One of the areas that is gaining of course a lot of focus in the social media space is the area of certifications and additional training. Incorporating social media certifications is a constant element in all social media classes – but the question always is – which one(s) do you assign?
There are so many out there to choose from! Which ones are respected by the industry and can help prepare students for long term success in the workplace?
This was actually something I explored with a few of my colleagues when Hootsuite University first came to the scene. Our paper was published a few years ago by JPRE, and can be downloaded here. We wanted to explore not only how our students perceived the certification, but the industry as well.
Since then, I myself have explored this very question on which certifications I have used in my classes, and which ones I have tried only once (there have been some I have tried that have not been incorporated more than once in my classes – but mostly for support and technical reasons)
In all cases and certification examples, I try to evaluate and determine which ones to choose from based on certain categories, such as:
Coverage of materials. There are some certifications that cover just one aspect of the business (ex. media monitoring), their own platforms and services, or general areas of the industry. Plus, what additional resources are available? Is there a workbook? Instructor resources? Slides? Videos? All of these resources are very helpful and appreciative to educators.
Timing. This is one to consider – there are some certifications that are only a few hours long – but there are some that are a bit more extensive with their materials. Usually, I have one certification offered for my undergraduate social media class, and in my advanced class, I usually have two (since it is a graduate level). However, I always recommend a list of certifications for my students to take during their “free time” (which they give me a look b/c they feel they do not have that much free time between school, work, internships, etc).
Industry connections. We are all about bridging the gap between academia and industry, and I look for who all is connected with the certifications as far as the industry goes. Are professionals and business leaders featured in the certifications in interviews, case studies or lessons?
Exam set up and preparation. This is a big one for me – because I have to budget time out of my class and think about the amount of preparation that needs to go into place for students to have to be able to take the exam. Each certification has their own approach. You can take the exam from Hootsuite as many times as you want. HubSpot makes you wait 12 hours to take the exam. Facebook Blueprint allows you to take the exam with a proctor. Again, this all needs to be considered as you prepare and integrate a certification as part of your class.
Cost. Not all certifications are free – some have a price tag compared to others that are available for everyone to take at any time. There have been some concerns related to this and how this cost would be placed on students. What I have done is give the students options always ranging from 1) assigning the certification as the main book for class, 2) go to the university development office for scholarships and donations for students who cannot afford the certifications, and 3) propose a call for adding this as a technology fee (at the University of Louisville, we do not have one compared to other colleges).
Integration into class materials. The big thing about certifications is that they should be connected to the material and learning objectives in the class you are teaching. Being able to bridge the lessons and activities in the certifications into your classroom projects is what educators have to consider and be aware of. Our job is to evaluate the certifications and see what are the takeaways from participating and doing these, and how to 1) apply them into our own class projects, 2) tie the lessons learned into our own learning objectives for the class, and 3) evaluate the certification on its ties to the industry.
I am bringing this up because we are getting ready for spring class enrollment (I know – it’s going to be here before you know it!) Since I have not taught my social media classes since 2018 (due to my sabbatical), this has given me some time to review what I will be done for my classes.
Here is what I will be doing for Spring 2020:
Facebook Blueprint Pilot Program. I am very excited about being part of the pilot program to be able to integrate Facebook Blueprint into my classes. I have been working with the Facebook Blueprint team for the last several months on this new certification.
This material is going to cover more than just Facebook and Instagram, but broader areas within social media and how to integrate these practices into Facebook platforms. I have been very appreciative to the Facebook Blueprint team for allowing me to work on this project. To have the opportunity to share my insights from teaching as well as the research I’ve done in this area, it has been great. I will be using this certification in both of my classes this spring. From what I have seen from the team the other work of the SMEs (subject matter experts – all professors in marketing, social and digital, business, and communication) have come up with together.
Hootsuite (Free). This will mark the seventh year I have integrated Hootsuite into my classes. I will be using Hootsuite again in my undergraduate class. I first found out about Hootsuite from Dr. William Ward, who started the program with Hootsuite and had worked with them for several years on creating content and promoting the certification for higher education institutions and professors. I had a chance back in 2015/2016 to work on updating the Advanced Social Media Strategy certification materials as well with Bill as well (Btw – I was paid for these material contributions along with Bill).
HubSpot (free). I’ve incorporated the Social Media Marketing certification in my classes the past few semesters (as I tell my students – they may see a familiar face in Lesson 8!) There are a few new certifications coming out from HubSpot (had a chance to provide some feedback on one they have been developing which is different and unique compared to what they have offered so far – stay tuned!). I will provide this certification for both classes as well (required for my advanced class, optional for my undergraduate class).
Stukent (paid). I think it’s important to give the students a chance to be able to explore not only the various components of social media, but also how they would handle specific situations.
While both classes will have clients – I will be asking my students to explore Mimic Social – particularly their latest feature on influencer marketing. This was not available during the last time I taught social media, so this should be fun to explore.
Pinterest Academy (Free). Yes, it was just announced that Pinterest has developed their own academy for their platform. This was actually something that was discussed at the Cannes Lions Educators Summit with the team (which is pretty cool to get this insight!).
This is a new certification and you can sign up for free – and since one of our clients this spring is very visual and has a presence on Pinterest, this makes sense for the students to take part in it. Will have to let you all know my thoughts on this as well as what my students think!
Summary
I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on certifications in social media. Some say they are beneficial, others feel they “are not really relevant or appreciative in the industry.” This actually was a big discussion in the #SMprofs community this past week.
Personally, I feel certifications are very valuable to have on hand to test and apply your knowledge on various subjects. However, keep in mind, certifications are just the beginning. It is how you apply the lessons you have learned from these programs, assignments, client work, and internships that makes the difference.
What I think is extremely important is to acknowledge the direction these certifications are going – meaning – more brands like Facebook, HubSpot, Stukent, and Hootsuite – are not just communicating with educators, but partnering with them on helping them create content and materials to be used in the classroom. This is not always the case from others that are out there. If educators do not have the opportunity to provide input and advice/suggestions on the material, this means the brand with the certification may not be as well informed about the landscape they are going into.
If we think about how we would approach a social media client trying to reach an audience – you would want to talk with members of that audience to see what are the best ways to engage, work, and collaborate together on creating a win-win situation, right?
This is what some of these brands have done – and I give them major props for taking the time and effort to engage with educators and students about their products.
This was not always the case. When I started teaching social media in 2011, there were NO brands who were engaging with educators in the certification space. Now, we have many options, which is fantastic! I am thrilled with the direction we are going.
I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with three companies (Facebook, HubSpot, and Hootsuite) on helping them create materials for their certification based on my own experience as well as my research in social media.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
