platforms, this challenge from Social Creators offers great training. You will learn how to film and edit video content on a smartphone. Visual attraction is key in social networks, so you will become an expert in transmitting visual, symbolic, and engaging messages.
Key Takeaway: The educational focus of this course is on teaching students to generate and increase social media engagement, all in an engaging five-day challenge.
Social Media Monitoring | Udemy
- Learning Format: Online
- Level: Intermediate
- Subjects Covered: Social media monitoring strategies, keyword phrases
In this course, you will learn to monitor and closely follow the patterns of consumption on your social media platforms. It will teach you how to search for information about the mass of users on social networks. Udemy’s primary focus is on content curation and online influence to teach you how to optimize customer engagement.
Key Takeaway: This course will help you create consistent social media strategies that work.
Online Social Media Classes, Training, or Courses: Which Is the Right Option?
Each of these study methods has a set of characteristics specially adapted to the needs of each student. If you want to learn a specific topic, a course or class is the best way to go. If you want a more broad or hands-on education, you can take a longer course or opt for a bootcamp. Each option has its pros and cons, so do your research before you dive in.
How to Choose the Right Online Social Media Course, Class, or Training Program
Provider
Ensure that the course provider is an online platform, a university, or a bootcamp well-positioned and recommended in the market. The provider’s reputation influences the quality of the content and your chances of getting a job in the social media industry.
Curriculum
The subject curriculum should be varied, practical, easy-to-follow, and suited to real-world situations. A course focusing on marketing, consumers, information technology, and sales strategies is ideal for becoming a professional in high demand.
Study Tools
The course, training, or class you take should provide study tools based on information technology. Make sure the school offers up-to-date and valuable apps that work well with distance learning. Some of the most frequent resources in elearning are tutorial videos, live classes, digital mentorships, and online office hours.
Social Media Course Certificates vs Certifications
A certificate from a social media course is valuable, but a professional certification is better proof of your skills. A social media certification consists of an exam that you have to pass in order to get the credential, instead of a full course. You can get certifications from HubSpot, Facebook, Google, and more.
Importance of Social Media Certifications
If you have a social media marketing certification, your chances of landing a good job in big companies like Facebook and Google will increase. Employers want to see certifications because they prove that your credentials are up to date. Without a certification, you’ll have to show them what you can do some other way.
Why You Should Take Online Social Media Courses or Classes
Investing time and money in studying management techniques, community management, and sales on social networks is an excellent decision to expand your career path. A certificate or certification can help you earn a higher salary. For example, people who learn Google Analytics earn $55,000 per year, according to PayScale.
This digital age demands professionals who know how to navigate the world of social media and the Internet. Education is available to you, so take advantage of the content in this article and begin your preparation to succeed in the social media industry.
The future of social media is unpredictable. TikTok is the newest mainstream player in the US sphere, but who knows what will come next. That’s why taking courses to expand your horizons and specialize in social media will help you get closer to reaching your social media marketing goals.
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