Brief

Social media has become a core part of how customers discover, research and engage with businesses. For many organisations, however, social media can feel overwhelming, confusing, or difficult to connect to real business outcomes. This course provides a clear, practical introduction to social media for business, focusing on understanding platforms, audiences, content fundamentals and how social media supports broader marketing and sales goals.

The workshop demystifies social media, explains the role of different platforms, and introduces simple tools (including AI-assisted tools) that help businesses save time and improve consistency without requiring technical knowledge. This is a foundational course, ideal for businesses at the early stage of their social media journey.

Who Is This For?

• Entrepreneurs and start-ups beginning to use social media for the first time
• Small and medium-sized businesses managing social media in-house
• Community organisations, local services and public-sector bodies
• Retail, hospitality, tourism and service-based businesses
• Staff members tasked with “doing social media” as part of a wider role

No prior social media or marketing knowledge is required.

Module Outline

Introduction to Social Media

• What social media is (and what it is not)
• The role of social media in modern customer journeys
• Organic vs paid social media (high-level overview)
• Social media myths and common mistakes

Understanding Platforms

• Overview of key platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X)
• Which platforms suit which business types
• B2B vs B2C considerations
• Choosing the right platforms (not all of them)

Your Audience & Objectives

• Who are your customers and where do they spend time online?
• Business goals vs vanity metrics
• Awareness, engagement, leads and sales
• Setting realistic expectations for results

Content Fundamentals

• What makes good social media content
• Types of content (educational, promotional, community, trust-building)
• Introduction to basic content planning
• Frequency, consistency and tone of voice

Introduction to AI for Social Media

• What AI can (and can’t) help with
• Using AI tools to:
  • o Generate content ideas
  • o Write captions and post variations
  • o Improve clarity and consistency
• Ethical and practical considerations when using AI
• Keeping content authentic and on-brand

Measuring Success (Basics)

• Introduction to platform insights
• Key beginner metrics to track
• Understanding engagement vs reach
• Knowing what to improve over time

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Understand what social media platforms are and how businesses use them
• Know which social media channels are most relevant to their business
• Understand how social media supports marketing and sales objectives
• Be able to plan simple, consistent social media content
• Have practical experience using AI tools to support content creation
• Understand basic performance metrics and how to review results

Resources For Attendees

• Social media platform comparison guide
• Beginner social media content planner
• Audience & objectives worksheet
• AI prompt examples for social media content
• Social media jargon buster