Social Media Marketing: Organic and Paid Social Media

Take a deep dive into social media platforms alongside specialists

All social media platforms allow you to build an organic audience through sharing content and using advertising to help you reach new and bigger audiences more quickly. But knowing where to focus your attention can feel overwhelming.

This two-week course explores the fundamentals of organic and paid-for social media and will equip you with the knowledge to take a best practice approach to their use.

Learn how to navigate the organic and paid social media landscapes

You’ll discover the difference between organic and paid-for social media and how they work across the main platforms. You’ll also understand how they impact each other and how they can work together. This will help you decide where to focus your time, effort, and spend.

Explore the organic and paid-for features of social channels

As well as introducing you to the fundamentals, you’ll also explore each of the major social channels’ different organic and paid-for options. From TikTok to Twitter, Instagram to YouTube, plus forums and podcasts, you’ll find out how they could work as part of your overall digital marketing strategy.

Build your social media algorithm expertise

Algorithms are sets of rules that decide what content your audiences see and don’t see on social platforms. This course will give you in-demand knowledge of how they work and how they impact the visibility and reach of your content.

You’ll discover how to create both organic and paid-for content that works with algorithms, aligns with your objectives, and reaches your audience.

Designed by digital marketing experts, Target Internet with The Open University

You’ll learn with Daniel Rowles, CEO - Target Internet, who will share his vast expertise gained from working with brands including the BBC, Sony, Tesco, Vodafone, Mercedes, L’Oreal and Warner Bros.

This course is designed for anyone who would like to increase their awareness and understanding of social media marketing. You don’t need any prior knowledge, although any work experience will help contextualise and enhance your learning.

• Organic and paid social media in perspective
• Welcome to the course!
• Differences between organic and paid social media
• Benefits and limitations of organic social
• Benefits and limitations of paid-for social media marketing
• Week 1 review
• Organic and paid social media in practice
• Welcome to the week
• Key organic versus paid-for features of the most popular social channels
• Week 2 review