Mediaboss Marketing

According to WARC Media, social media is the largest media channel worldwide by advertising investment, with Meta alone representing a 63% share of global social spend.

Social media has cemented its spot as the largest media channel worldwide by advertising investment, according to WARC Medias Global Advertising Trends report.

Having overtaken paid search last year, social media is forecast to total $247.3bn (198.1bn) in 2024, up 14.3% year-on-year. Meta alone is on track to surpass linear TV in global ad revenue by 2025.

In the UK, social media ad spend grew 15.6% year-on-year in 2023 and is forecast to reach 8.8bn in 2025, per the latest AA/WARC expenditure report. Much of this growth is attributed to rising spend on social video formats, up 20% on last year, according to IAB UK.

Users have also significantly increased their social media usage. According to GWI data, time spent on social platforms has increased by 50% since 2014, from an average daily consumption of 95 minutes to 152 minutes in 2024.

Alex Brownsell, head of content at WARC Media, said much of the success of social media has been driven by Metas remarkable renaissance.

Meta will earn $155.6bn (124.64bn) in ad revenue this year, representing a 63.0% share of global social spend. Both Facebook and Instagram grew by more than 20% year-on-year in Q1 2024.

The growth is fuelled by a wave of investment from Chinese exporters as well as the popularity of its AI tools. Metas Advantage+, which automates aspects of creative and media planning, are reportedly becoming increasingly popular with advertisers.

Meanwhile, Meta has also reportedly increased its ad load in Q4 2023 to 19.1%, with most Reels sessions now having seven or more ads.

With this dominance comes challenges, such as rising advertising loads in social environments, and the impact of AI on media planning, Brownsell warned.

Brownsell said social medias stronghold on budgets is also present in TikTok and a return to double-digit ad revenue growth at Snapchat and Pinterest.

WARC Media forecasts TikTok will earn $23.1bn (18.49bn) this year as growth slows against the potential threat of a ban in the US.

Despite introducing new search and shopping ad formats, TikToks 18.3% year-on-year revenue growth marks a significant slow down from the 87.8% growth rate it enjoyed last year.

Pinterests ad revenue is forecast to increase 17.3% year-on-year in 2024, while Snapchats is forecast to grow 13.7%.

WARC attributes the strong growth of both platforms to a refocus and leaning into their respective strengths.

On the other hand, Twitter/X continues to decline following a disastrous 2023. The platform is predicted to decline by 6.4% globally in 2024.

However, compared to a 46.4% decrease in 2023, it marks somewhat of a stabilisation for the Elon Musk-owned platform.

Continued here:
Global social media ad spend to approach 200bn in 2024 - Marketing Week

Looking to start a career in social media marketing? Its a wise move.

According to LinkedIn, there are currently 860,000 vacancies for digital marketing specialists alone. With more than 4.65 billion social media users around the globe, the demand for social media marketing skills is at an all-time high.

All of this means that if you want to compete in the digital marketing arena, you must be able to keep up which is what a social media marketing course can help you do.

Youll get a solid social media foundation, enhance your skill set, and have the credibility you need to position yourself as a serious candidate.

All you need to do is decide on the right course, and youll be golden.

With so many free courses to choose from, theres no need to break the budget.

Foundational knowledge on digital advertising is freely available just choose the course that best suits you and build your basic skills from there.

If you can invest in a paid social media course, extending your education through more in-depth knowledge could be worthwhile.

Choose from various courses on social media platforms, content curation, business growth, and more and take your social media marketing training to the next level.

If you want to learn social media marketing and add to your existing qualifications, a social media certification is the best way to do it.

Not only will you be upping your social media game, but by taking a social marketing certification exam, youll also be putting yourself in the top tier of marketing professionals.

With so many courses to look at and decisions to make, where do you even start?

Well help you by looking at some of our favorites from this list.

Basic social media marketing courses for small businesses.

Run by: Meta

If you own a small business, you might be looking for a Facebook blueprint to help launch you onto social media.

Now, Meta will do you one better by giving you the blueprint of all its social media platforms.

With various digital marketing courses designed to help you bring your business online, Meta will teach you how to identify potential customers, understand your target audience, set goals, and tell your business story.

By working through actual examples, youll learn how to apply the lessons to your own business for social media success.

Harness the power of TikTok to add value to your brand.

Run by: Skillshare

While youre concentrating on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube marketing, dont forget about TikTok.

Its not all dance moves, transitions, challenges, and trends; its a participatory social media platform with massive potential for your brand.

In this free course, youll learn exactly how the TikTok algorithm works, how to create and edit your own videos, and how to (hopefully) go viral too.

So, whether youre making videos for fun or looking to build brand awareness, youll know what youre doing every step of the way.

A crash course in social media marketing, strategy, and management.

Cost: 995

Run by: Growth Tribe

If youve got two days, then Growth Tribe has the ultimate digital marketing course a crash course on social media thats ideal for everyone from beginners to freelancers to business owners.

Sit down with leading marketing professionals and learn the essentials of internet marketing, content strategy, community building, influencer marketing, and more.

Its everything you need to develop a sound social media strategy and measure it, all delivered in one compact course.

Understand customer behavior, storytelling, role-modeling and overall brand management.

Cost: $1,390

Run by: Hyper Island

Do you know how to use Internet marketing to identify and engage your target audience? This social media course from Hyper Island will show you how.

Learn how to attract your online audience, convert them into leads, and achieve your goals all with the right digital marketing tools.

Youll be taken through social media marketing strategy, content strategy, analysis, and more all designed to help you understand your customer better and reach your targets.

Understanding how to retain, activate, and engage users.

Cost: $1,995/year site membership

Run by: Reforge

Its one thing to acquire new users; its another to convert, engage, and retain them. Thats what this in-depth course from Reforget will teach you.

From analyzing retention to activation and engagement strategies, youll learn the frameworks you need to improve your retention rates and boost your profitability.

Market your business on social media with simple tips and tools.

Cost: $20 (approx.)

Run by: LinkedIn Learning

Whether youre interested in promoting your business on one social media platform or across multiple platforms, youll need certain tools at your disposal.

This affordable, certified course from Linkedin Learning will give you all the tips you need from creating content and engaging with influencer marketing to using Google Analytics, boosting your social media marketing campaigns, and more.

Then when youre done, you can showcase your certificate on your LinkedIn profile for extra kudos.

Develop the social marketing skills needed to grow your business.

Cost: $199

Run by: Hootsuite

If its industry recognition youre after, this certification course from Hootsuite will give you just that.

Learn the building blocks of social media strategy, content marketing, community building, and how to measure your success. Plus, earn an online certificate as proof of your new-found expertise.

Learn how to craft social media content and boost engagement.

Cost: 995

Run by: Growth Tribe

Whether youre a digital marketing consultant, commerce manager, or part of a social media team, youll benefit from learning how to boost your engagement across multiple platforms.

Learn how to create an effective communication strategy, optimize your content, and build a brand identity. Youll also earn a certificate in Digital Communication at the same time.

Weve started you off with our social media certification picks. However, there are many other excellent digital marketing certifications out there to choose from.

Should you bother with them, though, particularly if theres a cost involved? The honest truth is yes.

Social media marketing is about more than firing off a quippy Facebook caption. Its about building brands, driving traffic, increasing sales, and creating a sharply curated dialogue between brand and consumer.

Good marketers make it look easy which is why beginners are often misled into thinking theyre just one viral dance challenge away from breaking the internet.

But theres a little more to it than that, and thats where social media marketing certification can help give you the edge.

Not only will you get the relevant training you need within a constantly evolving industry, but youll also have an accredited certification all of which can help increase your skill level and performance and boost your job prospects.

So, if you want to move to social media marketing, start your journey by upskilling yourself first.

For a position thats grown 30% faster than other marketing roles, its the smartest way to put your best foot forward.

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Featured Image: Ground Picture/Shutterstock

Enrolling in a free social media marketing course presents several advantages, particularly if youre new to digital marketing or operating with a limited budget. Benefits include:

These courses are an excellent starting point to understand the various facets of social media marketing, helping pave the way for more advanced learning opportunities.

When selecting a paid social media marketing course, its crucial to look for several key factors to ensure the investment translates into valuable learning experiences. Consider these criteria:

Given the varied price points and formats, its essential to research and choose a program that aligns with your professional goals and budget constraints.

Becoming certified in social media marketing can greatly impact your standing in the industry by:

As social media marketing roles continue to grow at a significant rate, certifications provide a tangible credential that can help catalyze your career growth and open up new opportunities.

Read this article:
16 Of The Best Social Media Marketing Courses in 2024 - Search Engine Journal

LinkedIn is a great platform for job hunting and networking. There are different types of employers who seek right candidate for a number of jobs. The latest data curated by LinkedIn shows that the most in-demand marketing skill on LinkedIn that many employers are seeking in 2024 is social media marketing. The report by LinkedIn shows all the latest industry trends to help marketers polish their skills and improve them in order to ensure suitable employment opportunities.

The skills that are in-demand on LinkedIn other than social media marketing are data analysis, coding, SEO (search engine optimization), and remote team work. LinkedIn also says in its report that familiarity and knowledge of AI is also preferred in most of the jobs that are being listed on the platform. Adobe photoshop skills (mostly related to photo editing and graphic designing) are also in demand on LinkedIn, followed by email marketing and then market research.

83% of the CMOs on LinkedIn say that they are likely to hire a lot of individuals this year who have the above mentioned skills. Many hirers are not looking for individuals who have many degrees, rather the area of interest for many CMOs is how skillful and talented an individual is.

Take a look at the infographic below for more insights on how digital marketing skill sets are evolving.

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LinkedIn Data Shows Social Media Marketing is the Most In-Demand Skill on the Platform - Digital Information World

Authored by Sachin Shah, Founder, The Hype Capital

Remember the days of brands yelling at you from giant signs or having a perfect stranger tell you how great their product was on TV? Those days may or may not be over, but social media has changed a lot of things. It's no longer a one-way street where brands talk down to you. Now, it's a conversation a chance to connect with real people who use your stuff.

When social media started, it was all about getting your name out there. Everyone rushed to claim their spot on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. It didn't matter much what you said, as long as you said something. But those days are gone. Today's social media jungle is crowded, and people need more exciting messages. People are done with being told what to do. People are done with brands, and creators showcase picture-perfect lives and products. People are done with curated feeds. People need authencity. People need emotions. People need feelings. People need humans. Humans are working behind the brands. They want to connect with the real people behind the brand the folks who design the products, write the posts, and maybe even make the occasional mistake (we all do!).

When you go to a party, you don't just stand there talking about yourself all night, do you? Social media is the same. You need to chat with people, share stories, and find things you have in common with your audience (basically, your guests at this party).

So, how do you win friends and influence people (without being annoying) in this dynamic social media world? Here are some tips:

While some essential points are covered above, we must also understand that trust is the foundation of any genuine friendship and is no different online. With social media, people have all the information they need. They can see through fancy marketing and sniff out a fake from a mile away.

So, how do you build trust? Be honest and upfront about your company, products, and mistakes. Did someone have a bad experience with your product? Acknowledge it, explain how to fix it, and show that you take their feedback seriously.

Social media is constantly changing, and the line between the online and natural worlds is blurring more and more. Expect to see even crazier stuff in the future, like experiences that come to life with special glasses or interactive content. Brands that can use these new things to create fun and engaging experiences will be the ones who genuinely connect with their fans.

Social media has the power make or break brands and help them connect with their audience more deeply. By being yourself, having honest conversations, and sharing your story, you can build genuine friendships with your fans, which translates to loyalty, sales, and even a few laughs. The easiest way to lose the interest of a highly distracted audience is being a robot.

Read the rest here:
Humanizing Brands: How brands are creating authentic connections through social media - Adgully

A2Z Media is proud to highlight that Nissan Qatar, represented by Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co., has received two significant awards at the recent Nissan Middle East Convention. These awards recognise exceptional performance in tactical campaigns and social media efforts, showcasing Nissan Qatars commitment to quality marketing.

Nissan Qatar was honoured with the Marketing Performance and Social Media Awards, acknowledging their effective tactics and strategic planning that have significantly enhanced customer engagement and brand visibility. This achievement is the result of a strong partnership with A2Z Media, crucial in formulating and executing these successful marketing strategies.

These awards not only celebrate the achievements of Nissan Qatar but also represent a significant milestone for A2Z Media, said Elie Charbel, CEO of A2Z Media. They reflect our commitment to delivering superior marketing services that surpass our clients expectations. We are proud of our ongoing relationship with Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration.

A2Z Media continues to leverage its expertise in digital marketing, social media, and brand strategy to assist clients in achieving their marketing goals effectively. This accolade reaffirms A2Z Medias ability to develop strategies that resonate well with the target audience and deliver outstanding results.

Excerpt from:
A2Z Media Celebrates Nissan Qatar's Award Wins for Marketing Performance and Social Media | LBBOnline - Little Black Book - LBBonline