How to learn social media marketing: 33 resources for beginners

Social media marketing is a lot of work. It’s a fast-paced industry that quickly evolves by the time you learn a new skill, trend, or platform update. Whether you’re a marketer, a content creator, or a business owner, understanding social media involves a range of skills that require you to always be learning.

To hone these skills, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of social media marketing resources.

From blogs to templates to courses, if you’re wondering how to learn social media marketing, these resources will accelerate your knowledge.

Table of Contents

How to Learn Social Media Marketing: 33 Free Resources

Social Media Marketing Blogs

Social media marketing is a science involving special communication skills. And the landscape changes constantly.

One of the best ways to develop your social media prowess and to stay up-to-date is to follow experts in the field. These blogs are always fresh with actionable information you can use to improve your marketing:

1. Social Media Examiner

Since 2009, Social Media Examiner has been one of the top social media blogs in the world. The website publishes regular blog content with valuable tips and insights. The website also puts together social media reports filled with all the important data social marketers want.

What I like: In addition to its blog, Social Media Examiner also shares a newsletter that goes out three times per week, multiple podcasts, and a YouTube channel. So no matter what learning format you prefer, Social Media Examiner makes its content accessible.

2. Social Media Today

I regularly turn to Social Media Today to find out the latest news in the social media industry. This website is the most news-driven resource on this list, regularly sharing stories about platform updates, trends, or industry changes.

Best for: Staying on top of platform news and updates.

3. Sprout Social

You may know Sprout Social as a social media management platform, but it also produces a value-packed blog. I like Sprout Social’s blog for its data-driven content that focuses on high-level strategy. Sprout Social also produces value-packed reports on the social media landscape with insights that social media managers can use to refine their strategies.

Best for: Social media strategists, teams, and agencies that want to learn how to improve strategy, set up better workflows, and communicate social performance with shareholders.

4. HubSpot Marketing Blog

Right here on the HubSpot Marketing Blog, you can find actionable how-to guides on every social network there is. The HubSpot Marketing Blog team covers everything from best practices and strategies for different social channels to post ideas to real-life experiments and examples. Before I even wrote for HubSpot, I personally turned to the Marketing Blog throughout my career when I wanted to learn about a new social media topic.

What I like: In addition to helpful blog content, HubSpot offers countless free templates, ebooks, and even courses so you can put your learnings into action right away.

Social Media Templates

I don’t know about you, but using templates is the easiest way for me to learn a new skill. Templates are hands-on while still guiding you through a new process. Here are a few templates I recommend using as you’re learning social media marketing.

5. Social Media Content Calendar Template

Before you load your social media content into a publishing tool (HubSpot has one, when you‘re ready for it), you’ll want to organize it all in an offline calendar. This free template allows you to sort your social media content in a spreadsheet that’s designed to help you track the day, time, and social media channel on which everything you create is being promoted.

Best for: I recommend using this template along with HubSpot’s scheduling tool for a seamless publishing process.

6. Social Media Campaign Templates

An unexpected part of social media marketing is managing a budget. This social media campaign template helps you track your campaign budget to make sure it aligns with your monthly and annual marketing budgets.

What I like: As someone who doesn’t have a ton of experience managing campaign budgets, I like that this template is beginner-friendly.

7. Airtable’s Social Media Planning and Design Template

Once you’ve organized your social media calendar into a spreadsheet, you might also want to load this content into a project management platform so you can visually plan your content. Airtable is one such platform to help you do that, and this free template makes it easy to get started.

8. Social Media Image Templates

It’s well-known that visuals get more engagement on social media than just text. Get your designs off on the right foot with this collection of social media image templates. There are over 50 templates included for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and LinkedIn.

Best for: I like that the templates are in Google Slides which makes them easy to edit and customize, even without graphic design experience.

9. Instagram Templates for Business

Instagram is the most image-focused social channel out there, and because of that, not just any image will reach your audience. To cut through the crowds, use this collection of Instagram templates to create brand-aligned posts that resonate with your audience.

What I like: The package includes templates for stories and posts.

Social Media Marketing Ebooks

Want to dive deeper into a social media best practice or strategy? These ebooks will provide expert insights on specific channels and topics.

10. How to Use Instagram for Business

This step-by-step guide explains the reasons to create a business Instagram account and how to execute on Instagram to drive results. Instagram expert Jenn Herman shares her tips for leveraging algorithms, mastering hashtag best practices, and developing an effective Instagram Reels strategy.

Best for: Marketers or businesses who want to take their Instagram presence to the next level.

11. Mastering Business Growth on LinkedIn: The Marketer’s Guide

Whether you have a company page on LinkedIn or you’re creating thought leadership content, this guide offers step-by-step optimization techniques for visibility, strategies to build an engaged community, and tips for creating impactful content.

Best for: B2B marketers or business owners who want to reach their audience on LinkedIn.

12. The Beginner’s Guide to Meta Marketing

This multi-page ebook will show you how to use Meta, which includes Facebook and Instagram, to drive real business results for your organization. This helpful resource will specifically dive into advertising tips and strategies.

Pro tip: If you’re new to social media advertising, this ebook is a beginner-friendly place to start.

13. 50 Facebook Ad Examples We Actually Clicked

After you’ve downloaded the ebook above, grab this one next. Creating attention-grabbing ads is one of the trickiest parts about Facebook advertising. This ebook highlights 50 effective Facebook ad examples across 17 industries to use as inspiration.

What I like: If you’re a visual learner like me, you’ll appreciate the real-life examples that you can use as a guide for your own ads.

14. The Complete Guide to YouTube for Business

YouTube is getting the most investment from marketers in 2025. If you want to keep up with the current state of social video marketing, YouTube is essential. This comprehensive ebook breaks down proven strategies to boost brand awareness, generate engagement, and drive growth through YouTube video content.

What I like: Each social channel has a different algorithm, so I appreciate how this ebook breaks down how to optimize your content for YouTube’s.

Social Media Marketing Courses

Similar to ebooks, courses are a great way to dive deeper into social media marketing topics. Courses are usually self-paced and include quizzes so you can test your knowledge.

15. Instagram Marketing and Ads Course

This free course in the HubSpot Academy will teach you how to build a successful marketing strategy. If you’re interested in learning how to create more engaging content, nurture your community, and use Meta ads to grow your business, you’ll find it all in this course. The course consists of 6 lessons, 18 videos, and 5 quizzes and takes less than three hours to complete.

Best for: Social media marketers, content creators, or business owners who already have an Instagram presence and want to grow.

16. YouTube Marketing Course

As I mentioned above, YouTube is a top marketing channel in 2025. This free course breaks down everything you need to know to grow and monetize your channel, create more engaging content, and optimize your videos for YouTube’s search algorithm.

What I like: This course is taught by YouTube influencers and experts, which means you’ll get insider tips and tricks.

17. Facebook Ads and Marketing Course

Similar to the Instagram marketing course I shared above, this course can help you learn the basics of Facebook marketing and advertising in under two hours. A good Facebook strategy uses a combination of organic and paid content, and the lessons in this course help you understand how they work together.

Pro tip: I recommend taking both the Instagram and Facebook marketing courses. While they are both Meta platforms, each channel is slightly different in terms of what works well.

18. Social Media Marketing Certification

Once you’ve dipped your toes into the intro courses for each platform, I suggest taking the social media marketing certification. Having a certification is a great way to demonstrate your expertise, whether you’re a marketer or a content creator. This free certification course includes 10 lessons, 38 videos, and 29 quizzes.

Pro tip: In my experience, having a HubSpot certification displayed on your LinkedIn profile or website is a great way to establish credibility as they’re recognized across the industry.

Social Media Marketing Videos

Videos are my second favorite medium to learn, behind books. Being able to glean from the brightest minds on any subject as if you’re face-to-face is powerful. These videos and channels will give you valuable insights and unique perspectives on how to do social media well.

19. GaryVee

You can’t talk about social media without talking about the speaker, author, and social expert Gary Vaynerchuk. His YouTube channel is a great source of information and inspiration for marketers, entrepreneurs, and content creators alike.

20. TED Talks: Social Media Marketing

TED talks are famous for covering insightful topics led by industry experts, and there are plenty around social media. There may not be that much actionable advice in these videos, but if you want to become an expert on social media, these videos will give you insight into deeper subjects like “the hidden influence of social networks.”

21. HubSpot Marketing

HubSpot’s Marketing channel on YouTube is full of quick, actionable tips on a range of social media topics. Whether you want to learn how to verify your LinkedIn account or monetize your YouTube account, you’ll find easy how-to videos on this channel.

22. Free Social Media Certification

HubSpot Academy has a breadth of video courses across inbound and digital marketing. The free social media course includes 38 videos that teach you the fundamentals of managing a social media campaign for your business. It also earns you a fresh Social Media Certification.

Social Media Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to learn directly from the experts. Not only are they convenient to listen to on the go, but they often have a first-person perspective on social media or interviews with those who work directly in the industry.

23. Social Media Marketing Podcast

In this podcast, Michael Stelzner, from Social Media Examiner, brings you success stories and expert interviews from leading social media marketing pros.

What I like: This podcast has been published weekly since 2012, so there are tons of episodes to catch up on. It could also be interesting to listen to old episodes to see how much social media has evolved over the years.

24. The Social Pros Podcast

This podcast is produced by the team at Convince and Convert and is one of the longest-running marketing podcasts out there. Every episode of the Social Pros Podcast shines the light on real pros doing real work for real companies such as Google, Reddit, Uber, and more.

What I like: While this podcast is focused on social media, it also zooms out to discuss how it overlaps with the rest of a company’s marketing strategy.

25. Marketing Against the Grain

In this podcast, HubSpot’s CMO and Zapier’s CMO provide an unfiltered perspective on marketing trends and growth tactics while sharing fresh ideas that any marketer can apply to their strategy.

Pro tip: You can also tune into the episodes on YouTube if you prefer video over audio.

26. The Goal Digger Podcast

With over 110 million downloads, it’s safe to say The Goal Digger Podcast is one of the most popular marketing and business podcasts out there. Hosted by entrepreneur Jenna Kutcher, this podcast is a great resource to learn about marketing your business, making money online, and growing your social media following.

Best for: I recommend listening to this podcast if you’re a solopreneur or content creator.

27. Create Like the Greats

Marketer Ross Simmonds delves into what makes great ideas spread and how to create things that last. One of the recurring topics is how to get the most out of your content, whether by repurposing or maximizing distribution channels. This is a must-listen if you’re on a small marketing team or are a solo content creator.

What I like: Social media is fast-paced, and trendy content is often prioritized, so I appreciate this podcast’s approach when it comes to creating (and repurposing) lasting content.

Social Media Newsletters

If you’re a fan of newsletters like I am, I think you’ll appreciate seeing these social media insights in your inbox.

28. Marketing Brew

From the team at Morning Brew, Marketing Brew is a weekday newsletter that covers brand strategy, social media, and advertising tech.

Best for: I recommend this newsletter to marketers at all levels who want to stay on top of industry trends and updates.

29. Link in Bio

From social media consultant Rachel Karten, I recommend Link in Bio for anyone who works in social media or is interested in it as a career. The newsletter shares interviews with real-life social managers behind major brands and offers insightful breakdowns of social strategies.

What I like: The newsletter features interviews and strategies from brands across industries, which is always a great way to get a fresh perspective.

30. Future Social

Jack Appleby, social media, brand, and influencer consultant, shares his social strategy expertise in his newsletter, Future Social. After leading strategy for brands like Microsoft, Beats By Dre, and Verizon, he now shares case studies, theoretical strategies, and content breakdowns to help marketers and creators improve their social presence.

Best for: Content creators or marketers who work with content creators would benefit from the insights on brand strategy.

Social Media Marketing Books

Books are my favorite way to learn. Many experts agree that if you read a book a week on your area of expertise for 5 years, you will have the equivalent of a Ph.D. on the subject. That may or may not be true, but reading books from the experts definitely doesn’t make you a worse marketer. Here are some books to get you started.

31. Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

Written by creator economy expert, Brittany Hennessy, this book delves into exactly how to build an audience and a brand online. This book is just as valuable for beginners as it is for content creators who already have an audience, as it also covers how to secure brand deals and elevate your content.

Best for: I recommend reading this if you’re a content creator or anyone who wants to improve their thought leadership content.

32. The New Rules of Marketing and PR

David Meerman Scott’s book on digital marketing is an international bestseller and is worth every penny. Some argue that it should be required reading for any marketer. I can personally confirm that I read it at the beginning of my marketing career and felt it was a great resource for getting started.

Best for: If you’re early into your marketing career or just getting started with social media marketing.

33. Contagious: Why Things Catch On

This book by Jonah Berger provides a strong foundation to understand how content goes viral – and how to create ideas on social media that are so catchy, your audience won’t be able to help but click them.

Now that you‘ve reviewed the top social media marketing resources, it’s time to create your action plan for getting out there and actually executing your knowledge.

1. Go where your customers are.

You don‘t have to be on every platform. It’s a common mistake when starting out to try to expand your reach by being everywhere. But if your target audience is on LinkedIn, creating TikTok content is likely wasted effort.

If you’re running short on marketing resources, identify which platform (or two) your audience is most active on and then double down on creating meaningful content and experiences on that platform. You can always expand your efforts into different platforms later.

2. Provide value.

Audiences watch TV to be entertained, get informed, or unwind, not to view commercials. The same is true for social media users. Chances are, if you do nothing except promote yourself, you won‘t get far with social media because signing into social media is not indicative that they’re ready to be sold to.

So, how do you meet audiences on their turf in a way that earns you meaningful awareness and engagement? The 80/20 Rule.

This “rule” states that successful social media marketing means providing something for the audience 80% of the time and promoting your brand 20% of the time. If your audience is hungry for your content, they‘re much more willing to also accept promotional messaging as long as it’s not too overwhelming or obtrusive.

3. Set realistic and measurable goals.

If you begin your social media marketing efforts with no destination in mind, you may find yourself floundering. Get clear on what you need from your efforts so that you can set goals and measure your progress towards them.

For example, you might be using social media to increase your brand awareness, which means you‘d look at your posts’ reach and how your audience is growing. On the other hand, if you want to drive traffic from your website, you might measure click-throughs.

It‘s important also to begin with a benchmark so that you can set realistic goals. Shooting for the moon is nice, but you’ll also want to measure against achievable milestones to gauge performance and make accurate (within reason) predictions for strategic planning.

4. Maximize your existing resources.

As you’re getting started with social media marketing, you might not have a lot of content to share yet.

Creating content can be arduous, even if you choose just one or two platforms, so it’s important not to overtax your resources. Instead, consider ways that you can utilize, adapt, and repurpose existing content to make your resources stretch even further.

Then you can decide on a publishing schedule that is appropriate for the network you’ve chosen and the resources you have for content creation.

5. Have conversations.

Don‘t forget the “social” in “social media.” Social media marketing isn’t about broadcasting; it’s about communicating. By interacting with your audience online, you can increase brand awareness by increasing engagement. In addition, this engagement tends to be more memorable and delightful than non-personalized interactions.

6. Listen to your audience.

Customer feedback, direct mentions of your brand, and even industry chatter can all inform your social strategy. By listening to the conversations your audience has on social media, you can come up with new ideas for content based on real-time industry trends, shifting your social media marketing strategy to fit their needs. Social listening tools such as HubSpot and Sprout Social can streamline this process and lead to amazing insights.

7. Don’t get trapped by trends.

You’ll notice trends come and go quicker than you can whip together relevant content for them.

It may be tempting to participate in every trend to generate engagement, but they can often lead to a large audience of unengaged followers who aren‘t interested in your brand. This isn’t an ideal way to grow.

The best thing you can do is create content that aligns with your brand and audience. Only participate in trends when you can naturally incorporate your product or message.

8. Focus on quality, not quantity.

This tip can be applied to so many things in the social media space:

• Quality, not quantity, of followers
• Quality, not quantity, of posts you create
• Quality, not quantity, of engagement

The fact of the matter is, even though it may seem like slow growth over time, quality matters on social media and will drive more meaningful results and better ROI, which is the foundation of successful social media marketing.

9. Tailor your content and messaging to each platform.

If you‘re on multiple platforms, it’s best to adhere to best practices for that specific platform.

While it may be tempting to create the same message and promote the same way to save time, this can actually hurt the experience for social media users.

Each platform has different browsing behavior, image thumbnail formats, character counts, best practices for hashtags, and more. For optimal experience (and performance), understand what works best on each social media channel and tailor your messaging to fit.

10. Never stop learning.

No matter how many social networks you set out to master, or how long you work in the social marketing field, there is one secret that will ensure you’re successful: Never stop learning.

Doing things like taking courses or getting certified in social media marketing can help you move up in your role or take your brand’s social media presence to the next level.

Building Your Social Media Expertise Over Time

The list above is massive, I know, and there’s no way to consume all these resources in the next week. But by keeping these resources handy, you can learn as you go.

Continuous education in the social media marketing space is essential not only to stay on top of best practices and platform updates, but also to refine your skillset.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2015 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.