Best Social Media Marketing Classes Near Me: Find In-Person & Virtual Training

Learn More About Social Media Marketing Courses

If you've spent time on any social media platforms, you've seen tons of company advertisements and posts. Social media marketing is using social media channels to drive your business goals, whether branding, marketing, or something else. Social media marketing provides a way to reach millions of people daily through various channels. Within social media marketing, there is both paid and unpaid marketing. Unpaid marketing involves organically building a following by posting relevant, useful, or fun content that naturally creates a following. Paid marketing involves paying to show up on these platforms to your target audience.

Social media marketing can be a tremendous tool whether you are a Business Owner, Digital Marketer, or Entrepreneur. Many businesses rely on social media marketing to get started or grow a business because of its opportunity and reach. As of 2024, five of the top ten most visited web pages on the internet are social media sites. Anyone hoping to engage with a mass audience online will need to consider how they can use social media platforms to their advantage, particularly as the marketing strategies involved in digital marketing become more complex.

Social media marketing is an in-demand skill set that can be used for jobs in digital marketing or as a tool for the growth of your business.

Why Learn Social Media Marketing?

In social media marketing classes, you'll gain an understanding of the world of social media and the plethora of tools available for marketing. You'll start thinking through which tools might be right for you to use and how to develop a strategy for success. With so many social media platforms available, new ones emerging all the time, and constant updates to existing algorithms and features, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to keep up with social media marketing skills. Classes help to build and refresh your skills so you can use social media marketing to further your business goals. You will learn what platforms best suit certain types of goals, businesses, and audiences. Instagram might work best for some companies, while others may benefit from LinkedIn or Facebook. You'll learn how to find the right marketing mix and work with each tool so you can start marketing effectively with social media. Whether it is a paid or unpaid approach, you'll learn to find the right audience and create the right content to engage them. You'll also learn various techniques, strategies, and optimization to drive optimal results with your campaigns.

You will also learn transferable skills that can be applied to other aspects of professional marketing. For example, many online marketing projects will require you to work directly with content creators to collaborate on paid advertising content. In addition, most modern social media marketing is driven by algorithmic processes, so students will learn the skills they need to ensure that their content is prioritized by the algorithm and appears in the feeds of social media users.

Even if you are already a digital marketing professional, you can find many benefits in taking a social media course. In today's fast-paced digital age, staying ahead of the curve in marketing is essential for professionals who want to advance their careers and remain competitive in the industry. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by enrolling in social media classes. While experienced marketers may feel they have a solid grasp of social media, the reality is that these platforms are constantly evolving. Therefore, continuous learning and staying aware of new trends, changes to platforms, and best practices are key factors that can significantly benefit professionals already in marketing.

First and foremost, the rapid evolution of social media platforms is undeniable. What was considered cutting-edge just a few months ago may now be outdated. New features, algorithms, and tools are constantly being introduced, and these changes have a profound impact on marketing strategies. For example, the rise of short-form video content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has revolutionized the way brands engage with their audiences. Without staying informed through social media courses, marketing professionals risk missing out on crucial opportunities to connect with their target demographics.

Moreover, social media platforms frequently alter their algorithms and policies. These shifts can have a dramatic effect on a brand’s visibility and engagement. Understanding these changes and how to adapt marketing strategies accordingly is vital for professionals looking to maintain their competitive edge. Social media classes provide an avenue to stay updated on these crucial shifts and develop strategies that align with the platforms' evolving algorithms.

In addition to algorithm changes, understanding the intricacies of advertising on social media is paramount. Each platform offers various advertising options, targeting capabilities, and ad formats. Staying informed about these options and knowing how to leverage them effectively can significantly impact the success of marketing campaigns. Social media classes often delve into the specifics of social media advertising, providing professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize their ad spend and achieve better results.

Furthermore, the best practices for content creation and community management on social media are continually evolving. What worked well in the past may not resonate with today's audiences. For instance, the emphasis on authenticity, user-generated content, and storytelling has grown exponentially. Marketers who fail to adapt to these shifts risk alienating their audience and falling behind competitors. Social media classes can help professionals understand the latest trends and best practices, allowing them to create more engaging and relevant content.

Networking is another significant benefit of social media classes for experienced marketers. These courses often bring together professionals from various backgrounds and industries, providing opportunities to learn from others' experiences, share insights, and build valuable connections. Collaborating with peers who have diverse perspectives can lead to fresh ideas and innovative strategies that professionals can implement in their own marketing efforts.

Organic Vs. Paid Social Media

Social Media Managers will almost always balance paid and unpaid social media marketing, making it essential to understand the differences between the two, the advantages each offers, and the challenges unique to each.

Unpaid social media, also known as organic social media, is the type of social media most people are familiar with. Organic social media consists of content that is shared free of charge. Organic posts comprise most day-to-day content shared by social media platforms, including those of businesses. Unpaid social media posts work best for engaging your existing followers. For example, organic posts can act as a great touchpoint to help you remain top-of-mind with existing customers. One major frustration many Digital Marketers encounter with organic social media is that social media platforms are increasingly limiting the reach of unpaid posts. Social Media Examiner is a leading social media marketing publication. In their 2024 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, they found that the average organic reach for Meta posts is now just 13.51% on Instagram and 2% on Facebook. This is down from 20% on Instagram and 5% on Facebook in 2022. This is likely due to the ability of Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) to “boost” organic content, meaning that you pay to show your post to a wider audience. Once an organic post becomes a paid post, it is no longer organic; rather, it becomes an organic-looking ad. While boosting important posts can sometimes be beneficial, regularly boosting what would otherwise be unpaid content eats into your advertising budget. Boosted posts also lack the customization features that a full-fledged social media advertisement allows, meaning that it is often more cost-effective to limit paid content to advertising campaigns. Creating ad campaigns also allows you to effectively manage your budget, target audience, and campaign dates, test multiple versions of your ad, and take advantage of features that automatically maximize your ad spend.

Paid social media is often used to reference social media ads and advertising campaigns; however, this also includes other paid social media marketing methods such as paid influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is a strategic marketing approach that leverages the popularity, credibility, and reach of individuals, known as influencers, within a specific niche or industry to promote products, services, or brands. These influencers have established a dedicated and engaged following on various social media platforms, blogs, or other online channels. Brands identify influencers who align with their target audience and brand values. Considerations include the influencer's follower demographics, content style, and engagement rates. Brands then collaborate with influencers to create content that promotes their products or services. This content can take various forms, including sponsored posts, videos, reviews, giveaways, or endorsements. The influencer shares the content across their social media channels or platforms, where followers can see it. This exposes the brand's message to a wider and potentially untapped audience. Brands measure the success of influencer marketing campaigns through various metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, sales conversions, and brand awareness. These metrics help determine the campaign's effectiveness and return on investment (ROI). It's crucial for brands to choose influencers carefully and maintain transparency in their partnerships to ensure the credibility and authenticity of the marketing message.

Paid social media marketing involves using paid advertising strategies on various social media platforms to reach a larger and more targeted audience. It typically involves creating and promoting ads or sponsored content to achieve specific marketing objectives such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales. Here are some common functions related to paid social media marketing on major social media sites:

Ad Creation: Advertisers can design and customize their ad content, including images, videos, and ad copy.

Audience Targeting: One of the key advantages of paid social media marketing is the ability to target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and locations. Advertisers can define their ideal audience to ensure their ads reach the right people.

Budget Management: Advertisers set a budget for their campaigns, controlling how much they want to spend daily or over a specific period. This allows for precise cost management.

Ad Placement: Social media platforms offer various ad placement options, including in-feed ads, stories, sidebar ads, and sponsored posts, which allow advertisers to choose where their ads appear to optimize visibility.

Ad Scheduling: Advertisers can schedule when their ads will run to reach their target audience at the most optimal times, taking into consideration peak engagement periods.

Ad Formats: Different ad formats are available such as image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and more, depending on the platform. These formats cater to various marketing goals and content types.

Tracking and Analytics: Social media platforms provide detailed insights into ad performance. Advertisers can monitor key metrics like click-through rates, impressions, conversions, and ROI to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns.

A/B Testing: Advertisers can experiment with different ad creatives, headlines, and audience segments through A/B testing to optimize campaign performance.

Remarketing: Advertisers can target users who have previously interacted with their brand or website, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Call-to-Action (CTA): Many social media ads include CTAs that prompt users to take specific actions such as "Shop Now, " "Sign Up, " or "Learn More."

Different social media platforms offer these functions to varying degrees, and advertisers often choose platforms based on their target audience and marketing objectives. Common platforms for paid social media marketing include Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more.

Major Platforms

Since each major social media platform is different, students looking to learn social media marketing will need to learn the affordances and limitations of each platform to succeed in the long term. What works on Instagram may flop on YouTube, and savvy Social Media Managers will need to understand how each platform’s unique features and engagement tools shape the way that advertising campaigns need to be structured and organic content is shared. When you learn social media marketing skills, you will learn practical lessons on how to build organic content and advertising campaigns for the platforms with which people engage.

YouTube

As of 2024, YouTube is the second most visited webpage in the world. The video-sharing service is an ideal space for marketers to reach a wide audience, and it is one of the best places on the internet to work directly with content creators to expand the reach of your ad campaign. YouTube advertising involves a combination of purchasing pre-roll and mid-roll advertising space and negotiating with content creators to produce branded content (which can include both video content based on your products or regular video content that includes an in-video advertisement for your product or service). YouTube is also an ideal place to post organic video content. Businesses can create videos demonstrating a product or service or create lead-generation content such as free courses or other content demonstrating expertise in a field. To make the most of YouTube, you will need to stay up-to-date on the latest changes to the platform, understand the platform’s powerful search engine, research trends, and create content your target audience will value.

Facebook

Facebook is the third most visited webpage in the world, and the platform has developed a wide range of tools to assist Social Media Marketers in reaching their target audience. Facebook groups and business pages let professional organizations and new businesses quickly build an audience by posting content that will be prioritized in their viewers' feeds. Facebook is a site that encourages direct engagement, and building and posting content to personal and professional pages is a great way to drive traffic to your site. It is also an ideal platform for building a business's online presence before you have gotten around to building a more elaborate webpage. Facebook also has a robust marketplace tool for users hoping to sell their products online before setting up a formal ecommerce storefront.

Instagram

Moving down the list, Instagram is the fifth most visited website in the world. Since its inception, Instagram has focused on visual content. Originally, Instagram allowed users to share photos only, but since then has shifted to prioritizing video content. Understanding how to repackage your video content for posts, Stories, and Reels can allow you to maximize the reach of your content, grow your audience organically, and promote organic brand awareness.

Advertising on Instagram consists of building advertising campaigns that generate online followings and drive engagement toward your business’s account. This will involve creating a strategy for creating content for your own professional Instagram account and a strategy for engaging other accounts and content creators to improve the visibility of your product. For many businesses that aim to centralize Instagram as a platform, this will involve working directly with professional influencers to drive engagement and help get your product in front of a larger audience.

TikTok

While TikTok is currently the 18th most popular webpage in the world, it is still the fastest-growing social media platform, with over 1 billion active users. This makes it a must-use platform for anyone aiming to reach a younger audience, especially Gen Z. Advertising on TikTok is a unique blend of video marketing and direct engagement marketing. To be successful, TikTok marketing campaigns need to create compelling viral content that takes advantage of the platform's unique features such as Duets, Stitches, and Trends. Additionally, campaigns should work directly with TikTok creators to amplify their reach.

Since TikTok is a relatively new platform, the marketing landscape is constantly evolving. Aspiring Social Media Marketers should keep an eye on the platform for new opportunities and trends.

TikTok is all about trends, so it's important to keep up with what's popular. You can use the Discover page to see what's trending and use relevant hashtags in your videos. Your videos should be well-lit, well-edited, and engaging. Use creative effects and transitions to make your videos stand out. Respond to comments and questions, and participate in challenges and trends. You can also use TikTok to collaborate with other creators and to use influencer marketing.

LinkedIn is unique in that it is a professional social media platform, aiming to serve as a networking site. This means that you will have to approach the platform with a different set of eyes since you won’t be attempting to build viral engagement on LinkedIn. Rather, you will be using the platform to connect with other professionals who can help improve the reach of your other marketing campaigns. Learning how to advertise on LinkedIn can also help you poach talent and build a more robust team for your advertising campaigns.

Social Media Marketing Careers

Social media marketing skills are primarily used by Social Media Strategists and Digital Marketers to help businesses advertise their products online. Social Media Strategists tend to have more focused training to help them provide significant and targeted insights on a brand or business's presence and advertising practices on social media. By contrast, a Digital Marketer will tend to have a more robust skill set and will be expected to work with other aspects of online marketing, like SEO and data analytics work. Both kinds of professionals are vital for any business that is aiming to spend a significant amount of its advertising budget and energy on digital advertising.

Some Social Media Strategists may find work as Social Media Managers. Strategists tend to be responsible for the planning and execution of social media campaigns, while managers will also handle the day-to-day operations of a brand or business’s social media accounts. They will deal with everything from planning scheduled tweets to engaging with users and audiences on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. At particularly large companies and firms, they will oversee teams of social media specialists who run a wide range of different accounts. Some managers may also find work running social media accounts for individuals, like influencers or celebrities, who want to use the platforms to create a tailored brand image.

A Content Strategist can also benefit significantly from learning social media marketing. Social media is a powerful platform for content promotion. By learning social media marketing, a Content Strategist can effectively promote and distribute their content to a wider audience. They can leverage various social media channels to share blog posts, videos, infographics, and other content types, increasing visibility and engagement. Social media also provides another effective means of engaging target audiences. Understanding the preferences, behaviors, and interests of their audience can lead to content that resonates better and drives higher engagement. Social media platforms also provide immediate feedback through likes, shares, comments, and other engagement metrics. Content Strategists can use this real-time feedback to analyze which topics, formats, and messaging strategies resonate most with their audience and adjust their content strategy accordingly. Social media is a hub for trending topics and discussions. By monitoring social media trends, Content Strategists can identify relevant themes and incorporate them into their content strategy. Staying updated on trending hashtags and conversations can help content stay timely and appealing to the target audience. Finally, social media marketing platforms offer robust analytics and data insights. Content Strategists can use these tools to measure the performance of their content campaigns, track key metrics, and make data-driven decisions. This helps in refining their content strategy over time.

Understanding social media can significantly benefit a Marketing Manager when delegating social media tasks. By learning social media marketing, a Marketing Manager gains a deeper understanding of social media strategies, best practices, and trends. This knowledge allows them to provide strategic oversight, set clear goals, and ensure that social media activities align with the overall marketing strategy. When a Marketing Manager understands social media terminology and concepts, they can communicate more effectively with their team. This ensures that expectations are clear, and the team is aligned with the manager's vision for social media campaigns. Additionally, a manager who understands social media marketing can better assess the performance of social media campaigns and initiatives. They can analyze key metrics such as engagement rates, conversion rates, and ROI, and make informed decisions to optimize campaigns for better results.

Social media advertising and promotion often require budget allocation. With knowledge of social media marketing, a Marketing Manager can ensure that resources are invested wisely to deliver a positive return on investment. Knowing social media allows a manager to allocate human resources effectively. Social media platforms and algorithms are constantly evolving, so a manager with social media knowledge can lead their team in staying updated on industry trends, adopting new features, and adapting strategies accordingly to maintain a competitive edge. When a Marketing Manager understands social media, they can empower their team by providing guidance, mentorship, and resources. This fosters a collaborative and productive work environment. And by possessing social media expertise, a manager can reduce the reliance on external agencies or consultants, potentially saving the company money on marketing expenses.

Finally, Entrepreneurs and Business Owners have good reason to learn how to market using social media. One of the advantages of social media marketing is that the platforms are free to use, so there isn’t an upfront cost to creating a Facebook page and Instagram account for your business. You also have the ability to set a custom budget, which makes the ROI on smart advertising on these platforms incredibly high, especially relative to other forms of online advertising.

Best Social Media Marketing Classes

Students looking to learn social media marketing skills have a few different kinds of courses available to them. Students can enroll in classes that teach them how to optimize the use of specific social media platforms, a wide collection of different social media platforms, or social media advertising as part of a larger curriculum on digital marketing. The choice will largely come down to what you want to do with your training. Students looking for a career change may want to consider enrolling in a more immersive course, while students hoping to improve their personal marketing efforts may want to target specific social media platforms.

Noble Desktop offers a comprehensive Social Media Marketing Certificate program that combines all the individual social media courses taught by the program. In this program, students will learn how to plan social media marketing campaigns that are attentive to the affordances of individual platforms while maintaining a coherent brand identity throughout the campaign. Students will receive training in all of the major social media platforms, and they will complete a professional portfolio design seminar to help prepare them for the job market. Students looking to pair these social media lessons with training in concepts like SEO, email marketing, and the use of tools like Google Analytics will want to enroll in Noble’s Digital Marketing Certificate program. Both are career-focused programs that prepare students for professional careers in online advertising.

Noble Desktop also offers accelerated training programs for students looking to learn how to optimize their advertising campaigns for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, or streaming services. These courses are ideal for aspiring marketers and entrepreneurs looking to get a firm handle on individual marketing platforms in preparation for small campaigns or further training.

Students interested in a broad overview of social media marketing strategies may consider enrolling in a course like UCLA Extension’s Social Media Marketing seminar. This course will teach students the big picture behind marketing on social media with lessons in integrating social media marketing into a larger marketing strategy, utilizing the specific affordances of various platforms, and predicting future trends in social media behaviors to help plan for future marketing opportunities. This course provides students with a vital overview of social media marketing and is a good choice for students looking to gain important foundational knowledge.

Students looking for accelerated training in specific platforms may want to consider Certstaffix Training and their courses on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram. These courses taught online or at any of Certstaffix Training’s dozens of in-person training centers, will teach students how to optimize their business's social media presence on specific platforms. These courses are an ideal fit for professionals looking for practical training that they can quickly apply to specific advertising projects they are working on.

Students interested in exploring all the options on the table should consult Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool to find and compare in-person and live online social media marketing courses in their area. This tool collects all of the best courses available, including comprehensive social media classes and courses based on individual platforms.

Live Online or In-Person

Students looking for a social media marketing course must decide whether to commute to a training center or learn in an online classroom. In either case, students will be working with live instructors who can provide them with assistance and feedback on their work and guide them through the use of social media platforms. This practical, hands-on training is vital for any student who wants to build professional quality social media marketing campaigns. There are meaningful differences between in-person and live online training, so students should consider these differences when enrolling in a course.

Many students report that they prefer in-person training because of the ability to work face-to-face with their instructors in a space dedicated to helping students learn. Many students benefit from the distraction-free classroom environment and find that collaboration with classmates can enhance their learning experience. The drawback to these classes is that students will only be able to enroll in the courses they can physically attend, limiting their options, particularly if they don’t live near major cities. In addition, accelerated courses, like those that teach a single social media platform, can be rather short so students may find that commuting adds too much time and stress to the process.

An alternative to in-person training is a live online course. These courses are taught in small, digital classrooms over telecommunications programs like Zoom, and they allow students to work with professional instructors without having to leave their homes. This means that students can learn from anywhere (though they should consider time zones when enrolling in a class) rather than being limited to classes they can commute to. The drawback to these courses is that students will need to have more self-control to avoid the distractions around their workspace, and they will need to set up and maintain their own technology (which is often provided at an in-person training center).

Live Social Media Training Near You

Today, no comprehensive marketing strategy can be complete without considering social media. The explosion of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok in recent years has made social media the definitive space to connect with audiences and tell a brand’s story in an engaging manner. As a result, digital marketers interested in truly taking their work to the next level are increasingly fostering expertise in how to tell powerful stories on social media. Along with other digital marketing skills such as SEO and paid search, social media marketing has truly become one of the most important skills a marketing expert can have today.

Social media marketing skills can take place at a variety of levels. On the most basic level, Social Media Managers draft posts, create graphic and video content and engage with audience members in the comments. On a more comprehensive level, however, Digital Marketers also must consider how to leverage various social media networks in a holistic marketing campaign. Doing so requires familiarity with the voice and tools of each social media platform, along with time-tested principles of marketing and connecting with an audience. However, digital marketing professionals able to synthesize this information together are able to create marketing campaigns that truly move audiences.

Social Media Marketing Careers

Demand for digital marketing professionals versed in social media marketing has never been higher. Companies in virtually every industry are looking to connect with customers and audiences via social media, making social media marketing skills one of the most valuable tools a marketing professional can add to their resume.

Part of what makes social media marketing-related careers so exciting is the wide variety of specializations available to professionals with these skills. For instance, according to recent listings on Glassdoor and Indeed, specializing as a Social Media Manager for a brand is one rewarding career path open to professionals with digital marketing skills. In fact, recent job listings indicate that these positions can pay an average of $70,000 per year. In addition, by acquiring other digital marketing skills, professionals can apply to become Digital Strategists or Marketing Managers, who use social media platforms along with other media to create multifaceted campaigns. These positions pay similarly well—as much as $80,000 per year.

In-Person Social Media Marketing Classes

There are a number of ways to learn social media marketing today, ranging from in-person classes to virtual courses. However, which learning path is the best choice for your educational goals? To help learners make this decision, Noble Desktop’s Classes Near You tool allows users to search and compare social media marketing classes available both in-person in their area and live online.

The availability of in-person social media marketing classes, which offer a more traditional classroom-based learning environment, can vary by region. However, some of the largest providers of these classes nationwide include General Assembly and Certstaffix Training; while General Assembly’s classes are usually fully in-person, Certstaffix Training uses a hybrid model that combines remote instruction with in-person access to facilities. Classes offered by these providers include General Assembly’s 12-hour Social Media Bootcamp, as well as Certstaffix Training’s classes on Facebook advertising, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Virtual Social Media Marketing Classes

Aspiring Social Media Strategists should also consider the value that a virtual class can offer them. In addition to offering the same high standard of educational quality that one would typically associate with an in-person class, today’s virtual courses also allow students to complete assignments and attend lessons entirely remotely. As a result, these classes are the perfect choice for students who prioritize a more flexible learning environment than an in-person class may be able to provide.

As a leading provider of in-person and online tech education for over three decades, Noble Desktop offers a wide variety of virtual social media marketing classes suitable for beginners and continuing learners alike. The highlight is Noble Desktop’s long list of social media bootcamps and immersive courses, including the Social Media Marketing Bootcamp, Digital Marketing Bootcamp, LinkedIn & Instagram marketing courses, and Facebook marketing courses. Altogether, these options equip learners with the comprehensive education they need to succeed as Digital Marketers focused on social media.

Noble Desktop’s affiliate companies also offer social media marketing training live online. For example, NYC Career Centers’ social media marketing classes feature a 60-hour Digital Marketing Certificate program, while NYIM Training’s virtual social media marketing classes offer similarly comprehensive options, as well as programming focused on search engine optimization (SEO).

Corporate & Onsite Social Media Marketing Training

In addition to classes for individuals, Noble Desktop offers onsite and virtual corporate training sessions in social media marketing. Businesses of all sizes can take advantage of these trainings, as well as purchase group vouchers for their employees to take Noble Desktop’s social media classes at a major discount. Please contact Noble Desktop to learn more about setting up social media courses for your employees.

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Social Media Marketing Certificate Learn The Skills Guarantee™

Learn More About Social Media Marketing Courses

Why Learn Social Media Marketing?

Organic Vs. Paid Social Media

Major Platforms

YouTube

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

Social Media Marketing Careers

Best Social Media Marketing Classes

Live Online or In-Person

Live Social Media Training Near You

Social Media Marketing Careers

In-Person Social Media Marketing Classes

Virtual Social Media Marketing Classes

Corporate & Onsite Social Media Marketing Training

Social Media Marketing Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

Careers & Salaries Related to Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing
Corporate & Onsite Training