You have many choices today for Social Media (SM) training.
How do you know what training is right for you? Your budget is a key factor.
Your budget determines if you can go for a Master's or Bachelor's degree, a certificate or other program from a community college, or another kind of training organization.
If you have $32,000 or $5,000 or $3,000 to invest in your education, you have many more choices for training than those with at most $1,000.
(Note, author does not endorse any of these programs, and is merely reporting results from online research.
All fees are approximate only, based on June 2012 information.
) For graduate school degrees in this field, research shows some programs under $40,000: -- $32,000, if you get accepted, you could get a Master's Degree in Communications with a Digital Communications concentration from Johns Hopkins.
-- $10,000 you can get a Master's degree in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University.
For undergraduate degrees in this field or its related disciplines of digital marketing or Internet marketing: -- $8,000 you can get a Bachelor's from Full Sail University For special programs or certificates from universities: -- $5,000 you could get a Certificate in Digital Media Marketing from NYU.
-- $4,995 you can attend Rutgers' Mini MBA(tm): SM Marketing.
-- $3,000 or less you can get a Certificate in SM Technologies and Implementation from the University of Washington.
-- $2,200 or less, San Francisco State's SM Marketing Certificate.
For non-academic programs: --$4,000 as an estimate, for attending 4 PR News Digital and Social Media Conferences will earn you a PR News Certificate in SM -- $3,700 you can attend the Social Media Academy's Certified SM Strategist training.
--$500 or less, Media Bistro's Use SM Marketing to Market your Business --$399 one time fee, and $20 a month for Web Media University's Certification program For community colleges: -- under $1300 for the 12 credit 4 course SM Certificate Program at Madison Area Technical Community College -- $120 for the 2.
4 CEU 24 hour SM Manager Certification at Sandhills Community College Higher prices do not guarantee better training or better preparedness for employment at higher rates.
Though certainly, we all know that a Master's Degree program gives us a qualification and status that you can't get with a non-degree program.
These different programs have different purposes.
In order to evaluate what program serves your needs, within your budget, part of it is understanding what your own goals are.
Are you looking for the skills to be able to do hourly work through elance.
com or guru.
com or virtualvocation.
com, part time and virtually? Are you looking to work for an agency, as a social media assistant or specialist? Or do you want to manage one or more organizations' online marketing strategy, plan and campaigns? The bigger the organization you want to work for, the more depth of study and experience you'll need.
Strategies and implementation for Fortune 500 companies are on a wholly different scale than for small businesses of under 50 employees.
Ultimately, the more hands-on experience you have the more informed and savvy you'll become, and the more value you'll offer as a contractor or employee.
How do you know what training is right for you? Your budget is a key factor.
Your budget determines if you can go for a Master's or Bachelor's degree, a certificate or other program from a community college, or another kind of training organization.
If you have $32,000 or $5,000 or $3,000 to invest in your education, you have many more choices for training than those with at most $1,000.
(Note, author does not endorse any of these programs, and is merely reporting results from online research.
All fees are approximate only, based on June 2012 information.
) For graduate school degrees in this field, research shows some programs under $40,000: -- $32,000, if you get accepted, you could get a Master's Degree in Communications with a Digital Communications concentration from Johns Hopkins.
-- $10,000 you can get a Master's degree in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University.
For undergraduate degrees in this field or its related disciplines of digital marketing or Internet marketing: -- $8,000 you can get a Bachelor's from Full Sail University For special programs or certificates from universities: -- $5,000 you could get a Certificate in Digital Media Marketing from NYU.
-- $4,995 you can attend Rutgers' Mini MBA(tm): SM Marketing.
-- $3,000 or less you can get a Certificate in SM Technologies and Implementation from the University of Washington.
-- $2,200 or less, San Francisco State's SM Marketing Certificate.
For non-academic programs: --$4,000 as an estimate, for attending 4 PR News Digital and Social Media Conferences will earn you a PR News Certificate in SM -- $3,700 you can attend the Social Media Academy's Certified SM Strategist training.
--$500 or less, Media Bistro's Use SM Marketing to Market your Business --$399 one time fee, and $20 a month for Web Media University's Certification program For community colleges: -- under $1300 for the 12 credit 4 course SM Certificate Program at Madison Area Technical Community College -- $120 for the 2.
4 CEU 24 hour SM Manager Certification at Sandhills Community College Higher prices do not guarantee better training or better preparedness for employment at higher rates.
Though certainly, we all know that a Master's Degree program gives us a qualification and status that you can't get with a non-degree program.
These different programs have different purposes.
In order to evaluate what program serves your needs, within your budget, part of it is understanding what your own goals are.
Are you looking for the skills to be able to do hourly work through elance.
com or guru.
com or virtualvocation.
com, part time and virtually? Are you looking to work for an agency, as a social media assistant or specialist? Or do you want to manage one or more organizations' online marketing strategy, plan and campaigns? The bigger the organization you want to work for, the more depth of study and experience you'll need.
Strategies and implementation for Fortune 500 companies are on a wholly different scale than for small businesses of under 50 employees.
Ultimately, the more hands-on experience you have the more informed and savvy you'll become, and the more value you'll offer as a contractor or employee.