Presenting my social media class 2011

It's that time of year… my McMaster University social media course is in full swing and I want to introduce the class and their blogs.

This is the third time I've taught the course and as before, topics can be anything the students are passionate about.  Because the group is from communications and marketing, the writing is strong and you can hear people's voices come through.  And because they range in age from recent grads to boomers, you'll find an eclectic array of subjects.  (more…)

Student or master

Last week, I started teaching my my third social media class at McMaster University. I’d recently been spending time getting ready for it (my excuse for not blogging?), finalizing course materials, assignments and the opening lecture.

This got me thinking about my role as instructor.   (more…)

School daze…social media class starts September 10

Every fall I get the urge to return to school (lots of people do). And for the past two years I’ve been able to satisfy that need thanks to the social media course I’m teaching at McMaster University.

It’s starts again September 10 and offers PR and marketing students an opportunity to learn about, understand and try social media tools in an informative and (hopefully) fun environment.   (more…)

Joseph Thornley: on social media measurement

Today in my social media class, Joe Thornley made the trip to Hamilton and offered his ‘measured’ approach to social media… measurement, that is. He began by talking about strategies to consider and how to set goals and then provided demos of some of the tools, both free and paid, that individuals and organizations can use.

Here are my Twitter notes for the lecture. (I normally can’t tweet much when I’m teaching, so this was a welcome break.)

@thornley: (#mcsmpr):

• Social media measurement is not about the pretty pictures & graphs… it’s the analysis; look for insights.
• 1st step in social med measurement: clear set of objectives. Actions are digital and therefore we can capture & measure them.
• Before you start measuring, establish a baseline. Also brings you face to face w/what you want to measure.
• Soc media measurement is a constant process-measure, analyse, refine (repeat).
• Basic measurement tool 1: search.
• @Klout is a forward-looking tool. It measures offsite interactions that can map your social network.
• Recommends backtype.com as a good tracking tool.
• @postrank measures engagement; the kind of relationship where you promise something and deliver and people interact.
• In a @sysomos buzz graph of ‘social media’, twitter & FB are at the centre.

Joe also showcased @Radian6 and its ‘river of news’.  And throughout he underscored the importance of true engagement versus counting eyeballs.

I’d like to thank Joe for sharing his insights and expertise – and for taking the time to be there bright and early on a Saturday morning! I know the class appreciated it and got a lot out of the session.

Do you have any other measurement suggestions/experiences? If so, I’d be interested to hear about them.

Ladies and gentlemen… presenting my social media class

For the second year running, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a social media course to the PR students at McMaster University in Hamilton.  Like the first time, the class is a diverse group that includes both recent grads who are completing their PR certificates, and working communicators in their 30s and 40s looking to upgrade their skills and familiarize themselves with some of new tools.

While it’s a bit of a schlep from Toronto to Hamilton early on a Saturday morning, I always look forward to the discussion and questions and watching the students find their voices and and gain an understanding of the medium.

The blog topics are written with personality and passion and include: advice your mom never gave you,  looking at one’s community through the eyes of a tourist,  making the move from renter to home buyer, culinary delights, hard-hitting commentary on the NFL and lots more.

So without further ado, here they are…

I hope you drop by, pay them a visit and leave a comment or two. I know the students would be happy to hear what you think.

And if you’re interested to find us on Twitter, the class hashtag is #mcsmpr.