Webinar Recap: Social Media AMA featuring Molly Hampton & Grace Hatakeyama

[RyanJaress]

Hey there instructor community! 

Last week, we had the absolute pleasure of holding our monthly webinar AMA featuring Global Social Media Manager Molly Hampton and Social Media Specialist Grace Hatakeyama! With our time, Molly and Grace answered some pre-selected questions within the community and took additional questions towards the end of the presentation. 

In case you weren’t able to make it to the AMA live, we’ve uploaded the whole webinar here and created a few key takeaways for you to utilize!

Here are some of the main topic from this webinar:

1. Social Media Team Expertise: The social media team at Udemy has years of experience and expertise in managing various social media platforms, and they are willing to share their knowledge with instructors to help them succeed.
2. Using Personal vs. Business Accounts: Instructors can use either their personal Facebook accounts or set up a business page to promote their Udemy courses. However, having a business page offers more functionalities, such as running ads and hosting events.
3. Content Mix and Promotion: Instructors should mix up their social media content to avoid appearing too promotional. A good rule of thumb is to have one promotional post out of seven posts per week, while the others focus on building relationships and establishing expertise.
4. Social Media Platform Selection: Instructors should test different social media platforms to see which ones work best for their target audience. Short-form videos, such as those on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, can be effective for increasing engagement and attracting learners.
5. Growing Followers and Engagement: Growing followers on platforms like LinkedIn can be challenging but can be achieved by consistently posting quality content and building trust with the audience. Paid social media ads can also be used to grow followers and drive traffic to Udemy courses, but it's essential to track return on investment (ROI) and have a presence on the platform being advertised.
6. Tailoring Content to Platform: Different social media platforms have distinct user expectations and preferences. For instance, Instagram prioritizes human-centric content, while LinkedIn focuses on professional and informative posts. Instructors should adapt their content to align with the specific audience and platform they are targeting.
7. Authenticity and Realness: Social media users value authenticity and genuine connections with creators. Instructors should aim to be relatable, conversational, and provide value to their audience by sharing personal experiences, tips, and insights in their area of expertise.
8. Building Personal Brand: Instructors should focus on building their personal brand as an expert in their field. By establishing themselves as thought leaders and offering valuable content, they can gain trust and credibility, which can lead to increased interest in their courses.
9. Creating Buzz and Momentum: When launching a new course or promotional offer, instructors should generate excitement and buzz around the event. They can use social media to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity by offering sneak peeks, special offers, and engaging with their audience.
10.  Engaging with Online Communities: Participating in relevant Facebook groups or LinkedIn communities allows instructors to engage with potential students directly. Instead of overtly promoting their courses, they can provide helpful answers and build relationships within the community, which can naturally lead to increased interest in their courses.

Have any other quick tips to share about social media? 

Be sure to share them in the comments below!

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and joined in on the webinar live, we hope to see you again for the next webinar featuring course creation! Stay tuned in the community for the invite coming soon!