10 Social Media Training Courses to Elevate Your Marketing Skills

Social media marketing is constantly changing, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends to get the results you need. 

Luckily, social media training courses are a great way to improve your skills and learn how to generate compelling content, measure your results, and create strategies for social media success. 

While podcasts, video explainers, blog posts, and even eBooks are all excellent resources to round out your expertise, these courses offer a more comprehensive and interactive learning experience. You’ll find opportunities to engage with other students, get instructor feedback, and even test your new skills in a real-world setting. 

However, as good as that sounds, not all social media training courses are created equal! 

To help you stay ahead of the curve and find a course that provides exactly what you need, we’ve compiled a list of ten top-notch social media training courses to elevate your marketing skills. In this article, we’ll go over the different themes and what to expect from each program. 

Ready to dig in? Let’s go.

1. Social Media Marketing Foundations | LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn offers a variety of social media training courses, and this particular one covers the basics of social media marketing using instructional video content.

Social Media Marketing Foundations by Brian Honigman is divided into seven sections, and each has a quiz to help you evaluate your progress and understanding of the topic. 

In this free course, Honigman teaches you how to: 

• Develop a social media strategy focused on your business goals
• Understand different social media platforms and choose the proper channels
• Build your audience and maintain a community
• Sell on social media and drive results with paid ads
• Measure your success on social media

Who's It For: If you are a marketing professional or salesperson looking to enhance your company's social media presence with a customer-centric approach, this course is perfect for you. This course is also useful for those who want to learn the basics of social media marketing and don't need certification.

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

2. Social Marketing Training | Hootsuite Academy

The Social Marketing Training course from Hootsuite Academy was designed by leading social media marketing strategists and specialists tied to Hootsuite. 

The course teaches you the basics of social media advertising and covers how to:

• Develop effective social marketing strategies
• Create visually effective social media reports
• Optimize social media profiles and organically grow your community
• Apply the best practices for content marketing

Who’s It For: This course is designed for social media marketers who want to improve their skills in content creation, community management, and advertising. Completing this course will show employers and clients that you know how to use social media management tools that align with the organization's objectives in real-world scenarios and use tools that get the job done.

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

3. Marketing in A Digital World | Coursera

If you're looking to stay up to date and keep up with changing marketing trends, Marketing in a Digital World by Coursera is a great class for you. 

Taught by Aric Rindfleisch, a professor of marketing at the University of Illinois, this free course focuses on how new technologies and devices have placed power in consumers' hands, in the context of marketing strategy. From the theory and philosophies behind effective social media marketing to the practicalities of digital tools you can use to leverage them, this course presents a complete picture of the topic that most people can benefit from. 

Who’s It For: This course is ideal for marketers who need to understand marketing in the modern era has transformed things for good and how to use new-age strategies to attract and retain customers. The core content explores how digital tools give consumers more control over product development, promotion, placement, and pricing. You'll be equipped with the knowledge to use these tools to meet your marketing goals--making it an ideal course for those starting out in social media strategy.

Skill Level: Beginner

4. Social Media Certification | HubSpot Academy

The Social Media Certification course by HubSpot is a comprehensive program that tests your knowledge of inbound social media strategy and best practices across eight videos and 29 quizzes. Learners receive certification after passing the final exam. 

This course teaches you how to develop a social media strategy that engages your customers and grows your brand. You'll learn how to build an inbound social media strategy, leverage the power of social media to transform your business, and use social media to boost your career. 

Who's It For: This somewhat intensive program touches on more advanced marketing tactics, like how to generate leads and build a solid customer base through social media. The program also covers topics like how to nurture brand awareness and measure your campaign's success, making it a good option for social media professionals who want to validate their expertise in the field with official credentials.

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

5. Mastering TikTok | Skillshare

Mastering TikTok from Skillshare is a more targeted social media training course taught by Taylor Loren, Head of Marketing at Girlboss. 

This course teaches you what TikTok's algorithm prefers, and how to make your content reach greater audiences with tactics like engaging captions and optimized hashtags. The curriculum also covers platform-specific features, including finding viral content and optimizing videos with in-app tools like filters and sounds to tailor them to TikTok’s audiences. 

Who’s It For: Anyone who wants to use TikTok for marketing purposes, but doesn't know where to start. For those who are new to digital marketing strategy, this course also covers general background on how to develop video concepts for social media.

Skill Level: Beginner

6. DIY Viral Video: A Class on Making iPhone How-To Videos | Skillshare

Taught by Nicole Farb, founder of Darby Smart, DIY Viral Video teaches you how to shoot, edit, and publish high-quality how-to videos for your inbound marketing strategy. It covers everything from identifying relevant topics and developing an outline, to shooting and editing great footage using your iPhone.

This hands-on course shares valuable know-how for creating engaging social media video content on a budget. Case in point: no equipment beyond an iPhone is required.

Who’s It For: This is another great entry point for those who want to get started in both the social media and video marketing fields. You'll learn how to grab attention with effective videos that turn viewers into followers, and pick up best practices that can be adapted content creation on any social media platform.

Skill Level: Beginner 

7. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing | Google

Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing covers online business marketing 101--from web analytics and SEO, to social media content strategy. The course is taught by Google trainers and provides learners with valuable industry insight. 

Another benefit of this course is learners get acquainted with many of Google's free tools, including Google My Business, Google Analytics, and Google Ads. All are powerful tools to add to your social media arsenal. Learners also receive an official certification for passing this course.

Who’s It For: Any aspiring social media manager who wants to improve their proficiency in digital marketing basics, like building an online presence, identifying and reaching target audiences, and running paid advertising campaigns.

Skill Level: Beginner

8. Advanced Social Media Strategy | Hootsuite Academy

Next on our list of top-tier social media training courses is Advanced Social Media Strategy from Hootsuite Academy. This course was developed for company leaders, content strategists, and marketing managers who are looking to learn how to build and scale a social media presence in complex organizations. 

Designed by Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, this course teaches both soft and hard skills to design and implement social media strategies within an organization. This curriculum covers essential components of an effective social media strategy, including content marketing, creating successful influencer campaigns, and tracking influencer marketing ROI.

Who's It For: This course is designed for learners who want to learn how to use social media to support their business goals, scale up their teams, and plan complex social media campaigns. Digital and brand strategists will also find this course helpful, as it dives into higher-level strategies and practices for social media marketing.

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

9. Social Media Marketing Specialization | Northwestern University

The Social Media Marketing Specialization by Northwestern University includes six courses that cover content creation, strategy, social listening, and advertising on social channels. 

Taught by Northwestern University's Randy Hlavac, this social media training course will teach you how to use analytics tools, become an influencer, create engaging content, and build a comprehensive social media marketing strategy. 

Who’s It For: This course is perfect for those who want to learn how to build powerful influence on social media from the ground up. Learners also have opportunities to practice creating engaging content for their social channels. 

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

10. Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass 2022 | Udemy

Created by Mark and Philomena Timberlake, Social Media Marketing by Udemy will teach you how to set up a powerful marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals. You'll learn how to create an online community and connect your social media marketing efforts with other digital strategies that your business can leverage.

Many of the courses we’ve listed in this article cover the basics of social media marketing. This course stands out as a masterclass on ethical digital marketing techniques. You’ll learn how to:

• Create content that inspires action on your website and social media accounts
• Grow brand awareness by utilizing social media communities
• Identify the best platforms for your social media marketing goals

Who’s It For: This course is valuable for learners who want to master social media marketing, SEO, and online community management. The curriculum covers the theory, planning, and execution of multiple types of digital marketing, including email and video marketing. If you are an intermediate-level social media marketer who wants to upskill with more advanced knowledge and skills in this field, this course is perfect for you.

Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced

Empower your SMEs to create internal course content

The social media industry moves quickly, and new social media marketing strategies are never far behind. To build an effective social media strategy that scales, you'll need the know-how and expertise that helps you adapt and evolve alongside the industry. 

Social media training courses that use collaborative learning enable you to improve your own talents and upskill your teams from within simultaneously. A comprehensive LMS platform gives your internal subject matter experts the resources and infrastructure to create in-house courses that help your company grow. 

So whether that means enrolling in one of the courses we’ve listed above–or encouraging your company’s social media SMEs to author an internal course–it’s time to take your social media marketing  to the next level!