By completing this course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to plan and execute a successful social media strategy. You will learn to apply strategic thinking to your social media efforts, ensuring that your messaging resonates with your target audience and aligns with your company's broader business goals. This course will enable you to analyze the impact of your strategic messaging on key stakeholders and evaluate engagement to determine the next steps.
Strategic Planning for Social Media
Strategic Planning for Social Media
This course is part of Social Media as a Marketing Tool in Business Communication Specialization
Instructor: Erin Willis
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level
Recommended experience
7 hours to complete
3 weeks at 2 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Apply strategic thinking to creating a social media strategy.
Analyze the impact of strategic messaging on stakeholders.
Evaluate engagement to determine next steps.
Plan for social media effectively.
Details to know
Shareable certificate
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Recently updated!
April 2025
Assessments
1 assignment
Taught in English
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
This course is part of the Social Media as a Marketing Tool in Business Communication Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 3 modules in this course
You will understand how to apply strategic thinking to creating social media strategy and the importance of planning. You will be able to define paid, earned, shared, and owned media in regard to marketing communication, and how to use each in strategic planning. Relationship-building strategies in audience development will be discussed, and you will analyze the impact of strategic messaging on key stakeholder groups. Lastly, you will evaluate engagement to better determine the next steps.
What's included
12 videos6 readings1 peer review
You will understand the art and science of planning in social media. Creating a social media strategy requires that the target audience is understood well, and that messages are crafted with their needs and desires in mind. You will also plan social media in coordination with the company's larger business goals in mind, understanding that social media is just part of the brand communication.
What's included
11 videos6 readings1 discussion prompt
You will plan content pillars that highlight their company's mission and core values, and understand how to leverage social media to create word-of-mouth among target audiences. Platform affordances are discussed and how to create content that engages audiences and develops loyal customers. You will understand visual communication and how to create an aesthetic brand image. Evaluation of social media content will also be discussed and how to course correct if the content is not performing.
What's included
11 videos9 readings1 assignment
Instructor
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Business Strategy
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Boulder
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
New to Business Strategy? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
More questions
Financial aid available,