SOCIAL MEDIA ACADEMY

What SOCIAL MEDIA ACADEMY does

Social Media Academy is a UK-based private training and managed-services business founded in 2007 by Phil Gee, focused on helping small and medium businesses establish and operate their digital marketing and social media presence. The company delivers one-to-one bespoke training in person at nine UK locations (Liverpool HQ, Southport, London/Chiswick, Preston, Leeds, Birmingham, Essex, Wirral, Cheshire) and via Zoom, with course tiers ranging from the Starter Programme and Beginners Course up to a higher-ticket Transform Programme priced at £2,475. Its product portfolio has expanded into AI education through AI Academy (launched 2024) and the Digital Pulse managed-service offering, which combines social media management, NFC-tap Google review generation, email marketing and website synchronisation on a monthly retainer. The business also offers website design and development, personal branding training, and an Agency Training programme that teaches others to replicate the model.

The company's technology stack is configuration-led rather than proprietary-model-led: the Digital Twin methodology packages client business data (history, goals, brand voice, customer feedback) into AI assistant workflows, while Digital Pulse orchestrates social, reviews and email channels. These wrap third-party generative AI models (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) and automation tools (Zapier-class integrations) for content generation, review response, lead-generation pipelines and CRM workflows; there is no evidence of in-house AI model development. Pricing is mixed — one-off course fees, monthly management retainers paid in advance, website deposits with 30-day balance terms, and Klarna instalments for the Transform Programme — and revenue is generated across professional services, recurring subscriptions and one-off project fees.

The customer base spans 400+ businesses across at least eight verticals, with named clients drawn almost entirely from UK SMBs in hospitality, healthcare, retail, design and aesthetics. The company has no external funding, operates with approximately 8 employees, and underwent a 2026 rebrand to Social Media & AI Academy to reflect AI training now being standard across the 2026 coaching curriculum. Phil Gee remains the sole named social media coach and the primary brand asset, with the company's competitive advantages anchored on his 18-year track record rather than a broader leadership bench.

Name

SOCIAL MEDIA ACADEMY

Legal name

Social Media Academy

Website

https://socialmediaacademy.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Social Media Academy is a UK-based training and managed-services firm founded in 2007 by Phil Gee, delivering one-to-one social media, AI and digital marketing training alongside monthly social media management to small and medium businesses across nine UK locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Training

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing, Communications & Digital Skills Training (EDAGANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI & Emerging Technology Literacy (EDAAAIAJ), Digital Learning Content Development (eLearning, Labs, Simulations) (BPAEANAD), Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD)

Keywords

• Social media training
• Digital marketing education
• AI business training
• Social media management
• Website development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Social Media & AI Training: One-to-one bespoke training programs delivered in-person or via Zoom. Programs include Starter Programme, Growth Programme, Beginners Course, Personal Branding, and AI Training courses.
2. Transform Programme: Comprehensive 4-day on-site AI & marketing transformation programme with 30-day support. Price is £2475 with Klarna installment options.
3. Social Media Management: Monthly retainer service handling all aspects of social media presence including content creation, posting, reviews management, and reporting. Monthly payments required upfront.
4. Website Design & Development: Website development service with 50% deposit required upfront and remaining balance due 30 days after launch. Hosted through collaborator I See You Online Ltd.
5. Agency Training/Franchise: Training programme for individuals wanting to set up their own marketing agency. Mentorship and coaching on business setup, operations, sales, and team building.
6. Email Marketing: Email marketing services creating fortnightly updates to customer databases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Social Media Academy delivers practical, joined-up digital marketing and AI education to UK small and medium businesses through bespoke one-to-one training programmes (Starter, Growth, Beginners, Personal Branding, Agency Training, AI Academy and Transform Programme). It also runs an outsourced managed service called Digital Pulse that handles daily social media posting across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Google, plus Google Reviews management via NFC Tap Card, blog writing, email marketing and reporting on a monthly retainer. Complementary website design, hosting and email setup are delivered in partnership with I See You Online Ltd.

Product overview

Social Media Academy is a training and managed-services company offering practical, joined-up digital marketing and AI education to small and medium businesses across the UK. Its core portfolio consists of instructor-led training courses (Starter Programme, Growth Programme, Beginners Course, Personal Branding, Agency Training), the AI Academy and Transform Programme for AI-focused upskilling, and a managed service called Digital Pulse for ongoing social media management. Website development and management services are offered as a complementary layer. The company operates from multiple UK offices (Liverpool, London/Chiswick, Preston, Leeds, Birmingham, Essex, Wirral, Cheshire) and teaches both self-paced learning and one-to-one coaching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starter Programme A beginner-focused social media training course designed for people who have not started on social media or are struggling to get motivated and consistent. Delivered as part of the one-to-one bespoke training model.
• Growth Programme An advanced training programme covering social media plus website management, email marketing and effective business systems to help businesses gain lots of new clients. Delivered one-to-one at the client's pace.
• AI Academy Courses teaching how to use AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) to supercharge social media, content creation, email marketing, lead generation, SEO, website management, sales pipeline and business systems. Available in person and online.
• Transform Programme A comprehensive four-day on-site AI and marketing transformation programme including AI tool setup (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot), Digital Twin building, full marketing and content creation system, social media automation, SEO, email marketing automation, lead generation, CRM workflows, sales pipeline management, and a personalised 60-day action plan. Priced at £2,475 with Klarna installments.
• Digital Pulse (Social Media Management) A full-service social media management offering where the team handles daily posting across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Google; manages Google Reviews with NFC Tap Card review generation; synchronises website content; produces two blog posts monthly; manages email marketing fortnightly; and provides monthly progress reports. Sold on a monthly retainer with payments required upfront.
• Website Development & Management Website design and development services, including hosting, email setup and domain management through collaborator I See You Online Ltd. Also includes ongoing website maintenance and content synchronisation with social media campaigns. 50% deposit on commencement, balance due 30 days after website goes live.
• Agency Training A mentorship programme teaching how to set up and run a marketing agency from anywhere in the world, covering business setup, business planning, platform knowledge, services and pricing, systems, sales, team building and motivation. No prior experience required.
• Beginners Course Foundational social media training covering the basics needed to get up and running across social media platforms, designed for beginners.
• Personal Branding Training programme focused on building a personal brand using social media and AI tools, targeted at individuals looking to establish themselves as experts in their field.

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubled engagement while cutting time in half for retail client
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• I See You Online LtdsupportingTechnology or IntegrationThird-party collaborator providing website hosting, email setup, and domain name registration/renewal services for Social Media Academy's web development clients. Work is performed on a job-by-job basis with quotes provided before commencement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Semrush Academy: Free SEO and digital marketing training from Semrush targeting SMBs and in-house marketers, including AI-related content — overlaps with Social Media Academy's AI/Training-curriculum surface.
• Hootsuite Academy: Hootsuite's social media marketing education arm offers certifications and training for SMBs and marketers, directly overlapping Social Media Academy's core social media training proposition.
• HubSpot Academy: HubSpot Academy provides free marketing, sales and AI training certifications to SMBs and marketers — the same audience and curriculum category as Social Media Academy's AI and marketing programmes.
• Digital Marketing Institute: Globally recognised digital marketing certification body offering professional training in social media, SEO and AI — comparable professional-development positioning to Social Media Academy's programmes.
• Social Media Examiner: Long-running social media marketing education publisher (podcasts, articles, courses) targeting SMBs and marketers — a direct content and training peer.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online learning platform hosting digital marketing, AI and social media courses from universities and brands — represents the scalable, self-serve alternative to Social Media Academy's bespoke delivery.
• Buffer: Social media management platform accompanied by a large free educational library (Buffer blog, courses) — overlaps with Social Media Academy on social media management and SMB training.
• Constant Contact: Established SMB-focused email and digital marketing platform with onboarding education — comparable SMB customer and email-marketing training territory to Social Media Academy.
• Meta Blueprint: Meta's official free training and certification on Facebook, Instagram and AI marketing tools — broad incumbent pressuring any paid social media education offering.

Emerging players

• Duct Tape Marketing: Small business marketing consulting and training system (books, workshops, partner network) targeting solo and small-business owners — comparable niche to Social Media Academy's SMB transformation offer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onlineguruuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/online-guru

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SOCIAL MEDIA ACADEMY