The ever-growing social media use continues to prompt marketers and content creators to leverage the platforms for improved exposure. As of 2023, over 60% of the global population is on social media. That's an average of 4.9 billion people. This is an extensive pool that businesses, marketers, and content creators can't afford to ignore as they strive to improve their bottom line.

Tapping into this extensive pool - successfully doesn't happen by chance. It takes the right approach, meaning you need skills and resources to develop a winning social media strategy. The simplest way to acquire and uncover more resources is by attending events and completing courses.

In this post, we've gathered popular events and courses in the social media niche that can help to take your social media prowess to the next level. Keep on reading to find the sections about social media events and social media courses.

Social Media Events

Events are a great source of inspiration. You'll meet like-minded people, hear from industry experts, and take advantage of workshops, among other engagements designed to help improve your skills. Some of the events that should be on your radar include:

Social Media Strategies Summit (SMSsummit)

The events are held on multiple dates around the year and are a great option for senior-level marketing professionals. You'll find diverse events best suited for different teams, mainly covering government professionals, education marketers, first responders, and corporate brand practitioners.

SMSsummit is graced by diverse senior-level executive leaders. This means you'll access valuable information, including learning how top-performing brands leverage social media to improve their marketing strategies. The prices vary per the event, and whether you take advantage of the presale, earliest bird, early bird, or last chance offers, which saves more than buying at the gate. You'll also find group discounts.

Social Media Marketing World Conference

This is an annual event focused on improving marketing strategy. You'll discover more about organic and paid social media marketing, latest trends, and marketing strategies. Keynote speakers include industry experts, and the event attracts top marketers around the globe. The event is held in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center, but you can also opt for the Remote Live Stream option. The upcoming event (11th annual Social Media Marketing World) will be from February 18th to 20th, 2024. The prices vary per your preferred package, Including:

• All-Access at $1,997
• Marketer at $1,497
• On-Demand at $997
• Streaming at $697

DigiMarCon

DigiMarCon hosts diverse events available for physical attendance or online access. The upcoming events include:

• DigiMarCon Mid-Atlantic on October 30-31 in Philadelphia
• DigiMarCon Texas on November 2-3 in Dallas, TX
• DigiMarCon Las Vegas on November 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV. This is the largest DigiMarCon conference. It is not social media exclusive but instead will cover diverse digital marketing.

Ragan's Social Media Conference

The event is scheduled for 27th to 29th March 2024 in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The event will cover topics including the rise of meme marketing, immersive technologies, and AR/VR evolution. The event will also cover topics like live videos, short reels, and the power of influencer marketing. You'll uncover ways to leverage emerging trends to stay ahead of the curve, including picking the best channels to attract and retain the best talent for your brand. Event pricing varies per the plan chosen, with the basic options and regular rates being:

Conference All-Access Pass, which includes the pre-conference workshops

• Ragan Insider at $2,849
• Nonprofit/Gov/Edu at $2,899
• Standard at $2,899

Conference Registration - Individual

• Ragan Insider at $2,449
• Nonprofit/Gov/Edu at $2,449
• Standard at $2,599

If you can't attend the conference live, use the on-demand option available during registration.

Attending social media events could be all you need to unlock your marketing potential. The trick is to find an event that best matches your goals. Besides the events, undertaking training courses is recommended.

Social Media Courses

You'll find free and premium courses addressing diverse needs, from helping beginners put their best foot forward, upskilling intermediate marketers, and helping professionals keep up with emerging trends. Here are some of the best social media marketing to consider.

Social Media Marketing - Content Marketing Masterclass

Hosted on Udemy, this beginner-friendly course created by Mark Timberlake and Philomena Timberlake has significant materials to transform your marketing strategy. You'll learn the basics, including understanding the diverse social media platforms and how to create high-standard posts that generate desirable engagements.

You'll learn how to develop a social media schedule and plan. This is especially essential for digital nomads juggling between work and traveling. The schedule and plan make it easier to stay on track and realize your desired objectives. The current price is $84.99, which includes over 18 hours of on-demand video, downloadable resources, full-time access to learning materials, and a certification of completion.

Social Media Marketing Master Certification

If you are looking for the essentials of social media strategy, especially as you work to become a successful social media manager, consider this Boot Camp Digital course. As a marketer, this course will equip you with skills to accelerate your social media marketing. This includes practical skills to manage your time and resources for optimal impact.

You'll gain the most in-demand skills to help advance your career, and certification will help set you aside from many looking for social media management gigs. It is a comprehensive social media marketing course priced at $997.

Social Media Marketing by Acadium

Acadium's free course focuses on Facebook, Instagram, Google, Yelp, LinkedIn, and Twitter (now X). The course equips you with the skills to set up killer social media profiles, create and publish high-standard posts, and tips and tricks that'll help your channels stand out.

Northwestern University Social Media Specialization

Hosted on Coursera, this free course provides everything a beginner needs to develop a successful social media strategy. You'll learn what social media entails, why you need a social listening strategy, how to create it, effective social media communication, and how to implement nurturing strategies for successful social media marketing.

Hootsuite's Social Media Marketing Course

If you are an intermediate social media marketer looking to lay a solid foundation for your strategies, Hootsuite's course should be on your list. This course hones your skills to optimize your social media profiles. You'll learn practical skills to develop a practical social media strategy, including understanding the best content marketing practices and social media advertising basics. You'll learn more about how to grow a community, which is essential for long-term success. Hootsuite offers a free demo, and the course fee is $199.

Hubspot's Social Media Certification

Hubspot offers a free certification course ideal for intermediate marketers, business owners, and influencers looking to upskill. The course trains you to develop an effective strategy that'll help improve brand awareness. It equips you with social media listening skills, which helps uncover what works for your target audience. You'll also learn how to leverage influencers to extend your reach. The course enables you to improve efficiency to improve the returns on your social media investments.

Social Media Marketing Foundations by LinkedIn Learning

Beginners looking for a basic overview of social media marketing will find notable value in this LinkedIn Learning course. You'll enjoy a free, one-month access to the course, which you can then purchase at around US$24.99. The course covers the basics of developing a social media strategy. You'll learn to define your target audience, pick the best social media channels, and publish best practices. You'll also learn how to grow and maintain a community around your brand. You'll learn to innovatively sell on social media and measure your activity to establish what's working.

Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate

The free course by Meta is hosted on Coursera. The course provides the skills to establish and grow a strong online presence. You'll learn how to manage your social media accounts and create and track Instagram and Facebook ads campaigns through the Meta Ads Manager. You'll also learn how to track and understand the performance of ad campaigns and social media posts.

Conclusion

Keeping up with the ever-evolving digital landscape can be overwhelming. That's among the top reasons you should keep an eye on diverse events and courses and include them in your strategy. Networking during the events can help you crack the challenges derailing your progress. The courses help you build on your skills and effectively navigate social media and overall digital marketing nuances. The trick is to pick an event or course aligned with your needs and goals. The good news is that there is no shortage of free and premium events and courses matching your preferences.