Social media advertising and marketing is a variety of work. It’s a fast-paced business that shortly evolves by the point you be taught a brand new ability, development, or platform replace. Whether or not you’re a marketer, a content material creator, or a enterprise proprietor, understanding social media includes a variety of abilities that require you to at all times be studying.
To hone these abilities, I’ve put collectively a complete record of social media advertising and marketing sources.
From blogs to templates to programs, when you’re questioning the way to be taught social media advertising and marketing, these sources will speed up your information.
Desk of Contents
The way to Be taught Social Media Advertising and marketing: 33 Free Assets
Social Media Advertising and marketing Blogs
Social media advertising and marketing is a science involving particular communication abilities. And the panorama modifications continually.
Among the best methods to develop your social media prowess and to remain up-to-date is to observe consultants within the discipline. These blogs are at all times contemporary with actionable info you should use to enhance your advertising and marketing:
1. Social Media Examiner
Since 2009, Social Media Examiner has been one of many high social media blogs on the planet. The web site publishes common weblog content material with useful ideas and insights. The web site additionally places collectively social media experiences full of all of the vital knowledge social entrepreneurs need.
What I like: Along with its weblog, Social Media Examiner additionally shares a publication that goes out 3 times per week, a number of podcasts, and a YouTube channel. So it doesn’t matter what studying format you favor, Social Media Examiner makes its content material accessible.
2. Social Media Immediately
I repeatedly flip to Social Media Immediately to seek out out the newest information within the social media business. This web site is essentially the most news-driven useful resource on this record, repeatedly sharing tales about platform updates, tendencies, or business modifications.
Greatest for: Staying on high of platform information and updates.
3. Sprout Social
Chances are you’ll know Sprout Social as a social media administration platform, nevertheless it additionally produces a value-packed weblog. I like Sprout Social’s weblog for its data-driven content material that focuses on high-level technique. Sprout Social additionally produces value-packed experiences on the social media panorama with insights that social media managers can use to refine their methods.
Greatest for: Social media strategists, groups, and businesses that wish to discover ways to enhance technique, arrange higher workflows, and talk social efficiency with shareholders.
4. HubSpot Advertising and marketing Weblog
Proper right here on the HubSpot Advertising and marketing Weblog, yow will discover actionable how-to guides on each social community there may be. The HubSpot Advertising and marketing Weblog group covers all the things from finest practices and techniques for various social channels to publish concepts to real-life experiments and examples. Earlier than I even wrote for HubSpot, I personally turned to the Advertising and marketing Weblog all through my profession once I wished to find out about a brand new social media matter.
What I like: Along with useful weblog content material, HubSpot provides numerous free templates, ebooks, and even programs so you possibly can put your learnings into motion instantly.
Social Media Templates
I don’t find out about you, however utilizing templates is the simplest approach for me to be taught a brand new ability. Templates are hands-on whereas nonetheless guiding you thru a brand new course of. Listed here are a number of templates I like to recommend utilizing as you’re studying social media advertising and marketing.
5. Social Media Content material Calendar Template
Earlier than you load your social media content material right into a publishing software (HubSpot has one, once you‘re prepared for it), you’ll wish to arrange all of it in an offline calendar. This free template lets you type your social media content material in a spreadsheet that is designed that will help you monitor the day, time, and social media channel on which all the things you create is being promoted.
Greatest for: I like to recommend utilizing this template together with HubSpot’s scheduling software for a seamless publishing course of.
6. Social Media Marketing campaign Templates
An sudden a part of social media advertising and marketing is managing a funds. This social media marketing campaign template helps you monitor your marketing campaign funds to verify it aligns along with your month-to-month and annual advertising and marketing budgets.
What I like: As somebody who doesn’t have a ton of expertise managing marketing campaign budgets, I like that this template is beginner-friendly.
7. Airtable’s Social Media Planning and Design Template
As soon as you’ve got organized your social media calendar right into a spreadsheet, you may also wish to load this content material right into a undertaking administration platform so you possibly can visually plan your content material. Airtable is one such platform that will help you try this, and this free template makes it simple to get began.
8. Social Media Picture Templates
It is well-known that visuals get extra engagement on social media than simply textual content. Get your designs off on the appropriate foot with this assortment of social media picture templates. There are over 50 templates included for Instagram, Fb, Twitter (X), and LinkedIn.
Greatest for: I like that the templates are in Google Slides which makes them simple to edit and customise, even with out graphic design expertise.
9. Instagram Templates for Enterprise
Instagram is essentially the most image-focused social channel on the market, and due to that, not simply any picture will attain your viewers. To chop by way of the crowds, use this assortment of Instagram templates to create brand-aligned posts that resonate along with your viewers.
What I like: The bundle contains templates for tales and posts.
Social Media Advertising and marketing Ebooks
Need to dive deeper right into a social media finest follow or technique? These ebooks will present professional insights on particular channels and subjects.
10. The way to Use Instagram for Enterprise
This step-by-step information explains the explanations to create a enterprise Instagram account and the way to execute on Instagram to drive outcomes. Instagram professional Jenn Herman shares her ideas for leveraging algorithms, mastering hashtag finest practices, and creating an efficient Instagram Reels technique.
Greatest for: Entrepreneurs or companies who wish to take their Instagram presence to the subsequent stage.
11. Mastering Enterprise Development on LinkedIn: The Marketer’s Information
Whether or not you have got an organization web page on LinkedIn otherwise you’re creating thought management content material, this information provides step-by-step optimization methods for visibility, methods to construct an engaged neighborhood, and ideas for creating impactful content material.
Greatest for: B2B entrepreneurs or enterprise house owners who wish to attain their viewers on LinkedIn.
12. The Newbie’s Information to Meta Advertising and marketing
This multi-page book will present you the way to use Meta, which incorporates Fb and Instagram, to drive actual enterprise outcomes in your group. This useful useful resource will particularly dive into promoting ideas and techniques.
Professional tip: In case you’re new to social media promoting, this book is a beginner-friendly place to begin.
13. 50 Fb Advert Examples We Truly Clicked
After you’ve downloaded the book above, seize this one subsequent. Creating attention-grabbing advertisements is without doubt one of the trickiest components about Fb promoting. This book highlights 50 efficient Fb advert examples throughout 17 industries to make use of as inspiration.
What I like: In case you’re a visible learner like me, you’ll respect the real-life examples that you should use as a information in your personal advertisements.
14. The Full Information to YouTube for Enterprise
YouTube is getting essentially the most funding from entrepreneurs in 2025. If you wish to sustain with the present state of social video advertising and marketing, YouTube is important. This complete book breaks down confirmed methods to spice up model consciousness, generate engagement, and drive development by way of YouTube video content material.
What I like: Every social channel has a unique algorithm, so I respect how this book breaks down the way to optimize your content material for YouTube’s.
Social Media Advertising and marketing Programs
Much like ebooks, programs are a good way to dive deeper into social media advertising and marketing subjects. Programs are normally self-paced and embrace quizzes so you possibly can check your information.
15. Instagram Advertising and marketing and Adverts Course
This free course within the HubSpot Academy will train you the way to construct a profitable advertising and marketing technique. In case you’re concerned with studying the way to create extra participating content material, nurture your neighborhood, and use Meta advertisements to develop your corporation, you’ll discover all of it on this course. The course consists of 6 classes, 18 movies, and 5 quizzes and takes lower than three hours to finish.
Greatest for: Social media entrepreneurs, content material creators, or enterprise house owners who have already got an Instagram presence and wish to develop.
16. YouTube Advertising and marketing Course
As I discussed above, YouTube is a high advertising and marketing channel in 2025. This free course breaks down all the things it’s essential know to develop and monetize your channel, create extra participating content material, and optimize your movies for YouTube’s search algorithm.
What I like: This course is taught by YouTube influencers and consultants, which implies you’ll get insider ideas and methods.
17. Fb Adverts and Advertising and marketing Course
Much like the Instagram advertising and marketing course I shared above, this course will help you be taught the fundamentals of Fb advertising and marketing and promoting in below two hours. A great Fb technique makes use of a mixture of natural and paid content material, and the teachings on this course enable you to perceive how they work collectively.
Professional tip: I like to recommend taking each the Instagram and Fb advertising and marketing programs. Whereas they’re each Meta platforms, every channel is barely completely different when it comes to what works effectively.
18. Social Media Advertising and marketing Certification
When you’ve dipped your toes into the intro programs for every platform, I counsel taking the social media advertising and marketing certification. Having a certification is a good way to display your experience, whether or not you’re a marketer or a content material creator. This free certification course contains 10 classes, 38 movies, and 29 quizzes.
Professional tip: In my expertise, having a HubSpot certification displayed in your LinkedIn profile or web site is a good way to ascertain credibility as they’re acknowledged throughout the business.
Social Media Advertising and marketing Movies
Movies are my second favourite medium to be taught, behind books. Having the ability to glean from the brightest minds on any topic as when you’re face-to-face is highly effective. These movies and channels provides you with useful insights and distinctive views on the way to do social media effectively.
19. GaryVee
You may’t speak about social media with out speaking in regards to the speaker, creator, and social professional Gary Vaynerchuk. His YouTube channel is a superb supply of data and inspiration for entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, and content material creators alike.
20. TED Talks: Social Media Advertising and marketing
TED talks are well-known for overlaying insightful subjects led by business consultants, and there are a lot round social media. There is probably not that a lot actionable recommendation in these movies, however if you wish to turn out to be an professional on social media, these movies provides you with perception into deeper topics like “the hidden affect of social networks.”
21. HubSpot Advertising and marketing
HubSpot’s Advertising and marketing channel on YouTube is filled with fast, actionable recommendations on a variety of social media subjects. Whether or not you wish to be taught the way to confirm your LinkedIn account or monetize your YouTube account, you’ll discover simple how-to movies on this channel.
22. Free Social Media Certification
HubSpot Academy has a breadth of video programs throughout inbound and digital advertising and marketing. The free social media course contains 38 movies that train you the basics of managing a social media marketing campaign for your corporation. It additionally earns you a contemporary Social Media Certification.
Social Media Podcasts
Podcasts are a good way to be taught straight from the consultants. Not solely are they handy to hearken to on the go, however they typically have a first-person perspective on social media or interviews with those that work straight within the business.
23. Social Media Advertising and marketing Podcast
On this podcast, Michael Stelzner, from Social Media Examiner, brings you success tales and professional interviews from main social media advertising and marketing professionals.
What I like: This podcast has been printed weekly since 2012, so there are tons of episodes to compensate for. It is also attention-grabbing to hearken to outdated episodes to see how a lot social media has developed through the years.
24. The Social Professionals Podcast
This podcast is produced by the group at Persuade and Convert and is without doubt one of the longest-running advertising and marketing podcasts on the market. Each episode of the Social Professionals Podcast shines the sunshine on actual professionals doing actual work for actual firms akin to Google, Reddit, Uber, and extra.
What I like: Whereas this podcast is targeted on social media, it additionally zooms out to debate the way it overlaps with the remainder of an organization’s advertising and marketing technique.
25. Advertising and marketing Towards the Grain
On this podcast, HubSpot’s CMO and Zapier’s CMO present an unfiltered perspective on advertising and marketing tendencies and development techniques whereas sharing contemporary concepts that any marketer can apply to their technique.
Professional tip: You too can tune into the episodes on YouTube when you desire video over audio.
26. The Aim Digger Podcast
With over 110 million downloads, it’s secure to say The Aim Digger Podcast is without doubt one of the hottest advertising and marketing and enterprise podcasts on the market. Hosted by entrepreneur Jenna Kutcher, this podcast is a superb useful resource to find out about advertising and marketing your corporation, getting cash on-line, and rising your social media following.
Greatest for: I like to recommend listening to this podcast when you’re a solopreneur or content material creator.
27. Create Just like the Greats
Marketer Ross Simmonds delves into what makes nice concepts unfold and the way to create issues that final. One of many recurring subjects is the way to get essentially the most out of your content material, whether or not by repurposing or maximizing distribution channels. This can be a must-listen when you’re on a small advertising and marketing group or are a solo content material creator.
What I like: Social media is fast-paced, and classy content material is commonly prioritized, so I respect this podcast’s strategy with regards to creating (and repurposing) lasting content material.
Social Media Newsletters
In case you’re a fan of newsletters like I’m, I feel you’ll respect seeing these social media insights in your inbox.
28. Advertising and marketing Brew
From the group at Morning Brew, Advertising and marketing Brew is a weekday publication that covers model technique, social media, and promoting tech.
Greatest for: I like to recommend this article to entrepreneurs in any respect ranges who wish to keep on high of business tendencies and updates.
29. Hyperlink in Bio
From social media advisor Rachel Karten, I like to recommend Hyperlink in Bio for anybody who works in social media or is concerned with it as a profession. The publication shares interviews with real-life social managers behind main manufacturers and provides insightful breakdowns of social methods.
What I like: The publication options interviews and techniques from manufacturers throughout industries, which is at all times a good way to get a contemporary perspective.
30. Future Social
Jack Appleby, social media, model, and influencer advisor, shares his social technique experience in his publication, Future Social. After main technique for manufacturers like Microsoft, Beats By Dre, and Verizon, he now shares case research, theoretical methods, and content material breakdowns to assist entrepreneurs and creators enhance their social presence.
Greatest for: Content material creators or entrepreneurs who work with content material creators would profit from the insights on model technique.
Social Media Advertising and marketing Books
Books are my favourite approach to be taught. Many consultants agree that when you learn a guide per week in your space of experience for five years, you’ll have the equal of a Ph.D. on the topic. That will or is probably not true, however studying books from the consultants positively would not make you a worse marketer. Listed here are some books to get you began.
31. Influencer: Constructing Your Private Model within the Age of Social Media
Written by creator financial system professional, Brittany Hennessy, this guide delves into precisely the way to construct an viewers and a model on-line. This guide is simply as useful for inexperienced persons as it’s for content material creators who have already got an viewers, because it additionally covers the way to safe model offers and elevate your content material.
Greatest for: I like to recommend studying this when you’re a content material creator or anybody who desires to enhance their thought management content material.
32. The New Guidelines of Advertising and marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott’s guide on digital advertising and marketing is a world bestseller and is value each penny. Some argue that it needs to be required studying for any marketer. I can personally verify that I learn it in the beginning of my advertising and marketing profession and felt it was an important useful resource for getting began.
Greatest for: In case you’re early into your advertising and marketing profession or simply getting began with social media advertising and marketing.
33. Contagious: Why Issues Catch On
This guide by Jonah Berger gives a robust basis to grasp how content material goes viral – and the way to create concepts on social media which might be so catchy, your viewers will not be capable of assist however click on them.
Now that you just‘ve reviewed the highest social media advertising and marketing sources, it’s time to create your motion plan for getting on the market and really executing your information.
The way to Begin Social Media Advertising and marketing
- Go the place your clients are.
- Present worth.
- Set reasonable and measurable targets.
- Maximize your present sources.
- Have conversations.
- Take heed to your viewers.
- Do not get trapped by tendencies.
- Give attention to high quality, not amount.
- Tailor your content material and messaging to every platform.
- By no means cease studying.
1. Go the place your clients are.
You don‘t should be on each platform. It’s a typical mistake when beginning out to attempt to broaden your attain by being all over the place. But when your target market is on LinkedIn, creating TikTok content material is probably going wasted effort.
In case you’re working quick on advertising and marketing sources, determine which platform (or two) your viewers is most energetic on after which double down on creating significant content material and experiences on that platform. You may at all times broaden your efforts into completely different platforms later.
2. Present worth.
Audiences watch TV to be entertained, get knowledgeable, or unwind, to not view commercials. The identical is true for social media customers. Likelihood is, when you do nothing besides promote your self, you gained‘t get far with social media as a result of signing into social media shouldn’t be indicative that they’re able to be offered to.
So, how do you meet audiences on their turf in a approach that earns you significant consciousness and engagement? The 80/20 Rule.
This “rule” states that profitable social media advertising and marketing means offering one thing for the viewers 80% of the time and selling your model 20% of the time. In case your viewers is hungry in your content material, they‘re way more prepared to additionally settle for promotional messaging so long as it’s not too overwhelming or obtrusive.
3. Set reasonable and measurable targets.
In case you start your social media advertising and marketing efforts with no vacation spot in thoughts, you could end up floundering. Get clear on what you want out of your efforts in an effort to set targets and measure your progress in direction of them.
For instance, you could be utilizing social media to extend your model consciousness, which implies you‘d take a look at your posts’ attain and the way your viewers is rising. However, if you wish to drive site visitors out of your web site, you may measure click-throughs.
It‘s vital additionally to start with a benchmark in an effort to set reasonable targets. Taking pictures for the moon is good, however you’ll additionally wish to measure in opposition to achievable milestones to gauge efficiency and make correct (inside cause) predictions for strategic planning.
4. Maximize your present sources.
As you’re getting began with social media advertising and marketing, you won’t have a variety of content material to share but.
Creating content material will be arduous, even when you select only one or two platforms, so it is vital to not overtax your sources. As an alternative, take into account methods which you could make the most of, adapt, and repurpose present content material to make your sources stretch even additional.
Then you possibly can resolve on a publishing schedule that’s applicable for the community you’ve got chosen and the sources you have got for content material creation.
5. Have conversations.
Don‘t overlook the “social” in “social media.” Social media advertising and marketing isn’t about broadcasting; it is about speaking. By interacting along with your viewers on-line, you possibly can enhance model consciousness by growing engagement. As well as, this engagement tends to be extra memorable and pleasant than non-personalized interactions.
6. Take heed to your viewers.
Buyer suggestions, direct mentions of your model, and even business chatter can all inform your social technique. By listening to the conversations your viewers has on social media, you possibly can give you new concepts for content material primarily based on real-time business tendencies, shifting your social media advertising and marketing technique to suit their wants. Social listening instruments akin to HubSpot and Sprout Social can streamline this course of and result in superb insights.
7. Do not get trapped by tendencies.
You’ll discover tendencies come and go faster than you possibly can whip collectively related content material for them.
It might be tempting to take part in each development to generate engagement, however they’ll typically result in a big viewers of unengaged followers who aren‘t concerned with your model. This isn’t a super approach to develop.
The perfect factor you are able to do is create content material that aligns along with your model and viewers. Solely take part in tendencies when you possibly can naturally incorporate your product or message.
8. Give attention to high quality, not amount.
This tip will be utilized to so many issues within the social media area:
- High quality, not amount, of followers
- High quality, not amount, of posts you create
- High quality, not amount, of engagement
The actual fact of the matter is, though it could appear to be sluggish development over time, high quality issues on social media and can drive extra significant outcomes and higher ROI, which is the muse of profitable social media advertising and marketing.
9. Tailor your content material and messaging to every platform.
In case you‘re on a number of platforms, it’s finest to stick to finest practices for that particular platform.
Whereas it could be tempting to create the identical message and promote the identical approach to save time, this could really harm the expertise for social media customers.
Every platform has completely different searching habits, picture thumbnail codecs, character counts, finest practices for hashtags, and extra. For optimum expertise (and efficiency), perceive what works finest on every social media channel and tailor your messaging to suit.
10. By no means cease studying.
Regardless of what number of social networks you got down to grasp, or how lengthy you’re employed within the social advertising and marketing discipline, there may be one secret that can make sure you’re profitable: By no means cease studying.
Doing issues like taking programs or getting licensed in social media advertising and marketing will help you progress up in your function or take your model’s social media presence to the subsequent stage.
Constructing Your Social Media Experience Over Time
The record above is huge, I do know, and there is not any approach to eat all these sources within the subsequent week. However by maintaining these sources useful, you possibly can be taught as you go.
Steady training within the social media advertising and marketing area is important not solely to remain on high of finest practices and platform updates, but additionally to refine your skillset.
Editor’s observe: This publish was initially printed in March 2015 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
