In this day and age, the behavior of an average consumer who shops online is affected by their social media interactions more than anything else. They learn about new brands and change opinions about the ones they already know based on how they feel about these brands on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Thus, it’s no surprise that social media is increasing brand engagement and sales for those who are using it correctly.
Now, when it comes to traditional marketing, there are plenty of well-established and comprehensive academic courses that any student can enroll in. However, there are few institutes that offer dedicated courses in digital marketing.
So, you want to master social media marketing, then self-teaching is your best bet. You can go about it by reading about social media management tips online on authority website and blogs. However, if you are interested in going deeper and have the time to spare, then you can also check out online courses offered by:
Udemy
Udemy is easily one of the largest online education platforms today where you can find a variety of courses on social media marketing. The best thing about this platform is that here you can find authority figures rather than just academic experts.
Udemy has over 20,000 video instruction courses and has a strong network of 10,000 instructors that are located in different corners of the world. You have the option of paying for individual courses but you can pay a flat monthly rate too. The following are some of the courses you might be interested in:
- Social Media Marketing – Complete Certificate Course
- Instagram Marketing 2018: A Step-By-Step to 10,000 Followers
- Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing MASTERY 2018
Udemy is closing the skills gap by helping anyone learn anything, and if you are interested in digital marketing or social media marketing, you can’t go wrong with what it has to offer.
Lynda
An important part of the top professional social media platform LinkedIn, Lynda is designed to provide access to advanced courses to dedicated professionals at affordable prices. Here you can learn all you need to learn about social media marketing including social commerce and examples of campaigns, social media analytics, influencer marketing, etc. for as little as $25 per month ($19.99 if you are billed annually).
The basic subscription plan offers you unlimited access to all the video lectures on Lynda which is simply amazing. It’s also designed to share recommendations which are based on your goals (it asks what you want to accomplish viz. career change, learning new skills, etc.) and interests.
Some of the best Lynda courses on social media marketing include:
- Social Media Marketing for Small Business (Martin Waxman)
- Saving Customers Using Social Media (Jeff Toister)
- Personal Branding on Social Media (Karen Leland)
Coursera
Coursera offers courses on a variety of subjects that are taught by instructors from some of the most reputed universities and institutes across the world. Most of them cost somewhere between $30 to $99 and have a duration of 1-1.5 months. Although certification is optional, you can get it easily for a small price.
One of the best things about Coursera is that even though the video lectures are no longer than 20 to 30 minutes, they are packed with tons of information. You also get assignments and problem sets on the basis of the lectures you attend which help in honing your skills faster.
The following are some of the Coursera courses you might be interested in:
- Social Media Marketing (Northwestern University)
- Introduction to Social Media Analytics (Emory University)
- Social Media Data Analytics (Rutgers the State University of New Jersey)
So, there you have it- some of the most amazing online education platforms for social media marketing and other subjects including email marketing, branding, etc. Feel free to compare the options and pick the one you find perfect for your requirements. Good luck!
