Upskilling in social media for business marketing

Today, more business is done online than ever before, with potential customers from all over the world, scattered across the internet. Social media has changed the way we live, from the way we get our news to the way we interact. 

According to Harvard Business Review, companies of all sizes today are looking to improve the effectiveness of their marketing because digital platforms are constantly innovating the way brands are discovered, shared, and experienced.

Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can provide you with the tools to practice effective online communication, by interacting with your customers quicker and sharing information in real-time.

Other ways the use of these platforms can benefit your business include: the ability to attract customers, obtain customer feedback, conduct market research, increase revenue by building customer networks, advertising, brand developments, monitor traffic, and observe competitors.

According to Statista, 50% of the world’s population uses social media – over 3  billion users worldwide spend some 136 minutes a day surfing social networks. In order to utilise these platforms to grow your business, you will have to know-how. Upskilling can help you better understand how every social network can be leveraged for business use.

Through upskilling in social media, you will be able to master the concepts and skills that go into successfully marketing your business. Knowledge is key in areas such as branding, public affairs, marketing communications, community engagement, and personal branding.

Here are some courses to help you gain the skills to grow your business through social media: 

Social Media Marketing Specialization

This free course is offered by Northwestern University via Coursera. This seven-month course was created in 2014 and is updated every quarter to ensure that learners are provided with up-to-date training. 

The Social Media Marketing Specialization is designed to achieve two objectives, to provide social analytics tools, and to train those interested in becoming influential on social media.

This course will also give you the knowledge and resources to build a complete marketing strategy, from consumer insights to final justification metrics.

Introduction to Personal Branding

This six-hour course is offered by the University of Virginia for free via Coursera. Through this course, learners will be able to understand the meaning of personal branding and inhabiting a brand. 

Upon completion learners can expect to gain the skills in establishing themselves on social media, creating a mission statement, familiarity with the basics of digital security, reputation management, and developing a system for on-going brand management. 

Writing for Social Media

This four-week course is offered by the University of California, Berkeley, on edX. This free course focuses on effective writing practices for a social media environment. Upon completion, learners will understand how to structure and write content that will deliver messaging and engage audiences. 

Topics include audience assessment, content customisation for specific audiences, delivery methods, the utilisation of effective online writing strategies, and effective communication in an online environment.

Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content

This free course takes just approximately four-hours to complete and is offered by The Wharton School via Coursera. Learners will gain insight on how to make ideas stick, how to increase influence, how to generate more word of mouth, and how to use the power of social networks to spread information and influence. 

Professor Jonah Berger applies principles from his best-selling book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”, illustrating successful strategies when using buzz to create virality so that campaigns become more shareable on online platforms and everywhere else.

Facebook Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate

This four-month course is offered for free on Coursera, and made available by Facebook. The course was designed to help learners launch careers in social media, and build job-ready skills and credentials without any prior experience required. 

Through this certification, participants will be able to: create and analyse an effective advertising campaign for target audiences; create a creative brief that includes the assets for paid ads; create, edit and troubleshoot ads in Facebook Ads Manager; and establish and manage a social media presence.