While marketing and advertising have been around as long as people have sold products or services, social media marketing is a relatively modern phenomenon. Early social media sites were mainly for meeting other users online rather than for sales or marketing. However, as companies witnessed the popularity of platforms like MySpace and Facebook, they wanted to harness their reach and power.
Marketing professionals today specialize in everything from social media to SEO, analytics, and other digital strategies. Companies spend over $220 billion annually on social media marketing alone. Read on to learn more about this essential component of an organization’s marketing strategy.
What Can You Do with Social Media Marketing Training?
Tech professionals with social media skills can train for many careers. Many specialize in a specific industry, and their social media skills are part of a broader skill set that includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Ads and Analytics, and traditional marketing. Among the many positions listed in online job postings, beginners may find titles such as:
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Digital Media Manager
- Paid Media Specialist
- Social Media Marketing Specialist
- Social Media Manager
Entry-level social media marketing roles often require many skills and tools. However, a beginner in training can start with several types of projects to build a portfolio to show hiring managers and recruiters. Consider the following examples:
- Create a Content Calendar: Some platforms make it impossible to auto-post, but others allow it. Scheduling pre-made TikTok or Instagram posts is a standard project for social media marketing novices.
- Perform an SEO Audit: Not all social media marketing courses include search engine optimization training, but a broader digital marketing curriculum often does. Platforms like Semrush and Moz offer free trials and will do the audit for you.
- Film a Video: YouTube and TikTok are among the most popular sites for videos, including how-to, reviews, or reactions. Creating a video about a product or service makes an excellent addition to a social media marketing portfolio.
What Will I Learn in a Social Media Marketing Class?
The concepts and skills presented in social media marketing training depend on multiple factors. These include the course length and whether it emphasizes social media marketing or includes it within a broader digital marketing curriculum. The following tools are essential to many training programs:
Marketing Fundamentals
Some social media marketing courses delve into core marketing principles, whereas others assume that students already know them. Consider whether you need to learn marketing basics before enrolling in a social media marketing training program.
Developing Strategies
Social media marketing campaigns are built on strategies. Learning to develop effective social media strategies should be a core component of any social media bootcamp or certificate program. Shorter workshops or seminars may focus on platforms rather than overall tactics.
Trend Analysis
Analyzing trends is another essential component of social media marketing. Social media analytics tools can help marketers spot trends like which platforms are gaining or losing users, what content engages audiences most, and who is becoming an influencer in a particular digital space.
Blogging
Among the oldest social media marketing methods, blogging involves creating long-form content to link from a platform or post on a company website. While not directly tied to social media, blog posts can be another tool in an overall digital marketing strategy.
Portfolio Creation
Creating a social media marketing portfolio, website, or webpage is essential for anyone who wants to work in the field. Popular platforms like Hootsuite, Etsy, and Visme offer free social media portfolio templates.
How Hard is It to Learn Social Media Marketing?
Most people who own a smartphone or other device have at least one social media account if not many. New social media marketers may have experience with multiple platforms, but familiarity with a platform is not the same as using it for professional purposes. Consider enrolling in a bootcamp or certificate program that features social media marketing or includes it within a broader digital marketing curriculum.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Social Media Marketing?
Many people find the most challenging part of learning social media marketing is differentiating between how to manage business versus personal accounts. Anyone used to posting photos and videos can quickly learn social media marketing. However, those with little to no experience must learn marketing principles, and many social media marketing beginners must also learn one or more additional platforms to qualify for entry-level positions.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Social Media Marketing?
Finding a career in social media marketing requires skills and knowledge in both social media platforms and marketing principles. Many social media marketers have four-year college degrees, but not all entry-level roles require a degree. Depending on a beginner’s ambitions and aptitude, they can learn social media in a shorter timeframe than needed for a college education. Social media marketing training varies in length, but students who enroll in full-time certificate programs can start as beginners and qualify for entry-level positions in a few months or weeks.
Should I Learn Social Media Marketing in Person or Online?
Learning online via teleconferencing is an increasingly popular option, but many social media marketing beginners still prefer to train in the traditional classroom. Consider the following options when evaluating social media marketing courses.
- In-Person: Face-to-face training remains popular for many beginners, especially for complex software tools that require hands-on experience, like Canva, Social Sprout, or Hootsuite. In-person learning offers the highest possible level of engagement, and the only potential disadvantage is the need to commute and find parking.
- Live Online: Virtual training by teleconferencing provides engagement slightly lower than in-person coursework, but you can learn from the comfort of your home or office. An additional advantage is that there are many more online options than in-person. Many younger students today prefer it over all other methods.
- On-Demand/Asynchronous: Learning on-demand, also known as asynchronous learning, is another training option. Pre-recorded videos can be helpful for people who work non-traditional schedules like the second or third shift. However, this method offers lower engagement than in-person or live online, with little or no interaction with instructors or other participants.
Can I Learn Social Media Marketing Free Online?
In a word, yes. You can learn basic social media marketing concepts and skills for free online. However, professional skill development is not free. Online platforms like Noble Desktop’s YouTube channel and Learn Hub provide helpful advice and information, but these resources are to help beginners get oriented before training. Consider enrolling in a social media marketing bootcamp or certificate program for the best results.
What Should I Learn Alongside Social Media Marketing?
Many essential social media marketing tools and skills are included in immersive bootcamps and certificate programs. However, some skills will already be in place for a percentage of beginners, while others will not. Check job postings for the position you want to know standard requirements. Social media marketers typically learn:
- Adobe Creative Cloud programs like Illustrator and Photoshop
- Analytics tools like Sprout Social or Buffer
- Customer relationship management (CRM) systems like HubSpot or Salesforce CRM
- Content management systems (CMs) like Wix or WordPress
Industries That Use Social Media Marketing
Every industry and sector requires social media marketing, from private companies to public organizations. Connecticut is no exception. With its proximity to New York City and Boston, the Constitution State is ideal for social media marketers who live in the suburbs but work in the city. Major metropolitan areas include Hartford and New Haven, but the affluent Gold Coast includes Fairfield and Greenwich. Top industries here include:
Aerospace & Defense
Connecticut is a small enough state that nearly every resident has heard of the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton. The aerospace and defense industry here also includes companies like Sikorsky Aircraft, Collins Aerospace, and Ensign-Bickford, to name a few. Social media marketing in the industry focuses on growing an audience and increasing engagement.
Advanced Manufacturing
Manufacturing has been a staple industry in Connecticut since the era of Samuel Colt and Colt firearms. Today’s advanced manufacturing companies in CT include Pratt & Whitney, Medtronic, and Rockwell Collins. Many manufacturers can also fit into the aerospace category.
Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)
With its international reputation as the Insurance Capital of the World, Hartford has historically boasted multiple large ensurers. This essential sector is a subset of the banking, financial services, and insurance industry (BFSI). Corporate headquarters in Connecticut include Aetna, Cigna, and The Hartford, to name a few. Marketing of all types, including social media, is commonplace in this once-stodgy sector.
Educational Services, Healthcare & Social Assistance
Consistently ranked in the top three U.S. public school systems, Connecticut is proud of its educational services, healthcare, and social assistance sector. This essential sector requires social media marketing on websites and apps, particularly the healthcare subsector.
Social Media Marketing Job Titles and Salaries
Nearly every industry in today’s job market requires social media marketers, and many of these skilled tech pros earn competitive salaries. Check out the following positions and their average salaries in Connecticut, as reported on Indeed or Glassdoor.
Social Media Strategist
A Social Media Strategist role is the most common goal among social media marketing job seekers. This position usually requires expertise in multiple platforms, and many Social Media Strategists also perform SEO, analytics, and other essentials. In Connecticut, their average salary is around $49,000 annually.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers also occupy crucial roles in virtually every industry and sector. While their annual base pay averages about $71,000 in Connecticut, Senior Marketing Managers can make significantly higher salaries.
Marketing Analyst
Marketing Analysts work in varying roles, many with social media platform responsibilities. These range from analyzing specific platforms to finding audiences and creating engagement strategies. Connecticut Marketing Analysts can anticipate earning an average of around $82,000 per year in base salary.
Digital Strategist
Digital Strategists are among the best-paid digital marketing pros in many areas, and Connecticut is no exception. Their responsibilities can include social media, SEO, and content creation, to name a few. They can expect to earn an average annual salary of about $106,000 here.
Social Media Marketing Classes Near Me
Noble Desktop: Digital and social media marketing novices can start their education with individual courses, bootcamps, or certificate programs from Noble Desktop. Their Social Media Marketing Certificate program includes training in essential platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Noble also offers a Digital Marketing Certificate that covers Google Ads and Analytics and search engine optimization (SEO) training.
Computer Training Source, Inc.: Another respected provider, Computer Training Source, offers a Social Media Introduction over two six-hour sessions. This beginner-friendly workshop covers viral marketing techniques, mobile optimization, and other topics relevant to social media marketers. Check listings for more details.
BrainStation: The Social Media Marketing Course from BrainStation is a live online program open to beginners. Classes run evenings for 24 hours, covering essential subjects like choosing the right platforms, social content strategy, and the customer journey as students build a professional-level portfolio.
American Management Association: The Social Media Trends for 2025 course from the American Management Association is another live online program open to beginners. This two-hour seminar covers emerging content themes and how to leverage them. Check course listings for prerequisite information.
Social Media Marketing Corporate Training
Would your employees benefit from expanding their social media marketing skills? Noble Desktop offers tailored corporate and on-site social media training, providing businesses with flexible solutions to enhance their financial management skills. Their expert instructors can conduct on-site training sessions, ensuring your team learns social media marketing in a personalized, convenient environment.
If you want your team to have more flexibility with their social media training, Noble Desktop offers discounted vouchers for its open-enrollment courses. Employers get a discount when they purchase vouchers in bulk. Featured courses include:
For more information and a free consultation, contact Noble Desktop today.