While working on the 4th edition of my Social Media Strategy book (Coming February 2024!) I compiled a new concise and updated list of free tools and resources. These sources are all regularly updated and are the most relevant to creating and implementing social media strategies.
Some are frequent reports with updates and others are evergreen articles that have ongoing updates by the publishers. I also have free tools that can be used to develop strategies or use as class exercises. There are key industry news blogs and podcasts to keep up with current news and updates. I also include a list of strategy and platform courses with professional certifications.
They’re organized by categories of Reports, Data, Tools, News, and Certifications.
Annual/Quarterly Social Media Industry Reports
- CMO Survey Results Report
- Influencer Benchmark Report
- Insights Blog (Yearly Digital Report)
- Social Media Marketing Industry Report.
- Social Media Marketing Report
- The Sprout Social Index,
- Sprout Data Reports
- The ShortyAwards
Frequently Updated Articles/Data for Social Media Plans
- Best Time To Post On All Social Media
- The Best Times To Post On Social Media
- Best Times To Post On Social Media
- How Often to Post to Social Media
- How Often to Publish on Social Media?
- Social Media Advertising 101
- Algorithms For Each Social Network
- Social Media Demographics That Matter
- Social Media Marketing Demographics
- Social Media Demographic Fact Sheet
- Social Media Analytics
- Social Media Strategy
- Most Important Social Media Statistics
Free Tools for Social Media Content/Plan Creation
- Live Social Media Benchmarks
- Website Analysis (Social traffic)
- Free Design Tool with Templates:
- Free Tools for Influencer Marketing
- Free Influencer Marketing Tools
- Social Media Templates
- Social Media Templates
- Hashtag Suggestions
- How Much Do Social Ads Cost?
- Social Media Cost Calculator
- Social Media Management Tools
Social Media News Blogs
- Social Media Today Blog
- Social Media Law Blog
- Social Media Updates Blog
- Flow Social Media Blog
- Convince & Convert Blog
- Social Media Updates Blog
- Social Media Examiner Blog
- Post Control Marketing Blog
Social Media News Podcasts
- Science of Social Podcast
- Social Pros Podcast
- Social Media Marketing Podcast
- Social Media Examiner YouTube
Current/Past Social Media Platforms
Social Media Strategy Professional Certifications
- Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification
- HubSpot Inbound Certification
- Social Media Marketing
- Social Media Mastery
- Influencer Marketing Certification
- Social Media Marketing Industry Specialist
- Introduction to Generative AI
- Short Topic Digital Marketing Courses
- Intro to Blogging
- Intro to Podcasting
- Fundamentals of Media Measurement
- Foundations of Humane Technology
Platform Social Media Professional Certifications
- Hootsuite Platform Certification
- Agorapulse Certification Course
- Canva for Beginners
- Google Ads Video Certification
- LinkedIn Fundamentals + Strategy
- Meta Community Manager + Marketing
- Pinterest Advertising Essentials
- Reddit Ads Fundamentals + Boost
- Snapchat Essentials + Campaigns
- TikTok 101, Commerce + Small Biz
- Twitter/X Ads Manager, Creative
I hope you find this list helpful. If I missed any valuable ones please let me know!
This Was Human Created Content!