Member Avatar for MktgRob

I just came across a thread in one of my linkedin groups asking if anyone had participated in a 4-week, online course in getting the most our of social media. There is a panel of experts teaching the class and they refer to it as a university. I will not give the url because I do not want to give them a plug. Why? Because I am dubious of offers like these. If you want to find them search on the terms social media, university and magic and you will find them. Read the outline and let me know what you think and if you would pay (or if you think you could convince your company to pay) $797 for you to participate.

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Short take: the price alone is not the issue — the value is. Several posters here already flagged vagueness and marketing tactics (thanks to , , and ). To move beyond opinion, use a short due-diligence checklist that forces the vendor to show concrete outcomes before handing over $797.

  • Require a detailed syllabus that maps each session to a tangible deliverable (for example: an editorial calendar, a 90-day campaign plan, or a configured analytics dashboard).
  • Verify instructors by name: check LinkedIn, recent case studies, and independent references rather than site testimonials.
  • Confirm format and feedback: how many live hours, recordings, one-on-one reviews, assignment grading, and maximum class size.
  • Ask about post-course assets and access: templates, exportable reports, community/Slack access, and how long materials remain available.
  • Insist on a clear refund or satisfaction guarantee and a no-hard-sell clause for follow-up services.
  • If a company will pay, require measurable KPIs up front (engagement lift, referral traffic, leads) and a simple ROI scenario the vendor agrees to help track.

If the vendor cannot satisfy those points, comparable structured learning exists for free or low cost: HubSpot offers free marketing certifications (HubSpot Academy), and major platforms let you audit courses or take low-cost options (Coursera, edX). Paid workshops and agency retainers make sense when you need tailored implementation help — that is when $797 may actually be money well spent.

If still interested, negotiate: a trial module, group discounts, payment tied to milestones, or a documented outcomes guarantee. Insist everything promised appears in writing before payment.

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Member Avatar for marksinclair

No, I would absolutely not pay for something that vague. If the class was an exhaustive course that was practically guaranteed to be able to help you build an online community, then it MIGHT be worth that. But still probably not.

Member Avatar for jay 11

Ha.. i see these all the time... "panel of experts" put together a class and charge a premium fee to attend. The premium fee actually increases the perceived value of the class - so there are some people that wind up paying... Tho - it's usually only a small classroom full of people. It ain't no university :P

Member Avatar for MktgRob

Ha.. i see these all the time... "panel of experts" put together a class and charge a premium fee to attend. The premium fee actually increases the perceived value of the class - so there are some people that wind up paying... Tho - it's usually only a small classroom full of people. It ain't no university :P

In this case the classroom is virtual as it is a web-based university.

Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

To be honest, I dont think this class will be no different than reading the blogs of these experts, keeping up with various sites like CNET and Mashable, and best of all, you save the money! The "experts" will probably regurgitate the same information from their blogs.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

To be honest, I dont think this class will be no different than reading the blogs of these experts, keeping up with various sites like CNET and Mashable, and best of all, you save the money! The "experts" will probably regurgitate the same information from their blogs.

Exactly my thought. I have been suckered in on things like this in the past (thankfully at no cost to myself but to the company I worked for) and they often come of as more of a sales pitch for additional classes and services in the end. Besides, I prefer self-educating myself because I am certain of the teacher's brilliance!:D

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