Social Media Analytics
Overview
The unit introduces students to Social Media Analytics as a way of gaining insight into and driving social media engagement, content design, strategy, and making effective decisions. Graduates will be introduced to the theory and history of Data Analytics as an interdisciplinary science and its practical uses in the industry – in data-led content design, and building an audience on social media platforms. Students will also be taught simple and accessible Data Visualisation practices and interpretation; how to ask the right questions of specific social media data sets; and how to use those answers to improve content and build communities, audiences and engagement.
Requisites
01-June-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Critically analyse current approaches to social media data and data analytics
- Explore, evaluate and analyse the uses of common social media analytics tools
- Plan and undertake a case study project that identifies, assesses and makes decisions on the basis of social media analytics
- Present research and analysis that responds to the core ideas, uses tools and skill sets specific to data analytics
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture |
1.00 | 8 weeks | 8 |
| On-campus Class |
2.00 | 8 weeks | 16 |
| Online Lecture (asynchronous) |
1.00 | 4 weeks | 4 |
Live Online Studio |
1.00 | 4 weeks | 4 |
| Specified Activities Various |
10.00 | 10 weeks | 100 |
| Unspecified Activities Various |
1.80 | 10 weeks | 18 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Studies | Individual | 40% | 2,3,4 |
| Online Participation | Individual | 30% | 1,2 |
| Oral Presentation | Group | 30% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
- Generating data as users and as a business/brand on social media platforms
- How Social Media Analysis is used by most platforms and media companies to drive business and drive content and traffic outside of social media
- Data-led content design, data-led audience building and engagement
- How data use to boost and retain audience and engagement
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.