The Social Media Marketing Course
The
Social Media Marketing Course
Learn how to write
winning short stories
All the basics of short story writing in one course
Short Story Writing Course is for you if you’ve always wanted to write stories, but didn’t know how to get started.
With the support and guidance of an award-winning writer, you’ll learn invaluable writing skills and techniques. What’s more, gain the confidence and expertise to write publishable stories – and submit them to literary publications around the world.
This course helps you ditch the doubts, overcome procrastination and finally write down the stories that have been living inside your head.
The The Social Media Marketing Course Gives You...
No Automated Marking
We use traditional methods of assessing work, as editors at publishing houses would. No generic feedback!
A Flexible Schedule
Work wherever and whenever you want. You can easily fit our courses around work and other commitments.
Relevant, Usable Content
Easy-to-digest course notes that capture a lifetime of writing experience, ready for you to apply to your own writing.
Ongoing Assessment
Your writing is assessed continuously as your course progresses.
Expert, Individual Feedback
Get prompt, honest, detailed feedback on every assignment from an award-winning writer. We focus on your unique writing strengths.
No Peer Reviews!
You will only be assessed by your tutor, a leader in their field. No more guessing and wondering how to write; you'll be guided line by line.
Unleash Your Creativity
in Your Short Stories
A creative writer’s how-to guide
This course provides you with all the tools you need to write short stories. You’ll also get tips and support on getting your stories published in literary print and online journals. Walk away with eight short stories ready for the publisher’s desk!
Our tutors have an open-door policy on questions. The more you ask, the better you are likely to do.
During this course, you’ll discover:
- how to create convincing characters
- the structure and plot of a good short story
- how to write realistic dialogue
- how point of view affects your story
- how to write flash fiction
- how to edit your work before submitting it
- where to send stories for publication, both locally and internationally
Unleash Your Creativity in Your Short Stories
A creative writer’s how-to guide
This course provides you with all the tools you need to write short stories. You’ll also get tips and support on getting your stories published in literary print and online journals. Walk away with eight short stories ready for the publisher’s desk!
Our tutors have an open-door policy on questions. The more you ask, the better you are likely to do.
During this course, you’ll discover:
- how to create convincing characters
- the structure and plot of a good short story
- how to write realistic dialogue
- how point of view affects your story
- how to write flash fiction
- how to edit your work before submitting it
- where to send stories for publication, both locally and internationally
‘My tutor was amazing. She was very prompt with her feedback and marking, and very clear in her feedforward. I highly recommend this course to anybody who needs the motivation to begin writing.’
Victoria Hathaway, Short Story Writing Course
Course Overview
COURSE FEE
NZ$ xx
£ xx
ZAR xx
Price includes VAT/GST
NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS
10
The assignments vary in length.
NUMBER OF MODULES
10
These modules include around 200 pages of course notes.
COURSE DURATION
12
Work at your own pace – up to a maximum of 12 months.
START DATE: ANYTIME
Working with an individual tutor means you can start the course at any time.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Basic writing skills are essential.
- Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required.
- No previous tertiary qualification required.
Our Graduate Students' Successes
We are proud of our graduates who have achieved success. Here are a few among dozens of our creative writing success stories.
Tutor for this Course
Alex Smith
Alex Smith is the award-winning author of five novels: Algeria’s Way, Drinking from the Dragon’s Well, Four Drunk Beauties, Devilskein & Dearlove (published by Random House/Umuzi) and Agency Blue (published by Tafelberg).
Her work has received widespread acclaim. Drinking from the Dragon’s Well was longlisted for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award and Devilskein & Dearlove was nominated for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal in the UK. Agency Blue won a Sanlam Youth Literature Award, while Four Drunk Beauties won the Nielsen Booksellers’ Choice Award.
Alex tutors the Novel Writing Course, the Advanced Novel Writing Course, the Advanced Short Story Writing Course and the Grammar Skills Course, sharing her knowledge and expertise with students of all skill levels.
Course Curriculum
Module 1
An Introduction to Social Media Marketing
- Overview of social media marketing and its role in digital marketing
- Understanding the customer journey and sales funnel.
- Overview of key platforms: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), Pinterest
- Current trends and emerging platforms (e.g., Threads, BeReal)
- Assignment: Conduct a competitor analysis—choose a brand in your industry and analyse its social media presence. Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
Module 2
Defining Your Brand and Target Audience
- How to define your brand voice and visual identity.
- Understanding audience personas: demographics, psychographics, and behaviours.
Social media listening and research tools (Meta Audience Insights, SparkToro, etc.). - Assignment: Develop a social media brand guide, including tone, colours, and content themes.
Module 3
Platform-Specific Strategies
- Best practices for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.
- Choosing the right platforms based on audience and business goals.
- Differences in content strategy per platform (short-form vs long-form content).
- Assignment: Pick two platforms and outline a content strategy tailored to each, considering the platform’s unique features and audience.
Module 4
Content Creation & Storytelling
- The psychology of storytelling in marketing.
- Formats: carousels, Reels, TikToks, live videos, Stories, and LinkedIn posts.
- Tools for content creation (Canva, CapCut, Adobe Express, ChatGPT for copywriting).
- Assignment: Create and post a piece of content (e.g., an Instagram carousel, a TikTok video, or a LinkedIn article) using storytelling principles.
Module 5
The Art of Engagement & Community Building
- How to foster engagement: comments, DMs, Q&As, polls, collaborations.
- Building an online community and leveraging user-generated content (UGC).
- The importance of responding and interacting in real-time.
- Assignment: Create an engagement strategy for a brand, outlining how to respond to comments, messages, and negative feedback.
Module 6
Social Media Advertising & Paid Campaigns
- Overview of paid ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
- A/B testing and audience targeting (lookalike audiences, retargeting, interest-based).
Budgeting and ROI measurement. - Assignment: Set up and analyse a small paid ad campaign (or create a detailed campaign proposal if working with limited funds).
Module 7
Influencer & Partnership Marketing
- How to find and collaborate with influencers.
- Micro vs macro influencers—what works best for different brands?
- Tracking ROI on influencer partnerships.
- Assignment: Identify and pitch an influencer collaboration for a brand, including goals, budget, and deliverables.
Module 8
Analytics & Performance Tracking
- Understanding platform analytics (Meta Business Suite, TikTok Analytics, Google Analytics).
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) for different platforms.
- Using insights to refine strategy.
- Assignment: Analyse performance data from a social media account (real or simulated) and suggest optimisations.
Module 9
Trends, Virality & Crisis Management
- What makes content go viral?
- The role of trends, memes, and reactive content.
- How to manage a PR crisis on social media.
- Assignment: Create a response plan for a social media crisis scenario (e.g., a viral negative review or controversial post).
Module 10
Building a Long-Term Social Media Strategy
- Developing a sustainable content calendar.
- Scaling efforts with automation tools (Later, Buffer, Hootsuite).
- Career paths in social media marketing (freelancing, agency work, in-house roles).
- Final Project: Develop a 3-month social media strategy for a brand, including content themes, platform selection, engagement plan, and an advertising budget.
What Our Students Say
Get These Additional Benefits
Lifetime Course Access
Benefit from free lifetime access to future course updates and access to our writing resources.
Work at Your Own Pace
Our courses work around you. You can pace your course around your busy life.
500+ Bonus Articles on Our Blog
A superb, constantly updated resource with articles on writing and interviews with writers.
Work Opportunities
Top students are invited to join our writers and editors for hire service.
Be the First to Know About Writing Competitions
We'll help you keep up to date with the latest competition announcements
Join a Community of Writers
You will have access to our friendly Facebook community, daily writing tips and writing inspiration.
Risk-Free 100% Money-Back Guarantee
We are so confident that you will love your course that if you’re not 100% satisfied with the quality of our training, simply ask for a refund within 30 days.
Complete the Application Form to Enrol on The Social Media Marketing Course
You will receive an approval email and invoice within one working day.
Should your form not submit, please let admin know at info@thewriterscollege.com
Questions?
We've Got Answers
The course consists of ten modules. Detailed course notes covering the content of each module are emailed to you. At the end of each module, you will be required to complete a writing exercise. In total, the course includes ten writing assignments, all of which count towards your final result. Once a writing assignment has been completed and emailed to your tutor, you will receive an assessment and feedback, and the module will be considered complete. The next module will then be emailed to you.
Absolutely. You have direct communication with your tutor for the duration of the course. The more questions you ask, the more you will get out of the course.
You will get lifetime access to the course. You will also benefit from future updates and improvements to the course.
For the majority of our courses, only your tutor will see your work. It will remain completely private unless you get it published. The journalism courses might see your work published in the public domain, but you do have the final say as to whether or not this happens.
You will receive a Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided you meet the following conditions:
- You must have completed all assignments.
- The course must have been completed within 12 months of registration.
- A minimum average of 50% must be achieved.
- Basic writing skills are essential.
- You must be proficient in the English language.
- Computer skills as well as email and Internet access are required.
- No previous tertiary qualification is required.
Because you will work with an individual tutor, you can start your course as soon as your application has been approved. There are no specific start dates as would be the case with a traditional college.
An application is usually approved within one working day. Once we receive proof of payment, your can start your course.
You could be starting your course today!
The speed at which you work is entirely up to you. After studying the modules, the exercises should take up to two hours to complete. A complete story could take longer.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive notification of approval and an invoice via email. As soon as we receive proof of payment, the first module as well as your tutor’s email address and your login details will be sent to you. Your tutor will also be in touch to welcome you.
Any work created on our courses is owned by you. We will never make a claim to anything you produce. We follow the rule that copyright subsists with the creator (you).