How to learn social media marketing

 8 Ways to Learn Social Media Marketing Fast

A couple of decades ago, it would have been hard to believe that the internet would become such an integral part of our everyday lives. Now, social media marketing has become crucial to almost any brand or business, as it’s one of the best ways to connect with your customers on a personal level and establish brand loyalty. If you’re new to social media marketing, here are eight tips on how to learn social media marketing fast.

1) There are free online courses available

Whether you want to get started with social media marketing or improve your current skills, there are plenty of free online courses available. Here are eight of the best options for learning about social media marketing:

1) Udemy- Through a variety of free and paid offerings, Udemy is one of the best resources for learning how to use all kinds of software from WordPress to Gmail. One way it's been able to offer so many different options is by relying on course creators and teachers who work directly for Udemy rather than a publishing company. 

2) Coursera- With one in six adults currently enrolled in higher education, MOOCs (massive open online courses) like Coursera have made it possible for people across the world - not just those with access to university - to learn at their own pace and on their own time frame without any cost at all.

2) Listen, Watch and Read

There are plenty of ways to learn social media marketing fast. You can listen to podcasts, watch webinars or read blog posts (like this one!). But the best way to learn is by doing. Start by creating a social media profile for your business. Then, start experimenting with different content types and strategies. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – you’ll learn from them! Consider using Pinterest as a visual platform. It's easier than other platforms to master because it uses pictures instead of words. Experiment with hashtags on Instagram. Consider using LinkedIn for professional purposes rather than personal ones like networking, job hunting or building relationships with potential customers/clients.

3) Find Mentors and Work With Them

One of the best ways to learn social media marketing is to find someone who’s already good at it and ask for their help. If you can’t find a mentor, try following some social media experts and paying attention to what they do. Also, read articles and books about social media marketing, and attend conferences and workshops. And don’t forget to experiment! Try different things on different platforms and see what works best for you. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to social media marketing. The only way to figure out what works best for your business is by experimenting. Experiment with graphics and posts; experiment with timing; experiment with hashtags. Don’t be afraid to take risks, because that’s how you learn how to master social media marketing in less time than ever before.

4) Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions

If you want to learn social media marketing, the best thing you can do is jump in and start experimenting. But that doesn’t mean you should be afraid to ask questions. Here are eight ways to get started on your path to learning social media marketing:

A) Follow blogs about digital marketing 

B) Read books about digital marketing 

C) Watch YouTube videos about digital marketing 

D) Subscribe to podcasts about digital marketing 

E) Create a Facebook group for people interested in online promotion strategies 

F) Go on forums and find out what other people are talking about when it comes to online promotion strategies G) Attend local events related to internet safety and social media strategies H) Seek out mentors who have more experience than you when it comes to online promotion strategies

5) Show Up, Show Up, Show Up

One of the best ways to learn social media marketing is to show up consistently. This means showing up to: 

-your weekly strategy meeting 

-posting regularly on your chosen platform(s) 

-monitoring and responding to comments and messages 

-staying up-to-date on the latest trends 

-trying new things 

-reporting on your progress 

By showing up consistently, you’ll not only learn social media marketing faster, but you’ll also start seeing results.

6) Get Some Experience From Freelancing/Interning

One of the best ways to learn social media marketing is by getting some experience under your belt. And what better way to do that than by freelancing or interning? Not only will you get some great experience, but you'll also get a chance to work with different clients and learn new things. Here are eight ways to get started in learning social media marketing -Ask for recommendations from friends: 

-Search for jobs on LinkedIn: 

-Start a blog about social media marketing: 

-Join one of the many social media networks out there: 

-Join an online course on Coursera: 

-Read blogs written by industry experts: 

-Learn from social media marketers via Twitter chats: 

-Take advantage of free webinars on sites like SlideShare.

7) Check out the Resources in your Area

The first step is finding some resources in your area. There are plenty of books, articles, and websites that can teach you the basics of social media marketing. However, if you want to learn more quickly, consider taking a class or workshop from a local marketing professional. There are also online courses available that can be taken at your own pace. One example is Jeffrey Shaw's free course on Coursera: Social Media Marketing. Shaw walks through all the basics of social media marketing as well as some advanced techniques for getting even more out of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. He teaches the basics of community management so that you know how to interact with customers without being too pushy, plus how to create content that will keep people coming back. You'll get an introduction to blogging, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click advertising (PPC).

8) Start Contributing to Open Source Projects

Open source projects are a great way to learn new programming languages and frameworks. By contributing to an open source project, you can gain valuable experience and knowledge that will help you in your career. If you're looking for the right project to contribute to, try Ruby on Rails which is used by companies like Twitter and Groupon. You can find out more about how to start here.