There are about 4.89 billion social media users globally, which presents a huge opportunity for businesses—large and small. Digital marketers and social media managers, thus, need to master different skills and be updated on trends and best practices to tap this potential. This is where social media marketing courses can give you the much-needed skill boost.
We have compiled a list of some of the best free online social media marketing courses and certifications to get you started!
- What is social media marketing?
- 7 reasons to have a social media marketing certification
- 11 best free social media marketing courses online
- Social Media Marketing Course
- Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
- Social Media—Foundations
- The Complete Social Media Marketing Course
- Social Media Marketing (Short Course)
- Social Media Marketing Crash Course
- Advanced Social Media Marketing for Picking Up Clients
- Meta Blueprint
- Influencer Marketing 101
- How to Use TikTok for Business (Beginner to Advanced)
- Social Media Marketing Specialization
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing for businesses is a subset of digital marketing that utilizes social media platforms as a marketing tool to achieve branding and business objectives. Some of the social media marketing platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and others.
Usually, social media marketing involves
- promoting your brand
- selling products or services
- connecting and engaging with existing customers
- attracting new customers
- Building and managing communities
- driving traffic to your website or business, and much more
In summary, it is all about identifying your target audience and connecting with them where they are most active and spending the most time. Usually, the social media strategy for businesses varies based on social networks or platforms.
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7 reasons to have a social media marketing certification
A social media marketer needs to be equipped with multiple skills such as copywriting, a knack for design and visuals, community engagement, social media analytics, strategy planning and execution, and budgeting. Appropriate social media training can help you learn and ace these skills easily.
Here are a few reasons to have a social media marketing certification.
- Helps you master the much-needed skills and gets you job-ready
- Enhances your existing understanding and improves your professional standing
- Improves your ability to hire, build, and train your team
- Opens the door for better work opportunities and monetary benefits or higher pay
- Updates your knowledge and know-how to better support businesses and brands
- Establishes your credibility as an expert in the field
- Helps you explore your creativity through a structured learning experience
Additionally, recent stats further support the need for upgrading skills.
According to a report, around 88% of marketers are expected to hire at least one more team member in a social media role in the coming two years. Additionally, 62% are expected to hire two to six new members. So, the time is ripe to upgrade your skills!
11 best free social media marketing courses online
We have compiled a list of free social media marketing courses that can add value to your profile.
1. Social Media Marketing Course
Details
| Vendor | Hubspot Academy |
| Type | Online (lessons, videos, and quizzes) |
| Duration | 5:13 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes; Social Media Marketing Certification |
Why enroll in this course?
This course has been designed for marketing managers, business owners, social media managers, and influencers. It will equip you to build a social media strategy, utilize the power of digital technologies, develop an inbound social media plan, and much more.
2. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
Details
| Vendor | |
| Type | Online (modules comprising video tutorials and a final exam) |
| Duration | 40 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes; The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Certification |
Why enroll in this course?
This online marketing course has been created by Google trainers and includes practical and real-world examples to help participants grasp the basics of digital marketing. It is accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University.
3. Social Media—Foundations
Details
| Vendor | SkillUp (by Simplilearn) |
| Type | Online (video lessons) |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes; An official course completion certificate |
Why enroll in this course?
It is an introductory course to social media and covers social media marketing, channel management, social media strategy and planning, and more. Post-completion of this course, you can also opt for specialized digital marketing courses.
4. The Complete Social Media Marketing Course
Details
| Vendor | Alison (Advanced Ideas) |
| Type | Online (learning modules and final assessment) |
| Duration | 1.5 to 3 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes; A CPD-Accredited Alison Diploma/Certificate |
Why enroll in this course?
This free online marketing course covers all major social media platforms. Plus, it introduces you to split testing and funnel building in a step-by-step manner. It has been specifically designed for physical businesses, educators, online entrepreneurs, or anyone who wants to learn skills to sell products and services online.
5. Social Media Marketing (Short Course)
Details
| Vendor | Oxford Home Study Centre |
| Type | Online (learning modules and final assessment) |
| Duration | 1.5 to 3 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes but for a small fee; An official course completion certificate from Oxford Home Study Centre, a CPD-Accredited Certificate, and an Endorsed Certificate issued by the Quality Licence Scheme |
Why enroll in this course?
This social media marketing course covers a wide range of topics including promotion, community building, packaging, digital presence, etc. as well as major social media platforms. It also provides tutor support along with learning aids. The course will equip you with tools and knowledge to describe the value of social media for a marketing plan.
6. Social Media Marketing Crash Course
Details
| Vendor | Semrush Academy |
| Type | Online (video lessons, tests, and certification exam) |
| Duration | 1:15 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes; A course completion certificate signed by Semrush and Janet Machuka |
Why enroll in this course?
This online marketing course has been designed for those who want to gain insights into social media best practices and tools. It covers important topics such as competitor benchmarking, audience insights, social media algorithms, analytics, and influencer marketing basics.
7. Advanced Social Media Marketing for Picking Up Clients
Details
| Vendor | Udemy |
| Type | Online (video lessons) |
| Duration | 50 minutes |
| Level | Advanced |
| Certification | No |
Why enroll in this course?
This free course equips you with a step-by-step system for attracting and picking up clients with social media in less than 48 hours. It covers topics such as using Facebook to gain qualified clients, utilizing Reddit and other forums to attract leads, and creating YouTube videos to encourage your clients to reach out to you. It has been specially designed for freelancers, consultants, start-ups, and coaches who want to acquire new clientele.
8. Meta Blueprint
| Vendor | Meta |
| Type | Online (video and text tutorials) |
| Duration | Varied |
| Level | All |
| Certification | No but you can prepare using free courses to appear for specialty exams to earn Meta certification |
Why enroll in this course?
It is a collection of free online courses to help you develop marketing skills for Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. You can select from a wide range of topics such as optimizing your strategy, monetizing your content, improving creative strategy, advertising, and much more.
9. Influencer Marketing 101
Details
| Vendor | Later |
| Type | Online (video and text tutorials) |
| Duration | Self-paced |
| Level | All |
| Certification | No |
Why enroll in this course?
This free course is unique because it takes you through detailed steps of elevating your influencer marketing strategy. It takes you through various stages such as planning and goal setting, finding, vetting, and contacting influencers, creating and measuring campaign success, and more.
10. How to Use TikTok for Business (Beginner to Advanced)
Details
| Vendor | Udemy |
| Type | Online (video lessons and projects) |
| Duration | 1 hour 46 minutes |
| Level | All |
| Certification | No |
Why enroll in this course?
This online marketing course has been designed for marketers and entrepreneurs who want to promote their businesses, products, products, or personal brand on TikTok. The course has been structured to help participants create engaging content and hashtag challenges, marketing strategies to increase engagement, TikTok Premium marketing tools and services, ad groups and targeting, and much more.
11. Social Media Marketing Specialization
Details
| Vendor | Northwestern University in collaboration with Coursera |
| Type | Online (video lectures, quizzes, reading material, and hands-on project) |
| Duration | 7 months (approx. 2 hours/week) |
| Level | Beginner |
| Certification | Yes but for a specified fee |
Why enroll in this course?
This online marketing specialization consists of six courses that cover social listening, marketing strategies, social IMC, and more. You can also enroll in one of these six courses instead. You can earn a shareable certificate if you complete the course, and this involves a fee. However, if you just audit the course and view and read the course material, then it is free. There is also an option for students who want to opt for financial aid in case they want to complete the course.
Final Words
It is never too late to learn and acquire new skills. With a plethora of options available online, it is high time you utilize these opportunities to master your trade. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get social media training. Explore the free social media marketing courses online curated by us and get your learning journey started!
