Course Description

Elon employee? Click to secure free registration

The course will equip learners with the skills and knowledge required to develop effective social media strategies and leverage analytics tools to enhance digital presence and achieve business/organization objectives. Participants will explore various social media platforms, analyze key metrics, and optimize strategies based on data-driven insights. 

This course will blend instructional methods, including lectures, case studies, practical exercises, and real-time analytics demonstrations. By the end of the program, participants will possess the skills and confidence to craft robust social media strategies, optimize content, and leverage analytics to drive meaningful results in the digital landscape.

Course Outline

• Session 1: Understanding Social Media Landscape, User Demographics, Current Trends. Introduction to Social Media Analysis and User Demographic Analysis. Overview of major social media platforms. Importance of understanding user demographics. Exploring social trends and where to find them. In-depth exploration of current features.
• Session 2: Unlocking the Target Audiences and Content Tailoring. Defining Target Audiences. Importance of audience segmentation. Strategies for effective targeting. Creating Personas for Effective Targeting. Hands-on persona creation workshop. Content Creation for Specific Platforms. Adapting content to platform preferences. 
• Session 3: Number Crunching: Metrics, Analytics, and Data-Driven Decision-Making. Understanding Key Social Media Metrics. Practical usage of popular analytics tools. Interpreting Data and Making Informed Decisions. Optimizing strategies based on data insights.
• Session 4: Developing a Comprehensive Social Media Strategy. Introduction to Social Media Strategy. Aligning social media goals with business objectives. Components of a successful strategy. Practical Exercise: Strategy Development–Students work on developing a comprehensive social media strategy. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Analyze user demographics across various social media platforms.
• Demonstrate an understanding of user behaviors and trends
• Explore and stay updated on emerging trends in the social media landscape. 
• Develop the skills to create a comprehensive social media strategy aligned with business goals. 
• Optimize social media strategies based on data-driven insights.
• Define target audiences for effective social media targeting.
• Create personas to enhance audience understanding and targeting effectiveness.
• Demonstrate creativity in adapting content to suit diverse audience preferences.
• Understand key social media metrics and their significance in assessing campaign performance.
• Use analytics tools to track and measure the performance of social media campaigns.

About the Instructor

Dr. Kelsey Armstrong joined the staff of Elon University in 2022, as the student life communication manager, with over five years of social media expertise. As the student life communication manager, Kelsey leads communication efforts for the Division of Student Life, writes and edits news stories, annual reports, emails, and presentations, and oversees the social media strategy and management of the division’s social media account. She also assists in the communication efforts for HealthEU, Elon’s wellness initiative, which includes co-developing and overseeing the social media strategy and management of the initiative’s social media presence. 

In her previous roles, Kelsey worked extensively with social media. While at Gelia, she served as a social media and content strategist. In this role, she developed and presented social media strategies for clients, supported social media efforts, provided social media reporting, and conducted social listening and tool screen research for social media listening and management tools. At Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University, she developed social media strategy and content for SNAP-Ed, EFNEP, and the Extension main social media accounts. 

Additionally, Kelsey recently received her doctorate in Communications from Liberty University. Her research focused on how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) used social media in their crisis communication efforts regarding COVID-19 to reduce the anxieties and uncertainties of students.