About This Course
This course provides a practical and strategic introduction to how organisations use social media to understand customers, build relationships, and achieve business goals. It begins by examining how digital platforms have changed consumer behaviour, placing greater emphasis on engagement, influence and online “moments of truth”. Students explore the role of paid, owned and earned media and learn why two-way communication, rather than one-way promotion, is central to modern marketing.
The course then focuses on strategy and planning. Students learn how to align social media objectives with wider business and marketing goals, set SMART objectives, and measure performance across the sales funnel. Key concepts such as audience segmentation, demographics, psychographics and digital habits are used to identify and target the most valuable audiences. Students also analyse competitors, select appropriate platforms, and explore how influencers and communities shape brand visibility.
The final part of the course moves into implementation through content marketing. Students learn how to create a clear brand voice, develop content plans, and use storytelling, visual media and platform-specific formats to build engagement. Emphasis is placed on balancing valuable content with promotion, maintaining consistency, and using data and feedback to continuously improve performance.
Who is it for? Who should attend this course?
- Business-focused learners who need to use social media strategically.
- Business owners and entrepreneurs who want to attract customers, build relationships, and grow their brand online.
- Employees who are responsible for managing social media accounts, campaigns, or customer engagement.
- Managers and professionals who oversee brand reputation, customer service, or online communities and need to make informed decisions about platforms, content, and ROI.
Learning Outcomes
Following the course participants should be able to:
- Analyse and define target audiences for social media marketing: Evaluate customer needs, digital behaviours, and competitive activity to identify and justify appropriate social media audiences and platforms for a given organisation.
- Design a coherent social media marketing strategy: Develop SMART social media objectives aligned with business and marketing goals, selecting suitable channels, tactics, and metrics to support brand awareness, engagement, and customer acquisition.
- Create and justify effective social media content plans: Produce a platform-specific content strategy that applies brand voice, storytelling, and engagement principles to deliver value-driven content while balancing promotional and non-promotional activity.
Date and Time
3rd March 9.30AM – 4.30PM
Location
Room D0.08, Management Centre