Build your social media marketing expertise through strategy-driven courses. You’ll learn to plan, execute, and analyze campaigns that engage audiences authentically.
Boost your social media marketing skills and stay on top of trends with our certificate program. Learn to create effective strategies on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter) to grow your online following and stand out in the marketplace.
Learn the digital marketing tools and strategies needed to succeed online, including SEO, social media marketing, paid search, and analytics tracking. Gain essential skills to promote a business and increase ROI in today’s competitive markets from top digital marketing experts.
Discover how to create and manage effective Facebook ad campaigns. Learn about business pages, Facebook groups, targeted ads, review conversion tracking, audience targeting, and Facebook Pixel. Explore the Facebook algorithm, Meta Business Manager, content and interactions, Shopify integration, Meta Ads Manager, and more in this comprehensive workshop.
Learn how to develop a paid and organic marketing strategy for Instagram, including creating engaging content, mastering Stories, leveraging hashtags, capturing content, developing a community, creating a post cadence and collaborations. Also, discover how to create a business page, use paid advertising, and integrate Shopify with Instagram.
Learn how to market your business on LinkedIn by optimizing your profile, using search features, and implementing paid advertising. This workshop covers the benefits of LinkedIn, how to leverage a personal profile, creating a company page, and measuring marketing success.
In this hands-on training workshop, learn how to effectively use YouTube for social media marketing and develop a successful business content strategy. This workshop covers all aspects of video-based social media marketing, from creating a channel and editing content to monetization and using Shopify with YouTube.
Discover the fundamentals of text-based social media marketing on platforms such as X (Twitter) and blogging. Gain insights into current trends and develop a strategic approach to marketing written content, including techniques for audience engagement and cross-platform blogging.
Learn how to use TikTok for video-based marketing campaigns and create attention-grabbing content that drives sales and builds your following. This accelerated workshop explores the commercial side of TikTok and helps students develop a marketing strategy that works for them.
Learn how to incorporate AI in your marketing strategy with this in-depth course. Explore how to use AI-driven tools to help your SEO, SEM, social media marketing, analytics tracking, paid advertising, and more.
Social media marketing, also known as digital marketing, entails working with social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube to promote products and ideas, build and engage an online community, connect with new and existing customers, and increase website traffic and sales. In addition to helping companies attract new customers, social media marketing is also a powerful tool that helps brands better connect with their existing customers. Social Media Marketers use data analytics to determine how effective their marketing strategies and campaigns are so they can continue to devise new ways to engage with audience members.
When Facebook and MySpace launched two decades ago, social media and social media marketing rapidly expanded to meet this new demand. Soon after these platforms launched, YouTube and X (formerly known as Twitter) were released, which resulted in even more growth. In the years since, Instagram, TikTok, and other new social media platforms have been released, and the existing platforms have continued to be updated with new features. People from around the globe turn to social media to learn about new services or products, share their sentiments with others, and connect with family and friends around the globe. Today, nearly 60% of the world’s population (4.76 billion people) use social media. More organizations than ever have an online presence, contributing to the growth of social media marketing as an in-demand profession across industries.
Social media marketing training is a valued skill set because it can help a brand connect with a potentially vast audience and share important information pertaining to its service, product, or message. Because there’s no cost associated with starting a social media account and many digital marketing tools are available for free, those with social media marketing training can see significant results in their efforts without spending a cent. Organizations that value social media marketing seek out new and innovative ways to digitally connect with audience members, techniques that were not possible in the past. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is one such technique that allows existing customers to post impressions and recommendations, sharing them with prospective buyers. This is a trackable effect that can improve revenue and online sales rates for organizations.
Social media marketing skills aren’t just useful in the professional setting; they also have a range of applications for non-professionals interested in learning how to more effectively use social media to share content on their interests or hobbies. Individuals from all backgrounds who have one or more social media accounts can learn techniques to more effectively engage with audience members using comments and replies, as well as live story or video features. This can help everyday social media users use social media as a conversation starter to spread the word about their ideas or brands. This is a viable process for anyone, as it doesn’t require expensive tools or complex marketing strategies.
Enrolling in a social media marketing class in Virginia is an excellent way to acquire hands-on training in this in-demand skill set. However, you may not be sure what to expect from your training. While all programs differ pertaining to their content, difficulty level, and program length, most classes provide students with training on several core social media marketing skills. Read on to find out more about topics like how to create and evaluate social media campaigns, drive sales, and persuade customers to purchase products or services.
Social media campaigns are marketing initiatives organizations employ on one or multiple social media platforms to promote their products, services, or brands. Classes in Virginia help students learn how to create their own campaigns that feature customized marketing strategies for specific platforms such as Instagram or YouTube. Those who attend programs learn how to create and maintain campaigns that are consistent across channels, impart the organization’s mission, drive engagement, and incorporate paid and organic methods to increase audience interaction.
Students of social media marketing will learn how to track various metrics to determine how successful their social media campaign was. Metrics include customer shares, likes, comments, clicks, conversions, impressions, referrals, and unique post views. Metrics also help Social Media Marketers determine how quickly their organization addresses customers’ queries or needs. All organizations need to decide which metrics are the most helpful to track. This will depend on its professional goals.
In social media marketing classes, participants study how to increase sales by boosting audience engagement. This process entails creating pointed content designed to engage audience members’ attention and entice them to make future sales. Effective marketing content often combines visual and written elements to convey clear messages. It also reflects social media trends.
One essential component of creating effective online marketing content is persuading audience members to make a purchase. Coursework prepares students to employ various techniques for persuasion intended to reinforce their organization’s mission while satisfying their professional goals. These techniques include researching how audience members express their needs and wants through posts, creating visual and written content that will grab their attention, and leaving them with sentiments that will make them excited to make a purchase.
No two learners are the same in terms of the difficulty they’ll experience when studying social media marketing. The learner’s personality is one determinant of how easy or challenging learning will be. Those who have a personality type that grows passionate about projects, is good at multitasking, and is comfortable managing marketing data and creating content will likely find social media marketing a natural fit. Some of the most common challenges students face during this learning process involve having to quickly process large amounts of new information, reading and retaining what they’re studying, and setting aside sufficient time to practice their skills. Those hoping to learn social media marketing skills for personal rather than professional use will generally find the process much faster and easier.
One of the most common challenges learners face when studying social media marketing is how to analyze their target audience. This entails honing in on a specific demographic on one or multiple social media channels, studying their needs, and designing customized content that targets them. Since social media platforms continue to evolve and change, some learners may find it challenging to keep up with the latest trends, algorithms, and features. Others may find it difficult to consistently create high-quality content that conveys a uniform brand voice and image. Finally, some students may encounter difficulty using data analytics dashboards to optimize online campaigns.
For most learners, the timeframe for learning social media marketing will depend largely on the type of training they choose. Students who already have experience with social media and regularly use different platforms will find the learning process easier and faster than those who are new to social media and marketing. Most individuals will find that it takes an average of three to six months to learn the basics of social media marketing. One of the best ways to get started is by creating a website and a few social media accounts. Enrolling in a live bootcamp or certificate program in Virginia can be an effective way to receive hands-on training in a small class environment and expedite the learning process to two to four months.
The decision to study social media marketing online or in-person is a choice all learners need to make. Each type of training has its unique advantages and drawbacks to weigh.
Most students will find that in-person training in Virginia is the most interactive and effective way to fully master this skill set. Participants attend sessions at a computer lab that has the most up-to-date tools and software readily available. Lessons are led by an expert instructor who has industry experience creating compelling social media marketing content. Participants not only benefit from small-class, hands-on training but also from the support they receive from other students who are on a similar learning journey. In-person coursework requires learners to attend meetings at training facilities in Virginia. Those interested in this type of study, therefore, must have access to a reliable form of transportation and live relatively close to a computer lab.
Those interested in live study but who don’t want to leave home for training can opt for live online social media marketing classes instead. Participants complete all their training remotely using Zoom or a similar real-time teleconferencing platform. This type of study allows students to ask questions in real-time and share their screen with the instructor (with permission) for more individualized assistance. Instead of having to waste time and money commuting to and from class, students can complete their training from the comfort of their own space. Since live social media marketing classes are taught in real-time, learners interested in studying through this type of coursework must be able to attend meetings once or more a week. For this reason, live online classes can pose challenges for some individuals to attend such as those who work full-time or have busy personal lives.
Another way some learners approach studying social media marketing is through on-demand content. While live online and in-person classes take place in real-time, on-demand training is pre-recorded and placed online. Each student can access lessons as their schedule permits and decide how much time to spend on their studies. This flexible study format gives students the power to dictate their own learning pace, pausing and rewinding when necessary. In terms of cost, self-paced training options are usually more cost-effective than live study since they are asynchronous. It’s important for students to keep in mind that on-demand classes won’t provide them with access to an instructor. Those learning social media marketing for professional purposes or who are new to this skill set may find this type of training challenging for this reason.
Do you want to learn social media marketing but aren’t ready to invest hundreds of dollars (or more) in training? If so, free online resources can be a great place to start:
Free online social media marketing content is a good starting point for learning this in-demand field. Learners can gain an overview of popular platforms and current best practices, as well as find answers to specific questions. However, if you’re studying social media marketing for professional purposes such as for a new career path or work-related project, you will likely need more structured, live instruction at some point to truly master this field.
If you’re looking to learn social media marketing, you may wonder what skills or tools you can study alongside this topic to make you a more well-rounded employee or job applicant. Once you acquire a solid understanding of basic social media marketing concepts, you may want to study data analytics tools. You can explore how to use Sprout Social, Google Analytics, Buffer, Zoho Social, or Hootsuite. These are useful tools for tracking follower growth, brand mentions, engagement, or impressions. They also can help you create reports based on social media findings or trends and analyze how effective your paid campaigns are on different social media channels.
Virginia residents who want to apply their social media marketing training can do so in one of the area’s core industries. Keep reading to find out about the role social media marketing plays in prominent Virginia sectors like service, agriculture, and nonprofits.
Virginia’s largest industry is the service sector. Two-thirds of the state’s GDP comes from this industry. The service sector includes retail and wholesale trade, professional services, social and health services, and the public sector. In 2021,77% of those employed in Virginia worked in this sector. Those employed in the Virginia service sector rely on social media marketing to highlight the quality of their services or goods, build brand awareness, gain the attention of new customers, drive leads, and interact with existing clients.
Another prominent Virginia sector is agriculture. This sector is the state’s largest private industry and creates an economic impact of more than $105 billion. The biggest sources of local income from production include livestock and dairy. Within the agriculture sector, social media marketing is a useful skill set because it can help farmers directly connect with customers. It’s also a great way for those in agriculture to advertise their products, tell stories about life on the farm, make connections with potential customers, and provide the public with education on nutrition and food sourcing.
Virginia has more than 54,000 registered nonprofits. These organizations generate $99 billion in revenue and employ nearly 500,000 residents. In the state, health-related nonprofits generate 41% of the revenue but only account for one-quarter of the number of established nonprofits. Those who work in the Virginia nonprofit sector rely on social media marketing to share information about their organization's goals, mission, and values. It’s also a useful tool for attracting new donors, promoting fundraisers, and sharing content with a potentially huge audience.
If you are a Virginia resident interested in using your social media marketing training, you can apply your skills to many exciting career paths. The following sections will take a closer look at professional roles like Social Media Manager, Brand Manager, and Digital Manager, as well as the core job requirements and pay rates for each position.
Social Media Managers work with their organization to create, mold, and maintain their brand through its online presence. They devise and apply a range of strategies intended to reinforce their organization’s goals and values while at the same time generating new leads and online followers. On a daily basis, Social Media Managers work to drive website traffic, promote brand loyalty, and engage new and existing audience members through targeted content. The average salary in Virginia for a Social Media Manager is $58,000-$68,000 yearly.
In Virginia, Brand Managers are involved with helping a brand perform better online. These professionals apply marketing strategies designed to improve online performance and clearly communicate messages to audience members who inform them about the brand’s values and mission. Brand management is a public relations job; Brand Managers often work on a team alongside those from advertising, sales, or marketing departments. The average yearly salary for a Virginia-based Brand Manager is $126,000-$136,000.
Digital Manager
Digital Marketers in Virginia promote their organization’s products or services using methods like online advertising, email, search engines, and social media. These professionals use data analytics and digital marketing tools to pinpoint a target audience likely to purchase their product and evaluate the effectiveness of their campaign efforts to reach them. Digital Marketers who work in Virginia can expect to earn about $61,000-$71,000 annually.
Aspiring Social Media Marketers can search for social media marketing classes in Virginia using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.
Noble Desktop offers comprehensive live online training in its Social Media Marketing Certificate. This hands-on program is open to learners at all levels and provides instruction on how to apply targeted marketing strategies to social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Participants create custom campaigns and devise marketing strategies in line with their organization’s mission and goals. They incorporate organic and paid marketing strategies to increase audience engagement. Coursework covers how to create effective content that combines written and verbal elements and will drive sales and increase audience engagement. By course completion, students will graduate with an understanding of different analytics tools and how to evaluate campaign performance using metrics like follower growth and engagement rates. This certificate includes four 1-on-1 mentoring sessions.
If you want to focus your training efforts on a specific social media platform, you can do so in Noble’s LinkedIn Marketing Bootcamp. This beginner-friendly class is intended for those hoping to learn strategies to apply to business-related social media platforms like Shopify and LinkedIn. Bootcamp participants explore different platforms to decide which most suits their business. Instruction is provided on how to create pointed, business-based content for target audiences. By course completion, participants will be able to work with LinkedIn’s marketing features and use Spotify to promote their brand. All Noble courses include a free retake option for up to a year.
In General Assembly’s Digital Marketing Short Course, participants learn how to apply modern marketing strategies for professional purposes. This beginner-friendly program includes training on using customer insights and data to power multichannel campaign growth. It is available in-person in Washington, D.C., and live online.
In BrainStation’s Social Media Marketing Certificate, participants explore how to get the most out of their efforts on different data-driven digital marketing platforms. This introductory-level program prepares students to create strategies that can be applied to various social media platforms. By the end of this certificate, students will have the skills necessary to create their own social media campaigns. This class is available live online.
Certstaffix Training has an Instagram for Business course for those who want to explore how to create effective marketing campaigns for use on Instagram. Professionals like Marketers and Entrepreneurs receive instruction on how Instagram can be used to increase sales numbers. Students plan and execute campaigns, study how to build an Instagram following, and work with direct response marketing. This class is taught live online; students can complete their training remotely or use the computer lab that’s available in Fairfax.
Are you an employer in Virginia who wants to help their employees learn social media marketing? If so, Noble Desktop can help. Noble has corporate and onsite social media marketing training options for those who are new to this field, as well as those who have prior experience with marketing initiatives on one or more social media channels. Noble can provide training onsite at your workplace or conduct sessions remotely using a live teleconferencing platform like Zoom. You can choose to enroll some or all of your employees in training options that prepare them to create marketing content for use on specific social media platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, or select coursework that’s broader in scope and covers multi-platform marketing.
Employers who want to sign up multiple employees for classes can purchase bulk vouchers at a discounted price for Noble’s regular enrollment classes. Noble can also customize the training it provides to ensure all employees can maximize their time and efforts and that the content being taught is applicable to their professional needs.
Do you want to find out more about the exciting corporate social media marketing training options available in Virginia? If so, feel free to contact Noble today.