Strateg
Social
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS & CREATING DIALOGUE | SPRING TERM 2009

Winter Term 2009
Week 1 - 2 Week 3 - 6
Overview; Ethics, Transparency Authenticity Social Media Outreach
Week 7 Week 9 - 10
Measurement Topics/Case Studies
Connect Course Description
Instructor: Kelli Matthews J412/512 is a special topics course on social media
marketing and strategic social media. As a conceptual
Email: kmatthew@uoregon.edu
course, it is designed to build on a basic foundation of
Twitter: @kmatthews
the “how to” of specifics tools and to help students
IM: kellimatthews@mac.com (iChat) understand the why and when of social media for the
matthews_kelli@hotmail.com (MSN) purpose of building relationships and creating
or conversations with stakeholders and key audiences.
kmspin (yahoo!) My objectives for the course:
• To introduce students to core concepts of social media
Ofice: 214C Allen (Deb Merskin’s Ofice)
including interactivity and conversation-building.
Ofice Hours:
• To understanding the background of social media and
Monday: 10 am – noon
the concepts and theories that inform their use for
Tuesday: 5:30 – 6:30
organizations.
Thursday: 2 pm – 4 pm
• To increase understanding among students of how
Textbook social media tools can help organizations reach their
objectives and when these tools are most appropriate.
Required:
• To be able to provide strategic counsel, based on their
LI, Charlene and Josh Bernoff. Groundswell.
understanding of core concepts of social media, to
Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2008.
organizations about why and when to use social media
Holtz, Shel et.al. Tactical Transparency: How tools in their public relations, marketing and advertising
Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize
campaigns.
Value and Build Their Brand. San Francisco:
• To create a social media plan that chooses the tools
Jossey-Bass, 2008.
(tactics) designed to meet the objectives. Emphasizing
Recommended:
that some companies don’t need or aren’t ready for
Shirky, Clay. Here Comes Everybody. City: Penguin
social media… and some objectives can’t be met with
Press HC, The, 2008.
social media.
Online Reading:
• To engage with tools and understand how to measure
http://blackboard.uoregon.edu (J412/512)
social media campaigns.
http://strategicsocialmedia.wordpress.com
• To understand the ethical decisions organizations must
http://www.delicious.com/kellimatthews/ssm
make when engaging in social media.

More on strategic social media
The assignments in this course are designed to
challenge your thinking about how social media can General Guidelines
be used strategically for organizations of all sizes -
This is a journalism course and my emphasis on
from tiny non-profits to Fortune 100.
writing skills cannot be understated. Grammar,
spelling and style are all major considerations.
Weekly Case Study Critiques
Each week you’re responsible for finding an example
of an organization using social media in a business-
context and submit a 2-page analysis. The example/
case can be positive or negative.
The templates for the write-up can be found on
Blackboard.
Mid-Term Project
For your mid-term project, you’ll create an e-book or
a podcast on the issues and concepts of the course.
Contribution to Class Blog
You will be required to contribute one time to the
class blog. Written, audio or video submission. You’ll
sign up for a spot by the end of week 1. Visit the class
wiki (registration & login required): http://
strategicsocialmedia.wetpaint.com/
Final Assignment
In teams of 2 or 3, you’ll create a social media
strategy/plan for a client. I have a client in mind, but
if you can make a strong case for an alternate, I will
consider it.
Graduate Student Assignment
Grad students will be required to submit a written
analysis using case study methodology on a social
media campaign. You’ll be required to present your
case in class, too (a short overview). The case study
should have heavy emphasis course concepts. Primary
research is encouraged. Specific case should be in line
with student’s core interests and academic program
and will be approved by instructor.

Grading Summary
% of Grade (Weighted)
Weekly Case Study/Campaign Critique
15%
7 cases total
% of Grade (Weighted)
Mid-Term Assignment
30%
E-Book, Podcast or Video
% of Grade (Weighted)
Social Media Strategy*
30%
Floragenex
% of Grade (Weighted)
Class Blog Contribution
10%
Written, Video or Audio
% of Grade (Weighted)
Attendance & Participation
5%
* Peer evaluation component worth up to 5% of total grade on social media strategy.
Twitter
You can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/kmatthews
The hashtag for this course is #J412. To track the tag, go to http://search.twitter.com and enter
#J412 in search box.
Classroom Protocol
You are expected to be in class on time, every time the class meets. Every student is expected to
accept responsibility for getting assignments, understanding precisely what is expected, and
getting the work done to a high professional standard on or before specified deadlines.
Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical
information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation,
should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the
term.

Date Description Reading
TOPIC: Social Media Overview, Theory
3/30 Overview, Theory I GS: 1 - 3
Week
4/1 Overview, Theory II BB: theory
1
Cluetrain, The Long Tail (online)
4/3 Media Bootcamp: 41 Library (noon - 2)
Assignment:
TOPIC: Ethics, Transparency & Authenticity
Guest: Paull Young, Converseon
Week 4/6 TT: 1 - 4, 9
2 WOMMA, Wired, Techcrunch
4/8 Ethics: Overview, Codification, Policies (online)
4/10 Media Bootcamp: 41 Library (noon - 2)
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 1
TOPIC: Listening & Monitoring
Guest: Marcel Lebrun, Radian6
Week 4/13 GS: 4
3 TT: 10
4/15 Listening, reputation management Lebrun: Webinar, blog (online)
4/17 Media Bootcamp: 41 Library (noon - 2)
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 2
TOPIC: Conversation & Community
Panel: Building & Maintaining Community
Hannah Smith, Conkling Fiskum McCormick (Community GS: 4
Week 4/20 Manager for Tillamook Cheese), Matt Neznanski, Corvallis
BB: chapters, PDFs
4 Gazette-Times and Katie Pontius Stansberry, University of Blog posts on community (online)
Oregon
4/22 Wisdom of Crowds, Private Communities
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 3
TOPIC: Outreach & Engagement
Introduce final social media strategy assignment.
Week 4/27 POST method (Groundswell) GS: 4, 6
5
4/28 Panel: Social Media Strategy Client Floragenex
Assignment: MidTerm Assignment Due (No Case Study)
TOPIC: Engagement
5/4 Influencers: Finding & Reaching BB: Gillin, ch 3, 4
Week
TT: 17
6 5/6 New Techniques, Identifying Strategies
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 4
TOPIC: Measurement
5/11 How to measure social media activities
Week http://delicious.com/
Qualitative (tone, content, style, conversation and depth) & kellimatthews/measurement
7 5/13
Quantitative (output, volume and reach)
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 5
TOPIC: Internal use of social media, Crisis Management
Internal use of social media, employee use
5/18
Grad student presentation
Week
TBD
8 Crisis management (monitor, respond and survive)
5/20
Grad student presentation
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 6
TOPIC: Public Health & Healthcare
Public health and social marketing with social media
5/25
Grad Student Presentation
Week
TBD
9 Healthcare organizations and Pharma using social media
5/27
Grad Student Presentation
Assignment: DUE MONDAY Case study 7
TOPIC: International & Future
International use of social media
6/1
Grad Student Presentation
Week GS: 12
10 TT: 18
What does the future hold?
6/3
Grad Student Presentation
Assignment: Social Media Strategy