Professional Development
We want you to learn and grow in your role as a marketing professional, to become more creative, more skilled and more effective at your job. To further these goals, we gathered ideas from our team and built this list of free, readily available professional development opportunities.
Know of a great resource that’s not listed here? Tell us about it.
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- Access University
An accessibility training product offered by Level Access that provides training for digital accessibility topics including websites, electronic documents, general law, policy and disability types.
- Accessible Link Text at Texas State
Learn how to write accessible link text for TXST websites and emails. This training also includes examples of bad link text with a corresponding example that is more accessible. All of this information is designed to make it clear that accessible link text is better for everyone, and is a required design goal for all university faculty and staff.
- Accessible Social
Discover how to make your social media content accessible with Accessible Social, a free resource hub for digital marketers, communication professionals, content creators, and everyday social media users.
- Ad Council
The Ad Council works with talented, creative people to tackle the toughest social and technical issues of our time, and they're excited to share what they've learned.
- Adobe MAX
On-demand video sessions offer lessons in design, photography, video, social media, accessibility, diversity and more. Find in-depth workshops and tips and tricks for all of Adobe's software, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.
- Advanced Accessible PDFs
This LinkedIn Learning course will teach you how to tackle advanced issues like forms and complex tables on platforms like Word, InDesign and Adobe Acrobat.
- Allies for Individuals with Disabilities
To promote awareness around ableism and support individuals with disabilities, the Office of Disability Services offers Allies for Individuals with Disabilities training. The goals of the training are to introduce ability and disability, increase attendees’ understandings of disability communities while increasing their visibility and allyship, improve attendees’ understanding of rules of privilege and marginalization, to improve upon the knowledge and best practices of “Allyship” and advocacy, and to commit to the inclusion and affirmation of individuals with disabilities.
- The Allusionist
A podcast about language.
- Analytics Training
A comprehensive guide to everything analytics from beginner to advanced expert.
- Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
Language is humanity's most spectacular open-source project, and the internet is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. In this book, internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch explores the deep forces that shape human language and influence the way we communicate with one another.
Note: A copy is available in JCK 860.
- Behance Daily Creative Challenge
A series of challenges designed to improve your Photoshop skills.
- Bobcat JEDI Program
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program offers faculty and staff the opportunity to build competencies that will support a more inclusive environment at Texas State.
- Brain Traffic
This is THE resource for content strategy. Brain Traffic was founded in 2001, becoming one of the very first content strategy consultancies in the world. Brain Traffic CEO and Founder Kristina Halvorson is widely recognized as one of the leading voices in content strategy.
- Conscious Style Guide
A website created to help writers and editors think critically about how they use language. The articles and guides available on the site touch on issues like age, disability, race, gender and more.
- Copy for Marketing and Advertising
A collection of LinkedIn Learning courses focused on writing.
- Creating Accessible PDFs
A LinkedIn Learning course that covers accessibility basics and how to create PDFs from software including Word, PowerPoint and InDesign.
- CreativeMornings
In-person and online gatherings of creative professionals, as well as blog posts highlighting talented illustrators, monthly playlists and more.
- Digital Marketing Training
A comprehensive digital marketing training overview.
- Electronic And Information Resources Accessibility
If you're new to digital accessibility or need a refresher, this is a great workshop. You will see examples of inaccessibility and learn about the benefits of practicing Universal Design, as well as accessibility laws and guidelines. You will have an understanding of features and guidelines that promote engagement regardless of disability status.
- Facebook for Business
Explore self-paced and step-by-step tutorials that can help you build your digital marketing knowledge and bring your business online.
- Free Hubspot Courses
A variety of courses addressing social media, SEO and digital marketing, inbound marketing and more.
- General Assembly Free Courses and Events
Free workshops and events on subjects that range from web development and design to digital marketing and mindfulness.
- Hootsuite Blog
Social media news and strategy tips.
- LGBTQiA Allies Training
Allies training provides participants with information and resources that will help eliminate myths, misconceptions and stereotypes often associated with LGBTQiA persons. Any person who attends an Allies training and signs and adheres to the Ally contract automatically becomes an official Ally of Texas State.
- Marketing Strategy
Collection of LinkedIn Learning courses about researching and creating marketing plans.
- OHO U
Free monthly webinars and an annual online digital marketing conference. Previous webinar recordings are also available on their YouTube channel.
- Organizational Development & Communications Course Calendar
Check out all the available Texas State workshops. There are courses to help you sharpen specific skills, better understand and support students and co-workers, and care for your physical and mental health.
- Quibbles & Bits
A monthly newsletter written by the BuzzFeed copy desk that's all about grammar, linguistic tidbits, and word facts you need to know.
- SEMrush Academy
Free online digital marketing courses.
- SEO Training Resources
A collection of search engine optimization LinkedIn Learning courses.
- Skillshop with Google
Master the Google tools you use at work with free online training.
- Social Media Marketing
A collection of LinkedIn Learning courses about social media marketing.
- Social Media Today
The latest social media news, tools and tips, and upcoming industry events.
- Sprout Social Blog
Tips and tricks to improve your social media presence.
- Supporting People of Transgender Experience
A workshop that will introduce you to terminology and issues related to the transgender community. You'll engage in dialogue about transgender students, faculty, and staff in college/university settings and their specific needs and explore ways that you can create a more inclusive space at Texas State.
- SXSW Sessions On Demand
A series of online programming with speakers sharing their expertise and experience.
- That’s What They Say
That's What They Say is a podcast available on NPR that explores our changing language with University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan, who studies linguistics and the history of the English language.
- Twitter Flight School
Master advertising on Twitter’s platform.
- Typographics 2021
(Session recordings are still available.) Typographics is a design festival for people who use type. The annual event series, now in its 7th year, is focused on contemporary typography and where its future may lie. This year’s events will be hosted entirely online.
- usability.gov
Some of the best information about writing for the web, plain language, user experience, and general content strategy comes from usability.gov.
- Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
With wit and irreverence, lexicographer Kory Stamper cracks open the obsessive world of dictionary writing, from the agonizing decisions about what to define and how to do it to the knotty questions of ever-changing word usage. Filled with fun facts—for example, the first documented usage of “OMG” was in a letter to Winston Churchill—Word by Word is an endlessly entertaining look at the wonderful complexities and eccentricities of the English language.
Note: Ask Nicole H. if you want to borrow her copy, or request a copy through the library's interlibrary loan program.
- Word Document Accessibility
A Canvas course that covers the basics of Word document accessibility.
- Wordstream Blog
Tips and tricks about online advertising.