What is Social? from Coursera

The “What Is Social?" MOOC is for business owners, executives, and marketing professionals who want to significantly improve their abilities to grow their social strategy using effective, proven methodologies. This hands on, "how to" program won’t just tell you how to grow your professional persona using social – you will actually do it! This course is the first in the six-course specialization, Social Media Marketing: How to Profit in a Digital World.

While the course can be audited for free, paid learners will receive additional content beyond the course basics. For MOOC 1, the toolkit includes a special video from Alessandro Acquisti on Big Data and a set of studies done by IBM on engagement and social marketing strategies with bottom-line profits.

This course has been designed to give you the tools, insights, knowledge, and skills to immediately impact your organization. In addition, we will help you network with thought leaders in social. After completing this course, you and your organization’s staff will be able to position, engage, and grow relationships with the consumers of highest value to you.

Today, we are living in a period of massive disruption. New technologies are changing the way people engage with each other and with the organizations that interest them. This course will start you on the path to growing your own social strategy using effective, proven methodologies.

Additional MOOC 1 faculty include:

* Judy Ungar Franks (President, The Marketing Democracy, Ltd. & Lecturer, Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern)

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Social Marketing

In this first module, you will learn about the goals, structure, and deliverables of the Social Marketing Specialization MOOCs, as well as gain an understanding of how the MOOCs in the Specialization will each build on one another to create a truly unique and immediately applicable experience.

Social Trends

In this module, you will learn not only how the digital revolution has disrupted the marketplace, but also how you can make sense of this disrupted digital world.

The Business of Social

In this module, you will learn how to view social as holistic, consumer/stakeholder focused, flexible, global, real-time and integrated. You will then complete a peer review assignment which will ask you to define your target audience on social.

Social Overview

In this module, you will learn to understand the importance of big data and how to deal with all of the quickly changing social sites used today. You will also learn the difference between social networks and communities as well as the reasons that they form. Then, you will set up the social sites that you will use throughout the Specialization.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops skills in defining target audiences on social media platforms

Explores the digital revolution's impact on the marketplace and provides strategies for navigating it

Helps learners understand how to effectively leverage social media for business purposes

Taught by industry experts with extensive experience in social media marketing

Provides ample opportunities for learners to apply their understanding of social media marketing through hands-on activities

Additional content and materials are available for paid learners, providing them with a more comprehensive learning experience

Reviews summary

Well-received social media basics course

Learners say this online course is a well-rounded, beginner-friendly introduction to the world of social media. Students commend highly the course's informative content, particularly the modules on social media monitoring and community management. While the course may not offer the most in-depth exploration of all topics, its engaging approach makes it an excellent choice for individuals looking to build a foundation in social media marketing.

Interesting and interactive learning experience.

"It's a good introductory course about what does being social mean, it opens a door for you to see whats behind the most talented social accounts, their Community Managers and the tools they use to engage with their clients and customers, very good course."

Perfect for newcomers to social media marketing.

"Amazing course."

"It gives you great information and insight on Social Media and it's functions within business."

"If you're trying to advance your skills in social media for your business or for personal/professional growth I highly recommend this course."

Valuable insights and practical knowledge.

"I learned so much from this course, it's really making a difference already."

"I refer to myself as a social media addict and this class still taught me so much!"

"The course gives a nice overview over different topics about social media like the different channels & kinds of social media and some tools."

May not dive deeply into all topics.

"At some point I would have liked to go deeper into detail."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in What is Social? with these activities:

Review Social Media Concepts

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Review key social media concepts to strengthen your foundation for the course.

Browse courses on Social Media Marketing

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Read textbook chapter on social media basics.
Take online quiz on social media terminology.

Setting Up Social Media Profiles

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Complete guided tutorials to set up and optimize your social media profiles for professional use.

Browse courses on Social Media Presence

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Create profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Customize your profile picture, banner, and bio.
Connect with industry professionals and potential clients.

Social Media Content Creation

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Engage in practice drills to develop your skills in creating engaging and effective social media content.

Browse courses on Content Marketing

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Brainstorm content ideas for a specific target audience.
Draft social media posts with compelling headlines and visuals.
Analyze post performance and make adjustments as needed.

Three other activities

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Show all six activities

Social Media Marketing Workshop

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Attend a workshop to enhance your practical skills and knowledge in social media marketing.

Browse courses on Social Media Marketing

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Register for a social media marketing workshop.
Attend the workshop and actively participate.
Apply workshop learnings to improve your social media strategy.

Social Media Strategies Discussion

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Engage in discussions with peers to share and learn about effective social media strategies.

Browse courses on Social Media Optimization

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Prepare a presentation on a specific social media strategy.
Lead a group discussion on the topic.
Provide feedback and insights to other participants.

Social Media Marketing Plan

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Create a comprehensive social media marketing plan to apply the concepts learned in the course.

Browse courses on Marketing Plan

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Conduct a social media audit to assess current performance.
Define target audience and marketing objectives.
Develop a content calendar and engagement strategy.
Implement the plan and track results.

Career center

Learners who complete What is Social? will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Content Creator

A Content Creator is responsible for creating content for social media platforms. This course helps build a foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Content Creators.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator

Social Media Analyst

A Social Media Analyst is responsible for tracking and analyzing social media data. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Social Media Analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Analyst

Community Manager

A Community Manager is responsible for building and managing online communities. This course helps build a foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Community Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Community Manager

Social Media Strategist

A Social Media Strategist is responsible for developing and executing social media strategies. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Social Media Strategists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Strategist

Social Media Marketer

A Social Media Marketer is responsible for using social media to promote products or services. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Social Media Marketers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Marketer

Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager uses social media platforms to increase engagement, build a fanbase, and boost sales. This course is an excellent introduction to social media marketing. It helps build a foundation that a Social Media Manager can use to create successful marketing campaigns.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager

Digital Marketing Manager

A Digital Marketing Manager is responsible for planning and executing digital marketing campaigns. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for Digital Marketing Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Manager

Senior Marketing Manager

A Senior Marketing Manager is responsible for managing a team of marketing professionals and developing and executing marketing campaigns. This course helps build a foundation in digital marketing, a critical skill for today's Senior Marketing Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Senior Marketing Manager

Brand Manager

A Brand Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining a brand's identity. This course helps build a foundation in social media marketing, an essential skill for Brand Managers in today's digital world.

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Digital Marketing Specialist

A Digital Marketing Specialist uses digital technologies to plan, execute, and analyze marketing campaigns. This course helps build a foundation of foundational digital marketing principles that are useful in many roles, including Digital Marketing Specialists.

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Marketing Consultant

A Marketing Consultant provides marketing advice and services to businesses and organizations. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for today's Marketing Consultants.

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Chief Marketing Officer

A Chief Marketing Officer is responsible for developing and executing the overall marketing strategy for a company or organization. This course provides a solid foundation in social media marketing, a critical skill for today's Chief Marketing Officers.

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Marketing Director

A Marketing Director is responsible for overseeing all marketing activities for a company or organization. This course helps build a foundation in digital marketing, a critical skill for today's Marketing Directors.

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Marketing Manager

A Marketing Manager plans and executes marketing campaigns for a company or organization. This course provides a solid foundation in digital marketing, a critical skill for today's Marketing Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Public relations manager

A Public Relations Manager is responsible for managing a company's public image. This course may be useful in helping build a foundation in social media marketing, a skill that is increasingly important for Public Relations Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public relations manager