15 Free Social Media Training Courses and Resources
Social media training courses are a great way for digital marketers to level up their skillset.It’s true, a lot of answers can be found on Google these days . And Hootsuite’s blog offers several helpful posts from how to create a social media strategy to social media advertising 101.But earning a few extra social media education credentials will spruce up your resume when “I-read-this-online-somewhere” can’t.That’s why we’ve rounded up the best social media marketing training courses available for free online.Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.
15 of the best social media training courses and resources
These courses and resources offer the best social media marketing training.
Social media training courses for beginners
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to change career paths, these intro social media courses will get you started.
Social Marketing Training – Hootsuite Academy
This course from Hootsuite Academy covers foundational social media marketing skills. The six-hour program is divided into six chapters. It starts with an introduction to the most popular channels for business and ends with social advertising fundamentals.Cost: FreePerks: Once you’ve finished the course, take the Social Marketing Certification Exam to earn a resume-worthy certificate.
Social Media News and Trends – LinkedIn Learning
Stay on top of the latest digital marketing trends with this multipart course offered by LinkedIn Learning.Make sure to start with the most up-to-date version of the class.Cost: One-month free trial then CA$34.99 per month, or annually for CA$29.99/month.Perks: Impress colleagues with how in-the-know you are with social media news.
What is Social? – Northwestern University, Coursea
Put on by Northwestern University, this four-week MOOC (massive open online course) includes videos, readings, and practice quizzes on everything from social trends to business findings.This course is a part of a Social Media Marketing Specialization. It also provides certification for paying subscribers.Cost: Choose to audit the course to have free access to materials.Perks: If you’re interested in enrolling for the full certification, financial aid options are available.
Context is Key: Social Media Strategy in a Noisy Online World – Skillshare
Led by social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk, this online course is designed to help you position your brand on social media.Vaynerchuk goes over brand case studies on each platform and helps you develop your own content marketing strategy.Cost: Sign up for a one-month free trial. Skillshare subscriptions cost $15 per month or $99 per year.Perks: Vaynerchuk packs his lessons with humor and personality.
Social media advertising training courses
In many ways, advertising successfully requires a whole separate set of skills. Level up with these ad-focussed courses.
Advanced Social Advertising – Hootsuite Academy
There’s more to social advertising than “pay, spray, pray.” This Hootsuite Academy course shows students how the most sophisticated organizations use paid social—including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram ads—to drive business objectives at every stage of the customer journey.Cost: FreePerks: After completing this course, you can take the exam to receive certification.
Content, Advertising & Social IMC – Northwestern University, Coursea
From content strategy to A/B testing and measuring KPIs (key performance indicators, this four-week MOOC delves into social advertising.Topics covered include: “What is Gamification?” and “Engaging Your High Value Markets.” Like “What is Social?”, this course is offered as a part of the Social Media Marketing Specialization program.Cost: Choose to audit the course to have free access to materials.Perks: A free social marketing toolkit and free e-books on A/B testing are included as course materials.
A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Images for Your Ads – Facebook Blueprint
A good or bad image can make the difference between someone clicking on or ignoring your ad. This Facebook Blueprint course covers best practices when it comes to creating and sourcing images for Facebook ads. The tips can also be applied to social media more broadly.Cost: FreePerks: This course provides a list of apps that can help you improve images and videos.
How to Create an Ad on Facebook – Facebook Blueprint
In eight two-minute sections, this course outlines the three key elements of a Facebook ad. It also reviews available ad formats and creative options.(Keeners should also check out Hootsuite’s complete guide to advertising on Facebook.)Cost: FreePerks: This course may be Facebook-specific, but many tips apply ads on other platforms too.
Platform-specific social media training courses
Social media manager training requires an advanced understanding of every platform your brand is active on. Go straight to the source with these platform-specific classes.
Twitter Flight School Course 1 & 2
Twitter’s official training platform currently offers two courses for social media advertisers.
- Twitter Video Advertising Foundations
- Twitter Video Advertising Campaign Basics.
If you’re new video on the platform and are planning to launch a campaign, these multi-module courses are a good place to start.Cost: FreePerks: If Twitter video is a big part of your social strategy, you can get assessments and feedback straight from the source.
Instagram for Business – Facebook Blueprint
This beginner level course introduces provides an overview on running a business account on Instagram. It goes over all the key basics, from how to create a business account to how to use Instagram Insights.Cost: FreePerks: This course can be completed in 10 minutes.
Get Started with the Facebook Family of Apps and Services – Facebook Blueprint
If you’re new to Facebook for Businesses, this 15-minute beginner course is essential. But even if you’re not, the online class covers Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network, too.Cost: FreePerks: You’ll get a sense of how to reach your audience across Facebook’s full network.
Marketing on LinkedIn – LinkedIn Learning
This introductory course is ideal for those looking to market a small, medium, or entrepreneurial business on LinkedIn. Get insider insights on how to write posts that perform, video best practices, and paid content options.Cost: One-month free trial then CA$34.99 per month, or annually for CA$29.99/month.Perks: You’ll also get tips for fine-tuning your business and personal profile.
The Quickstart Guide to YouTube – YouTube Creators
Learn everything from YouTube basics to branding your channel with this online, video-led course. Each of the four lessons follows a learning component, a hands-on task, and a quiz reviewing key elements.Cost: FreePerks: Participants receive a letter of completion after passing the exam with 75% or higher.
Social analytics and campaign evaluation training courses
These courses will help you deliver social media analytics reports or presentations proving your campaign’s ROI (return on investment).
Google Analytics for Beginners – Google
This online course is essential for anyone new to Google Analytics. But it’s also useful for self-taught users or those looking to brush up on their skills.While these lessons focus on Google Analytics, they’ll also help you understand terminology and practices on social media channels.Cost: FreePerks: If you already have a Google account, it’s easy to keep track of your progress and access the course’s resources.
Channel Assessment – YouTube Creators
If your brand relies on YouTube at all, this course offers a template and guidelines for evaluating your channel’s mission, content strategy, audience engagement, and discovery.Cost: FreePerks: Even if you’re not on YouTube, video creators will be able to apply this course’s framework and tips across social platforms.Article syndicated from HootSuite https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-training/