Social Media Plan

One of the most effective ways to make professional connections is through social media. Different platforms make different kinds of messages easier to deliver, and different communities are interested in different things. In this assignment you will:

  1. Think of a career area that interests you
  2. Pick:
    • A skill related to that career area
    • A philosophical question or topic that you have a strong opinion about, and
    • Something you love or that represents you
  3. Choose a long-form, medium-form, and short-form platform and make a list of conventions for posting on each of those platforms.
  4. Make a bullet-point outline for each of the items from step 2.
  5. Explain everything in a video

Details

Career

You might not know exactly what you want to do, but you probably have some idea:

  • Do you have strong feelings about where you want to work? An office setting? Outdoors? Would it be fun to go to different locations for different jobs/tasks, or would you rather have a more consistent daily routine?
  • Are you more interested in working with things or people?
  • How much post-secondary schooling do you want to do?

Even though the jobs are very different in many ways, a traveling salesperson, a musician, and a consultant doing public speaking engagements have a lot in common in terms of what their work is like, practically. Similarly with a dentist, an animator, and a hairdresser.

Even if you’re not sure, just pick something that has aspects of the job you want to do.

Topics

Choose each of the following:

Skill

What's a skill you have that is somewhat related to the career you're investigating? Was there a specific event/occurrence in your life where you enjoyed/were successful at something that was like the job? You're not going to be marked on your ability to actually perform the skill, so if you need to exaggerate a little bit, that's ok, but try to make it reflective of your life and goals.

Philosophical Question

While this sounds intimidating, it’s really quite open. Something like “What makes a good hammer?” or “What’s important when meeting someone for the first time?” is perfectly appropriate. Just give your opinion on something you care about.

Something You Love

People like to be around others like themselves, so if you can show people who you are, it's one of the best ways to get into a situation that suits you. If you love guitar, maybe there’s no music store near you, but there might be a boss who loves the same kind of music and would hire you just to be able to talk about music at work.

It’s often said that the best way to get a job is through people you know. You can start that process by putting out content that lets people get to know you.

Platforms

One of the goals of this assignment is to revise content for different output formats:

  • Long-form: Websites, YouTube, and LinkedIn are platforms where longer-form content (700+ words) has success
  • Medium-form: Facebook and Instagram are examples of a middle ground
  • Short-form: TikTok and X feature very short content (less than 150 words)

These are not the only places you could feature your content, so feel free to choose a different target platform if that is more appropriate for the audience you want to connect with.

Find some successful content on the three platforms you chose and decide how you can take your long-form piece and cut it down into different parts that can be used on shorter-form platforms. Would it be better to make clips with jokes, tips, or a heartfelt recounting of the joy you felt the first time you finally learned to varnish a blemish-free shelf?

Content Plan

Make a bullet-point plan for three videos: one for each of the Topics above.

  1. Start with a long-form plan
  2. Identify the bullet points that you will cut out for the shorter-form platforms.
  3. Include some ideas about the scriptwriting strategies, presentation skills, and production techniques you want to work on.

Consider your self-assessment from prior assignments, and make a short video answering:

  • What are things you can do to prepare a bit better before shooting?
  • How can you make your videos better while shooting?
  • What can you do in editing to make your videos better?

Your content plan should demonstrate that you have thought through everything you want to do step-by-step so that you can work efficiently when you’re filming.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤
    Pre-Submission Self-Assessment Google Doc
  • 📤

    Google Doc with bullet-point content plans (3 topics × 3 content lengths)

  • 📤

    Reflection video

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Plan and organize ideas for different audiences and purposes.

  • 🎯

    Adapt a core message for different digital media platforms and formats.

  • 🎯

    Use digital tools and communication strategies to build a positive online presence.

Success Criteria

I can:

  • Identify my topic, purpose, and audience and choose appropriate platforms and genres.

    Expectations Covered: D2.1, C1.1
  • Generate and organize ideas by creating a detailed, point-form content plan.

    Expectations Covered: D2.2
  • Analyze platform conventions and techniques and apply them to my content plan.

    Expectations Covered: C1.2, B2.2
  • Adapt my core message for different content lengths and platforms.

    Expectations Covered: D1.3, D2.5

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge & Understanding
Understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms
Demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms. Demonstrates considerable understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms. Demonstrates some understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms. Demonstrates limited understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms.
Thinking
Effectiveness of content planning and platform-specific modifications
Develops a content plan that is highly effective; platform modifications are insightful and purposeful. Develops a content plan that is considerably effective; platform modifications are logical and well-considered. Develops a content plan with some effectiveness; platform modifications show some analysis and planning. Develops a content plan with limited effectiveness; platform modifications show minimal analysis and planning.
Communication
Clarity, organization, and use of conventions in the content plan and video
Expresses and organizes ideas with a high degree of clarity and coherence; conventions are accurate. Expresses and organizes ideas with considerable clarity and coherence; conventions are mostly accurate. Expresses and organizes ideas with some clarity and coherence; conventions have some errors. Expresses and organizes ideas with limited clarity and coherence; conventions have frequent errors.
Application
Connections to personal interests and career goals and application of digital media knowledge
Makes insightful and relevant connections to personal interests and career goals; transfers digital media knowledge with a high degree of success. Makes clear and appropriate connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge successfully. Makes some connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge with some success. Makes limited connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge with minimal success.
Knowledge & Understanding
Criteria: Understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms
Level 4

Demonstrates thorough and insightful understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms.

Level 3

Demonstrates considerable understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms.

Level 2

Demonstrates some understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms.

Level 1

Demonstrates limited understanding of the conventions and purposes of different social media platforms.

Thinking
Criteria: Effectiveness of content planning and platform-specific modifications
Level 4

Develops a content plan that is highly effective; platform modifications are insightful and purposeful.

Level 3

Develops a content plan that is considerably effective; platform modifications are logical and well-considered.

Level 2

Develops a content plan with some effectiveness; platform modifications show some analysis and planning.

Level 1

Develops a content plan with limited effectiveness; platform modifications show minimal analysis and planning.

Communication
Criteria: Clarity, organization, and use of conventions in the content plan and video
Level 4

Expresses and organizes ideas with a high degree of clarity and coherence; conventions are accurate.

Level 3

Expresses and organizes ideas with considerable clarity and coherence; conventions are mostly accurate.

Level 2

Expresses and organizes ideas with some clarity and coherence; conventions have some errors.

Level 1

Expresses and organizes ideas with limited clarity and coherence; conventions have frequent errors.

Application
Criteria: Connections to personal interests and career goals and application of digital media knowledge
Level 4

Makes insightful and relevant connections to personal interests and career goals; transfers digital media knowledge with a high degree of success.

Level 3

Makes clear and appropriate connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge successfully.

Level 2

Makes some connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge with some success.

Level 1

Makes limited connections to personal interests and career goals; applies digital media knowledge with minimal success.