But I’m not going to! It seems that the Algonquin College over there in Ottawa is try to capitalize off the boom that is social media. In their description of a new program they claim there is a high demand for professionals with Social Media experience. Maybe so, but I certainly don’t think it is worth $1750.00 to become certified in something I already know in and out.

Lately I haven’t been talking a lot about Social Media and admittedly I have lost some klout in the area, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still following it and practicing it. So when I looked at this course – that caused some heated discussion on twitter – that Algonquin College has started offering I was a little annoyed.

When I looked at their course outline I was a little surprised to realize it is exactly the same as what I use for clients and at workshops.

• Introduction to Social Media – What is Social Media, how is it in our lives today.
• Developing a Social Media Strategy – Best way to implement it into your business, goals, time mgmt, etc.
• Monitoring and Measuring – Basic ROR, following the stats, etc.
• Digital Communications – Etiquette and best practices, it isn’t traditional marketing
• Applied Social Media in Business – What works best for your Business or Organization.

All of these topics are things that I, myself, have learned over time and things that anyone can learn. I have listened to several Audiobook on Social Media and its Marketing abilities. I also follow many of the big names in the industry, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, Gary Vee, Amber Mac, Etc. They all offer this information, general free. You aren’t of course going to learn everything from these people, you also have to do it for yourself. See how it works. Use it for your needs, get out there, build relationships, measure what you are doing and learn how to do it better.

Now I’m not claiming I know it all, because I don’t, but I’m constantly learning more. What annoys me about this program and others like it, is that I have worked really hard to gain the knowledge I have in the industry and I work really hard to help others understand it and use it properly, but I don’t have a piece of paper that says that. So I’m put on edge as to how this may affect me in the future. I’m certainly not going to pay $1750 and go through a course that may only teach me a couple little things just so I can say I’m certified. When it comes to Social Media I believe a persons accreditation should be based on their network, those they have worked with and what people say about them.

I’ll be honest, I’m a little threatened about something like this, but I don’t think it will affect me. I am curious about what others who don’t necessarily work directly with Social Media think about programs like this?