Social media marketing began soon after the advent of social media platforms. While the first social media site functioned primarily as a way to meet other online users, the popularity of Facebook among consumers led to the development of mass marketing campaigns on social sites.
In the two-plus decades since, differing platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter (now X) grew the reach and power of Social Media Marketing. Marketing professionals of every type enthusiastically embraced the technology, and experts predict a $220 billion social media marketing ad spend for 2024 alone. Read on to learn more about this essential marketing strategy.
What Can You Do with Social Media Marketing Training?
Social media marketing training varies, from TikTok and YouTube videos to blogs and LinkedIn posts. Video marketing represents an increasingly large percentage of social marketing, whether paid or unpaid advertising. People with social media skills can train for many careers, including titles like:
- Content Marketing Coordinator
- Digital Marketer
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Digital Media Manager
- Paid Media Specialist
- Social Media Coordinator
- Social Media Marketer
- Social Media Marketing Specialist
- Social Media Manager
Some industries and sectors require much more social media than others. Consider the following projects a beginner-level social media marketing professional can do:
- Automate Platform Posts: Although some platforms make it impossible to auto-post, others allow it. Scheduling Instagram or Facebook posts can be a good project for new social media marketers.
- Create a How-To YouTube Video: Many people watch YouTube videos to learn how to do household repairs or tasks they have never attempted. A how-to YouTube video can market a plumbing, painting, or handyman business.
- Launch a New Account: Creating a new social media account and gaining followers organically can help social media marketing beginners learn more about organic search.
What Will I Learn in a Social Media Marketing Class?
Social media marketing courses range from 1-day workshops to certificate programs that run for weeks or months. Although technical skills are essential, soft skills like communication and collaboration can be as important as tech proficiency. Check out some of the skills and tools you can learn in social or digital media marketing classes:
Create Campaigns
Creating, monitoring, and analyzing social media campaigns can make up a high percentage of a marketing role, whether as a Social Media Specialist or Content Creator. Many social media marketing courses teach how to create campaigns targeted to engage and build an audience.
Analyzing Trends
Trend analysis is essential to social media marketing. You’ll need to learn how to measure everything from follower growth to engagement rates, and a bootcamp or certificate usually provides platform-specific tools for analyzing trends.
Google/YouTube Analytics
Like Google Analytics, YouTube Studio provides an analytics tool to measure metrics like audience engagement and demographic information. You can also use their Audio Library to add sound files to videos you create.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more likely to be part of a broader digital marketing education than one focused solely on social media. However, SEO optimization is essential for social accounts as well as websites. Consider learning basic SEO principles if you plan to work in Social Media Marketing.
Creativity
Most people consider creativity an innate gift rather than a skill to develop and improve. On the contrary, everyone has creative abilities that often go untapped. Creativity is crucial for many tech roles, but perhaps none more than that of social media marketing.
How Hard is It to Learn Social Media Marketing?
Learning social media marketing is not difficult, but many beginners entering the field underestimate its complexity. Getting familiar with a skill and becoming an expert are two different things. Although familiarity with social media platforms can help, a deep understanding of marketing principles and concepts is even more valuable. Take Social Media Marketing training with an open mind and the willingness to learn multiple approaches, skills, and tools.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Social Media Marketing?
Not all students find the same aspects of social media marketing challenging. For example, someone with marketing expertise may need to learn how to leverage social media platforms to meet their goals. On the other hand, another student will come to digital marketing with personal social media experience but little to no knowledge of marketing principles. For the best results, consider a Social Media Marketing bootcamp or certificate program, as this training method features lessons that expand on previous training modules.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Social Media Marketing?
The time required to learn social media marketing fundamentals depends on several factors. Learning to experiment with Social Media Marketing is not the same as mastering it for a career. Second, beginners may need to learn or unlearn how to think about social media to build a loyal audience, branding, and other marketing concerns. Finally, a short workshop or seminar can provide basic concepts and principles, but a longer course like a bootcamp or certificate program will deliver more tools and skills. Consider this approach to get the best results in the shortest time frame.
Should I Learn Social Media Marketing in Person or Online?
Whether a beginner learns social media marketing in-person or online depends on personal preference, availability, and whether a course provider offers one or both training methods. More important is the type of training if the novice chooses online training. Consider the following training types and their potential advantages and disadvantages:
- In-Person: Learning in the traditional classroom setting offers the highest possible level of engagement. Many prefer face-to-face training, though the number of live online courses continues to increase yearly. If in-person training has a drawback, it's the need to commute to another location—a worthwhile effort for most new social media marketing students.
- Live Online: Virtual training is more popular than ever, and many providers went exclusively online during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some students prefer training live online, a method that offers only marginally lower engagement levels than in-person training. There may be more live online classes than any other type.
- Asynchronous: Asynchronous or on-demand learning refers to a training method where students access materials at their convenience. This method typically includes pre-recorded videos, although some providers offer supplemental materials or student chat groups. The main drawback is its low engagement level.
Can I Learn Social Media Marketing Free Online?
Many social media marketing beginners start with online resources like the Noble Desktop YouTube channel. However, professional marketing training does not come for free. Online resources provide limited information and skills testing. For the in-depth training that builds the skills required for a successful social media marketing career, consider a bootcamp or certificate program.
What Should I Learn Alongside Social Media Marketing?
What you learn alongside social media marketing depends on your career goals, availability, and current skills. Many entry-level marketing roles require creativity, strategic thinking, and technical proficiency. You might need expertise with Adobe Creative Cloud applications like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, or Illustrator. Other potential requirements include analytics tools like Sprout Social, customer relationship management (CRM) systems like HubSpot, and content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
Industries That Use Social Media Marketing
The Garden State boasts multiple thriving industries, and every sector needs social media marketing expertise. With its proximity to New York City, high quality of life, and a focus on maintaining a healthy environment, New Jersey is an excellent place to live and work. Consider the following industries for social media marketing roles here:
Business, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)
The BFSI sector includes FinTech companies, banks, and major ensurers. New Jersey data centers house New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) data processing and operations, and many Wall Street pros commute to NYC from Hoboken, Newark, and other NJ cities. BFSI organizations that use paid social media marketing campaigns realize higher organic web traffic performance than their peers who do not.
Clean Energy
New Jersey is famously green, with plans for 100% electric vehicles over the next decade and energy subsectors like wind and solar leading the clean energy sector. Environmentally aware organizations must increasingly rely on social media marketing as they grow their customer base.
Life Sciences & Biotech
Life sciences is a complex industry comprising subsectors like biotechnology, medical devices, and the pharmaceutical sector. In New Jersey, this massive industry primarily consists of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. According to Forma Life Science Marketing, only 20% of clinical research companies have an active social media presence. That means plenty of opportunity for future growth for those who want to become trusted resources.
Technology
Social media marketing is essential for every tech firm, from big data to telecommunications. Top tech companies in New Jersey include ADP and Cognizant, while Amazon and Oracle also have a significant presence here.
Social Media Marketing Job Titles and Salaries
With its proximity to New York City and reputation for higher education, New Jersey attracts many social media marketing professionals. Industries requiring social expertise here range from transportation and logistics to advanced manufacturing. If you already possess industry-specific knowledge and experience, you might want to make a lateral move in your current sector. Otherwise, consider the following job descriptions and their average salaries in New Jersey.
Digital Strategist
Digital Strategists use social media marketing as part of comprehensive growth plans alongside SEO, research, and data analysis. A New Jersey Digital Strategist can expect to earn a base average annual salary of around $96,000.
Marketing Analyst
Like Digital Strategists, New Jersey-area Marketing Analysts can anticipate earning an average annual salary of about $96,000. These skilled pros gather and analyze data to help an organization launch successful marketing campaigns—social media or otherwise.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers in New Jersey work in nearly every industry and sector. While their annual base salary averages around $78,000, Senior Marketing Managers make substantially more, often over six figures.
Social Media Strategist
Social Media Strategists are among the most popular entry-level jobs for those in the field. Their average annual base salary is about $69,000 in New Jersey. Comparable titles include Digital Application Strategist, Media Strategist, and Social Media Coordinator.
Social Media Marketing Classes Near Me
Noble Desktop offers individual classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs for digital and social media marketing novices. Their Social Media Marketing Certificate covers essential platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Check out their Digital Marketing Certificate program for additional SEO, Google Ads, and Google Analytics training.
Certstaffix Training provides virtual live social media marketing training with optional use of the school’s computer labs for those who need it. Their Instagram For Business class is a one-day workshop open to beginners and includes lessons on branding, engagement, and sales, to name a few.
BrainStation also offers a Social Media Marketing Certificate program for beginners in the evening. The 21-hour curriculum includes social media marketing concepts and strategies, influencer marketing, and paid advertising, among other subjects.
New Jersey-area high school students considering social media marketing careers can benefit from Noble Desktop's NextGen Social Media Marketing Summer Program. This immersive course covers Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. If sessions are currently full, you can contact Noble to be waitlisted.
Another option for New Jersey social media marketing learners is the Social Media Introduction course from Computer Training, Inc. This six-hour workshop covers LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (X) and is open to students ages 18 and older.
Social Media Marketing Corporate Training
Corporate and onsite social media marketing training is a no-brainer for busy professionals and company managers. Noble Desktop offers in-person and online options and can tailor a program to your needs and preferences.
Featured platforms include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, to name a few. Additional digital marketing topics include SEO, Google Ads & Analytics, and email marketing.
Want your team to have more flexibility with their development training? Noble offers discounted vouchers for its open-enrollment courses. Employers get a discount when they purchase the vouchers in bulk. Contact Noble Desktop for more information and a free consultation.