After being in the social media marketing industry since the beginning and guiding some of the largest companies in the world it’s exciting how social media has truly become a career for many ranging from social media marketing managers to social media expert witnesses in court cases and so much more. And because of that, one of the common questions we see asked is what training do you need to become a social media specialist?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that with most things in life nothing beats experience – actually doing something in the real world versus learning in a classroom – and that is what will give you the skills to become a social media expert/specialist with the power to help others achieve their goals.
Secondly, a variety of colleges and universities now offer courses related to social media that establish a good foundation (the basics) though that will only get you so far. Plus, social media changes so rapidly that most published textbooks will inherently be outdated by the time they’re used in a classroom setting.
Thirdly, there are a plethora of social media courses/certifications provided by organizations that aren’t necessarily colleges/universities though did put together curriculum to deliver training around social media for specialized purposes (branding, PR, identifying issues, etc.). More agile than conventional colleges, but nothing beats having experience in the real world.
Lastly, to be a social media expert you must have a true passion for what you’re doing and that drive – striving for perfection – carries over to everything in your life where you focus on being the best in everything you do.
And that comes into play if you’re not operating at 100%, drop the ball and strategies you implement cause nightmares for a Fortune 500 company when they could’ve been prevented by simply putting on a tinfoil hat and thinking through the entire situation with the knowledge/experience to do that.
The point is, if you are passionate about becoming a social media expert/specialist we encourage you to take courses and learn in every way possible, though the best knowledge you’ll acquire will be from learning in the real world. Be a kid, search for hidden treasure and use your imagination to be as inquisitive as possible which will lead to you discovering your strengths.