This module gives students an in-depth understanding of the role of social media in public relations. It will familiarise them with a variety of social media platforms and the various ways in which they may be leveraged by organisations and PR practitioners to engage with key audiences.
Online PR
Reintroducing some fundamental PR concepts; how communication has changed and evaluating the need for digital PR; media fragmentation; generating a buzz; using online media for PR; merging online and offline campaigns - the importance of content, not the channel; using social media at events; leveraging sponsorship using online media; corporate social responsibility and online PR.
Social media platforms and PR
New routes to influence. Identification of the various social media platforms used by businesses to communicate with key audiences; an analysis of the reasons why businesses might want to use social media; an exploration of various companies and how they use social media as part of their PR strategy; defining audiences on social media - who to talk to, what to talk about; monitoring conversations; the social media release; the social media newsroom; evaluation and measurement - search ranking as evaluation and online tools.
Social Media and business
Using social media to achieve business objectives; views, likes, shares and comments - how to respond and interact; how to use tools such as blogging, podcasting, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to identify and engage with key influencers.
Online crisis management and reputation management
Avoiding online crises; reputation management using online strategies; strategies to cope with online crises that occur; using online PR in conjunction with traditional PR to cope with crises.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |