COURSE: CDPR 121
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR EXECUTIVES
COURSE OUTLINE FOR SPRING 2015
INSTRUCTOR: Lina Duque, MBA
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to assist executives and entrepreneurs in understanding how to use social media in a meaningful way to build their personal brand, manage their online reputation and develop thought leadership within their sector or industry.
COURSE OBJECTIVE/LEARNING OUTCOMES:
After completing the course and participating in class activities, students should be able to: • Set up a Twitter account, build a following and network with target audience and top influencers
• Generate content for their blog and promote blog posts by implementing social media tactics
• Create a compelling LinkedIn profile and strategically use LinkedIn as a thought leadership platform
• Use social media tools and platforms to craft and manage a strong personal brand
• Optimize their online presence – including managing multiple social media profiles and monitoring their online reputation.
• Pitch story ideas to mainstream media as a tool that adds credibility to their brand
• Understand the business case for social media and how to use their personal brand to enhance their company’s overall brand visibility
• Understand the fundamentals of effectively writing for social media TEXTBOOK & READING LISTS:
See suggested readings below
OTHER MATERIALS:
N/A
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:
In-class, bring your own device (laptop or tablet)
METHOD AND SCHEDULE OF STUDENT EVALUATION:
Page 2 of 5 Sample Course Outline –CDPR 121
COURSE SCHEDULE: This course is 4 classes in duration.
Class Objectives Agenda
April 8 Topic: Building a Following on Twitter
After completing this class and participating in class activities, students should be able to:
• Set up an account on Twitter and gain followers
• Write tweets that drive engagement and sharing
• Network with influencers and senior executives on Twitter
• Schedule postings to appear during peak traffic times to maximize visibility
• Leverage the organic nature of Twitter to grow their business and expand their marketing reach
Suggested Readings:
How to Tweet Your Way into the C-Suite, Forbes 31 Twitter Tips: How to Use Twitter Tools and Twitter Best Practices for Business, Forbes
How To Dramatically Increase Your Twitter Following, Forbes
The Global Social CEO Survey, Brandfog
• Step-by-step guide to creating an account on Twitter, including profile bio, links and pictures
• In-class activities: how to tweet and use hashtags
• Case studies on engaging with influencers
• Examining language guidelines for Twitter
• Assignment: Create a 4-week Twitter Action Plan
April 15 Topic: Leveraging LinkedIn as a Thought Leadership Platform
After completing this class and participating in class activities, students should be able to:
• Create a targeted, compelling LinkedIn profile
• Implement tweaks to enhance their profile and produce higher search result rankings
• Manage their LinkedIn account and privacy settings
• Expand their network of connections within specific industries
Suggested Readings:
22 LinkedIn Secrets LinkedIn Won't Tell You, Forbes 5 Tips from LinkedIn’s Top Posts of All Time
• Guest speaker: Executive shares strategy of using social media, alongside others tools, to land current role
• Step-by-step guide for creating a LinkedIn profile
• Hands-on application of managing LinkedIn account settings
• Tactics and best practices for adding connections
• Assignment: write your LinkedIn profile headline and summary
April 22 Topic: Generating Content for Your Blog
After completing this class and participating in class activities, students should be able to:
• Write blog posts to share their knowledge and develop thought leadership within their space
• Implement writing best practices and understand basics of writing for the web
• Generate article ideas for their blog
• Self-publish and promote blog posts on LinkedIn
• Create an editorial calendar of blog post ideas
• Pitch story ideas to mainstream media as a tool that adds credibility to their personal brand
Suggested Readings:
7 Tips to Getting Your Articles Published, LinkedIn The Ideal Length of Everything Online, Backed by Research, Bufferapp Blog
Best times to post on social media [Infographic], Social Media Today
5 Tips from LinkedIn’s Top Posts of All Time
• Guest speaker: Executive shares strategy of producing content for their blog
• Creating an editorial calendar to plan and promote blog posts
• Examining writing guidelines for the web
• In-class activity: write the introduction to a blog post
• Assignment: Write a blog post within your area of expertise
Page 4 of 5 Sample Course Outline –CDPR 121 April 29
Topic: Optimizing Your Online Presence and Responding to Social Media Crises
After completing this class and participating in class activities, students should be able to:
• Manage their profiles on multiple social media platforms simultaneously
• Monitor and manage their online reputation by implementing various tactics
• Respond to negative commentary online
• Devise a response plan when faced with a social media crisis that could potentially harm their company’s reputation
• Devise a social media policy for their
company/start-up, which provides guidelines for employees on social media usage
Suggested Readings:
How to manage your personal brand while keeping your day job, The Globe and Mail
5 Easy Tips to Optimize Your Online Presence, LinkedIn
How a social media misstep became a lesson learned at Labatt, The Globe and Mail
• Hands-on application of using social media management tools to schedule postings and manage multiple accounts
• Hands-on application of applying online tools to manage reputation
• In-class activity: Devise a response plan for a social media crisis
• Examining a social media policy template
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Ryerson University and The Chang School are committed to the principles of academic integrity as outlined in the Student Code of Academic Conduct. Students are strongly encouraged to review the student guide to academic integrity, including penalties for misconduct, on the academic integrity website at www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity and the Student Code of Academic Conduct at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies.
RYERSON STUDENT EMAIL:
All students in full and part-time graduate and undergraduate degree programs and all continuing education students are required to activate and maintain their Ryerson online identity at www.ryerson.ca/accounts in order to regularly access Ryerson's E-mail, RAMSS, my.ryerson.ca portal and learning system, and other systems by which they will receive official University communications.
COURSE REPEATS:
Senate GPA Policy prevents students from taking a course more than three times. For complete GPA Policy see policy No. 46 at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies .
RYERSON ACADEMIC POLICIES:
For more information on Ryerson’s academic policies, visit the Senate website at www.ryerson.ca/senate.
Course Management Policy No. 145
Student Code of Academic Conduct No. 60
Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals Policy No. 134
Accommodation of Student Religious Observance Obligations Policy No. 150 Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities Policy No. 159 Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct No. 61
Examination Policy No. 135
