How can you identify a skilled social media trainer?

That’s the thing about working in social media in 2023. You don’t necessarily need to have a “formal” degree. You just need to be great at what you do. Your work and skills should speak for themselves instead of a paper. Instead of checking their resume, ask them for their portfolio. Which clients have they previously worked with, what are some results they have achieved for them, what tools do they use, etc.

The one who talks about making a business impact through Social Media. The one who talks about the dimensions of posts on Instagram in 2023. The one who believes in Quality or Quantity. The one who knows the basis of the algorithms after trying and failing and not what's there out on the internet. The one who can explain about the organic reach on Facebook. The one who doesn't post the same things on Instagram, X and Facebook. The one who knows the power of YouTube. The one who is doing social media for 2023 and not stuck in 2015.

A skilled social media trainer may have certifications. But not always. I know many excellent trainers that have been in the field for a long time that are not with certifications. In that case, they will have a portfolio of work and an abundance of testimonials that will give you a good picture of what you can expect. Some may even have a speaking reel - a video of themselves training groups of people. That's often better than a paper diploma! If you are considering a trainer, ask if you can call one of their past clients. Any good trainer will say yes.

The best way to assess a social media trainer is to see what they would do given a real world scenario in building social media for brands outside their categories as well. -Most people in social should have the ability to think differently and see how they can break the clutter through their strategy on social. -Another important thing to see is how well they can build and nurture communities rather than just posting from the brand just to knock off the posts from the planned calendar. -Also an important trait is to see how aware they are on everything that's happening that's in vogue and topics that's being spoken about in internet cultures/sub cultures to make great engaged community building more relatable and second nature to them.

Absolutely do your research - Examine details on multiple social media trainers in the process. Video is best, but what they have to say in their podcast segments, blog posts and even social media posts is key. If they've given webinars view those, or attend one already on the calendar. You will get a feeling if you connect with them and if your team will as well. From there, consider a phone or video conversation. A good trainer will ask you about your organization and have questions about your goals and expectations from the training. Look for situations where they have trained similar groups or individuals.

You should get a more positive feeling along the way through multiple interactions with a prospective social media trainer. Remember, they are stepping in to your company to perform a service that is an investment for you. Consider: If they were an employee, would you want them interacting with your team? Why or why not? If there is more to learn in the future, could you imagine them coming back for additional trainings? A yellow flag never turns green. When you feel cautious, stop. And then look for the green light with another social media trainer.