The course is designed to give students a hands-on approach to social media marketing. The students will learn the basics through intermediate knowledge of social media strategy, social media plan design, social media platforms, social media analytics, website design and layout, search engine optimization, content strategy, social media key performance indicators, ecommerce, and how to manage various social media platforms.

This course is organized in cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Some of the definite objectives of the course

•    Define the role of social media marketing in a form and how it can add value to a firm.
•    Give students an overview of the main areas of social media marketing management, so they are prepared to take on a social media marketing position after they finish the class.
•    Open students’ eyes to the tricks of the trade of social media marketing so that they can become better informed online consumers.
•    Develop an understanding of the functions and realities of social media marketing.
•    Give students the skills to read, understand, interpret, and develop social media marketing strategies based on various analytics and key performance indicators.
•    Help students develop their own social media portfolio they can show in career fairs and to potential employers.
•    Students will develop their own blog, twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest profiles.

This is an asynchronous distance learning course and students will be able to work on their own schedule for four weeks starting May 15th. Students are required to complete the weekly projects on time.

The course is designed as a lecture and hands on learning class. The instructor will provide youtube videos and students will work on social media accounts and projects. Students will learn by a combination of lectures, hands on exercises, and assignments.

Blog/Website Development Project: 15%
LinkedIn Personal Branding Assignment: 10%
Twitter/Hashtag Assignment: 10%
Instagram/Infographic Assignment: 10%
Facebook Assignment: 10%
YouTube Assignment: 10%
Final Project: 35% - The final project will be submitted online to the professor by TBA. email the final project to mwolter@illinois.edu 

There will be pre-course video lectures that all students will need to watch to have the background in marketing needed to handle the course. These videos will be sent out in playlists two months before the class. These videos will constitute six hours of class time.

The whole class will be online videos, which is why there is no class schedule. It will be weekly videos and weekly projects due. You will be able to work on your own schedule. It will be for four weeks starting May 15th. The assignments are due each Sunday night for four weeks.