Course Overview:

Welcome To EarthTab Business School. My Name Is Faith Achieng And I Will Be Your Course Preceptor For The Course, Social Media Marketing And Advertising.

Social Media Marketing and Advertising is one of the most transformational areas of modern business strategy, redefining how brands communicate, build trust, drive sales, and maintain long-term relationships with their customers. This course provides you with deep insights, practical skills, and strategic frameworks for mastering both the organic and paid advertising sides of social media across leading platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter/X, Snapchat, Pinterest, and emerging networks.

At its core, this course explores how digital audiences behave, how content shapes perception, and how businesses can leverage algorithms, storytelling, data analytics, advertising models, and community-driven engagement to achieve measurable results.

Key Dimensions of the Course

1. The Evolution of Social Media Marketing

• Early beginnings of digital advertising (forums, MySpace, early Facebook groups).
  
  

• Transformation from text-based posting → rich multimedia storytelling (video, reels, live streaming, VR/AR integration).
  
  

• Shifting power dynamics: from traditional advertising monopolies (TV, radio, billboards) to user-generated content ecosystems.
  
  

• Rise of two-way communication: Social media not only broadcasts but creates conversations, enabling brand humanization.
  
  

2. The Role of Social Media in the Modern Business Landscape

• Social media as digital storefront + customer service hub + PR machine.
  
  

• Consumer expectations: instant responses, transparent communication, brand authenticity.
  
  

• Businesses transitioning from brand-controlled narratives to audience-driven interactions.
  
  

• The attention economy: competing for seconds of user focus amidst massive content saturation.
  
  

• Social media as a data mine: behavioral tracking, audience profiling, and predictive advertising.
  
  

3. Organic Marketing vs. Paid Advertising

• Organic Marketing: Building brand presence naturally through consistent content, community engagement, storytelling, and thought leadership. Focus on trust-building and long-term value creation.
  
  

• Paid Advertising: Leveraging ad platforms (Facebook Ads Manager, TikTok Ads, LinkedIn Campaigns, Google Display, etc.) to target audiences with precision, scale reach instantly, and optimize campaigns in real time.
  
  

• Hybrid strategies: Understanding when to use organic trust and when to accelerate reach with paid campaigns.
  
  

4. Content Creation and the Psychology of Engagement

• The science of why people share, like, and follow.
  
  

• Psychological triggers in content:
  
  

• Emotion (joy, fear, nostalgia, pride).
  
  

• Authority & credibility.
  
  

• Exclusivity & scarcity.
  
  

• Social proof & virality mechanics.
  
  

• Storytelling structures: Hero’s journey, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes narratives.
  
  

• Formats: long-form blogs, memes, reels, carousels, live sessions, webinars, polls, challenges.
  
  

• The role of visual identity and design consistency in creating brand recall.
  
  

5. Advertising Strategies Across Platforms

Each platform has unique strengths, audiences, and content algorithms:

• Facebook & Instagram: Highly targeted advertising, AI-powered personalization, A/B testing, dynamic ads.
  
  

• TikTok: Virality through short-form video, trend hijacking, sound-based marketing.
  
  

• LinkedIn: B2B-focused lead generation, thought leadership, executive branding.
  
  

• YouTube: Long-form video storytelling, influencer integration, skippable vs. non-skippable ad formats.
  
  

• Twitter/X: Real-time engagement, political/activism marketing, trending topics.
  
  

• Pinterest & Snapchat: Visual inspiration-driven advertising.
  
  

You will master audience targeting, ad creation, budget optimization, retargeting strategies, and ROI measurement across each of these platforms.

6. Social Media Metrics, KPIs, and Analytics

• Measuring success goes far beyond likes and followers.
  
  

• Core metrics:
  
  

• Engagement rate (likes, shares, comments vs. reach).
  
  

• Click-through rate (CTR).
  
  

• Conversion rate optimization (CRO).
  
  

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC).
  
  

• Lifetime value (LTV) of a social media-acquired customer.
  
  

• Advanced analytics: using AI-driven dashboards, predictive models, and automation tools to refine strategies.
  
  

• Building data-driven campaigns instead of guesswork.
  
  

7. Automation, Tools, and AI in Social Media Marketing

• Tools for scheduling, analytics, and listening: Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Meta Business Suite, HubSpot.
  
  

• AI-powered content creation and personalization (ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai, Canva AI, video editing AI).
  
  

• Automation in lead nurturing: chatbots, auto-responders, and customer journey mapping.
  
  

• The ethical debate: balancing efficiency vs. authenticity in automated engagement.
  
  

8. Influencer Marketing & Strategic Partnerships

• Rise of the creator economy: leveraging micro-influencers and nano-influencers for authentic reach.
  
  

• Metrics for influencer selection (engagement rate, audience overlap, trust factor).
  
  

• Negotiating influencer contracts, brand ambassadorships, and sponsored campaigns.
  
  

• Risks: fake followers, fraud detection, brand misalignment, PR disasters.
  
  

• Building long-term influencer-brand collaborations instead of one-off ads.
  
  

9. Crisis Management, Ethics, and Brand Reputation

• Handling negative comments, viral backlash, canceled culture, and misinformation.
  
  

• Developing crisis playbooks for social media emergencies.
  
  

• Ethical considerations: privacy, data security, manipulation concerns.
  
  

• Balancing freedom of speech vs. brand safety in digital conversations.
  
  

• Compliance with laws: GDPR, CCPA, FTC advertising guidelines.
  
  

10. Advanced Social Media Advertising: ROI, Funnels, and Conversions

• Designing customer journeys: awareness → interest → desire → action (AIDA model).
  
  

• Conversion funnel optimization: from ad impressions → landing page → retargeting → purchase.
  
  

• Retargeting strategies: pixel tracking, lookalike audiences, abandoned cart recovery.
  
  

• ROI measurement: how to calculate return on ad spend (ROAS) and overall campaign profitability.
  
  

• Building scalable, repeatable advertising systems that can drive exponential growth.
  
  

Learning Outcomes of the Course

By the end of this course, you will:

• Master social media strategy development for both small businesses and large corporations.
  
  

• Create, launch, and optimize high-performing advertising campaigns across multiple platforms.
  
  

• Develop data-driven, measurable marketing initiatives with clear ROI.
  
  

• Manage online brand communities to build loyalty and trust.
  
  

• Respond to digital crises with confidence and professionalism.
  
  

• Apply advanced analytics, AI, and automation tools for scaling campaigns.
  
  

• Be prepared for careers as Social Media Managers, Digital Marketing Strategists, Advertising Specialists, or Entrepreneurs leveraging digital ecosystems.
  
  

Why This Course Matters

This course doesn’t just teach “how to post on Instagram” ; it provides a strategic, holistic mastery of social media as a business weapon. In today’s economy, brands that fail to master social media risk irrelevance. With billions of users worldwide, this field is no longer optional; it's the heartbeat of modern commerce, politics, entertainment, and human interaction.

You will walk away not only with knowledge but actionable skills to craft real campaigns, measure results, and drive business growth through social media marketing and advertising.

I Look Forward To Congratulating You Upon Completion Of This Course