The MB&A Social Media Management Certificate Program launched at Central Carolina Community College, through their Continuing Education department in Pittsboro, NC in January 2013. It will also be offered at other locations in the Triangle based on interest and demand. Minimum class size is 8 and maximum is 20. If you’re interested, fill out the forms on the right sidebar, so you can weigh in on location and dates, and we’ll contact you.
Prior to January 2013, in North Carolina, only Sandhills Community College had a classroom-based Social Media certificate program, called Social Media Manager Certificate Program. Charlotte’s community college has Social Media courses, as does Durham Tech, and probably others.
Central Carolina Community College also launched a Social Media Marketing Certificate Program, a curriculum based online program with five courses over a 12 month period. You must be a student for that program.
There are a few angles that you’ll want to look at social media training from.
- What’s your best learning environment? Classroom, online, blended, hands-on lab?
- What learning environment is the course taught in?
- How knowledgeable are the teachers, and how well do they teach & keep your attention?
- Is the class for enrolled students (a curriculum class), or for any students (a continuing education class)?
- Do you need community college credit (curriculum class) or just want to learn (continuing education class)?
- How much does it cost vis-a-vis the number of hours of training you’re getting?
Here are the questions we address. If you don’t see yours here, please write us using the form on the sidebar, or at info@martinbrossmanandassociates.com.
- Who should take this class?
- What will you learn?
- Is there an advantage to early registration?
- What qualifications are needed?
- What’s involved in the Social Media Management Certificate Program?
- Why are the beginning and advanced classes all in one course?
- What if I’m not a beginner? What if I have been using Social Media for business for a while already?
- How important are Social Media Certificate Programs? What kind of weight do they hold? Are they recognized?
- Why are you teaching Social Media Management?
- Is your class hands-on?
- Will we have Internet access in class?
- What type of class is best? In person classes, in person computer labs, online classes with live webinars or online classes with no live webinars?
Below you will find frequently asked questions and answers:
Who should take this class?
- Micro business owners and solo-professionals who need to get better at marketing online.
- Creative professionals – artists, musicians, writers, potters…who would like more business
- Anyone who really wants to learn who to grow a micro or small business online
- Students who want to be more competitive in the job market
- Marketing students who want to get practical know-how on how to manage a social media plan for a customer.
- Marketing professionals who haven’t yet crossed over, or who want to get a refresher.
What will you learn?
- A complete process from start to finish from evaluating and online presence, defining and strategy, doing research, building a plan…
- How to set up and manage ongoing content creation and interaction online
- How to integrate your online marketing with your traditional marketing
- How to manage your time
- How to develop a work-flow
- How to find and generate relevant and interesting content
- How to handle digital photographs and basic enhancements
- How to add text to images and when to use them
- What each different social media platform is good for
- How to decide what to put your attention to
- How to measure your results
- How to monitor your online reputation
- How to use a smart phone to keep up with your online content
- What mistakes not to make
- Basic strategies to prevent common mistakes
- How to define, plan, develop and run a social media program (content) for a business
What qualifications are needed for the social media training course?
- You will need easy access to a computer and the Internet for your weekly assignments (5 hours minimum a week)
- You’ll want to know how to open a browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and search Google
- Ideally you’re comfortable with email and have at least one social media account, like Facebook
- You’re motivated to learn. We have a lot to pass on to you to ensure that you can use this information to significantly benefit your livelihood.
- You’re willing to do a project based on creating and managing online content, and present your project to the class in April.
- You understand English well-enough to follow the class lectures and discussion on Internet and Business related concepts
What’s involved in the Social Media Management Certificate Program?
Simply put, Anora and Martin will distill everything they’ve learned over a combined 10 years of experience, so you can have a running head start. You’ll have 14 3 hour evening classes on Monday nights in Pittsboro. You’ll have homework every week – some reading, and a good bit of work on the Internet, practicing what you’ve been learning. There’s also a project with a 5 minute class presentation towards the end of the class, in April.
Why are the beginning and advanced classes all in one course?
We decided to include the full program from the beginning, because that was the only way we could assure the students that they would be prepared for the Advanced Social Media and the Being a Social Media Manager part. It all builds on what comes before. When you’re developing a strategy and then a plan for a business, you need to know all kinds of things, including, what user names to use for social media accounts, and what the repercussions are of different choices.
What if I’m not a beginner? What if I have been using Social Media for business for a while already?
- Some of what you hear will be repetition and it will reinforce what you already know now
- Some will be new, because there is just so much to know, and so many changes
- You will be able to design a project that advances your knowledge and reflects your experience
- You may be able to contribute your insight and experience, helping all of us
- You can use the class time to write down questions you have on other topics, or brainstorm about future social media activities
How important are Social Media Certificate Programs? What kind of weight do they hold? Are they recognized?
- First, certification is different than a certificate program. Certification is managed by and recognized by a professional body or association, like Project Management Certification. Social media does not have a professional body managing the profession. These are not “certification” programs.
- Certificates are given for completion in a course of study, as documentation of study.
- How much weight do certificates hold? Listing the Certificate on your resume or LinkedIn profile signifies that you have successfully completed this course of study. But the real weight comes from the confidence, knowledge and experience you bring to the table. It’s what you have embodied that will impress and gain you opportunities.
Why are you teaching Social Media Management?
- Martin Brossman has a mission to help North Carolina’s economy from the ground up, from you and me, by helping us gain the skills to be more successful in all aspects of our lives, including work.
- Anora McGaha has a mission to help the people she works with to be more productive and efficient. Communications is her specialty, especially writing.
- There has been a huge shift in our world between the development of the Internet, and the proliferation of mobile phones. We now have a “2nd Life” through the Internet, and all aspects of life are getting represented online. It’s a new language, includes many new subcultures, and has greatly altered the way businesses communicate – towards more disclosure, more interaction, more feedback. It’s critical that everyone get on board, just as critical as it’s been to make sure everyone learns how to read and do math.
Is your class hands-on?
- The Social Media Management training program is hands-on in the sense that you will have to practice and develop a social media strategy, plan and program for homework. But we will not have you doing the online work in class. There is a lot we need to convey in this training program, and we felt the most effective way was to have lecture, demonstrations and dialogue in class, and have you do the hands on part on your own. If you don’t do the homework, you will not master the material. If you do do the homework, you’ll be well on your way.
Will we have Internet Access in class?
- We are hoping that we as instructors will have good Internet connection during class so we can demonstrate things live for you. We are asking that students not access the Internet during class in order to ensure that everyone stays on the same page.
What type of class is best? In person classes, in person computer labs, online classes with live webinars or online classes with no live webinars?
- It’s really about what works for each individual person.
- For some of us, if the teachers are dynamic and passionate, there’s nothing like a live class.
- For others, if they don’t have their fingers on a keyboard and eyes in front of a monitor, trying everything out, they get bored.
- And for yet others, they prefer being in the quiet of their own home setting, watching a live webinar with a headset on, for the best audio setting and excellent visuals on the computer monitor in front.
- Yet others will prefer not having anything live. They can forward or replay the videos if there are videos, and otherwise, just read everything they need to know.
- We’re very excited about holding in-person classes because we’re passionate about this subject, and passionate about empowering students in the area of their own interests, to be able to follow their dreams and goals. We like to make sure we answer questions, keep it relevant to all our students, and provide a life-changing positive experience.
What other questions do you have?
- Email us at info@martinbrossmanandassociates.com and we’ll post the question and answer on this page.
Updated February 14, 2013
