As the back-to-school season kicks off, it's the perfect time to sharpen your skills in social media marketing. After all, a little professional development never hurts anyone!

If you’ve ever met a teacher, you know their curiosity, ambition, and passion for learning are infectious. My mom worked as a school secretary and special education aide, my brother and sister-in-law are dedicated teachers in Wake County, and even my husband is a high school math teacher. While I never thought I’d still be hearing about high school drama or AP Calculus quite as often as I do, I am grateful for the connection to education these individuals have given me.

That’s why I’m extra excited to share these learning opportunities to help you elevate your marketing toolkit. Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to stay ahead of the curve or a newcomer ready to dive in for the first time, this curated list of our team’s favorite online webinars, courses, and digital resources will provide you with a leg up heading into the fall.

Webinar: Sprout Social Webinar Archive

It’s no surprise we are big fans of Sprout Social at Chair 8. The social media scheduling and analytics tool has been empowering us to deliver top-notch services for our clients for years. But, did you know Sprout also has wonderful webinars with industry experts that are free to watch? Here are a few of our favorites from the archive:

• Influencers Unfiltered: Secrets to Successful Brand Partnerships 

• Back to the Future: Elevate Creative Performance with Nostalgia and Innovation 

• The Rise and Fall Of New Platforms: What Threads Has Taught Us About Emerging Social Media

Webinar: Brandwatch

I attend every Brandwatch webinar I can because I always leave with a list of tangible action items I can implement immediately. This may seem like a given, but countless other webinars and conferences often fall flat when it comes to providing actionable tips.

Note: Brandwatch only uploads a small amount of their webinars for permanent viewing; however, all of their webinars are free to the public to attend. Sign up for their email newsletter to never miss a webinar!

Blog: Hootsuite Social Blog

Hootsuite’s blog is a great place to start if you are just beginning with social media marketing. Their easy-to-read, quick blogs cover almost every topic imaginable, from interpreting KPIs to optimizing your photo and video content for different channels.

Don’t pass up on their free resources as well. I suggest their templates to small businesses, who may not think they're ready for an agency but still need help in building out a strategy for their brand online.

Resource: Answer the Public

I will never stop singing the praises of Answer the Public. In fact, I am positive I have highlighted this website on the Fresh Tracks blog at least three times already. But, it’s THAT good!

Answer The Public is a search listening tool that helps you discover what your audience really wants to know. Simply type in a keyword, and the website will provide you with a list of related questions being searched throughout the world. For example, I searched “elderberry syrup” and here are the top questions being asked:

• How much elderberry syrup per day?

• What does elderberry syrup do?

• When does elderberry syrup expire?

• Where to buy elderberry syrup?

• Which elderberry syrup is best?

• Who sells elderberry syrup near me?

• Why elderberry syrup?

You instantly have at least seven ideas for educational content to fill your social media feed. Maybe an IG Reel explaining the positive effects of elderberry syrup? Or even a simple graphic explaining expiration dates?

Resource: HeyOrca Trending Audio Guide

If you’ve ever been stuck in a doom scroll for hours trying to find inspiration for your next Instagram Reel or TikTok video, then you’re going to want to bookmark the HeyOrca Trending Audio Guide.

This spreadsheet is updated weekly by members of the team at HeyOrca, a social media scheduling tool. It lists current trending audios on Instagram and TikTok alongside descriptions of how to use them for your brand. Goodbye, scrolling!