Need Some Social Media Knowledge? Or a Social Media Job?

HootSuite is now offering HootSuite University. Here's an excerpt straight from their latest newsletter, Marketers, industry professionals, consultants and those looking for advanced social media skills will enjoy the helpful webinars and a bevy of new videos too. Curious? HSU is offering the first video series free for everyone. Visit learn.hootsuite.com to watch.

Of course, the first "free" video is only the basics, most of it is self-explanatory and you can pretty much figure it out yourself. Therefore, in my humble opinion, there isn't much they're offering for free. However, you can advance to the next level, for a fee of $21.99/month if you already pay for their Pro-package, or $26.99 if you're using the free version of HootSuite. 

I'm not sure if one can learn enough from the first month or two or how long the process takes before you earn your certification. And yes, they are offering certifications. For those of us who may have graduated college with a marketing degree before 2011, I'm sure your field of study didn't include Social Media and you're now being asked to figure it out as you go along. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has taken HootSuite's course. 

One great aspect I believe is going to be very beneficial is their Social Media Job Board. They have listings from companies all over America hiring for positions requiring Social Media skills and knowledge. 

Are you already using HootSuite? How do you like it?

Authors, Don't Be Fooled By the Recession

There's some good news in the midst of all the bad news, a single ray of sunshine. Whenever there is a recession and people are hoarding their few dollars for emergencies and the unknown, they still need a wee bit of entertainment--history has proven that they turn to books. They're seeking a ray of hope in the midst of their despair and that's when our inspirational books serve their purpose the most. 

Books are cheap compared to lots of other forms of entertainment--both print books and e-books alike. So authors, don't despair, thinking your books won't sell well in this climate. They may sell better than they would have if we were in a booming economy. People can't go anywhere, they aren't taking as many vacations, are eating out less, are spending less time at the malls and stores, are buying fewer gadgets, and that means they have more time on their hands. Eventually, they run out of movies they've seen over and over again, and they get bored with reruns on TV. There's only so much computer time one can take. A book is the next logical choice. 

These days authors also have a form of free advertising at their fingertips that authors in the past didn't have--Social Media. Word-of-mouth advertising is still over 70% effective compared to all other advertising, and according to several recent studies, Social Media has made that percentage sky-rocket. 

If you're on a tight budget, use the tools of Social Media to spread the news of your book. Use blogs, podcasts, vlogs to put out informative, consistent content and readers will find you by word-of-mouth recommendations through Social Media. 

What are some of the silver linings you've discovered in this near broken economy? How has Social Media improved your networking and promotional efforts? Please share and give others a little encouragement.