Social Media and Web 2.0

Social Media and Web 2.0 have taken the internet from a static "information highway" to a platform that allows businesses and individuals to strategically market, collaborate, train and interact in new ways. Forward thinking businesses are incorporating Web 2.0 thinking to gain greater market share and increase revenues. Common tools used are blogs, wikis, social networking and bookmarking sites, podcasts, portals and much more. But, how can these tools be positively utilized and what are the downsides? This course explores and defines Web 2.0, Social Media and a variety of the tools available as well as providing insight into how to determine how to best to utilize these possibilities in a variety of business settings.

Explore social networking and how companies have utilized this technique to increase, acquire, and retain its customer base, which has led to incremental streams of revenue or opportunities for potential partnerships, collaborations, and offers. Assist in thinking through when and how to apply a social networking strategy whether it is from starting a business or managing a business unit within a company.

Focus on research methods and social media demographics, practical assignments putting that research to use creating audience profiles, and best practices in measurement and monitoring that achieve specific marketing, brand management, and public relations goals. Understand how Web 2.0 and social media work, learn to identify the social media application and strategies best-suited to reach specific targets and how to measure the effectiveness of resources spent on social media public relations, branding, and marketing efforts.

Learn how social media can be leveraged as listening and outreach tools for building brand awareness and promoting business through an investigation of tools which include internet forums, message boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, picture sharing, video sharing, and social networking. Create and present a written plan for achieving business goals through the use of a social media marketing campaign.

The availability of social media and web 2.0 tools has become a major distracter within business settings. Employees have yet another focus that takes them away from the work at hand. What human resource policies are appropriate in order to effectively deal with this challenge? Beyond the workplace, the use of these same tools may leave businesses and individuals open to scrutiny and challenges not previously faced. How should blogs be monitored? What is the risk of participating in a social networking site for marketing purposes? Possible legal ramifications, ethical considerations and risk management must be considered with each new strategy and tactic. Explore the current state of law and risk and discuss future trends.

Determine what it is you want your Web site to do, then learn how to make your site accomplish those objectives. Strategic use of the Internet can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your overall marketing program when you know what options are available to you in terms of techniques and tools. Learn how you can use your Web site as a research tool, selling tool, and communications tool. Discover how to develop and use your Web site to provide customer service, test new products, and obtain marketing research information. This course is a must for marketing professionals who must collect and analyze market data to develop strategies that increase sales.

Public relations is about mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and the audiences on which their success or failure depends. Key audiences of every kind can now be reached through new technology. Social media is especially helpful in fostering communication with and listening to key constituencies. It's now incumbent upon public relations professionals to not only be familiar with, but also to implement and manage a myriad of effective online communication channels. This course will discuss all types of social media - from social networking to publishing content on blogs, newsrooms and wikis, to multimedia sharing and bookmarking - as part of an effective online public relations strategy.

This course represents the capstone class of the social media program. During this class students will develop a social media strategy as part of gaining a complete understanding of the POST (people, objectives, strategy, technology) strategy process. Social media and the next-generation Web platforms that make media sharable (broadly called web 2.0) is a highly disruptive phenomenon impacting organizations of every kind even if not proactively engaged in social media. The market forces of the expansion of the web are impacting the competitive landscape and business processes. Business leaders must be prepared to manage the accompanying fundamental cultural and process shifts. They should build cohesive strategies that integrate social media into sound business practices. This is an applied strategy course, providing a methodology to approach and plan a social media strategy in the enterprise. It introduces and applies technographics and social computing behaviors as more appropriate audience profiling techniques than traditional demographic profiling. This course contrasts traditional and non-traditional strategy and communications practices, presents a strategic methodology for social media, and assists in effectively implementing social media channels and venues for achieving business or brand objectives.