Why You Want Social Media Certification
If you are currently employed in the digital marketing industry and working hard in a job, social media certification might be far from your mind.
However, if you are currently looking to get established in the social media marketing industry as an agency owner, freelancer or in-house specialist, social media certification can be a game-changer!
It’s one thing for you to share your work history and experience on a resume, it will give an entirely different look and feel to be able to add ‘certified specialist’ or ‘marketing certification’ to your bio.
In this article, we will dive into the what, how, when and where of social media training courses and certificate programs.
What Industry Recognized Certification Can Do For Your Career
It used to be the case that having a social media presence, along with marketing skills was enough to get you in the door of an agency or a business ready to hire a social media manager.
For some industry greats, that’s still the case as they rely on their real-world experience coupled with an extensive network to get them the next job, project, assignment or client.
For those trying to break into the industry, that seems to be no longer enough to get their foot in the door.
Personal connections certainly weigh in when looking for the next opportunity in the online social media industry. It might serve those looking for a new opportunity to try additional avenues to get a ‘leg up’ on the competition for the next job, client or project.
An industry-recognized certification can do that for you!
How To Show The World You Are a Social Media Expert
You can, of course, simply toot your own horn and create a bio that states you are the expert. ?
Then there are many time-intensive and somewhat involved ways to show the world you are a social media expert. Those would include doing a ton of work, asking for recommendations from clients, attending conferences to learn and gather information and creating case studies from client work.
Last but not least, you can take a certification course, then add the social media certification credentials (badge) to places online, where you will get noticed!
Most online courses can be completed within a reasonable time frame and can be taken at a pace that's comfortable for the person's individual learning ability. For someone ready to roll and in need of a job quickly, online course and online certification are much more desirable than taking college classes which would take up much more time.
Once certification is achieved, that coveted badge can be added to
- Email signature
- Website (about page, blog sidebar)
- LinkedIn profile
- Online resume
- Business cards
- Marketing materials
- Proposals
While you can certainly work on all three simultaneously, the last option is the quickest and a professional way to go about letting the world know you are an expert, in the least amount of time!
When Social Media Marketing Training is Appropriate
We touched on it a bit already, but let’s talk about when training, and certification, is appropriate.
We believe getting trained on social media marketing by the right team and company is of the utmost importance to a successful career in this industry. Getting a social media certification is the icing on the cake.
There are times a new (or additional) certification can make or break an exciting opportunity.
Times when taking social media certification is the right move include when you are
- looking for a new job
- extending a contract with a client and need to raise your prices
- applying for a new job or speaking opportunities
- actively networking to gain new clients
Being certified as a social media expert and displaying the badge, tells an interested party that you have gone through a step by step program to learn the latest and greatest, but more importantly, effective social media techniques and trends.
Where Can You Find the Best Social Media Certification Course?
While there currently are many choices available for social media certification, we know we have the best certification course!
Our Social Media Pro Certification is valid for one year. While other social media certifications might be valid for a lifetime, we strongly believe in recertification to stay up-to-date in this fast-paced and ever-changing industry! We know your clients (or boss) will agree that yearly recertification ensures that you are up-to-date on industry trends, social media strategies and familiar with the latest case studies
At $79 for the year, we are also one of the most affordable certification programs.
“To achieve Social Media Pro certification, students of social media pro, as well as industry professionals, can take – and pass – the exam to test their proficiency in the industry.”
What Social Media Knowledge Do You Need To Get Social Media Certified?
There are many aspects of social media marketing.
We always teach our students to start with a solid social media strategy. You can learn this too!
Next, you need deep knowledge on most, if not all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, just to name a few.
Then an understanding of both organic and paid campaigns are required.
Last but not least, if you have designs on starting an agency or being a freelance social media manager, knowledge about the business side of being a social media manager is another must-have.
Are you ready?
We'd love to have you!
I am a Certified Social Media Manager, Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Organic Specialist and Agile marketer! Blogging is my creative outlet. Running, hiking and skiing are how I recharge. You'll recognize me on stage and online by my always present orange glasses, a nod to my Dutch heritage.
