Applied Social Media Program

Introduction:

This course covers boosting business and reputation online You will learn to create buzz and engage on all primary social media platforms. This is an intermediate-level course designed for learners with existing knowledge and several years of experience in communications or PR. Learning is pitched at a level to help you develop strategic approaches and apply sophisticated techniques. This course is suitable for communications

Targeted Groups:

PR and Marketing Professionals at all levels whose role includes strategies and tactics for engagement with online social media on behalf of their organization.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course the participants will be able to:

• Apply the principles and mechanisms of online PR and communications to create an online communication strategy for their organization.
• Engage stakeholders and execute powerful campaigns on Facebook, the dominant online social media platform.
• Create and manage a YouTube channel as a hub for video blogging, podcasting, and multimedia outreach.
• Optimize their online output for discovery in Google searches using the science of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
• Use Twitter and micro-blogging for intelligence, outreach, engagement, and crisis communication.

Targeted Competencies:

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Social media platforms
• Crisis management
• PR Skills
• Marketing skills
• Communication skills

Course Content:

Unit 1: Social Media Strategy:

• Adopt best practice based on case studies of highly successful approaches to online communication
• Create an online communication strategy for your organization
• Design systems and processes to guide and enable your organization to engage in online social media

Unit 2: Social Media Management:

• Social media communications landscape
• Participatory PR
• Strategic implications and case studies
• A step-by-step guide to creating an online communication strategy
• Integrating online communication with business

Unit 3: Social Media Engagement:

• Mapping your online world: identifying the platforms and influencers that matter to you
• Systems, policies and processes, resources
• Defining social media roles and responsibilities
• Creating your own social media policy
• Reputational risk assessment

Unit 4: Content and Search Optimisation:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Link and keyword strategies
• Optimizing news releases and website content for social media and search
• Content strategies

Unit 5: Crisis Management in Social Media:

• Identifying platforms and approaches for online intervention and engagement
• Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google in a crisis
• Creating strategies, policies, and systems enabling rapid decision-making and engagement
• Preparing online crisis resources: platforms and content ready to go live at a moment’s notice
• Messaging and positioning for online crisis communication.