This course is held in English.

A social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything a business plans to do and hopes to achieve on social media. It guides actions and shows whether the campaigns are successful or not. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of creating and managing an effective social media strategy.

We will do that by following the 5 main points of a marketing strategy:  

After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Create specific, measurable, attainable, and time-specific goals for a social media campaign, and recognize appropriate KPIs for these goals.

2. Define customer personas, and be able to research which customer groups to pinpoint with specific targeting options.

3. Apply the fundamentals of competitive analysis and benchmarking of planned campaigns based on competitors. 

4. Understand the basics of creating engaging paid and organic content on social media, notice trend cycles, and apply social listening to marketing campaigns.

5. Recognize the importance of tracking campaign metrics, and optimizing a campaign on a data-driven basis.

6. Understand and discuss the societal effects social media has on different groups of people.

7. Effectively communicate a social media strategy in a presentation.

The course will be held in presence or distance mode, depending on the WU regulations regarding the pandemic.

Attendance of at least 80% of all classes (7 out of 9) is mandatory. In special instances, there will be a possibility to miss one additional class on individual basis.

This course will involve a variety of different learning formats:

• lectures,
• discussions,
• group presentations,
• using digital tools (such as Mural) for interactive activities.

Each unit will comprise both theoretical contents (based on the recommended reading) and interactive, more practically-oriented activities.

Weights for each grading component:

• 30% of the final grade is based on individual assignments:

• Competitive analysis 10% (deadline: 13.11.2022).
• Content Plan 10% (deadline: 27.11.2022).
• Testing and Experimenting 10% (deadline: 12.12.2022).

• 20% of the final grade is based on active participation in the classes:

•         Self-Assessment 10% (deadline: 30.01.2023).
•         Lecturer’s Assessment 10%(deadline: 30.01.2023).

• 20% of the final grade is based on the group presentation (Session 9, submission deadline: 22.01.2023)

• 20% of the final grade is based on the HubSpot Academy Social Media Marketing Certification (deadline: 30.01.2023).

• 10% of the final grade is based on creating at least 4 digital expressions (i.e., pieces of organic content, for example, a video, an image, a meme, an infographic, or a post) on a topic related to the course contents or current events (deadline: 30.01.2023).

Bonus Task: In addition, you will receive a maximum of 5% bonus for an optional case study analysis (deadline: 12.12.2022)

You can find more information about your grade in the Gradebook, and more information about the Assignments in Learning Activities.

Transformation of the grade:

• 1 (sehr gut / excellent): 100% - 90% of all points

• 2 (gut / good): 89% - 80% of all points

• 3 (befriedigend / satisfactory): 79% - 70% of all points

• 4 (genügend / sufficient): 69% - 60% of all points

• 5 (nicht genügend / fail): Below 60% of all points

To be able to participate, students should already have completed the "Digital Marketing" course, or an equivalent.

Experience with social media marketing will be helpful, but is not necessary.

I am happy to answer your questions - feel free to send me an email (alicja.grzadziel@wu.ac.at) if you would like to have a call or talk in person. I will also be available in the classroom (or online) after classes and during the breaks.