Starting Winter 2018, the Media, Film and Journalism (MFJS) department will offer “Social Media Strategies,” a course taught by the department’s newest assistant professor, David Coppini, who teaches the best social media strategies in the field.

The course will cover various topics on the subject, including an introduction on social media’s principles, strategies and tactics, how to use data analytics in campaigns and how to consider the variations of each platform for the intended goal of an organization. The class will also have some hands-on practice for students as they will also work for a campus-oriented client.

Coppini’s professional experience includes working in advertising and public relations (PR). “Between 2008 and 2011, I started in digital advertising. I worked in a few digital companies in Italy, and then I worked in public relations for a small boutique agency in New York on media relations and social media,” he said.

In the time period when he worked, he noted, social media was only in its emergence.

“Brands and companies and agencies were still trying to understand how to use social media,” he admitted, “we were definitely doing some social media management… but it was very different and much more simple than what brands are doing now.” 

Coppini stays informed with how professionals use social media for he sees significance in the subject matter. “One problem that I see, and that’s why I’m really excited about this class, is that a lot of people go into a job and say, ‘Oh I can do social media!’ But, then you see so many mistakes and so many companies that are really bad when it comes to [it] because there is not a strong [social media] background,” he said.

The topic, which—as Coppini remarked, can include jobs in numerous positions such as management, data and analytics, advertising and media production, comes with pros and cons. Staying connected with weak ties to enhance one’s networking opportunities was one benefit the professor had mentioned as well as the ability for organizations to spread their message without the need for a large amount of funding.

Through his research, Coppini noticed that, “sometimes it’s the more extreme voices that are heard on social media and speak out on social media.”

Years after his time working those positions in digital advertising and in a PR agency, Coppini noticed how social media has evolved since then. “Now it’s all about engagement,” he said, reflecting on how organizations tackle campaigns now, stating, “If you don’t have a social media presence, you basically don’t have a successful campaign; it’s a requirement.” 

To MFJS students, specifically strategic communication and journalism majors, Coppini recommends that each major take classes on the other major to acknowledge how that profession functions in relation to their own. He also suggests that students notice how an organization’s method for using social media differs from one’s own personal social media.

Registration for winter quarter begins on Oct. 31.