10 Free AI & Social Media Courses to Build Your Remote Career

Hi there,

Thank you for being back! As you may feel, I love this newsletter. Every Sunday I sit down to write Remotely Social and feel so lucky that you guys open it! I enjoy sharing my weekly adventures on social media with you so much!

It’s been a while since I properly introduced myself, and if you’re new here, welcome 😊

I’m Nikki, a remote social media strategist/manager, AI workflow nerd, and someone who’s spent the last few months figuring out how to build a personal brand on LinkedIn with the main goal of creating more freedom in my life.

But here’s something I don’t talk about much:

➡️ I used to be terrified of public speaking

Even though:

• I ran a dance business for 12 years and was on stage a lot.

• I taught aerobics at 18 years old and had people walk out mid-class.

• I gave English as a second language classes to business professionals.

I know what it feels like to put myself out there, but with the digital world, I felt like such a fraud (and still do sometimes).

You see, I went from literally using Instagram/Facebook as a lurker to keep up with a few old friends to becoming a digital marketer who remote works, looking after 450k+ people across 5 social platforms for a brand in less than 21 months from zero skills.

• It’s a short time to fully believe in yourself in a new career.

• It’s a short time to understand ‘how did that happen’.

• It’s also been really hard to let go of my identity as a dancer and embrace the ‘new’ me.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve met incredible people who’ve helped change those feelings forever.

Confidence isn’t just there, it’s a habit you build

When I first decided to step into public speaking, I had zero confidence.

The sweat would roll down my back just hosting an online webinar.

But it was and is something I really want to do, so, I learned from one of the best, Kirsty Hulse. She’s the person who helped me find my voice, overcome the fear, and step onto my first stage at the Bansko Nomad Fest last June.

This year, she’s hosting Confidence Live, an event all about building confidence by being yourself! Sounds simple, right, but it can be so easy to show up as what people want you to be, not who you need to be for you.

If you’re struggling with confidence (for speaking, business, or showing up online), I highly recommend checking it out. Here’s the link.

People are lonely, and it’s got nothing to do with remote work

Last year, I was feeling really lonely, I craved deeper connection. So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to a nomad retreat in Sinaia, Romania. It was epic, I met so many interesting people. Including Goncalo Hall and Sarah Rapp. They are developing nomadic communities globally (they’re about to start a week-long event in Rio, Brazil) through The Nomad World. Check their Instagram.

I’ve been invited to come along to their next European event in Albuferia, Portugal to speak on AI in Social Media (it’ll be my 3rd time on stage🎉). Not gonna lie, I’m excited, nervous, but going to do it anyway. If you’d like to take a peek at the nomad world, there’ll be some interesting talks and tons of group activities at the beach! Come say hi, it’s running at the end of May.

Use this code for 10% off: ptnomadclub10 
Here’s the link.

Ok, let’s get into the juicy bits…

10 FREE AI & Social Media Courses

One of the most in-demand skills in 2025 to build an online remote career is knowing how to use AI in your work. It sets you apart when you go job hunting and helps to speed things up in your business.

So here’s 10 courses in AI & or Social Media (or both) that are totally free to do and delivered by reputable sources. I’ve categorised them for ease, in no particular order:

AI Essentials & Basics

1. Google AI Essentials - Learn generative AI tools to help develop ideas and content, make more informed decisions, and speed up daily work tasks

2. Generative AI for Everyone - Learn how generative AI works and how to use it in your life and at work.

3. AI for Marketing Course - Learn to use AI to ramp up your marketing strategies in HubSpot Academy.

4. AI Marketing - Learn to leverage AI for consumer analysis, optimise campaigns, and personalise experiences by Alison.

5. GenAI in Social Media Marketing - Learn basic strategies for incorporating generative AI tools in social media marketing tasks by Meta.

Social Media Learning

6. Social Media Marketing Crash Course - Learn social media marketing fundamentals in this hands-on course with Semrush Academy.

7. TikTok Academy - The official TikTok learning destination for marketers and agencies.

8. A Content Creator's Guide to Instagram - by Evelina Krusinskaite, a free webinar with The Digital Marketing Institute (I work here)

9. Content Creation: Strategy and Tools - Learn how to brainstorm content ideas, build a content calendar, create eye-catching visuals, and write authentic, compelling copy on LinkedIn Learning.

10. Social Media Marketing Certification Course: Get Certified in Social Media Strategy - Learn how you can use social media to up your business’s brand awareness and attract new customers by Hubspot Academy.

Why take a course when you can learn all you need from YouTube & AI?

If you want a remote job, getting certified is like coffee for nomads; employers absolutely love it. It shows commitment, and it brands you as an expert in their eyes.

If you run a business, you might be doing it all yourself, or you might want to outsource. Having a broad range of knowledge will help you to save money and avoid hiring mistakes.

Bonus Mention: Certified SEO Course

I use Surfer SEO free Chrome plugin all the time, I like to create a list of keywords categorised by search volume, then export it as a CSV and pop it into ChatGPT for content ideas and webinar title inspiration.

This SEO course by Surfer is usually $475 but is free till 23rd March, and you can get certified.

I’ll be taking it this week. If anyone needs an accountability buddy to get it done, hit reply (I know I could). I’ll be using this to adapt to my YouTube strategies and short-form video SEO.

Paid Courses That I’m Taking and Loving

1. Self-doubt and being a fraud can make an appearance when you’re trying to be consistent on social media. You have to post into the void, no one is listening, no one cares. But one day, things will change if you keep going. At least that’s what I tell myself.

   That’s why I enrolled and just finished a 4 week personal branding course with a group of beautiful people led by Donavan Barrett. The main focus has been finding that authentic part of yourself you want to share, bringing it into the online space and owning it. He taught the art of storytelling and how to make content that converts (plus so much more).

   He actually cares about your progress on social media and your well-being. I cannot wait to apply the learnings to my content. It was truly worth it, and his next cohort starts very soon!

2. For LinkedIn my go-to inspiration is Lara Acosta, I enrolled on her course, and there’s an epic community of people from all industries doing really cool stuff online and posting about it.
   

   She just dropped her Content Code course, and it has a whole module on video (which I badly need!) Being in her community meant getting this course for free! NO extra fees, SLAY as Lara says (a copywriting framework she developed, not the other one).

Before I Go… My Friend Wrote a Book!

I have to give a shoutout to my fellow female AI buddy, Le-an Lai Acaba, who just published a book! 🎉👀

It’s called Scale You, and it’s all about how to scale yourself as a business owner, without burning out.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, running in circles, or doing everything yourself (because let’s be real, most of us have), this book is for you.

I love this message because it aligns so much with what I’m all about simplifying systems and using AI to create more freedom.
📚 Check out Le-an’s book on Amazon here

A final note from me, I’m still figuring this all out, some days feel way harder than others. I feel lost most of the time. But what I know for sure is that growth comes from doing the hard, scary things, even when you’re not sure how it’ll turn out. And it’s ok not to know where you’re going or what you doing because the real fun is in the journey anyway.

Ok that’s it!

As always, until next time you’ll find me on my socials.

DM me, I’d love to give you a follow back.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Ireland 🇮🇪

Stay Remotely Social 😉,

Nikki 💅