Social media advertising and marketing is plenty of work. It’s a fast-paced business that rapidly evolves by the point you study a brand new talent, development, or platform replace. Whether or not you’re a marketer, a content material creator, or a enterprise proprietor, understanding social media entails a spread of expertise that require you to all the time be studying.
To hone these expertise, I’ve put collectively a complete listing of social media advertising and marketing assets.
From blogs to templates to programs, when you’re questioning the right way to study social media advertising and marketing, these assets will speed up your information.
Desk of Contents
Be taught Social Media Advertising: 33 Free Assets
Social Media Advertising Blogs
Social media marketing is a science involving particular communication expertise. And the panorama adjustments continuously.
Top-of-the-line methods to develop your social media prowess and to remain up-to-date is to observe consultants within the subject. These blogs are all the time contemporary with actionable data 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 earth. The web site publishes common weblog content material with precious ideas and insights. The web site additionally places collectively social media reviews crammed with all of the essential information social entrepreneurs need.
What I like: Along with its weblog, Social Media Examiner additionally shares a e-newsletter that goes out thrice per week, a number of podcasts, and a YouTube channel. So it doesn’t matter what studying format you like, Social Media Examiner makes its content material accessible.
2. Social Media Today
I usually flip to Social Media Right now to seek out out the most recent information within the social media business. This web site is essentially the most news-driven useful resource on this listing, usually sharing tales about platform updates, tendencies, or business adjustments.
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 reviews on the social media panorama with insights that social media managers can use to refine their methods.
Greatest for: Social media strategists, groups, and companies that wish to discover ways to enhance technique, arrange higher workflows, and talk social efficiency with shareholders.
4. HubSpot Marketing Blog
Proper right here on the HubSpot Advertising Weblog, yow will discover actionable how-to guides on each social community there may be. The HubSpot Advertising Weblog crew covers every little thing 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 Weblog all through my profession after I wished to study a brand new social media matter.
What I like: Along with useful weblog content material, HubSpot gives numerous free templates, ebooks, and even programs so you possibly can put your learnings into motion straight away.
Social Media Templates
I don’t learn about you, however utilizing templates is the best means for me to study a brand new talent. Templates are hands-on whereas nonetheless guiding you thru a brand new course of. Listed here are just a few templates I like to recommend utilizing as you’re studying social media advertising and marketing.
5. Social Media Content Calendar Template
Earlier than you load your social media content material right into a publishing instrument (HubSpot has one, if you‘re prepared for it), you’ll wish to arrange all of it in an offline calendar. This free template means that you can kind your social media content material in a spreadsheet that is designed that can assist you observe the day, time, and social media channel on which every little thing you create is being promoted.
Greatest for: I like to recommend utilizing this template together with HubSpot’s scheduling instrument for a seamless publishing course of.
6. Social Media Campaign Templates
An surprising a part of social media advertising and marketing is managing a price range. This social media marketing campaign template helps you observe your marketing campaign price range 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 additionally wish to load this content material right into a venture administration platform so you possibly can visually plan your content material. Airtable is one such platform that can assist you do this, and this free template makes it straightforward to get began.
8. Social Media Image Templates
It is well-known that visuals get extra engagement on social media than simply textual content. Get your designs off on the suitable 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 straightforward to edit and customise, even with out graphic design expertise.
9. Instagram Templates for Business
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 the crowds, use this assortment of Instagram templates to create brand-aligned posts that resonate along with your viewers.
What I like: The bundle consists of templates for tales and posts.
Social Media Advertising Ebooks
Need to dive deeper right into a social media finest observe or technique? These ebooks will present skilled insights on particular channels and subjects.
10. How to Use Instagram for Business
This step-by-step information explains the explanations to create a enterprise Instagram account and the right way to execute on Instagram to drive outcomes. Instagram skilled 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 degree.
11. Mastering Business Growth on LinkedIn: The Marketer’s Guide
Whether or not you will have an organization web page on LinkedIn otherwise you’re creating thought management content material, this information gives step-by-step optimization methods for visibility, methods to construct an engaged group, and ideas for creating impactful content material.
Greatest for: B2B entrepreneurs or enterprise homeowners who wish to attain their viewers on LinkedIn.
12. The Beginner’s Guide to Meta Marketing
This multi-page book will present you the right way to use Meta, which incorporates Fb and Instagram, to drive actual enterprise outcomes to your group. This beneficial useful resource will particularly dive into promoting ideas and techniques.
Professional tip: Should you’re new to social media promoting, this book is a beginner-friendly place to begin.
13. 50 Facebook Ad Examples We Actually Clicked
After you’ve downloaded the book above, seize this one subsequent. Creating attention-grabbing advertisements is likely 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: Should you’re a visible learner like me, you’ll respect the real-life examples that you should use as a information to your personal advertisements.
14. The Complete Guide to YouTube for Business
YouTube is getting essentially the most funding from marketers in 2025. If you wish to sustain with the present state of social video advertising and marketing, YouTube is crucial. This complete book breaks down confirmed methods to spice up model consciousness, generate engagement, and drive progress by YouTube video content material.
What I like: Every social channel has a distinct algorithm, so I respect how this book breaks down the right way to optimize your content material for YouTube’s.
Social Media Advertising Programs
Much like ebooks, programs are an effective way to dive deeper into social media advertising and marketing subjects. Programs are normally self-paced and embody quizzes so you possibly can check your information.
15. Instagram Marketing and Ads Course
This free course within the HubSpot Academy will train you the right way to construct a profitable advertising and marketing technique. Should you’re enthusiastic about studying the right way to create extra participating content material, nurture your group, and use Meta advertisements to develop your online business, 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 homeowners who have already got an Instagram presence and wish to develop.
16. YouTube Marketing Course
As I discussed above, YouTube is a high advertising and marketing channel in 2025. This free course breaks down every little thing you might want to 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. Facebook Ads and Marketing Course
Much like the Instagram advertising and marketing course I shared above, this course might help you study the fundamentals of Fb advertising and marketing and promoting in below two hours. An excellent Fb technique makes use of a mixture of natural and paid content material, and the teachings on this course aid you 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 by way of what works effectively.
18. Social Media Marketing Certification
When you’ve dipped your toes into the intro programs for every platform, I recommend taking the social media advertising and marketing certification. Having a certification is an effective way to exhibit your experience, whether or not you’re a marketer or a content material creator. This free certification course consists of 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 an effective way to ascertain credibility as they’re acknowledged throughout the business.
Social Media Advertising Movies
Movies are my second favourite medium to study, behind books. With 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 precious insights and distinctive views on the right way to do social media effectively.
19. GaryVee
You may’t discuss social media with out speaking concerning the speaker, writer, and social skilled Gary Vaynerchuk. His YouTube channel is a superb supply of knowledge and inspiration for entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, and content material creators alike.
20. TED Talks: Social Media Marketing
TED talks are well-known for masking insightful subjects led by business consultants, and there are loads round social media. There is probably not that a lot actionable recommendation in these movies, however if you wish to change into an skilled on social media, these movies provides you with perception into deeper topics like “the hidden influence of social networks.”
21. HubSpot Marketing
HubSpot’s Advertising channel on YouTube is filled with fast, actionable recommendations on a spread of social media subjects. Whether or not you wish to study how to verify your LinkedIn account or monetize your YouTube account, you’ll discover straightforward 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 consists of 38 movies that train you the basics of managing a social media marketing campaign for your online business. It additionally earns you a contemporary Social Media Certification.
Social Media Podcasts
Podcasts are an effective way to study immediately from the consultants. Not solely are they handy to take heed to on the go, however they typically have a first-person perspective on social media or interviews with those that work immediately within the business.
23. Social Media Marketing Podcast
On this podcast, Michael Stelzner, from Social Media Examiner, brings you success tales and skilled 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 make amends for. It is also fascinating to take heed to outdated episodes to see how a lot social media has advanced through the years.
24. The Social Pros Podcast
This podcast is produced by the crew at Convince and Convert and is likely 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 similar 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. Marketing Against the Grain
On this podcast, HubSpot’s CMO and Zapier’s CMO present an unfiltered perspective on advertising and marketing tendencies and progress techniques whereas sharing contemporary concepts that any marketer can apply to their technique.
Professional tip: You may also tune into the episodes on YouTube when you desire video over audio.
26. The Goal Digger Podcast
With over 110 million downloads, it’s protected to say The Objective Digger Podcast is likely 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 study advertising and marketing your online business, creating wealth 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 Like the Greats
Marketer Ross Simmonds delves into what makes nice concepts unfold and the right way to create issues that final. One of many recurring subjects is the right way to get essentially the most out of your content material, whether or not by repurposing or maximizing distribution channels. It is a must-listen when you’re on a small advertising and marketing crew or are a solo content material creator.
What I like: Social media is fast-paced, and classy content material is usually prioritized, so I respect this podcast’s method relating to creating (and repurposing) lasting content material.
Social Media Newsletters
Should you’re a fan of newsletters like I’m, I feel you’ll respect seeing these social media insights in your inbox.
28. Marketing Brew
From the crew at Morning Brew, Advertising Brew is a weekday e-newsletter that covers model technique, social media, and promoting tech.
Greatest for: I like to recommend this text to entrepreneurs in any respect ranges who wish to keep on high of business tendencies and updates.
29. Link in Bio
From social media marketing consultant Rachel Karten, I like to recommend Hyperlink in Bio for anybody who works in social media or is enthusiastic about it as a profession. The e-newsletter shares interviews with real-life social managers behind main manufacturers and gives insightful breakdowns of social methods.
What I like: The e-newsletter options interviews and techniques from manufacturers throughout industries, which is all the time an effective way to get a contemporary perspective.
30. Future Social
Jack Appleby, social media, model, and influencer marketing consultant, shares his social technique experience in his e-newsletter, 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 Books
Books are my favourite strategy to study. Many consultants agree that when you learn a e book per week in your space of experience for five years, you should have the equal of a Ph.D. on the topic. Which will or is probably not true, however studying books from the consultants positively does not make you a worse marketer. Listed here are some books to get you began.
31. Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media
Written by creator financial system skilled, Brittany Hennessy, this e book delves into precisely the right way to construct an viewers and a model on-line. This e book is simply as precious for newbies as it’s for content material creators who have already got an viewers, because it additionally covers the right 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 needs to enhance their thought management content material.
32. The New Rules of Marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott’s e book on digital advertising and marketing is a global bestseller and is price each penny. Some argue that it ought to be required studying for any marketer. I can personally affirm that I learn it at first of my advertising and marketing profession and felt it was an incredible useful resource for getting began.
Greatest for: Should you’re early into your advertising and marketing profession or simply getting began with social media advertising and marketing.
33. Contagious: Why Things Catch On
This e book by Jonah Berger supplies a robust basis to grasp how content material goes viral – and the right way to create concepts on social media which are so catchy, your viewers will not have the ability to assist however click on them.
Now that you just‘ve reviewed the highest social media advertising and marketing assets, it’s time to create your motion plan for getting on the market and truly executing your information.
Begin Social Media Advertising
- Go the place your prospects are.
- Present worth.
- Set reasonable and measurable objectives.
- Maximize your current assets.
- 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 prospects are.
You don‘t need to be on each platform. It’s a typical mistake when beginning out to attempt to broaden your attain by being in all places. But when your target market is on LinkedIn, creating TikTok content material is probably going wasted effort.
Should you’re working brief on advertising and marketing assets, determine which platform (or two) your viewers is most lively on after which double down on creating significant content material and experiences on that platform. You may all the time 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 received‘t get far with social media as a result of signing into social media just isn’t indicative that they’re able to be offered to.
So, how do you meet audiences on their turf in a means 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 to your content material, they‘re rather more prepared to additionally settle for promotional messaging so long as it’s not too overwhelming or obtrusive.
3. Set reasonable and measurable objectives.
Should you start your social media advertising and marketing efforts with no vacation spot in thoughts, you might end up floundering. Get clear on what you want out of your efforts so to set objectives and measure your progress in the 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 essential additionally to start with a benchmark so to set reasonable objectives. Capturing for the moon is sweet, 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 current assets.
As you’re getting began with social media advertising and marketing, you may not have plenty of content material to share but.
Creating content material could be arduous, even when you select only one or two platforms, so it is essential to not overtax your assets. As a substitute, contemplate methods you could make the most of, adapt, and repurpose existing content to make your assets stretch even additional.
Then you possibly can determine on a publishing schedule that’s applicable for the community you’ve got chosen and the assets you will have for content material creation.
5. Have conversations.
Don‘t neglect 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 provide you with 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 similar to HubSpot and Sprout Social can streamline this course of and result in wonderful 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 will typically result in a big viewers of unengaged followers who aren‘t enthusiastic about your model. This isn’t a really perfect strategy 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 could 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 gradual progress 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.
Should 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 strategy to save time, this may truly damage 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 subject, there may be one secret that may make sure you’re profitable: By no means cease studying.
Doing issues like taking programs or getting certified in social media marketing might help you progress up in your position or take your model’s social media presence to the subsequent degree.
Constructing Your Social Media Experience Over Time
The listing above is huge, I do know, and there isn’t any strategy to devour all these assets within the subsequent week. However by preserving these assets helpful, you possibly can study as you go.
Steady schooling within the social media advertising and marketing area is crucial not solely to remain on high of finest practices and platform updates, but in addition to refine your skillset.
Editor’s be aware: This publish was initially printed in March 2015 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
