When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 4 modules in this course
The “What Is Social?" MOOC is for business owners, executives, and marketing professionals who want to significantly improve their abilities to grow their social strategy using effective, proven methodologies. This hands on, "how to" program won’t just tell you how to grow your professional persona using social – you will actually do it! This course is the first in the six-course specialization, Social Media Marketing: How to Profit in a Digital World.
While the course can be audited for free, paid learners will receive additional content beyond the course basics. For MOOC 1, the toolkit includes a special video from Alessandro Acquisti on Big Data and a set of studies done by IBM on engagement and social marketing strategies with bottom-line profits.
This course has been designed to give you the tools, insights, knowledge, and skills to immediately impact your organization. In addition, we will help you network with thought leaders in social. After completing this course, you and your organization’s staff will be able to position, engage, and grow relationships with the consumers of highest value to you.
Today, we are living in a period of massive disruption. New technologies are changing the way people engage with each other and with the organizations that interest them. This course will start you on the path to growing your own social strategy using effective, proven methodologies.
Additional MOOC 1 faculty include:
* Judy Ungar Franks (President, The Marketing Democracy, Ltd. & Lecturer, Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern)
In this first module, you will learn about the goals, structure, and deliverables of the Social Marketing Specialization MOOCs, as well as gain an understanding of how the MOOCs in the Specialization will each build on one another to create a truly unique and immediately applicable experience.
What's included
5 videos7 readings
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 21 minutes
Introduction•6 minutes
Course Overview•4 minutes
The Next Marketing Revolution is Here with AI•7 minutes
The Capstone Project•2 minutes
How the Capstone Program Works•1 minute
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
AI is Impacting All Aspects of Digital and Social Media Marketing•10 minutes
Welcome to Course 1 in the Social Marketing Specialization•10 minutes
Grading and Logistics•10 minutes
Meet Your Instructors•10 minutes
Social Marketing Toolkit Pt. 1 - Three Misconceptions of Social•10 minutes
Course Bookstore•10 minutes
Special Toolkits for Paid/Financial Aid Learners•10 minutes
Social Trends
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn not only how the digital revolution has disrupted the marketplace, but also how you can make sense of this disrupted digital world.
What's included
7 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 41 minutes
Surviving the Digital Revolution•11 minutes
Professor Judy Franks on Media: From Chaos to Clarity•9 minutes
The Social Media Revolution•2 minutes
Digital Transformation Trends•2 minutes
Identifying Social Trends•1 minute
5 Ways to Make AI Your Business Partner - Part 1•11 minutes
5 Ways to Make AI Your Business Partner - Part 2 for startups•5 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Social Marketing Toolkit Pt. 2 - ClueTrain Manifesto•10 minutes
Infinite Dial Research •10 minutes
Question for Discussion•10 minutes
Educating AI on your business or whatever you want to analyze•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Quiz 1•30 minutes
The Business of Social
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn how to view social as holistic, consumer/stakeholder focused, flexible, global, real-time and integrated. You will then complete a peer review assignment which will ask you to define your target audience on social.
What's included
11 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 60 minutes
Viewing Social•4 minutes
Your Professional Network•4 minutes
Real-Time Social Data•3 minutes
WeFeelFine.org Demo•5 minutes
The Shifting Social Landscape•5 minutes
The Social Pyramid•3 minutes
Developing your Professional Social Media Assets•6 minutes
Targeting Assignment Step by Step•5 minutes
Developing Market Insights with AI•7 minutes
Building a Persona of Your Ideal Prospect•5 minutes
Developing the Persona of Your Ideal Prospect using AI•12 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Persona Template Your Will Find Useful•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Quiz 2•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Career Targeting Assignment•60 minutes
Social Overview
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn to understand the importance of big data and how to deal with all of the quickly changing social sites used today. You will also learn the difference between social networks and communities as well as the reasons that they form. Then, you will set up the social sites that you will use throughout the Specialization.
What's included
9 videos4 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 45 minutes
The 3 M's of an Effective Content Strategy for Social Media Marketing•2 minutes
The 3 M's of Effective Content Strategy - Focusing on Markets•5 minutes
The 3 M's of Effective Content Strategy - Focusing on Messages•4 minutes
The 3 M's of Effective Content Strategy - Focusing on Media•6 minutes
Social Networks and Communities•5 minutes
Why Social Communities Form•3 minutes
Understanding Social Communities•6 minutes
How to Position Yourself as a Brand Authority•7 minutes
Developing your Social Media Tools for the Networking Assignment•7 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Developing the Social Assets to Develop Your Personal Brand•10 minutes
Question for Discussion•10 minutes
Download the Lecture Video Slides•10 minutes
What Comes Next?•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 36 minutes
Quiz 3•30 minutes
Networking & Tracking Assignment•6 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor
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Instructor ratings
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
Northwestern University is a private research and teaching university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries.
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Learner reviews
4.6
4,230 reviews
5 stars
73.68%
4 stars
18.98%
3 stars
4.46%
2 stars
1.41%
1 star
1.44%
Showing 3 of 4230
M
MG
5·
Reviewed on Mar 3, 2016
Amazing information given, with great assignments to supplement my learning. Will definitely advise anyone interested in learning more about digital marketing to check out this course and more!
D
DM
5·
Reviewed on Aug 6, 2017
Very engaging and thoughtfully presented overview and introduction to the course offerings. Had my first big AHA moment which completely validated my decision to enroll/pay for the course.
N
NG
5·
Reviewed on Nov 29, 2015
I enjoyed this class and found it challenging. I am new to the social media world and found this class to be a great motivator to sign up for new social media sites I have never considered before.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.