Social Media Strategy: Creating Engagement, Insight, and Action

By enabling us to both consume and share content with a simple tap of a screen, social media has empowered people, and organizations, to shape public opinion and drive action like never before. This has given companies the opportunity to enhance their consumer loyalty and engagement, but has also raised questions around the influence social media may have on our behavior.

The program draws on evidence-based, cross-disciplinary research from Sinan Aral’s latest book, The Hype Machine, which investigates the ways in which social media affects our decision making and shapes the world we live in. Guided by industry experts, this program moves from theory into strategic application, providing you with the tools and frameworks to navigate the perils of social media and leverage its promise within your organization. In addition, the course will teach you to enhance your digital marketing strategy using powerful techniques and a deep understanding of the science behind social media.

Learn more about the self-paced online experience.

Learn more about GetSmarter technical requirements.

The recommended weekly time commitment for core content is 4-5 hours, taking into account the busy lifestyles of working professionals, with an additional 2-3 hours recommended for non-compulsory weekly extension activities, should you have the time. Each module is released weekly, allowing a flexible but structured approach to learning. You’ll be supported as you engage in individual activities and group discussions, ensuring you feel confident to submit your best work at each weekly deadline.

Upon successful completion of your course, you will earn a certificate of completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management. This course may also count toward MIT Sloan Executive Certificate requirements.

The course begins with a focus on the neurological and economic forces underpinning social media, as well as the technologies and trends that contribute to the ongoing production and development of social media, or the ‘Hype Machine’. The program offers key tools for leveraging social media’s potential within your organization, and tactics to improve your social media strategy such as microtargeting, viral advertising, and influencer marketing. In addition to this, you’ll investigate ethical issues relating to social media and the impact the Hype Machine has on privacy and democracy. You’ll also explore evolving trends that may impact your strategy in the future.

The course is designed to provide business leaders and marketing professionals with an understanding of how social media affects the business, organization, or society in which they operate. The tools and frameworks taught in the course can be applied across a wide number of contexts to help professionals navigate the complexity of social media and leverage it to engage audiences and drive action.

GetSmarter™, a brand of 2U, Inc., partners with the world's leading universities to select, design and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on learning gain.

Technology meets academic rigor in our people-mediated model which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions.