COLLABORATIVE & SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES RTVF 4450.005/5660.002 - Topics in Industry Studies

Fall 2012 Thursdays 11:00-1:50, RTFP 180F

The University of North Texas, Dept. of Radio-TV-Film

Professor Dr. Jacqueline Vickery Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 2:30-4:00 & by appointment Location: RTFP 226 Email: jacqueline.vickery@unt.edu Phone: 369-7519

Course Description

This course will give future media and communications professionals the tools and experiences to

successfully utilize collaborative and social media for strategic endeavors. The class considers the

various strengths, limitations, ethics, uses, and effects of various collaborative and social media tools.

Students will work individually and in teams to create, analyze, and evaluate collaborative and social

media tools and strategies. The course incorporates digital media theories with practical applications.

Objectives At the end of this course, students will:

Know how to effectively communicate specific messages via social media

Be able to connect with readers and viewers in different ways

Know how to publish real-time updates and community engagement

Know how to collaborate on research, content, and analysis

Be able to use a variety of tools for communication and engagement

Be able to evaluate the ethics, privacy, and intellectual property policies of social media companies

Required Texts

1. Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits by Heather Mansfield; Publisher: McGraw Hill; ISBN-10: 007177081X 2. Content Rules: How to create killer blogs, podcasts, videos, ebooks, webinars (and more) by Anne Handley, C.C. Chapman, & David Meerman Scott; Publisher: Wiley; ISBN-10: 0470648287 3. NetSmart: How to Thrive Online by Howard Rheingold; Publisher: The MIT Press; ISBN-10: 0262017458 4. Other readings will be made available online or on Blackboard throughout the semester.

Recommended: Likeable Social Media by David Kerpen; Publisher: McGraw Hill; ISBN-10: 0071762345

Course Assignments & Evaluation Wiki Page (20%) As a team, you will create and maintain a Wiki of an ongoing current event (e.g. UNT football season, Presidential election, television series, court case, etc.). Your team will update the Wiki for 3 weeks. During this time you will be responsible for chronicling major events, opinions, controversies, developments, etc. that are related to the current event. Each team member must contribute to the page at least twice a week. You must provide sources for your claims. As the page evolves, you will be responsible for organizing the information in a logical way. The page is iterative and evolving – do not be afraid to be wrong, make mistakes, change things, etc. I will be observing the entire process, but you will not be docked points for making mistakes. At the end of the 3 weeks you should strive to have all information up-to-date (at the time of writing) and organized. We will look at many examples in class to help you as you go. Case Study (20%) On your own, select a local media organization, public relations firm, non-profit, or business and examine how that company uses social media. You will use Storify to present your case. Start with a summary, identify the platforms the company is using, and the problem(s) it is trying to address. Provide at least three examples of how and why each social media platform is used. Evaluate the use of each platform, citing both pros and cons of its use. Conclude with recommendations on how the company should proceed — this can include changes you would make. You will present your findings in class. Final Project: Social Media-Driven Campaign (25%) As a team, you will launch a real-time social media-driven campaign for a local charity, fundraiser, community organization, politician, business, or non-profit. Alternatively, you can decide to host your own fundraiser for an organization (e.g. food drive for a local food bank). The topic is up to you, but you MUST get approval from me. The campaign MUST include: a) at least one original video or podcast, b) a blog or website, c) and involve live Tweeting at an event (this can include live television coverage of an event). We will work towards this in class and break it down into manageable steps. You will “pitch” your campaign to the class the last week of the semester, as well as evaluate your classmates’ campaigns. (See “Social Media Campaign Assignment” page at end of syllabus for more info) Lead Class Discussion (15%) As a team, you will prepare to lead class discussion for one week. Your team will be responsible for covering at least one of the readings from the week, incorporating outside examples, and posing 3-4 discussion questions for the class. Presentations will be approximately 30 minutes. All materials must be submitted to me by 12:00pm the Wednesday before your presentation so I will have time to offer feedback and suggestions. Class Twitter (5%) We will hold an ongoing conversation about our observations of social media in contemporary culture in the form of a class Twitter feed. You may either use your current Twitter username or create one specifically for this course. Tweets should be personal thoughts, insights, questions, responses to readings or lectures, and/or links to relevant material on the web, and should include the course hashtag #CSMSF12. You will be required to post at least 20 tweets throughout the semester (a maximum of 10 of these may be links). Tallies will be taken at regular intervals to ensure regular participation.

Attendance & Participation (15%) This course is largely discussion and activity based, therefore participation is expected. Throughout the semester we will have short quizzes and in-class activities related to topics, themes, and readings. These mini assignments contribute to your participation grade. There are a total of 50 attendance & participation points that can be earned throughout the semester. You earn 1 point for every class you attend (15 pts. total). The other 35 points are earned by participating in class discussions and in-class assignments.

Attendance Policy: You are granted one “free” absence during the semester, no questions asked. Each additional absence will result in a loss of 5 attendance points. Additionally, you will lose points for arriving late or leaving early. If you experience extenuating circumstances during the semester (e.g. extended illness, death of a close family member, etc.) please come talk to me ASAP.

For Graduate Students Only: Graduate students have different requirements concerning the grade. The Professor will share these requirements and options for the course. ODA Notification: The University of North Texas is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 – The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. As a faculty member, I will provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities. Students (you) must inform faculty (me) of their need for accommodation by providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations are at http://www.unt.edu/oda/apply/index.html. Visit the Office of Disability Accommodation in the University Union (room 321) or call (940) 565-4323. Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is defined in the UNT Policy on Student Standards for Academic Integrity. Any suspected case of Academic Dishonestly will be handled in accordance with the University Policy and procedures. Possible academic penalties range from a verbal or written admonition to a grade of “F” in the course. Further sanctions may apply to incidents involving major violations. Categories of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating dishonesty, sabotage, turning in the same assignment for more than one class without permission, and any act designed to give a student an unfair advantage on an assignment or in the course. You will find the policy and procedures at: http://vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm. Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. If you will miss a work assignment or other project due to the observance of a religious holy day you will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence. If you are going to miss an assignment, please let me know at the beginning of the semester. Late Assignments & Extra Credit: Late assignments and makeup exams will NOT be accepted or granted without prior permission from the instructor. Throughout the semester there might be opportunities to earn extra credit points. These opportunities will be offered to the entire class and are optional. No extra credit opportunities will be offered on an individual basis, so do not ask. If you are struggling with the course materials then talk to the instructor for additional guidance and resources. Do not wait until the end of the semester to try to salvage your grade.

Course Schedule & Readings

Week 1: August 30

Introduction

- No readings

Week 2: September 6

Participatory Culture & Collective Intelligence

- Howard Rheingold, “Introduction: Why You Need Digital Know-How – Why We All Need It” (pp.

1-33)

- Howard Rheingold, “Chapter 4 - Social-Digital Know-How: The Arts & Sciences of Collective

Intelligence” (pp. 147-187)

**Week 3: September 13 (Wiki Page Proposal Due) **

Literacies & Sharing

- Howard Rheingold, “Chapter 3 - Participation Power” (pp. 111-145)

- Howard Rheingold, “Five Literacies in a Nutshell” (Chapter 6, pp. 246-252)

- Dave Kerpen, “Chapter 12 - Share Stories” (pp. 141-152)

Week 4: September 20

Social Media

- Howard Rheingold, “Chapter 5 - Social Has a Shape: Why Networks Matter” (pp. 191-238)

- Aaron Smith, “Why Americans Use Social Media” (Pew, http://bit.ly/vNhmnw)

- Henry Jenkins, “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Media” (pp. 3-11, bit.ly/2bnWVo)

- Mark Hopkins, “Just What Is Social Media, Exactly?” (Mashable: http://on.mash.to/96KI)

- David Aaker, “Secrets of Social Media Revealed 50 Years Ago” (Harvard Business Review,

http://bit.ly/mBxJCd)

Recommended: Matt Ferner, “Beyond Facebook: 74 Popular Social Networks Worldwide” (Practical

eCommerce, bit.ly/fI2waa)

Week 5: September 27

Personal v. Organizational Use

- Christian Sandvig, “The Oversharer (And Other Social Media Experiments)” (Social Media

Collective, http://bit.ly/oPbmBF)

- Lisa Quast, “How Your Social Media Profile Could Make or Break Your Next Job Opportunity”

(Forbes, http://onforb.es/I5ip8Q)

- Heather Mansfield, “Getting Started with Social Media” (pp. 46-69)

- Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman, “Chapter 3 - Insight Inspires Originality” (pp. 21-29)

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 4 - Who Are You?” (pp. 31-47)

**Week 6: October 4 (Wiki Page Due) **

Designing Social Experiences

- Craig Lefebvre, “The New Technology: Consumer as Participant Rather Than Target Audience”

(available on Blackboard)

- Dave Kerpen, “Chapter 2 - Way Beyond ‘Women 25 to 54’: Define Your Target Audience Better

than Ever” (pp. 25-37)

- Nellie Akalp, “5 Ways Small Businesses Get Social Media Wrong” (Mashable,

http://on.mash.to/La1U8B)

- Brad Smith, “5 Social Media Lessons ‘Small’ Business Can Learn from ‘Big’ Business” (Social

Media Today, http://bit.ly/PyPQ5K)

- Mike Wu, “The 6 Factors of Social Media Influence” (Lithium, http://bit.ly/QjgjoL)

**Week 7: October 11 (Social Media Campaign Proposal Due) **

Social Strategies

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 8 - Create Wings and Roots” (pp. 101-114)

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapters 19, 20, & 22 - Case Studies” (pp. 221-230; 235-238)

- James Wilson et al. “What’s Your Social Media Strategy?” (Harvard Business Review,

bit.ly/kM5jRC)

- Susan Gunelius, “10 Steps to Kickoff a Social Media Campaign” (Business Insider,

read.bi/PKaWxp)

Week 8: October 18

Privacy, Persuasion, & Trust

- danah boyd, “Making Sense of Privacy and Publicity” (SXSW talk, http://bit.ly/cZUG0q)

- Hampton et al. “Social Networking Sites and Our Lives” (Pew, http://bit.ly/lRWBok)

- Kerpen, “Chapter 5 - Engage” (pp. 63-74)

- Kerpen, “Chapter 8 - Be Authentic” (pp. 95-106)

**Week 9: October 25 (Case Study Due) **

IP & Copyright

- Lawrence Lessig, “REMIX: How Creativity is Being Strangled by the Law” (available on

Blackboard)

- Gasser and Ernst, “From Shakespeare to DJ Danger Mouse: A Quick Look at Copyright and User

Creativity in the Digital Age” (Download paper here: http://bit.ly/TlOjxo)

- Angela West, “What You Should Know about Pinterest and Copyright” (PC World, bit.ly/zAcpfc)

- Jacqui MacKenzie, “What Bloggers Should Know about Copyright”, (Social Media Today,

http://bit.ly/xfNiIX)

- Elinor Mills, “Twitter: 5K Tweets Removed This Year Over Copyright Complaints” (CNET,

http://cnet.co/Mq74BJ)

Week 10: November 1

Blogs & SNS

- Mansfield, “Chapter 3 - Facebook & Facebook Apps” (pp. 71-90)

- Mansfield, “Chapter 4 - Twitter & Twitter Apps” (pp. 91-114)

- Mansfield, “Chapter 7 - Blogging” (pp. 155-176)

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 11 - A Blog as a Hub for Your Online Content” (pp. 143-154)

**Week 11: November 8 (Social Media Campaign Update Due) **

Videos & Photos

- Mansfield, “Chapter 5 - YouTube & Flickr” (pp. 115-136)

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 16 - Video: Show Me a Story” (pp. 197-210)

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 18 - Photographs: The Power of Pictures” (pp. 211-217)

Week 12: November 15

Podcasting & Texting

- Handley & Chapman, “Chapter 17 - Podcasting: Is This Thing On?” (p. 207-210)

- Corey Pudhorodsky, “Nonprofit Radio: How to Make Podcasts that Engage Supporters” (NTEN,

http://bit.ly/Qp8RbA)

- Karen Soloman, “How to Record, Edit, and Promote Your Nonprofit’s Podcast” (TechSoup,

http://bit.ly/Nyw8lx)

- Mansfield, “Chapter 10 - Group Text Messaging and Text-to-Give Technology” (pp. 217-230)

Week 13: November 22 – Happy Thanksgiving!

- No Class

Week 14: November 29

Metrics & Measurement

- Nick Cifuentes, “How to Measure Social Media – and Show Results” (ClickZ, http://bit.ly/zLb6Oj)

- Nichole Kelly, “4 Ways to Measure Social Media and Its Impact on Your Brand” (Social Media

Examiner, bit.ly/c8vdZc)

- Heather Whaling and Chuck Hemann, “5 Metrics for Nonprofit Communication” (PRtini,

bit.ly/63UAW3)

- Chris Murdough, “Social Media Measurement: It’s Not Impossible” (Journal of Interactive

Advertising, http://bit.ly/sE4Tu)

**Week 15: December 6 (Social Media Campaign Due) **

Presentation of Final Projects

Social Media Campaign Assignment

Create a social media project for:

- Local company, brand, new product or service (e.g., Nook eBook Reader, Quora) - Local interest community - Local non-profit / philanthropic organization - Local fundraising effort

Identify the components:

- Create a Hub – either a blog or homepage - Channels (Twitter, blog, web site, Facebook, other SNS, mobile?) - Activities (media, contests, games, conversation, rate/review/comment, participate, vote,

submit, download, modify, etc.) - Original video (can be a mash-up or entirely original) or a podcast

Create a plan:

- What will you post and contribute? (updates, opportunities, seed content) - What do people want or need to do? - How will you engage people? - What will your hub connect to? - What is the value to people? What will they gain? - What is the value to your organization? What will you gain? - What are your metrics of success?

Create a design for your social media engagement:

- Screenshots of similar sites, services, and features - Sketches of web pages, mobile sites, web apps, and/or mobile apps - Storyboards (to describe the sequence of actions and interactions)

Launch your social media campaign:

- Produce at least one original video or podcast - Share your user-generated content - Re-share related content from other sites and spaces - Interact & engage with your followers, fans, supporters - Live Tweet from an event or televised event - Evaluate the effectiveness and success of your campaign - Chronicle your campaign using Storify

Present your campaign to the class