Social media marketing classes and certificates for veterans

If you are a veteran looking to return to civilian life, an active duty service member considering what to do when your time is done, or the dependent or survivor of a veteran, you will want to look at the funding and support services offered to veterans for professional training and job placement support. There are numerous VA-approved pathways to learning social media marketing (and digital marketing more broadly) that veterans can take advantage of as a benefit afforded to them as a part of their service. Read more to learn why veterans should consider learning social media marketing and what support options are available to them.

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Why should veterans learn social media marketing?

The primary reason that veterans would want to learn social media marketing is that it is an accessible, versatile skill set that can open the door to relatively high-paying careers without needing a lot of training and education. Thus, learning how to work as a social media manager is actually a gateway to a high-paying, in-demand career. For example, an advertising and promotions manager can expect an annual salary of nearly $128,000 annually. While starting salaries are likely to be lower than this, and they will vary between regions, it is indicative of the kinds of salaries you can hope to make as a professional social media marketer.

Learning social media marketing will give you a set of in-demand career skills that give you a degree of creative expression as you work. Building a brand identity and working to establish a foothold in the market can be a rewarding process for anyone who likes creative engagement with a mass audience. Working in social media marketing will let you build ad campaigns and execute these marketing strategies in a way that feels more personal and direct than most other kinds of digital marketing projects.

Many veterans are already using social media as well, meaning that you likely have a basis of knowledge upon which to build as you go. Part of learning social media marketing is understanding how different platforms have different audiences, and those audiences must be approached in different ways. What works on Instagram may not work nearly as well on TikTok, for example, and part of learning social media marketing is understanding these differences and how they impact your marketing strategies. Learning social media marketing is likely to be a productive use of your time precisely because most of the lessons focus on the planning and execution phases of running a marketing campaign, which is a versatile skill to have even if you aren’t directly working on social media platforms.

Learning social media marketing can also be productive for anyone looking to build their own brand identity or advertise their own start-up or new business project. Social media platforms are some of the most popular and accessible websites on the internet, and if you are looking to advertise your projects online, they are some of the easiest to start working with. This means that with only a few lessons, you will be able to start your own advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

Support for veterans learning social media marketing

As a veteran, you have a wide range of support options made available to you through the Forever GI Bill and a series of associated government programs. These benefits include financial support for postsecondary education to provide veterans with a leg up once they return to the civilian workforce at the completion of their service. The VA has approved a wide range of different social media and digital marketing courses that have demonstrated records of success in supporting veterans and ensuring that they are able to start new careers upon returning to civilian life. These programs aim to serve as alternatives to the four-year college degree programs that many veterans opted not to enroll in as part of their decision to serve the country, and they are designed to accelerate the training process so that returning veterans don’t lose too much time as they attempt to reacclimate to civilian life. Some of the common veteran benefits include:

• Education after active duty (Post 9/11 GI Bill® or Chapter 33): Offers robust funding for veterans, including housing and books, for in-person programs.
• Vocational rehabilitation and employment (Chapter 31): Can support long-term career development for qualifying veterans through education and monthly stipends.
• Support for veteran families (Chapter 35): Can provide aid to dependents pursuing education or professional training.
• Additional financial resources: May be able to upgrade funding with available add-ons like Tuition Assistance Top-Up.

One of the most important parts of utilizing VA benefits for education is working with your assigned counselor to make sure the program you’re interested in is covered, as there are usually specific guidelines for each type of benefit. For example, a social media marketing certificate may be covered by Chapter 33, but students are required to attend part of the program in person to receive funding. Additionally, some benefits may offer funding for books, supplies, and even housing, and working with a counselor ensures the process is seamless and that you’re able to access all of the benefits you’re entitled to.

Approved programs have all constantly demonstrated that their training is practical and career-focused and that veterans who enroll in these courses have success after graduating. These programs also tend to provide veterans with career-support services, ranging from mentorship sessions to alumni networking opportunities. The services will differ from program to program, and some programs may only be partially covered by the Forever GI Bill, so you will want to check with the VA to determine what benefits you qualify for and how you can best use those benefits to learn practical career skills.