Social Media Marketing

Facebook is the world's most popular social media platform and a powerful marketing tool for reaching targeted audiences. Discover how businesses use it to increase brand awareness.

Lesson 1: Creating an Account

• Why organic social media is part of every social strategy
• How to set up a Facebook business presence
• Example: a business page set up well from day one
• Complete the account setup checklist

Lesson 2: Content Pillars

• What content pillars are and how they work
• Choosing the types of content your channels need
• Example: a brand and its content pillars
• Define your pillars in the 30-day content calendar

Lesson 3: Researching Posts

• Why research before you create content
• How to tell which content types produce results
• Example: a post that performed and one that did not
• Fill in the content research sheet

Lesson 4: Facebook Video Marketing

• How video boosts engagement and the reach of your posts
• The types of video that work on Facebook
• Example: a business video and why it worked
• Plan three videos in the content calendar

Lesson 5: Facebook Post Captions

• Why you do not need to be a great writer to write good captions
• Tips and strategies for strong captions
• Example: weak and strong captions side by side
• Write five captions using the caption template

Lesson 6: Social Media Scheduling Tools

• Why automating publishing frees your time
• A walkthrough of popular scheduling tools
• Example: a week of scheduled posts
• Schedule your first week from the content calendar

Lesson 7: Responding to Comments

• Why talking with your audience builds community
• How to respond to positive, neutral and negative comments
• Example: a brand handling a tough comment well
• Write response templates for common comments

Lesson 8: How to Use Meta Business Suite

• How Meta Business Suite streamlines your social work
• The features that save the most time
• Example: a workflow built in Meta Business Suite
• Set up your workflow with the checklist

X is an excellent platform for businesses that want to reach audiences with shared interests. Learn the strategies and tools to make the most of it.

Lesson 1: Setting Up an X Profile

• Why X reaches audiences interested in your niche
• How to set up a profile that fits your business
• Example: a strong business profile
• Draft your bio and header with the profile checklist

Lesson 2: Creating Hashtags for Posts

• How hashtags work and the right way to use them
• Strategies and tools for finding the right hashtags
• Example: a post with and without effective hashtags
• Build your hashtag list in the content calendar

Lesson 3: Adding Images and Videos to Posts

• Why media makes posts stand out in feeds
• How to attach images and videos
• Example: a text-only post versus one with media
• Plan your media posts in the content calendar

Lesson 4: ABC Posts

• What the ABC strategy is and how it picks the best posts
• How to select posts that engage your audience
• Example: applying ABC to a week of posts
• Score your own posts with the ABC worksheet

Lesson 5: Reposting Content

• When sharing other people's content beats creating your own
• How and when to repost
• Example: a well-chosen repost
• Create your repost guidelines

With Instagram, you can reach a large audience using a variety of visual posts. Discover the best tips and strategies for increasing your ROI on Instagram.

Lesson 1: Setting Up Your Instagram Account

• Why a business profile differs from a personal account
• How to set up a business account
• Example: a business profile done right
• Complete the profile setup checklist

Lesson 2: Types of Posts

• The three main types of posts on Instagram
• How to create each one
• Example: a feed mixing all three types
• Plan a mix of post types in the content calendar

Lesson 3: Instagram Captions

• How captions affect the performance of posts
• How to write compelling captions
• Example: captions that drove engagement
• Write captions with the caption template

Lesson 4: Content Curation

• How curation extends your reach and grows followers
• The steps involved in curating content
• Example: a curated feed
• Build a curation list

Lesson 5: Creating Stories

• How Stories start conversations with followers
• How to use Stories features
• Example: a Stories sequence that drove replies
• Plan a week of Stories

Lesson 6: Posting Schedule

• Why timing matters as much as the post
• How to find the best times to post
• Example: a schedule tested over time
• Set your schedule in the 30-day content calendar

Lesson 7: Measuring Engagement

• Why you need to analyze data to improve your strategy
• The engagement metrics to track
• Example: reading an insights report
• Track your results in the KPI tracker

Lesson 8: Instagram Reels

• Why Reels are arguably the most important feature
• How Reels work
• Example: a Reel that reached beyond followers
• Storyboard a Reel with the template

Lesson 9: Other Video Options

• The other video options on the platform besides Reels
• When to use each video format
• Example: a brand using several video formats
• Choose your video formats in the content calendar

Businesses with a Google listing get more reviews and local search traffic. Learn how to use Google Business Profile for any business.

Lesson 1: Claim Your Business

• Why a Google listing helps customers find you and leave reviews
• How to claim your business
• Example: a claimed and verified listing
• Complete the claim checklist

Lesson 2: Adding a Listing to Google Maps

• Why a Maps listing increases local traffic
• How to add and complete a listing
• Example: an optimized listing
• Fill in a listing with the listing worksheet

Lesson 3: Managing User Reviews

• Why you must respond to reviews
• How to answer positive and negative reviews
• Example: a negative review answered well
• Draft review response templates

Lesson 4: Reporting Users

• Why marketers must understand Google's review policies
• When and how to report a review
• Example: a review that broke the policy
• Build a review policy checklist

Millions of people use Yelp every day to review the businesses they visit. Learn how to get positive reviews and how to respond to negative feedback.

Lesson 1: Yelp Account Setup

• Why Yelp is often the first stop for local business research
• How to set up a business account
• Example: a complete Yelp profile
• Complete the Yelp setup checklist

Lesson 2: Yelp Reviews

• Why each review is a chance to learn about customers
• How to handle and respond to reviews
• Example: a review response that won back a customer
• Write response templates

Lesson 3: Yelp Photos

• Why photos build trust with customers
• How to add photos to a business profile
• Example: a profile before and after adding photos
• Plan your photo list

LinkedIn is the leading social media platform for businesses and professionals. Learn how to use it to grow your audience.

Lesson 1: Intro to LinkedIn

• Why LinkedIn matters for professionals and businesses
• What you can do on the platform
• Example: a business using LinkedIn for leads
• Set your LinkedIn goals

Lesson 2: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

• Why an optimized profile is the first step to success
• How to optimize both a company page and a personal profile
• Example: a profile before and after
• Optimize yours with the profile checklist

Lesson 3: Building Your Brand Organically

• The ways LinkedIn helps you build your brand without paying
• How to use each one
• Example: an organic brand-building plan
• Plan your organic activity in the content calendar

Lesson 4: User Engagement

• Why engagement is about the right content, time and audience
• How to post for engagement
• Example: a post that sparked discussion
• Plan your engagement posts

Lesson 5: LinkedIn Groups

• Why groups build reputation and brand awareness
• How to find and take part in groups
• Example: a group contribution that built credibility
• Pick three groups and a contribution plan

Learn how to use Pinterest to reach customers, from the basics to best practices.

Lesson 1: An Introduction to Pinterest

• Why Pinterest may be an overlooked source of results
• An overview of how the channel works
• Example: a brand that grew on Pinterest
• Decide whether Pinterest fits your brand

Lesson 2: Marketing on Pinterest

• Why Pinterest needs its own content strategy
• What makes a strong Pinterest strategy
• Example: a Pinterest content plan
• Draft your Pinterest plan

Lesson 3: Pinterest Best Practices

• Why best practices help grow your audience and revenue
• The best practices to follow
• Example: a profile applying best practices
• Audit a profile with the checklist

Learn why TikTok matters for marketers, how to get started and how to make videos that get more views.

Lesson 1: Why You Should Leverage TikTok

• Why TikTok has become a top platform for brands
• What types of brands do well there
• Example: a brand that grew on TikTok
• Decide how TikTok fits your strategy

Lesson 2: Getting Started on TikTok

• How to set up a business account
• How to create a strategy and work out what your audience needs
• Example: a TikTok strategy from scratch
• Write your TikTok strategy outline

Lesson 3: How to Make a TikTok Video

• The exact steps for putting together a first video
• Tools and techniques for making it
• Example: a video from idea to post
• Storyboard your first video

Lesson 4: How to Get More Video Views

• The factors that determine high-performing videos
• How to use that information to grow your channel
• Example: a video that took off, and why
• Review your video with the performance checklist

Learn how to get started with YouTube marketing and how to record and optimize your videos.

Lesson 1: Introduction to YouTube Marketing

• Why YouTube is a major platform for marketers
• How YouTube marketing works
• Example: a business channel that grew
• Define your YouTube goals

Lesson 2: Recording and Optimization

• Best practices for recording content
• How to optimize your videos for discovery
• Example: a video before and after optimization
• Optimize yours with the YouTube checklist

The final exam has 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass with 80 percent to unlock your certificate and a LinkedIn-ready badge. You can retake it as often as you like.