module specification

There has never been a more exciting time to study social media strategies. Social media strategies now play out in every aspect of business, government and society today. This module offers a critical eye on social media strategies, identifying those that worked as intended and those that didn’t. Through looking at current examples of social media and social media strategies, you will learn what a strategy is and how best to deploy it for the particular agenda and goals of an organisation. Teaching methods include formal lectures, seminar discussion, student-presentations and online material. Students will be expected to attend formal lecturers and take notes, read from primary and secondary source material and comment on their readings. They are expected to creatively engage with social media content creation as it embeds within an overall strategy of a particular industry.  This module aims to:
● Enable students to evaluate key approaches to understanding current social media and strategy.
● Encourage students to develop critical awareness of their everyday experience of social media.
● Establish links between theoretical, technological, social and ethical aspects of social media.

An indicative programme of study covers:

● Analysis and discussion of research, debates and techniques relating to social media strategies of organisations, industry, government and individuals

● Visualisation – communicating social media strategies ideas through visualisation, text and presentation.

● Critical theory and social media strategies.

● Social Media Strategies for maximising exposure.

● Branding and the role of social media in maintaining a brand

● Content and messaging for your Social Media Strategy

● Reputation Management

● Social Listening

● Crisis Management and Social Media Strategies

● Impact of prosumers and Trolls on Social Media Strategy

● Dark Social and social media

● Social Media Advertising and Dark posts

● Social Media and Fundraising

● Development of employability skills in the context of social media jobs

Learning Outcomes LO 1 - 5

This module will be delivered through a combination of modes of delivery, including formal lectures, seminars, workshops and individual coursework. The mixed-mode module delivery will be used to encourage a supportive environment for individual and peer-group learning.
A blended learning strategy will be employed to enhance the learning experience, facilitate communication between students and tutors and develop collaboration among students.
The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE: Weblearn) will be used as a platform to support online activities including evaluation of online resources, access to materials and electronic reading packs. The VLE will also be used to facilitate assessment and related feedback, as well as a tool to integrate useful online learning materials provided by research institutions, academic publications, professional organisations and other relevant sources.

The learning outcomes for this module include:
- apply social media terminology to an assessed client brief (LO1)
- to creatively engage with social media content creation with the appropriate software as it embeds within an overall strategy of a particular industry. (LO2)
- describe a social media plan tied to a particular industry as part of an assessed client brief. (LO3)
- construct and critically assess a social media campaign for a particular industry (LO4)
- analyse the most appropriate social media platforms according to a particular industry for the dissemination of a social media strategy.(LO5)

There are two assessment components for this module:
1. A 2,500 word strategic plan analysing the main issues and suggesting the best solutions to grow a successful social media presence for a selected client brief. This social media strategy plan (weighting 40%) is designed to assess the students’ analytical skills and problem-solving ability.

2. A three-platform campaign (3000 words) on a topic of your own choosing. This social media strategy plan (weighting 60%) is designed to assess the students’ creative skills and communication ability. It should be presented as a Word document with the URLs of your chosen social media platforms and a brief description of what you are trying to achieve.

Core
Lipschultz, J. (2017). Social Media Communication: Concepts, Practices, Data, Law and Ethics. Abingdon: Routledge.
Atherton, J. (2019). Social Media Strategy: A Practical Guide to Social Media Marketing and Customer Engagement. Kogan Page.
Books
Albarran, A.B. (Ed.) (2013). The Social Media Industries, Media management and economics, Routledge: New York ; London.
Atherton, J. (2019). Social Media Strategy: A Practical Guide to Social Media Marketing and Customer Engagement. Kogan Page.
Bendoni, W. (2017). Social media for fashion marketing: storytelling in a digital world. London: Bloomsbury, 2017.
Brogan, C. (2010). Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online, Wiley: Hoboken, N.J.
Cameron-Kitchen, T. and Ivanescu, Y. (2016) Profitable social media marketing: how to grow your business by growing an audience using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and more. [United States]: Exposure Ninja.
Clyne, G. and Reaves, M. (no date) Social Media Marketing 2019: The Must Know Practical Tips and Strategies for Growing Your Brand, Becoming an Influencer and Advertising Your Business Using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
Dahl, S. (2018) Social media marketing: theories & applications. 2E [Second edition]. London: SAGE.
Ford, J. E. (2018) Social media marketing for the future: strategies for 2020 & beyond. [United States]: [publisher not identified].
Fuchs, C. (2017). Social Media: A Critical Introduction, SAGE: Los Angeles ; London.
Kelly, N. (2013). How to Measure Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing and Assessing Social Media ROI, Que: Indianapolis, Ind.
Keyes, D. (2018) The rule-breaker’s guide to social media. Hove: DK Publishing.
Hyatt, A. (2012). Cyber PR for musicians: Tools, tricks, & tactics for building your social media house. New York. Huntercat Press.
Kingsnorth, S. (2013). Digital marketing strategy : an integrated approach to online marketing. Kogan-Page.
Lieb, R. (2012). Content Marketing: Think like a Publisher: How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media, Que: Indianapolis.
Lipschultz, J. (2017). Social Media Communication: Concepts, Practices, Data, Law and Ethics. Abingdon: Routledge.
Luttrell, R. (2015). Social media. How to engage, share and connect. London: Rowman & Littlefield
Macarthy, A. (2018). 500 Social Media Marketing Tips: Essential Advice, Hints and Strategy for Business. Charlotte, NC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Matejic, N. (2015). Social media rules of engagement: Why your online narrative is the best weapon during a crisis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
McCosker, A, Reid, D. & Farrell, C. (2016). Social Media Industries: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Australian Policy Online.
Meikle, G. (2016). Social Media: Communication, Sharing and Visibility. New York: Routledge.
Noor Al-Deen, H.S., Hendricks, J.A. (Eds.) (2013). Social Media and Strategic Communications, Palgrave Macmillan: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire.
Owsinski, B. (2013). Social Media Promotion for Musicians: The Manual For Marketing Yourself, Your Band and Your Music (2nd Ed). Bobby Owsinski Media Group.
Ryan, D. (2014). The Best Digital Marketing Campaigns in the World II: Mastering the Art of Customer Engagement, Kogan Page: London ; Philadelphia.
Rolston, C. P., Macy, A. & Hutchison, T. (2015). Record label marketing : How music companies brand and market artists in the digital era. Florence, US: Focal Press.
Smith, N. (2011). The Social Media Management Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Get Social Media Working in Your Business, John Wiley & Sons: Chichester.
Stokes, R. and the Minds of Quirk. (2013). eMarketing, The essential guide to marketing in a digital world. Cape Town. Quirk Education Pty.
Suhr, H. C. (2012). Social Media and Music: The Digital Field of Cultural Production, Digital formations, Peter Lang: New York. 34.
Tasker, S. (2019) Hashtag authentic: finding creativity and building a community on Instagram and beyond. London: White Lion Publishing.
Thomas M. (2019). The Financial Times Guide to Social Media Strategy: Boost your business, manage risk and develop your personal brand (The FT Guides). FT Press.
Treadaway, C. (2010). Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day, Wiley: Indianapolis.
Tuten, T.L. (2013b). Social Media Marketing, Pearson Education Limited: Harlow