Social media marketers develop brand identity, increase brand awareness, foster current customer relationships while seeking out new ones, and track their marketing strategy’s success through the use of data analytics. Social media marketing isn’t just tweets and posts; it’s also short videos for Instagram Reels or Tiktok, developing partnerships and working with influencers, and a hearty amount of customer service through the ways you’ll interact with customers directly. Now a standard part of any digital marketing department, social media marketing is a creative and lucrative field for those with a passion for social platforms.
The 10 Best On-Demand Social Media Marketing Classes
- Hootsuite Academy—Social Media Marketing
- Digital Marketing Institute—Social Media Marketing Course
- Digital Marketing Association of Northern California—Social Media Marketing Bootcamp
- University of Delaware—Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing
- SimpliLearn—Advanced Social Media Certification Training Course
- Web Media University—Social Media On-Demand Certification
- Coursera—Social Media Data Analytics
- SimpliLearn—Advanced Mobile Marketing Certification Training
- Reforge—Retention + Engagement
- eCornell—Social Media Marketing Certificate Program
#1: Hootsuite Academy—Social Media Marketing Certification Course
Considered intermediate, this class helps you further develop foundational social marketing skills to grow followers, increase engagement, and boost business results. Designed with the help of social media marketing strategists and practitioners, this industry-recognized course arms marketers with practical skills that will quickly produce results.
This course will cover social media strategy, content marketing, inclusivity and accessibility on social media, how to build a community, and how to measure success. You’ll finish your course with the final exam and will then receive your certificate to add to your resume.
Key Information
This course costs $199 and offers a free demo before you buy. This class is listed as intermediate, but those with a basic understanding of social media platforms or digital marketing can also attend. The class takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete, with 60 minutes to complete the final exam.
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For those interested in additional courses, this class pairs perfectly with the Hootsuite Platform Certification which will teach you everything you need to know about the Hootsuite dashboard. While different, the two certifications are complementary. Being certified in both social media strategy and the Hootsuite platform can accelerate your career.
Below are a few reviews of Hootsuite:
- “I enjoyed this course as the videos were extremely detailed. I learned how to manage several social media accounts on this one platform. I was able to schedule posts and create content.”—Anonymous
- “It was a great way to earn more knowledge on social marketing—specifically social media and best practices. I'd recommend it to anyone in the field of marketing, communications, or anyone who works with social media.”—Anonymous
- “My educational experience with Hootsuite was exceptional. I completed the course at my own pace, while in the comfort of my home. The program was easy to understand and prepared me for my desired career.”—Anonymous
#2: Digital Marketing Institute—Social Media Marketing Course (Professional Certification)
Are you ready to learn every aspect of social media marketing? Check out this professional certification course from the Digital Marketing Institute. This in-depth course is broken up into ten modules covering topics like research, strategy, content, development, and social commerce and affiliate marketing. You’ll also spend ample time learning about various platforms like Meta, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) so that you can expand your business’ reach into multiple channels. With the help of the DMI Specialist, you’ll become an expert digital marketer, even mastering new platforms including TikTok, Twitch, and WeChat.
Key Information
This multi-week course costs $2060 and a payment plan is available, allowing you to pay in three installments. Consisting of approximately 25 hours of coursework, each student has up to 24 weeks to complete the course, but most finish in about 8-10 weeks.
There are no prerequisites for this course so anyone interested in learning about social media marketing is welcome to join!
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By purchasing this course you’ll also become a Power Member, granting you six months of access to additional resources like other training programs, toolkits and premium content, a vibrant connected community, and skills diagnostics tests to keep your skills in tip-top shape.
DMI provides up-to-date coursework directly from tenured digital marketing professionals.
Below are a few reviews of this DMI:
- “I recommend the Digital Marketing Institute because it is on the cutting edge of the digital marketing industry. DMI partners with the American Marketing Association, so we get two globally recognized certifications.”—Alexandra E.
- “As a digital marketer with over 20+ years of "real-world" experience, I still found myself learning something new. Course modules were very thorough, with instructors from both the United States and the U.K., making it universally relevant.”—Hanny C.
- “The DMI courses are a great resource for any seasoned marketer and they are very easy to follow. I used this course as continued studies in digital marketing and earned my certification, which certainly has brought a lot of attention to my professional profile.”—Glaelis S.
#3: Digital Marketing Association of Northern California—Social Media Marketing Bootcamp
If you’re wanting to learn how you can thrive in an accelerating social media landscape, then look no further. This course at the Digital Marketing Association of Northern California (DMANC) will help you develop strategies and tactics aligned with your business goals, by teaching you how to revamp your social media strategy, create content that busts algorithms, and build a more substantial social presence. You’ll learn the basics of creating stories, reels, and video content, explore influence marketing, and even become familiar with new image creation, video editing, and AI tools.
This course is ideal for digital marketers and companies with an existing social media presence that is looking for new strategies to increase engagement and retention.
Key Information
This course costs $300 to attend and includes the below additional resources:
- Templates for a 2025 content calendar, editorial calendar, and blog calendar
- Weekly management planner
- Social media management checklist
- Social media image & post guidelines template
- Content creation blueprint
- 30 Social Media Tips cheat sheet
This bootcamp takes approximately two hours to complete and has no prerequisites, making it ideal for beginners. The full cost of the course is due at the time of booking.
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Most classes at DMANC are available live online at specified times, for those that prefer face-to-face interactions. The live classes are then recorded and offered on-demand for students in need of a nontraditional learning environment. In addition to the previously mentioned resources, you’ll also have access to a downloadable PowerPoint presentation.
DMANC also offers memberships that give you access to periodic local events, free webinars, and top-tier job networking in the Northern California marketing community and beyond. A one-year membership costs $200 and gets you a $20 discount on networking events in the Bay Area and a $50 discount on DMANC masterclasses.
Below are a few reviews of this program:
- “Very insightful presentation that will surely help us kickstart not only the brainstorming process for content but how to best utilize this content on each social media platform.”—Allison L.
- “Great presentation with extremely useful social media information and ideas for our business to use for the future!”—Aron A.
#4: University of Delaware—Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing Certificate
This self-paced course at the University of Delaware’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies (UD PCS) teaches students how to leverage social media to build and extend brand awareness, increase visibility, and engage current and potential customers while also focusing on tactics to promote growth and support organizational goals. You’ll learn the basics of monitoring and listening, engaging an audience, curating content, planning and executing campaigns, and how to measure your results.
Led by program director and chief instructor Nancy Diber, this class will also provide a thorough understanding of today’s most prominent social platforms like Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Key Information
This class costs $495 and has no prerequisites. You are required to have a computer and smartphone, as well as personal accounts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Pinterest. Potential discounts are available including Elevate Delaware funding, military, UD student or alum, and group prices.
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All class materials and presentations are included in the cost of the class and can be completed at your convenience. You’ll receive detailed feedback on assigned knowledge checks throughout the self-paced course and can also schedule a time to meet with the instructor for further discussion.
UD PCS provides educational opportunities for those wanting to begin or complete their college career, enhance their professional skills, or enrich their personal life. UD PCS also provides customized training and educational services to area businesses, organizations, and professional associations.
Below are a few reviews of this program:
- “I walked away with tools that are going to benefit me but didn’t feel so stressed because I needed to have a certain grade on a test. As long as you are engaged and attempting to participate, you are going to learn something that is going to benefit others.” – Thonnia Lee
- “If you are really wanting to take your business to a new level, these are the classes to take. There is a lot of work involved, but I enjoyed all of it and it was definitely worth it for me.” – Ann Manley
- “UD’s social media classes have redeveloped my confidence in myself and my ability to interact with people. I have learned that I am not completely out of touch with millennials and Gen Zers.” – Tony Powell
#5: SimpliLearn—Advanced Social Media Certification Training Course
Do you want to gain project-based experience in social media marketing? This course will teach you to master strategy, reputation management, influencer marketing, content marketing, and web analytics. This intensive course is divided into seven sections: social media foundations, advanced social media marketing, YouTube and video marketing, Facebook marketing and advertising, social media tools, advanced content marketing, and advanced web analytics.
Each of the seven sections is then broken down into individualized lessons to help keep you organized and on track. You’ll then take an exam, once you’ve completed all the assigned sections of the course, and will have an industry-recognized Online Marketing Certified Professional (OCMP) certification to add to your resume.
Key Information
This course costs $1495 but you have the option to pay in installments, making your monthly payments as low as $136. Students are required to possess an undergraduate degree or a high school diploma, and having basic knowledge of digital marketing is recommended.
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By purchasing this course you also gain 90-day access to online classes and the option for live online training by top instructors and practitioners. You also have 24/7 access to learning support from mentors and a community of like-minded peers.
Below are a few reviews of this program:
- “Very concise, clear explanations, great place to start on learning social media.”—Daphne Y.
- “The course format is very pleasant. A valuable coverage on the shift of communication trends from mass to social.”—Catalina S.
#6 Web Media University—Social Media On-Demand Certification
Learn at your own pace with this instantly-accessible on-demand social media certification course. You’ll learn how to attract high-quality leads and create magnetic social media sales funnels to easily drive new customers to your services every month. You’ll also master how to create a profitable social media marketing strategy, find your target audience, develop high-converting social media sales funnels, and quickly build new social media followers.
Key Information
The social media beginner course costs $949 and you can receive special discounted pricing if you sign up for both beginner and advanced. The beginner course takes an average of six hours to complete while the combination of beginner and advanced takes about twelve. If you sign up for a Web Media University membership, you can access up to two courses (as well as numerous other resources) for just $99 per month.
There are no prerequisites for this course so all are welcome to join!
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You’ll get some extra resources when you sign up for this course, too. Each student will receive one free 1:1 coaching session with the trainer, Michelle, one month of free access to the Social Media Posting Tool™, and free access to the How to Write Hypnotic Headlines that Get Clicks webinar.
Below are a few reviews of this course:
- “Michelle shared her expertise on how to successfully manage a social media strategy for a business. She started the class with an introduction to various media platforms. Then she provided me with tools and tips to create posts, grow our audience, and manage time. Great class!”—Molly W.
- “Michelle did a great job of walking us through the various platforms. She was easy to understand and practical in her approach. I can honestly say that I am getting more clients than ever before by applying her social networking strategies. I highly recommend this class for newbies as well as seasoned biz owners who want a good refresher. Thanks, Michelle.”—Marla C.
#7: Coursera—Social Media Data Analytics
This intermediate course consists of four modules focused on leveraging data analytics to better understand and engage with your consumers on social media. The four modules will cover various Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that can be used to collect data; how to process that data using methods involving correlation, regression, and classification; how to analyze unstructured data; and how to best use different tools for collecting, analyzing, and exploring social media data.
This course is ideal for those who work (or want to work) within marketing and PR or as social media, web, or data analysts.
Key Information
This certification course is included with a Coursera Plus membership for $59 per month (or $399 annually). If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. Coursera does offer financial assistance so please reach out to them on their site for more information. No previous experience is necessary for this class.
More Details
Developed by Dr. Chirag Shah while he was a faculty member at Rutgers University, this course consists of a series of small assignments or mini-projects that involve data collection, analysis, and presentation.
Upon completing the course, your electronic certificate will be available for you to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Below are a few reviews of this program:
- “This was an excellent course. The professor has put in a lot of hard work to make the course as practical as possible. I took what I learned from this course and am successfully applying the acquired skill sets for my real-world data science work.”—Swarn
- “One of the best courses I've come across in Coursera. Chirag Sir is simply awesome, the way he describes things is just amazing! I would like to work under him or his connections if given a chance! This course boosted my confidence also.”—Rajat K.
#8: SimpliLearn—Advanced Mobile Marketing Certification Training
If you want to master the art of mobile marketing through extensive project experience, then this is the course for you. This course offers in-depth knowledge of campaign management, app marketing, mobile advertising, content marketing, location-based marketing, responsive website designs, and mobile marketing analytics. Composed of various case studies, five projects, four progress quizzes, and a final exam, this advanced class provides a holistic approach to your education.
Key Information
Currently, this course is available for on-demand or live corporate learning and pricing is available upon request. Although not required, completing their Mobile Marketing Foundations course first is recommended. It’s also recommended that students have a basic working knowledge of HTML, internet usage, and Microsoft Office for a successful learning experience.
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This class is designed for marketing managers, digital marketing executives, content writers, marketing and sales professionals, management graduates, engineering graduates, and entrepreneurs. Students will receive their certificate once they have completed 85% of the course, three projects, and one simulation test with a minimum score of 60%.
Below are a few reviews of this program:
- “This course is good as an introduction. It covers most areas of Mobile Marketing and gives a good idea of the possibilities.”—Maliyah Gross
- “Excellent overview on mobile marketing; provides useful tips and tricks.”—Karina Q.
#9: Reforge—Retention + Engagement (Live and On-Demand)
This intensive course is designed for marketers, product managers, designers, engineers, and anyone else who works on maintaining a customer base. You’ll learn to retain, activate, engage, and resurrect users with proven frameworks by first defining and analyzing your current retention. This class will teach you activation and engagement strategies and how to define and measure both of these tactics. You’ll also practice identifying non-activated users vs. dormant users, and learn to implement resurrection strategies.
Retention determines category leaders and better retention improves monetization, lowers acquisition costs, increases LTV, and gives you a competitive edge. Retention + Engagement offers you proven frameworks that can be used throughout your career to retain, activate, engage, and resurrect users.
Key Information
Reforge offers courses as part of its membership packages. The basic ‘Individual’ membership has an annual fee of $1995 which includes access to custom collections, the full content library (including more than 20 full programs, all frameworks, and lessons), downloadable templates, and Reforge’s Slack community.
To get the most out of the program, students typically dedicate 3-5 hours per week to this course, including a 90-minute event. The course typically takes up to six weeks to complete. Many members also devote additional time to consuming content more deeply, filling in provided templates, and engaging with the Cohort.
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Reforge’s Cohort courses offer students the chance to attend events and interact with other members participating in the same course within their cohort. While the course content is the same as what’s available in the self-paced format, you will have the opportunity to interact with Executives in Residence and experts in the field throughout the cohort.
There will be a live event each week of your course, typically offered during two time slots to accommodate members in various time zones. Live events are recorded in case you're unable to join at the scheduled time.
Reforge understands that career development isn’t always a straight line, which is why their courses have no prerequisites. If you’re new to Reforge, they recommend starting with their popular Growth Series.
Below are a few reviews of Reforge:
- “The community and guests are awesome. They share great use cases and I reached out to some of them to talk about specific points and always learned something new.”—Tecassiano
- “The first plus that I would highlight is the perfect structure of the content and its organization. The practical aspect of knowledge is visible, it is clear that everything was created by practitioners for practitioners.”—Maxim T.
- “Content was meaningful and had an immediate impact.”—Anonymous
#10: ECornell—Social Media Marketing Certificate Program (Live and On-Demand)
This certificate program will teach you to connect with potential customers by when, where, how, and to whom you should be marketing content. You’ll examine best practices for a multitude of social media platforms, create brand-centered content, and identify user-generated content opportunities through the implementation of influencers and affiliate marketing. You’ll also create a proactive cross-platform social listening and community management system that stays consistent with your brand while utilizing metrics to measure the success of your marketing efforts.
Key Information
This course costs $2625 or $675 per month if you choose the installment plan. Students typically complete the program within three months, assuming 5-7 hours of coursework is completed each week. The course has been crafted by industry-leading experts and instructors at Cornell, providing top-notch educational resources.
Each individual course within this certificate program is offered on-demand and can be completed whenever and wherever you choose. Toward the end of your program, you will attend what are called the Symposium sessions: three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions. The Marketing Symposium lets you engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond.
More Details
This program includes a year of free access to Symposium, which features several days of live, highly participatory virtual Zoom sessions with Cornell faculty and experts to explore the marketing industry’s most pressing topics. Symposium events are held several times throughout the year. Once enrolled in your program, you will receive information about upcoming events.
Below are a few reviews of eCornell:
- “I loved the multiple formats used for their coursework. They keep you interested in the material with multiple delivery methods. They engaged in group chats and the facilitators were awesome.”—Ava N.
- "Excellent training and a great learning experience from a top quality school."—Jaime R.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an On-demand Social Media Marketing Class Worth It?
On-demand classes are a great option as they offer more flexibility for those with difficult schedules or those who may live in varying time zones. Additionally, all course content is pre-recorded and can be completed at your own pace. If you prefer to take your time on lessons, need a more flexible learning option, and enjoy learning from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you choose) then on-demand classes can be a great fit for you.
What Will I Need for an On-demand Social Media Marketing Class?
Good news: there isn’t a long list of essential supplies for an on-demand social media marketing course. You will need access to a computer, as well as access to and a general understanding of various social media platforms (your personal Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts are perfectly adequate). Typically, online courses will provide all the necessary readings for each lesson, however, sometimes you may be asked to pick up an additional text or resource on your own.
While most entry-level courses won’t require more than what is listed above, higher-level courses may have varying skill-related prerequisites like experience with SEO, social analytic tools, or basic HTML knowledge.
Can I Learn Social Media Marketing On-demand for Free?
It is possible to study social media marketing online for free. These resources are typically shorter, less in-depth courses or free short-term trials and demos of more intensive programs. YouTube can be a great place to learn more about the benefits of optimizing social media for your business, and various blogs can also offer helpful resources. While free methods are a great introduction to the basic concepts or an easy way to learn tricks of the trade, a structured course or certification program will provide a higher level of expertise and a deeper breadth of knowledge.
Is It Better to Learn Social Media Marketing in a Live or Self-paced Class?
Both self-paced and live classes have their respective pros and cons. As previously stated, self-paced classes allow students to complete the coursework on their own time. These classes can be a great option for those who live in a different time zone than available live classes, or for those that work atypical schedules. All lessons are pre-recorded by experts within the industry and typically include self-guided lesson plans, assignments, and quizzes or tests. These classes allow you to spend as much time as you need on each lesson, allowing them to accommodate those with differing learning styles or attention spans.
Live online classes, while less flexible, grant you access to a highly-trained instructor and allow you to interact with other students. You won’t need to wait for responses from your teacher as you can ask questions live during your class session. If you value interactive learning, a live online course is a great option for you. You also have the added benefit of a more structured environment that helps to hold students accountable and keep you on task. Interacting with other students also allows you to make friends and collaborate with other creative minds within your industry.