I recently became a freelance digital marketer and any entrepreneurial minded spirit knows that learning is something that you can never get too much of. So when Live Mentor reached out to me for a thorough review of their Facebook Advertising course which they have just launched in the UK. I, of course, had to jump on the opportunity. It is not my usual thing to post about on my blog, but it’s something that I am really passionate about. So I am going to be creating a new work-related blog and I will be posting about things like this on there. I’ll update you with the link very soon!

What is Live Mentor?

Live Mentor is a French company who market themselves as a school for entrepreneurs, freelancers and the self-employed. I fit perfectly into that little bracket, having recently taken the plunge to be a full-time freelancer. The thing that makes Live Mentor different is that all of their webinars are live streamed. It’s really live, I can assure you.  It’s not like those silly webinars that are prerecorded and then staged to look ‘live’, you can genuinely ask questions in real time.

I do have experience working with Facebook ads because of my previous role as a Digital Marketing Manager. However, the majority of the time it was like a vicious circle of trial and error until I could get all of the details right for a good ROI. It was a tech start-up that I previously worked for so I had a very limited budget to play with. I did do a few 1:1 calls with the Facebook team (which is a free service) to see how I could make the most out of a limited budget but they actually weren’t too great at answering my questions – perhaps they keep all the good stuff for the companies with big budgets, idk? I just loved talking to the operator’s because they are based in Ireland and I’m obsessed with the Irish accent ha.. ok let’s not get sidetracked!

Even though I would consider myself tech savvy, it’s so frustrating for me to use the Facebook advertising interface because I find that visually it looks cluttered and with Facebook making changes to the functionality every second day without explanation, it’s difficult to keep up with. I’m sure there are a lot of marketers out there who feel the same way as me. So I’m not surprised to see that Live Mentor has built a course entirely based on Facebook advertising because there is just so much to it!

Facebook Domination (Introductory Level)

I did the introductory 2-week Facebook Domination course with my mentor Mathilde who was lovely!

The course was categorised into 4 sections:

• Everything (really, everything) we can do on Facebook
• Facebook Ads: a new must have
• How to create a profitable advertising campaign (with screen sharing)
• Facebook latest features (and our secret tricks)

It was pretty intense getting emails every other day to remind you to join the live sessions. Even though it seems like a lot, I really recommend that you do the live sessions.

I found it more fun to join in on the conversation with a live audience, as it was much more interactive rather than watching the replay. I also think that from the personal engagement, what you learn is more likely to find a place in your longer-term memory (don’t ask me for the science on that, just a thought!). So if you were to do the course, I’d definitely say make sure you have scheduled the time to do the live sessions, as it will be so much more worthwhile for you!

My Live Mentor

My Live Mentor was Mathilde, what I liked most about her way of teaching is that she gave lots of hints and tips throughout. She gave us information to websites and google extensions out with Facebook that can be used to optimise and improve ads which I found incredibly useful. One vital thing for me when watching webinars for learning is that the person behind the camera is passionate enough to make me listen and not bore me senseless. Mathilde was passionate, insightful and also really friendly, she really managed to capture my attention throughout the 4 sessions – which is rare for me so well done!!

I also liked her transparency, there were a few hacks she mentioned that some may find deceitful which was the general reaction to comments. I was just pleased more so to be aware of the tactics, even if it wouldn’t be a method I use myself. It is always good to know that they exist because your competitors may be using them.

Another good thing about the course is the option to schedule a call after the module with your mentor to ask any questions. This is really great if you didn’t understand something fully and need another explanation or even how to apply a technique to suit your business.

A few things I would have liked …

I would have liked to have unlimited access to the course after completing it, or at least downloadable content. The replays were only viewable for up to 2 weeks after you complete the course. I did take my own notes throughout each session but I’m the worst note taker on the planet so a lot of it probably won’t make sense to me if I look back on it in 6 months time.

Although I liked the idea of showing case studies and training via email. I would have preferred if this was a part of the modules which you have to complete it in order to receive the certification.

I understand that it was an introductory course and it was valuable in learning the fundamentals on Facebook advertising and I do think every company should pay for their digital marketing manager to do this course or one similar. However, I would have liked more on strategy and webinars directed solely towards one area of business.

For example, a Live Mentor course focused on how bloggers can monetise through Facebook ads, or how to reach your ideal client for digital creatives. I understand that it is generalised to suit a wider audience, which is great for big companies to enrol their marketers into. But I think if the courses were to suit a business niche, more ‘freelancers, entrepreneurs or sole traders’ would be willing to pay the price – which is who their target market is after all!

I hope you liked this review, let me know if you have any questions in the comments! 

*please note that this is a sponsored post, however as always my review is in my honest opinion.