Advanced Social Media

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Examines the strategic use of social media in professional, organizational and/or public communication contexts. Analyzes how platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and/or X structure their visibility, engagement and audience expectations. Explores how organizations and individuals craft identity, manage interaction and respond to feedback across different platform cultures. Includes both critical evaluation of existing accounts and hands-on creation of posts, visuals and/or campaigns for specific purposes. Course material may reference real-world social media campaigns related to political, cultural and/or commercial controversy, examined for purposes of communication analysis. RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION. Applies directly to careers in public relations, branding, journalism, advocacy, content strategy and digital marketing. Builds fluency in platform conventions, analytics, message design and audience targeting; skills applicable in both corporate and nonprofit communication roles. Supports academic growth in media analysis and prepares students for civic participation in increasingly networked communication environments. DEEPENING UNDERSTANDINGS. Considers how social media operates not only as a tool for promotion but as a space of negotiation between creators, institutions and publics. Highlights differences between personal posting, strategic messaging and algorithmic influence. Informs reflection on the challenges of authenticity, persuasion and accountability when communication is continuous, participatory and highly public. TOPICS AND THEMES. May include analysis of platform affordances and algorithmic logics; branding and identity construction; audience engagement strategies; visual and multimedia storytelling; analytics and performance metrics; influencer models and creator economies; platform policy, moderation and crisis response. Course examples may draw from corporate, political, entertainment, activist and/or nonprofit accounts. Content creation components may involve drafting posts, graphics, videos and/or campaign plans in response to simulated or real-world communication goals. Prerequisites: Grade of B or better in COMM 275/JOUR 275 or JOUR 275/COMM 275 ; junior or senior classification.