Recently I have thought about my experience as a Social Media Marketing Lecturer. It was a fantastic opportunity that was awarded to me and I am grateful for the ability to share my knowledge with others. The biggest take away for me was the solidification of my own understanding of Social.

As a new industry, Social Media Experts are self-taught and just a rather large group of “Otters” who have a keen interest in the fluid digital world. We live and breathe Social. We continuously navigate the changing landscape of Facebook and have added ‘algorithm’ into our names.

As Social Media is evolving quickly into Digital Marketing, it is becoming more and more important for businesses to embark on their journey into the Social Media marketplace. Finally Social Media Marketers are becoming a niche market of their own. Moreover, my job is actually real.

I am excited to consider the occurrence of Bachelor of Social Media Marketing and I challenge any Australian University to think about how they can offer a course that addresses this new form of Digital Marketing. I would like to see Bachelor of Arts, Media and Communications evolve into Social Media Marketing and launch a new breed of Social Media Marketers into the world.

From my experience the role of a Community Manager is growing astronomically. So much so that previously the role of Community Manger was a one-man job. Now I can see breakdowns between Moderator, Content Creator, Media Buyer, Analytics and Reporting Expert and Account Manager.

It is at this point that it leads me to the contention of this article. I would like to share with you the aspects of Social Media Marketing that I have taught in my own course. I am not prepared to share everything, but I would like to give those who are beginning to create courses, a head start into the most important aspects of Social.

The resource that I have created below is an opportunity for lecturers new to Social Media Marketing to use to create their own course. I only ask that I am acknowledged as a source. Please feel free to ask me further questions around the lessons outlined in my course.

Finally my belief in creating and educating others in Social Media Marketing is my main reason for sharing my own knowledge.

• What is Social Networking?
  

  An overview of emerging trends in web 2.0 as well as an introduction into new forms of Digital Marketing, based on user trends as opposed to platforms.

  References: click here

• Social Platforms – representing your brand digitally.
  

  An introduction into Social Media Platforms and how they can be used effectively to develop brand awareness and increase ROI.

  References: click here

• The Culture of the Fashion Blogger

  How is blogging emerging as a fashion trend? The new breed of fashion blogging and how that increases product sales and branding. An insider view of blogging and fashion bloggers. Tumbler vs WordPress.

  References: click here 

• #Hashtags – and how they impact marketing techniques
  

  Exploring developing trends and how hashtaging can make content viral. How hashtags can affect SEO and other search related marketing practices.

  References: click here 

• Building followers, likes, comments, and engagement

  Interacting on different platforms to increasing following, how to create content that is marketable and engaging.

  References: click here
  

• Creating a solid strategy 

  How to develop a multidimensional strategy that can be used across multiple networks. How to create engagement and indirect selling through initiatives.

  References: click here
  

• Social Media Ethics and Copyright

  Creating an understanding around the rules associated with copyright laws and Social Media content delivery. The changing face of Facebook and the devaluing of posts. Creating Infographics and producing viable information.

  References: click here
  

• Images and feel of Social Media platforms – the dos and don’ts.
  

  How to make your brand feel professional? What is a quality post and how to make your brand stand out? Developing quality images and using them to represent your brand in an exceptional way.

  References: click here
  

• Creating and building audiences and developing a ‘social tone’.
  

  Understanding the behaviours of a community and responding to community wants and needs. Defining audience engagement and building on a dynamic community that responds to brand initiatives.

  References: click here 
  

• Market tools and Market leaders – Case Studies

  Using Social Media Dashboards to publish content easily, connecting with market leaders and following trends, as well as looking into Fashion Brands and how they are using Social Media to increase brand awareness.

  References: click here
  

• Social Media Marketing and Advertising on platforms.
  

  Using and developing keyword based interests to reach audiences. Defining the types of advertising on Social Media platforms, as well as targeting demographics and creating measurable campaigns. Using analytics to assess success and failures.

  References: click here 

• Creating an e-Commerce business

  The emergence of Facebook selling and its effects on traditional e-Commerce websites. Developing a purchasing audience. How to create sell-able content? Revolutionising retail with online shopping.

  References: click here 

• Understanding the motive behind internet trolls and responding to negativity on a public forum.
  

  How to make your move on internet trolls and how to stop them from ruining your business. Dealing with bad reviews and how to counteract negative feedback.

  References: click here

Each of the topics listed above are several aspects of Social Media Marketing that must be considered in order to develop a solid University level course. My learnings from lecturing in Social Media is that the landscape is moving so quickly that the lectures I had written five weeks earlier, were already out of date. This is particularly frustrating as it is able to evolve faster than you can teach it. It is this reason that I believe my role will always have a proportion of Community Management, without it I do not believe that anyone can stay in touch with the foundations of this new media platform.

~MsMMango
“Educate for the belief in a better future.”
Follow me on Instagram: @MsMMango