Introduction and Background

“The knowledge I’ve acquired through this course will make a huge difference for our organization. I can’t wait to get back to the office and implement what I’ve learned!” - Madeline Bates, United Way Regina

Learn how to develop, refine and deploy an effective digital and social media strategy and tactical plan for your organization.

Including social media across all of your organization’s business functions is a critical element in achieving success in today’s business environment.  The benefits of utilizing digital and social media are proven, and organizations must remain current in both the use and monitoring.

The Digital and Social Media: Strategy and Tactics course focuses on understanding organizational requirements and guiding the development or refinement of your strategic, tactical and audit plans which the participants can implement in the organization.  Through a detailed overview of a wide range of the most important current and emerging digital and social media channels, you will be able to identify channels and techniques that will enhance your online presence.

 

Course Structure

This program is delivered through recorded modules and live sessions.  Approximately half will be delivered through recorded modules and half delivered through live sessions. Participants can start the recorded content at any time but MUST be completed all of the recorded content before being invited and attending the live sessions. 

Once you have completed the recorded modules, you will be invited to the live sessions.   After each session, you will have a bit of ‘homework/application’ where you implement your learnings as you go. You MUST complete the recorded content before being invited to the live sessions and both the recorded content and live sessions are mandatory for your Certificate of Completion.

• Recorded Modules & Live Sessions

  	- Learn the 8 separate plans needed effective digital and social media deployment, including the tactical plan, channel plan, and content plan - Ensure you are using the right platforms to reach your audience - Ensure you are deploying the right content to achieve your goals.
  	- Understand the wide range of tools and resources available through Facebook  - Learn how to effectively use Facebook pages and groups - Understand what EdgeRank is and how it impacts your content - Learn why LinkedIn and Twitter are primary social channels
  	- Understand the importance of Google My Business and Bing Places for Business - Learn critical features like posts, video, and image sharing  - Take advantage of services and capabilities to improve Search Engine Optimization
  	- Learn about social media platforms that focus on visual content including Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc. - Understand the importance of infographics and visual management tools such as SmugMug  - Introduction of image editing and formatting - Learn about social media management tools including Hootsuite, Hubspot, Buffer, Sprout Social, and Falcon IO
  	- Learn techniques around content, frequency and organic versus paid deployments  - Focus on optimization and deployment of content that reached your target audiences and goals - Understand the strengths and weaknesses of each platform - Learn which platform will work the best for you
  	- Learn how to incorporate and create video content for Youtube and Vimeo - Understand the importance of video aspect ratios, types, and length - Know if the content you are creating is the correct format for the correct channel
  	- Understand the importance of mobile device engagement and optimization - Learn about apps, payment systems, augmented reality, and location-based marketing

• Key Learning Objectives

  For Individuals

  • Learn how to develop or refine your organization’s Digital and Social Media strategy
  • Know how to evaluate and choose the best tools for your organization or personal deployment
  • Learn how to use a wide variety of digital and social media tools to help you achieve your goals
  • Learn what opportunities are being created by the most current changes on social media channels and how they can best be leveraged to assist your strategic goals

  For Organizations

  • Understand how integrating Digital and Social Media across business functions brings measurable benefits to the organization
  • Ensure the tools and channels that you are deploying on are best suited to your organization’s goals and objectives
  • Understand the value of using a variety of media in the tactical deployment of your strategy
  • Be aware of the most current changes to existing social media channels and what channels will become key in the near future

• Who Should Attend?

  “This is information that can transform the way our organization communicates and markets. Worth it!” - Pam Bristol, Ministry of the Economy

  Business owners of any size organization, managers, and professionals across all business functions who are involved in strategy development or tactical implementation.

  Individuals who want to expand their reach beyond traditional offline media platforms or basic digital marketing strategies. 

  New or existing business owners looking to develop or refine their strategic business plan.

  Individuals holding management positions at all levels, content creators, web development and maintenance team members, social media team members, and customer response teams.

Check out the funding opportunities available through the Re-Open Saskatchewan Training Subsidy.

Partnership Programming Together with our partners, we continue to add value and enhance our educational experiences to our community through professional development and training in a supportive and welcoming environment. This Edwards Executive Education program is proudly presented in partnership with The Gardiner Centre at Memorial University.