Essential Learning Resources for Mastering Social Media Management
By Eloise Leonard
According to a Forbes report, 77% of businesses use social media to connect with their customers. In addition to building brand awareness, a significant number of small businesses (41%) also depend on social media as a revenue driver. Yet, many are growing frustrated by the lacklustre results of their social media marketing efforts. As we discussed in a previous post, these poor social media outcomes may be the result of different factors, like lacking a tangible objective, not knowing how to achieve desired results, and simply lacking the social media skills to get your desired outcome.
Fortunately, there is an abundance of online learning resources available to help address this gap in knowledge. In this article, we explore a selection of the best resources available for honing your social media management skills so you can finally start achieving the results you want and make the most out of your marketing dollars.
Online certification programmes
Online certification programmes are structured courses available on platforms like Meta, Adobe, Hootsuite, Salesforce, and HubSpot. These certifications are often used by professionals as a differentiator, but they also offer a great way to improve competency in any field. Given the plethora of these free certifications, however, marketing and communications VP Colin Jeffries suggests identifying whether a certain programme is relevant to what you're trying to accomplish.
For example, HubSpot's free social media marketing certification is ideal for learning how to build a successful social media strategy. Meanwhile, Northwestern University's social media marketing specialisation course on Coursera provides tools and training in social analytics, marketing, and lead generation.
Business ebooks
While the goal of social media management is to aid businesses in building relationships with their target audience, this can't be achieved without having foundational knowledge of business operations. The business ebooks on Everand provide a treasure trove of information on this aspect, covering business strategies, case studies, and theoretical insights. Plus, the accessibility and flexible format of ebooks enables individuals to study at their own pace, making it easier to fit learning into busy schedules. Everand's digital platform also allows users to annotate texts, highlight key passages, and bookmark useful resources for future reference. A trending title on the platform is CEO Patrick Bet-David's Your Next Five Moves, which equips readers with innovative tactics to take your business to the next level. With this ebook, you can gain clarity on what you want to achieve and master strategy to scale.
Digital media conferences
Digital media conferences bring together professionals from various sectors to discuss trends, strategies, and innovations in digital and social media. A standout in this category is DigiMarCon, the largest Digital Marketing, Media, and Advertising Conference in the world, with annual events across 40 cities in 18 countries. In 2022, marketing expert Tyler DeWitt was among the roster of speakers. His session covered topics ranging from pay-per-click to search engine optimisation to storytelling – all with the goal of helping attendees boost their marketing efforts and increase sales for their businesses. Exposure to new ideas at these events can inspire creative approaches and strategies in one's social media management practices.
Social media strategy podcasts
For social media managers, keeping ahead of the latest platform updates, marketing strategies, and current online trends is part and parcel of the role. And one of the best ways to stay abreast of trends and updates is by listening to podcasts. At the moment, a social media strategy that's become popular is humanising a brand. Leading this movement is the language learning app Duolingo. In a podcast with DigiDay, the company's head of global social and influencer strategy Katherine Chan shares key insights on effective ways to engage with your audience. She also talks about the importance of developing clear standards and guidelines to adhere to, ensuring that all social media efforts reflect the brand's values. Ultimately, this is the kind of expert advice you can immediately put into practise for your own social media strategy.
By leveraging these resources, individuals can enhance their social media management skills, stay updated with industry trends, and implement effective strategies to attain their social media goals.
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