Schedule & Outline

Meeting 1 (Monday, April 24):
Intro, Trends, Platforms and Developing Your “Playbook”

• Course overview, requirements and intros
• What makes someone a social media expert
• The shift from “organic” to “paid”
• How to think strategically and avoid “shiny object syndrome”
• Key social media platforms
• Developing a social media “playbook”
Guest speaker: Clint Schaff, VP of Strategy & Development, Los Angeles Times (@ClintSchaff)

Assignments:

  1. SELF INTRODUCTION: Complete the Week 1 “Graded Discussion” assignment in the Canvas system by posting a brief self introduction highlighting your personal background, professional goals and goals for this course.
  2. ACCOUNT SET-UP: Create (if necessary) personal accounts on Twitter and LinkedIn; complete each profile with bio, photo, links and other information as appropriate.
  3. TWITTER POST: Post at least one update on Twitter relating to social media best practices (use course hashtag #SocMedUCLA so instructor can track your work)
  4. READING: Read “Week 1” assigned posts on course Delicious.com page
  5. RESEARCH: Research/follow and engage with Week 2 guest speaker(s)
  6. COURSE BLOG SUBMISSION: If you are selected to write a blog post about the Week 1 guest speaker, send your blog submission (minimum 250 words) to instructor via the Canvas system or email (subject line “course blog post”) before the next class session on May 1. You may insert your text directly into your message or send it as an attachment.

 

Meeting 2 (Monday, May 1)
PESO, Content Marketing and Influencers

• Understanding “paid,” “earned,” “owned” and “shared” media
• Content marketing and “feeding the beast”
• Video and visual storytelling
• Events and real-time marketing
• Online promotions, contests and giveaways
• Working with bloggers, influencers and empowered consumers
• FTC disclosure, ethics and copyright
Guest speakers: Matt Meeks, Chief Digital Officer, Archdiocese of Los Angeles (@MattMeeks) and Babette Pepaj, Founder/CEO, BakeSpace.com and TECHmunch Food Blogger Conference (@BakeSpace)

Assignments:

  1. TWITTER POST: Post at least one update on Twitter relating to social media best practices (use course hashtag #SocMedUCLA so instructor can track your work)
  2. READING: Read “Week 2” assigned posts on course Delicious.com page
  3. RESEARCH: Research/follow and engage with Week 3 guest speaker(s)
  4. COURSE BLOG SUBMISSION: If you are selected to write a blog post about the Week 2 guest speaker, send your blog submission (minimum 250 words) to instructor via the Canvas system or email (subject line “course blog post”) before the next class session on May 8. You may insert your text directly into your message or send it as an attachment.

 

Meeting 3 (Monday, May 8):
Blogging, SEO and Reputation Management

• How to create and sustain a blog
• Make yourself easy to find: SEO for the non-SEO pro
• Online reputation management
• Final project overview – the social media plan template
Guest speaker: TBD

Assignments:

  1. TWITTER POST: Post at least one update on Twitter relating to social media best practices (use course hashtag #SocMedUCLA so instructor can track your work)
  2. READING: Read “Week 3” assigned posts on course Delicious.com page
  3. RESEARCH: Research/follow and engage with Week 4 guest speaker(s)
  4. COURSE BLOG SUBMISSION: If you are selected to write a blog post about the Week 3 guest speaker, send your blog submission (minimum 250 words) to instructor via the Canvas system or email (subject line “course blog post”) before the next class session on May 15. You may insert your text directly into your message or send it as an attachment.
  5. FINAL PROJECT: Start thinking about how you will approach the final project. It’s not due until the final class session on Monday, June 5, but why wait until the last minute?

 

Meeting 4 (Monday, May 15):
Key Platforms and Building Your Social Media Toolkit

• Platform-specific strategies and best practices
• Tools for monitoring, content creation, engagement and measurement
Guest speaker: Scott Perry, Founder, L.A. Tech Digest; Author, “Snapchat 101” (@ScottPerry)

Assignments:

  1. TWITTER POST: Post at least one update on Twitter relating to social media best practices (use course hashtag #SocMedUCLA so instructor can track your work)
  2. READING: Read “Week 4” assigned posts on course Delicious.com page
  3. RESEARCH: Research/follow and engage with Week 5 guest speaker(s)
  4. COURSE BLOG SUBMISSION: If you are selected to write a blog post about the Week 4 guest speaker, send your blog submission (minimum 250 words) to instructor via the Canvas system or email (subject line “course blog post”) before the next class session on May 22. You may insert your text directly into your message or send it as an attachment.

 

Meeting 5 (Monday, May 22):
ROI, KPIs, Analytics and Working with Influencers

• ROI, KPIs and measuring success
• Tools for monitoring, content creation, engagement and measurement (part 2)
• Tapping employees and other “in-house” ambassadors
Guest speaker: Sara Dunaj, Social Media Manager, Princess Cruises (@SaraDunaj)

Assignments:

  1. TWITTER POST: Post at least one update on Twitter relating to social media best practices (use course hashtag #SocMedUCLA so instructor can track your work)
  2. READING: Read “Week 5” assigned posts on course Delicious.com page
  3. RESEARCH: Research/follow and engage with Week 6 guest speaker(s)
  4. COURSE BLOG SUBMISSION: If you are selected to write a blog post about the Week 5 guest speaker, send your blog submission (minimum 250 words) to instructor via the Canvas system or email (subject line “course blog post”) before the next class session on June 5. You may insert your text directly into your message or send it as an attachment.
  5. FINAL PROJECT: Wrap up work on your final project and prepare to submit it (via the Canvas system or email) by the start of our final class session.

 

Meeting 6 (Monday, June 5):
Wrap-up

• Mobile technologies
• Tying it all together – demonstrating social media PR competence
• Building your personal brand and positioning yourself as an expert
• Odds and ends
• Turn-in final project

Guest speaker: TBD

Course Schedule and Guest Speakers Subject to Update by Instructor