FALL 2017 COMM 388 CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Note added April 4, 2018:
Beginning fall 2018, this course is no longer a "special topic"
but a regular catalog offering as Comm 384.
Hands-on, strategic social media practice:
Social Media for Social Good
9th Annual Communication Forum: #RealNews2017
Hootsuite Platform Certification
THE SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM FOR THE 9TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION FORUM
The 9th annual communication forum at George Mason University on October 24, 2017 represented a opportunity -- an opportunity for students to gain practical experience using social media strategically. In the course Contemporary PR and Social Media, students are challenged to transition their use of social media from personal to professional. The #RealNews2017 forum offered them the chance to create content, explore channels and platforms, test strategies, measure results and learn from social media, without the workplace pressure to "get it right."
However, it is clear that this team of inventive, persistent and creative students managed to "get it right" with 306 posts effecting reach, impressions and 386 RSVPs and a record number of students actually in attendance. Qualitatively, students messaging was liked, RT'd and shared by both on and off campus influencers.
However, it is clear that this team of inventive, persistent and creative students managed to "get it right" with 306 posts effecting reach, impressions and 386 RSVPs and a record number of students actually in attendance. Qualitatively, students messaging was liked, RT'd and shared by both on and off campus influencers.
What makes content contagious, sticky and spreadable?
Contagious by Wharton Professsor Jonah Berger was our primer. Things catch on, according to Berger, because of the traits of Social currency, Triggers, Emotion, Practical value, Public and Storytelling (STEPPS). As social media scientists, students examined content on social media to try to understand why some content is "sticky" as Malcolm Gladwell describes and how "spreadable" it is, as Henry Jenkins analyzes.
The MimsPR Team for #RealNews2017
The Strategic Plan
Preparation for this three-week assignment began with a strategic plan. Students had to be disciplined to support the objective, include a call to action, and connect with influencers. Each team created a platform-specific strategy to match messaging, format and visuals to the platform. The LinkedIn team used networking as their central objective; Snapchatters use humor to create fun and engaging visuals; the Instagrammers dedicated an account and focused on a strategy of self-interest; and the Twitter team' buzz blitz focused on event basics and generating RSVPs; and, the Facebook team used all of the STEPPS approaches.
Objectives
#1: Generate attendance by students: This is the primary, overriding goal of our digital efforts.
#2: Create positive awareness of the Mason communication department among potential applicants and influencers.
#3: Amplify the message of guest speakers to a wider audience; and, create awareness of our guests’ participation.
#1: Generate attendance by students: This is the primary, overriding goal of our digital efforts.
#2: Create positive awareness of the Mason communication department among potential applicants and influencers.
#3: Amplify the message of guest speakers to a wider audience; and, create awareness of our guests’ participation.
Target Audience Influencers Message Strategies Content
Format Call to Action Scheduling Measurement
Content
"The brain processes visuals 64,000 times faster than text"
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SOCIAL MEDIA FOR
SOCIAL GOOD
Social media is a tactic that enables individuals and organizations to directly engage with audiences. Funny cats, emojis and caught-on-camera images can attract attention and start traveling the globe from one phone to the next. Starting a conversation about a social issue takes far greater planning, strategic messaging and careful content creation. Students teams chose issues they care about, did research and developed message strategies. They tested their strategies, platforms and content over a two-week period then regrouped to share what they learned. Based on the test campaign, each student wrote a fully developed social media for social good plan.
#CancerTalk - The objective of this campaign is to motivate students to speak to their families over the Thanksgiving holiday about how prompt and regular screenings lead to early detection of cancers and saves live.
#BraveTheStigma - Students chose to start a conversation to help destroy the negative stigma of mental health problems and urge their peers to seek help when they need it.
Access to Medical Marijuana - This team chose to dispel myths and negative attitudes towards medical marijuana through education, information and personal storytelling
#HappyIsHealthyGMU: Awareness of and early diagnosis of eating disorders helps to reduce the disease. This team chose to promote awareness and to stress the positive results of healthy eating habits.
#CheckerboardUSA: This student team believes "talking" is a good thing for race relations in America, and their strategy was to start a conversation. It is not a black or white issue but a "checkerboard" of issues.
#MeTooMason - Attention to the problem of sexual harassment was dramatic in the fall of 2017, as victims in the film industry and politics stood to tell their story. That context and sensitivity moved this student team to help the campus learn what sexual harassment is and isn't and what to do when it happens.
ANALYZE THIS!
SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOTS: The course asks each student to examine social media content and analyze what characteristics make that content sticky, spreadable or even contagious. As social media scientists, students examined campaigns that earned honors as Webby, PRSA, Shorty awards among others.
NARRATED VIDEO SNAPSHOTS: In 2017, demand for video content rose to insatiable levels. Nearly 45 percent of consumers want more video and marketing execs are shifting resources to video creation. Students enjoyed a training session on Mason's Blackboard content creation "Kaltura" and shared video content apps with each other. The result? Students converted their slide presentations into narrated, video stories.
CONTENT ANALYSIS: Teamwork is the foundation of public relations. PR is intensely collaborative so the course gives students 'real world' experience in working as a team without the workplace pressure to get it right. But teams also had to conduct 'real world' analyses of their performance and share it with the class.
NARRATED VIDEO SNAPSHOTS: In 2017, demand for video content rose to insatiable levels. Nearly 45 percent of consumers want more video and marketing execs are shifting resources to video creation. Students enjoyed a training session on Mason's Blackboard content creation "Kaltura" and shared video content apps with each other. The result? Students converted their slide presentations into narrated, video stories.
CONTENT ANALYSIS: Teamwork is the foundation of public relations. PR is intensely collaborative so the course gives students 'real world' experience in working as a team without the workplace pressure to get it right. But teams also had to conduct 'real world' analyses of their performance and share it with the class.
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Grace Lourdes Venes examined the award winning Tillamook social media campaign and presented it to the class, using a slidestack. Grace then converted the presentation to a lively, narrated video story.
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