Are you interested in learning about social media and blogging?
Update: I’m currently writing Facebook All-In-One for Dummies (in stores in spring, 2012!) and am not currently holding classes. I plan to resume in Feb/March 2012. If you’re interested in having a specific class on the roster, I encourage you to contact me at melanie@bloggingbasics101.com.
I have you covered. Every Wednesday I teach three local classes (in Tulsa) and one webinar (online class) related to social media. These classes are ideal if you have a group that wants to learn together or if you want to do more hands-on learning yourself instead of hiring me to do it for you. Because the classes aren’t private, the information is general and there is no customized learning. Classes require three people to make, but are limited to five people for each session.
Be sure you’ve signed up for my Blogging Basics 101 newsletter to see each month’s schedule. Each newsletter announces
- all upcoming local classes
- all upcoming online classes
- pricing for each class
- weekday evening and Saturday morning classes as they are offered
- links to the Eventbrite sign-up page for each upcoming class
- additional links and articles that will help you grow your social media presence
All local classes meet at Meadowbrook Country Club in Tulsa, OK and I encourage you to bring your laptop to class since much of what we do is hands-on. I use Eventbrite.com to manage my class sign ups. Just follow the links in the most recent newsletter and sign up for the classes you need. You’ll be prompted to pay via credit card and your space will be reserved for those classes. You’ll receive a confirmation e-mail two days before your class meets. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at melanie@bloggingbasics101.com.
If you’d like to schedule a specific class for your group, we can do that! Look over the list of social media and blogging classes on this page, then contact me at melanie@bloggingbasics101.com to set it up! I’ll need to know the date you’d like (have a few in mind so we can sync our calendars), the venue, number of people attending, and the topic(s) you want to cover. Prices for these classes will vary and we’ll discuss that based on the information you share with me.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Ask me! I’m always looking for new classes to offer. If I have enough people asking for a specific topic, I’ll add it to the roster immediately.
Introduction to Facebook Pages
Kick off your social media marketing by creating a Facebook business page the right way, then create a personalized URL for the page. Learn the basics of using Facebook for your business and how you can tap into hundreds of Facebook news streams to introduce your product (without spamming anyone).
Pre-requisites: You should already have a Facebook personal profile set up and understand the basics of how Facebook works in general.
Finding & Installing Facebook Applications
Apps help you communicate with your audience & streamline your productivity. Learn where to find the apps you need and how to install them easily. We’ll discuss some basic apps (e.g., newsletter sign-ups and contact forms) as well as shopping cart options.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and be familiar with your dashboard.
Using Pictures & Video to Hook Fans
It’s easy to create clickable content for your Facebook business page! Learn tips and tricks to increase your product’s exposure and encourage fan engagement.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and be familiar with your dashboard.
Building Your Facebook Community
An interactive community is a loyal community. Your fans will share your news, buy your products, and provide social proof to potential clients. Learn what it takes to build an interactive community in your Facebook space. Many of these tactics can be applied outside of Facebook on your blog, website, or even Twitter!
Keywords & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Learn SEO best practices you can implement immediately. Learn how to choose effective keywords and where to use them in your website and blog. Learn about Facebook’s ranking software, EdgeRank, and how it determines which updates are weighted with more authority (and how you can use that to your advantage).
Creating & Claiming Your Facebook Place & Implementing Facebook Deals
Your Facebook business page and your Facebook Place are different. I’ll explain the advantages of both, how to use each, and how you can implement Facebook Deals to reward customer loyalty.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and be familiar with your dashboard.
Hosting a Facebook Giveaway
Did you know hosting a giveaway on Facebook isn’t as easy as it looks? There are specific guidelines you must follow or Facebook can shut down your page. I’ll show you how to set up a giveaway, promote it, track your entries, and choose a winner.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and be familiar with your dashboard. You should also understand how to install and use Facebook applications. Not sure about applications? Sign up for Finding and Installing Facebook Applications.
Facebook for Realtors
Are you a Realtor ready to break away from the pack? Facebook has several applications specifically geared to your field, but few Realtors are using them! This class is an overview of your options and not a hands-on implementation course. I will introduce to you Realty-specific applications, advise you on interacting with potential customers online, show you how to share information and video on showcased properties, and add value to your Facebook community so they keep coming back for more.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a Facebook personal profile set up and understand the basics of how Facebook works in general.
Tracking Your Facebook Success
Facebook offers feedback on how your users interact with your business page. I’ll explain how to read the analytics, find out what’s working and what’s not, and I’ll show you some additional analytics options that can give you an even bigger picture of how your fans interact with you.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and be familiar with your dashboard.
Tracking Your Blogging Success
Google Analytics is a free program that allows you to track how your readers are using your content and what’s working or what’s not. Learn what a bounce rate is (and how to improve it), see which keywords are bringing traffic to your site, find out where your readers are coming from — and how you can use this information to increase your traffic.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working blog or website and be familiar with your dashboard. We will not install Google Analytics during class; please have Google Analytics installed on your site before the class.
Organizing Your Social Media
Learn how to schedule posts to your Facebook and Twitter accounts (and the pros and cons of doing so), keep track of who’s saying what about your company (and how to respond), and how to know whether a campaign is working or not with link tracking.
Pre-requisites: You should already have a working Facebook business page and a Twitter account (and know your log-in information).
Blogging Basics 101
Interested in starting a blog, but not sure how? I’ll give you an overview of what blogging is (and isn’t), which platforms are the most popular and how to choose the one that’s right for you, and give you some advice to think about before you get up and running.
Buying a Domain Name
In this class, I’ll walk you through purchasing your domain name at GoDaddy.com. Please have several name options ready in case your first choice is not available. This class does not purchase server space, but you can sign up for Buying Your Server Space as a separate class.
Pre-requisites: Come with a list of domains you’d like to purchase (your first choice may not be available, so we may need a few to choose from). Be ready to pay for your domain in class so we can walk through the entire process. You’ll need a credit card. Please be advised that you will not share this information with anyone and you will be purchasing your domain via GoDaddy’s secure server.
Buying Your Server Space
If you want to set up your blog with WordPress.org, but aren’t sure how to buy server space, I’ll walk you through the purchase at Hostgator.com. This class will not install WordPress on your server, but you can sign up for Setting Up Your WordPress Blog to finish that process.
Pre-requisites: Come ready to pay for your server space in class so we can walk through the entire process. You’ll need a credit card. Please be advised that you will not share this information with anyone and you will be purchasing your domain via Hostgator’s secure server.
Setting Up Your WordPress Blog
WordPress.org is the industry standard for blogging. In this class I’ll walk you through setting up your WordPress blog and installing a theme. We’ll also take a tour of your new dashboard and write a sample post to acquaint you with how everything works. Bring your log-in information for your server and domain name to class.
Pre-requisites: you must have purchased a domain name and server space before we meet and have that information handy at the start of class. You can do that on your own before class or sign up for Buying a Domain Name and Buying Your Server Space and complete those classes before this one.
