For social media managers, staying on top of the latest trends and best practices is an important part of the job.
Luckily, there are tons of budget-friendly (and even free!) social media courses that will help level-up your skills and boost that online portfolio.
Whether you’re new to the industry or a total pro, we’re sharing 7 courses every social media manager should take in 2021:
7 Social Media Courses for Marketers
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Elise Darma’s “How to Get Your First 1,000 Instagram Followers”
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Google Analytics’ “Academy for Beginners”
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Facebook BluePrint’s “Improve Your Creative Strategy”
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Gretta van Riel’s “Influencer Marketing: Zero to Hero”
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SuperHi’s “Instagram Filters + Spark AR”
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Puno’s “How to Create an Instagram Content Plan”
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Sonja Rasula’s “Start Your Creative Career”
#1: Elise Darma’s “How to Get Your First 1,000 Instagram Followers”
Starting a new Instagram account for your business? Hit a lull in engagement or followers? Want a quick refresh for a spark of inspiration?
Check out Elise Darma‘s workshop: “How to Get Your First 1,000 Instagram Followers”
While it’s true that growing a new Instagram account is more challenging than ever (there are now over 1 billion accounts on the platform), Elise’s workshop focuses on setting your Instagram account up for long-term success.
It’s full of detailed advice that covers everything from branding to engagement hacks — without any sketchy “get followers quick” schemes.
With Elise in your corner, you’ll be growing an authentic community in no time.
Cost: Free!
Want to grow on Instagram? Sign up to take Elise’s free “How to Get Your First 1,000 Instagram Followers” workshop below:
#2: Google Analytics’ “Academy for Beginners”
The Google Analytics Academy can help take your social media reporting to the next level.
If you’re new to Google Analytics and want to understand how it all works, we recommend its beginners course:
In this course you’ll learn how to track specific metrics, create dashboards, and set goals.
And when you’re ready for the next step, you can take their intermediate or advanced course to truly call yourself a Google Analytics Pro.
Cost: Free!
#3: Facebook BluePrint’s “Improve Your Creative Strategy”
Facebook BluePrint is a hub of lessons and tutorials to help you master Facebook’s ever-changing interface and advertizing tools.
If you’re looking to level up your ad creative, check out the Improve Your Creative Strategy section. One tutorial in particular, “Tips for Creating Engaging Mobile Ads” is a great reference for running ads on mobile devices.
While the lessons are free, Facebook also offers several levels of paid certifications.
Cost: Free, with certifications ranging from $99 – $150.
#4: Gretta van Riel’s “Influencer Marketing: Zero to Hero”
The influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth over $13 billion in 2021, with more sales taking place on social media than ever before.
With this in mind, knowing how to run an influencer campaign from start to finish is an incredibly valuable skill.
In the “Influencer Marketing: Zero to Hero” course, entrepreneur Gretta van Riel covers how to create and launch a successful influencer marketing campaign — from finding the right influencers to measuring ROI.
Cost: Free!
Ready to start building your influencer marketing strategy? Watch our free 30-minute Influencer Marketing 101 course with Gretta van Riel.
#5: SuperHi’s “Instagram Filters + Spark AR”
Working in social media often means sharpening a multitude of different skill sets, including design.
With SuperHi’s courses, you can experiment with design tools, have fun, and be creative too.
While we’re fans of all of SuperHi’s tutorials, their budget-friendly “Instagram Filters + Spark AR” course is particularly valuable for social media managers.
Why? You’ll learn how to work with Spark AR, create filters for Instagram and Facebook Stories, and launch it when you’re done.
Cost: $149.
#6: Puno’s “How to Create an Instagram Content Plan”
With so many brands and creators vying for your community’s attention, how do you make your content stand out?
As the founder of ilovecreatives and a self-proclaimed “Edu-tainer”, Puno knows a thing or two about creating scroll-stopping content that’s fresh, exciting, and different.
The “How to Create an Instagram Content Plan” course covers putting a personal spin on your content, finding your audience, and joining conversations. Consider this a 101 on taking your brand to the next level on social media.
Cost: Free!
If you’d like to start building your own personalized brand book with Puno, sign up for her free workshop today:
#7: Sonja Rasula’s “Start Your Creative Career: Build a Sharp, Smart Online Presence”
It can be easy to neglect your personal social media channels when you’re busy managing brand accounts, but having a strong social media presence can open up a whole host of opportunities.
In Sonja Rasula’s Skillshare course, “Start Your Creative Career: Build a Sharp, Smart Online Presence,” you’ll learn how to efficiently leverage your own social media to show off your skills and build a personal brand that attracts clients and job recruiters alike.
Cost: Free with a 14-day trial for Skillshare.
P.S. Skillshare also has tons of courses for social media strategy! Check out ’s 60-minute class all about building an Instagram presence: Finding Instagram Success: Build an Account People Care About.
There you have it — 7 killer resources to level up your social media marketing skills.
By consistently taking social media courses to refresh and expand your knowledge, you’ll stay on top of industry best practices and trends, and crush when it comes to growing engaged social media communities.
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