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Coding bootcamps are short-term, intensive tech education programs. Some people enroll in a social media marketing (or digital marketing) bootcamp to get new skills to help them succeed in their current job. Others use a bootcamp to start an entirely new career.
Social media is an increasingly important part of many organizations' marketing strategies. Demand for skilled digital marketers will likely continue to grow as companies increase their online presences. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that business (which includes the subdiscipline of marketing) was the most popular major for postsecondary students in 2019-20.
This program guide offers a great place to start your social media marketing bootcamp search.
What Is a Social Media Marketing Bootcamp?
Social media marketing bootcamps cover topics like digital marketing, data analytics, search engine optimization, and social media platforms. These tech-focused programs offer hands-on training and career-relevant skill-building.
Digital marketing bootcamps take place online and in person. Participants can study full time, part time, or in a self-paced format. Independent providers offer some programs, while universities deliver others. The average full-time bootcamp program lasts about 13 weeks and the average part-time program takes about 24 weeks.
Unlike short, informational courses, bootcamps aim to give students the skills and knowledge required for entry-level positions in social media and digital marketing. Bootcamps typically demand a much shorter time commitment than associate or bachelor's degrees. Bootcamps may also be less expensive than many traditional college programs.
Skills Learned in Social Media Marketing Bootcamps
Social media marketing bootcamps can help students develop key soft skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. Participants also learn how project managementand writing skills can boost a social media marketing career. Below, we describe some of the most important social media marketing skills.
Strategic Planning: Students learn to develop social media plans to meet company goals. These strategies may include ways to gain new followers on various platforms or raise audience engagement with social media posts. Data Analysis: Social media marketers should know how to work with social media data analytics. These analytical skills can help them gain insight into how effective a marketing strategy is. Students learn to use tools like Google Analytics. They also master concepts like conversion tracking and behavior analysis. Content Creation and Management: Students learn how to create and manage social media content for various organizations. They shoot videos, take photos, and write copy for social media posting. They also explore how to tailor content based on platform and audience. Social media marketing also entails managing audience engagement with social media postings. Digital Marketing/Advertising: Bootcamp participants learn the ins and outs of digital marketing and advertising. Key skill areas include customer relationship management, paid search advertising, paid social media advertising, and marketing automation. Other aspects of digital marketing include measurement and optimization, organic social media, and search engine optimization.
What Will a Social Media Marketing Bootcamp Cost?
The price of social media marketing bootcamps varies by program provider, format, and length. A 2019 survey of tech bootcamps found the median cost to be $11,900. This is a significant amount, but may be substantially less than the cost of a four-year college degree.
Make sure you consider the total cost of a digital marketing bootcamp, not just the tuition price. Think about expenses like required materials and software, application fees, and prep courses. Financing options for digital marketing bootcamps may include private student loans, payment plans, and scholarships. Many programs offer a discount to learners who can pay the full bill upfront.
Some bootcamps provide job guarantees that let participants pay nothing upfront. These options often require students to sign an income share agreement, in which students commit to pay a certain percentage of their salary for a set period of time once they find a job.
- Get more details about bootcamp costs
- Learn how to pay for a coding bootcamp
- Explore financial aid and scholarship options
- How do income-share agreements work?
What Jobs Can I Get After a Social Media Marketing Bootcamp?
Social media marketing bootcamps can prepare participants for new careers in tech. Potential jobs include social media marketer, social media director, digital marketing strategist, and public relations specialist. Below, we describe some popular careers for digital marketing bootcamp graduates, including average salary, job outlook, and typical tasks.
Social Media Marketing Manager
Social media marketing managers oversee an organization's social media presence. Typical tasks include creating content, analyzing social media trends, and generating audience engagement. These professionals need content management, online marketing, and marketing communications skills.
Some employers prefer social media marketing managers with a bachelor's degree, but a social media marketing bootcamp can also prepare students for this job.
Average Annual Salary: $57,450
Job Outlook (2020-30): N/A
Social Media Director
Social media directors shape their organization's social media strategies and direction. They use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to build brand awareness and engage with customers. Job duties include developing social media policies, training colleagues on social media best practices, and creating social media reports.
Average Annual Salary: $79,130
Job Outlook (2020-30): N/A
Digital Marketing Strategist
These professionals oversee digital marketing strategies for their employers or clients. They develop and implement marketing strategies across digital channels and manage advertising partnerships. They also create reports and track analytics. Prospective digital marketing strategists can gain many required skills in a social media marketing bootcamp.
Average Annual Salary: $53,550
Job Outlook (2020-30): N/A
Public Relations Specialist
Public relations specialists manage their clients' public images. Employers often prefer candidates with a bachelor's degree, but a social media marketing bootcamp can provide good preparation for many positions. A typical day may include writing press releases, assessing advertising campaigns, and meeting with clients.
Median Annual Salary: $62,800
Job Outlook (2020-30): +8%
Other Computer Science Education Options
The computer science field offers many education opportunities. Someone considering a social media marketing bootcamp may decide to pursue some of these options instead of or in addition to a bootcamp.
Computer science degrees focus on more technical skills than the typical digital marketing bootcamp. Some employers prefer or require a college degree, so pursuing a traditional college program may widen your available job pool.
Associate Degree in Computer Science: An associate degree allows learners to explore the computer science field without committing to a four-year program. Students can often transfer credits to a bachelor's program if they decide to pursue it.
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science: A bachelor's degree in computer science can prepare students for many entry-level tech careers. This credential may lead to a wider variety of job possibilities than a digital marketing bootcamp.
Master's Degree in Computer Science: A computer science master's makes sense for people who already have a bachelor's in a related field. A master's degree can help graduates qualify for higher-level positions in tech.
Ph.D. in Computer Science: Most students who pursue a Ph.D. in computer science do so to develop a high level of expertise in the field. Many go on to teach or conduct university research.
Explore Other Bootcamps: Students may decide that another bootcamp makes more sense than a social media marketing bootcamp. Consider your career goals and what types of skills you want to learn before you choose a bootcamp.
Best Bootcamps for Social Media Marketing
Bootcamps are intensive programs designed to start you on a specific career path. Many last several weeks and require a full-time commitment. Not all bootcamps offer a social media course. Some programs include it as a module in a related program like digital marketing. Keep reading to explore our alphabetical list of the most popular social media marketing bootcamps in the U.S.
BrainStation
Established in 2012, digital skills training institute BrainStation offers coding and tech bootcamps and places successful graduates at top companies. Programs are held online as well as on-campus in the US, UK, and Canada.
Social Media Marketing Course
BrainStation's social media marketing course covers key tools, concepts, and best practices that are sought after in the industry. Using a project-based learning system, the program simulates an actual social media marketer experience in a safe setting.
Learners interact with experts who share real-world knowledge and industry tips and tricks. The course is designed to provide hands-on experience in different social media platforms, campaigns, performance optimization, and measuring results.
Cost: $3,250
Format: Online/On-campus; Part-time
Length: 5-10 weeks
CIRR Member: No
Other Courses Offered by Brainstation
Digital Marketing Search Engine Marketing Design Thinking
BrainStation's Job Placement Assistance
BrainStation's graduates have access to the school's 6,500+ hiring partner companies.Aside from career coaching and job search help, BrainStation also has a steady placement history within 180 days of graduation.
General Assembly
Formed in 2011 as a coworking space, General Assembly is a tech and coding bootcamp with 15 campuses and 25 online communities. The school offers immersive, part-time, flex courses across four continents.
Digital Marketing Course
This beginner-friendly digital marketing course explores topics such as paid search, content strategy, email marketing, and social media. Enrollees discover the options for advertising on various social platforms, learn to structure and segment ad campaigns, target customer groups, analyze performance, and select the optimal bidding type for ads.
For the final project, students prepare and deliver a presentation that offers a solution to a specific marketing challenge. This bootcamp can be completed over 10 weeks or as an accelerated program in one week.
Cost: $3,950
Format: Online/On-campus; Part-time
Length: 10 weeks
CIRR Member: No
Other Courses Offered by General Assembly
Software Engineering Full-Time Immersive Data Science Immersive Visual Design Course
General Assembly's Job Placement Assistance
General Assembly reports that about 74.4% of graduates found employment within 180 days of graduation. The institute has a career coaching team to help students with the job search process.
Georgetown University
The School of Continuing Education by Georgetown University offers professional certificate programs, graduate programs, and corporate training. It conducts classes online as well as its campus in Washington, D.C.
Certificate in Social Media Management
The certificate program in social media management enables students to build an effective social media campaign, navigate the various platforms, and create and execute social media strategies. Learners also build cross-platform communication plans and measure the ROI of campaigns.
The course is led by industry experts who impart practical and actionable knowledge through lectures, hands-on projects, and simulations. Ideal for mid-level professionals, the program is available in a full-time or a self-paced format.
Cost: $4,794
Format: Online; Full-time/Self-paced
Length: 2 weeks
CIRR Member: No
Other Courses Offered by Georgetown University
Certificate in Franchise Management Certificate in Managerial Finance Certificate in Business Administration
Georgetown University's Job Placement Assistance
Georgetown University helps students in their job search by giving them access to on-on-one career
guidance, employer information sessions, alumni panels, and professional workshops.
Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop has been around since 1990 and is licensed by the New York State Education Department. The learning and career development center offers certificate programs and project-based classes.
Social Media Marketing Certificate
Enrollees in this certificate program learn all about the features of different social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The curriculum covers the process of developing a successful social media strategy, creating content to drive engagement and boost sales, techniques to expand following and reach, and using social media analytics.
The course involves 72 hours of interactive training, plus career support and personal mentorship.
Cost: $2,495
Format: Online/On-campus;Part-time
Length: 5 weeks
CIRR Member: No
Other Courses Offered by Noble Desktop
SEO Bootcamp Google Ads Bootcamp Digital Marketing Certificate
Noble Desktop's Job Placement Assistance
Noble Desktop programs include four one-on-one mentoring sessions offering portfolio review, resume and LinkedIn profile development, and professional advice for applying to jobs.
Thinkful
Thinkful is operated by education company Chegg and has offered flexible, online, tech career training programs since 2012.
Digital Marketing Bootcamp
The social media marketing module of this bootcamp teaches the social media tactics that digital marketers use to increase followers, connect with the audience, and make money.
The module covers demographic differences between social media platforms, and how marketing strategies change with each channel. Students learn how to manage a Facebook business page, create and launch Facebook ad campaigns, create an Instagram business profile, plus measure results and analyze user engagement.
Students also receive career coaching, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Cost: $4,900
Format: Online; Full-time
Length: 3 months
CIRR Member: Yes
Other Courses Offered by Thinkful
Data Analytics Software Engineering UX Design
Thinkful's Job Placement Assistance
Thinkful offers a full refund if graduates are not hired in a relevant role within 180 days. According to Thinful's 2020 outcomes report, over 80% of graduates were hired within 6 months of course completion.
Bootcamps offered in partnership with Trilogy Education Services
Trilogy Education Services brings together universities, organizations, and working professionals by providing in-demand digital skills training.Trilogy partners with over 45 universities from around the world to empower adult learners.
Arizona State University Columbia University The George Washington University Georgia Tech Michigan State Rice University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of Central Florida University of Denver University of Kansas University of Minnesota University of Wisconsin The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Texas at Austin University of Miami University of Wisconsin-Madison Vanderbilt University
Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Marketing
Will a digital marketing bootcamp get me a job?
A digital marketing bootcamp can prepare students to apply for various social media and marketing positions. Some social media marketing bootcamps offer job placement assistance or a job guarantee.
How much does a digital marketing bootcamp cost?
The cost of a digital marketing bootcamp varies by program provider, length, and format. When researching prices, consider the total bootcamp cost, including tuition, required materials, application fees, and prep courses.
What qualifications do I need for social media marketing?
Common qualifications for social media marketing jobs include skills in data analysis, social media management, content creation, and creativity. Project management, communication, and writing skills are also important.
Do social media marketers need a degree?
Specifications for social media marketing jobs vary by position and employer. Some require a bachelor's degree, but a social media marketing bootcamp is enough in some cases. If you can prove that you hold the necessary skills you may have a good shot at landing a job.
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