MKT4900 – Course Syllabus

Online Marketing Strategies | Fall 2013-2014

Instructor: @nateriggs

Course DescriptionThis course has been designed to help you understand how to develop, launch, execute and report the results of a full-scale content marketing program.

In short, you and your class mates will learn in the trenches by working as a content marketing agency with the goal of raising awareness for this course at Ohio University, and filling the next semesters class with talented young marketers.

My approach to teaching is fast-paced, immersive and collaborative. While we’ll do some reading and discuss theory, the course work is designed to provide you with a hands-on learning experience that will engage you in the classroom and online.

What You Will Learn1. You will gain an understanding of the content marketing

industry. We will explore marketing thought leadership, the latest online consumer research, multiple disruptive technologies and current internet trends.

2. You will learn to design and build new habits, both as a marketer and as an internet user. We will immerse ourselves in blogging, social media distribution and engagement, email marketing and other online tools. You’ll gain an understanding of how to recognize and build the habits that will make you a successful content marketer.

3. You will learn the strategic process by experiencing it, first hand. We will work in small mastermind groups to gather data, develop insights, build and execute a strategic digital market plan to launch a content product that your group will develop. We will also measure and report on the results of the launch.

4. You will use and become familiar with a variety of disruptive technologies. We will explore multiple SaaS marketing tools, tactics and applications that help digital marketers plan and execute strategies for brands.

GENERAL COURSE INFO

Instructor: Nate RiggsTwitter: @nateriggsEmail: nate@nateriggs.comGoogle+: plus.ly/nateriggsFacebook: facebook.com/nateriggs iPhone: 614-348-2646

Skype: nateriggs

Our Class Meets Every Thursday, 6:00PM - 8:45PM

Copeland Hall, Room 118

Nate’s Office HoursThursday: 3PM – 5:30PM @ Courtstreet Coffee

Friday: 3PM – 4PM via Skype or Hangout

*Office hours by 24 hour advance request

Class Backchannel: Facebook Grouphttp://bit.ly/fall13fbgroup

@nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabitsMKT4900 – Fall 2013

All Course Reading Is RequiredIn order to cover the full breadth of coursework, we’ll be reading intensely throughout the semester. We will begin each class session with a ‘book club’ discussion, and I will be grading your participation as well as your comprehension of the material.

Additional Course Reading MaterialsWe will be reading and discussing specific chapters from the eBooks, studies, white papers, podcasts, interviews, etc. See the reading schedule later in this syllabus for more details.

Official Course Books• Marketing in the Round: How to Develop an

Integrated Marketing Campaign in the Digital Eraby Gini Dietrich & Geoff Livingston

• Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

*Please make sure to have each of these books no later that week 2

MKT4900 FALL 2013 - CONTENT MATKETING HABITS

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

>> Order Contagious

>> Order Content Chemistry

How You Will Be GradedYou’re final class grade will reflect my evaluation of your performance in the following areas:

1. 25%: Class Participation:Attendance, book club, class agency participation

2. 25%: Blog Contribution:Execution of the week’s blog post style, quality of the blog content, implementation of editorial feedback

3. 25%: Midterm & Final ExamBook tests, midterm, final

4. 25%: Agency Performance Individual performance in role, peer evaluations, overall agency performance against KPI’s

Grading Scale• 94% - 100% = A• 90% - 93% = A-• 87% - 89% = B+• 84% - 86% = B• 80% - 83% = B-• 77% - 79% = C+

• 74% - 76% = C• 70% - 73% = c-• 67% - 69% = D+

• 64% - 66% = D• 60% - 63% = D-• Below 59% = Fail

MKT4900 FALL 2013 – CONTENT MARKETING HABITS

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

About Academic DishonestyDon’t cheat. Ohio University has a policy about plagiarism and cheating that has severe consequences. See your handbook for details. In all of your work, it’s a best practice to mention and backlink to all of your sources. You will be graded on your demonstrated adherence to creative commons attribution license. My advice? Go back to that link and make sure you are familiar.

Likewise, I will be using online tools to monitor your online engagement. Your peers will also have a part in grading your classroom participation. Be able to fake it, you will not…

Attendance PolicyWe only have class once per week, so it’s critical that you show up for class, ready to participate and learn. Unexcused absences will effect your overall letter grade for the course as follows:

1. Final course grade drops 1 full letter2. Final course grade drops 2 full letters3. Fail the course

Extenuating circumstances and emergences do happen. If you need to be excused for a class, it’s your responsibility to let me know at least 24 hours in advance. If you are missing due to an Ohio University activity, you will need to provide documentation for approval.

How to Prepare for ClassCongratulations! You’ve signed up for a course in digital marketing strategies! Part of learning how to use the Interwebz strategically is learning the practice of engaging online. So that we can get to work, you will need to have the following elements set up, prior to the second week of class:

• Fill out the information gathering form with all requested info.• Make sure you have profiles on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. Then, find and connect with

me on each network.• Find and request to join the class Facebook Group• Like the class Facebook page• Have your log in info to your Wordpress contributor account to OhioMarketingStudents.com• Always bring an internet-enabled device to class. Laptop, tablet, iPhone, whatever – just make sure

you can get work done online with whatever you choose.

Our Mutual PromisesIn order to get the most out of our experience together, we promise to:

• Come to class ready to learn – attitude is everything• Read all course materials and be prepared for discussions, team participation and agency work• Participate online in the Facebook Group• Complete all assignments, on time• Show up on time to class, hangouts, office hour appointments and team meetings• Stay awake (or you might end up on Instagram).

MKT4900 FALL 2013 – CONTENT MARKETING HABITS

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

COURSE UNITS

TYPICAL CLASS FLOW

6:00PM – 6:30PM 6:30PM – 7:00PM 7:00PM – 7:15PM 7:15PM – 8:15PM 8:15PM – 8:45PM

Book Club Weekly Lesson

Break for Caffeine & Latrines (Individual Coaching)

Agency WorkshopWrap Up &

Homework/Project Assignments

September October November December

• Understanding Content marketing

• Audience Insights

• Building Habits

• The Strategic Process

• Midterm

• Agency Games• Agency Games

• Agency Reporting

• Exam

* Nate reserves the right to change the format of class as needed for the current unit

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

READING SCHEDULE: CONTENT MARKETING HABITS

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

Week Class Date

Unit Reading for DiscussionAll reading assignments are expected to be completed by class. Be ready…

1 8/29 Course IntroBe familiar with course syllabus. We will review and spend some time setting expectations for the course

2 9/5Understanding

content marketingChemistry: intro and Part 1, http://bit.ly/whatiscm, http://bit.ly/cmwikipedia

3 9/12Understanding

content marketingChemistry: Part 2, Field Guide to CM Metrics: http://bit.ly/4cmmetrics

4 9/19 Audience Insights Zero Moment of Truth: Ch. 1-5. Also be familiar w/ The Social Habit: Q4

5 9/26 Audience Insights Youtility: Ch. 3, 7 and 8, Ultimate Guide to Corporate Blogging

6 10/3 Audience Insights Off

7 10/10Social Business

HabitsThe Power of Habit: Quicklet Download How to Help Your CEO Rewire Their Brain Post http://bit.ly/rewirebrains

8 10/17Social Business

HabitsNO READING - MIDTERMS

9 10/24Social Business

HabitsMIDTERM and BREAK WEEK: No Reading Assignments Due. Only blog posts are due per the editorial calendar

CLASS SCHEDULE & READING ASSIGNMENTS

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

Week Class Date

Unit Reading for DiscussionAll reading assignments are expected to be completed by class. Be ready…

10 10/31 Agency Games Contagious: Introduction: Why Things Catch On, Ch. 1 Social Currency

11 11/7 Agency Games Contagious: Ch. 2 Triggers

12 11/14 Agency Games Contagious: Ch. 3 Emotion

13 11/21Thanksgiving Break

No ClassContagious: Ch. 4 Public, Ch 5, Practical Value

14 11/28 Agency Games Contagious: Ch. 6 Stories, Epilogue

15 12/5 Agency Games No assignments. Course Wrap Up & Agency Reporting

16 12/12 Exam Day Post Exam Happy Hour to ensue…

CEO: Nate RiggsShameless self-promotion, I know. But, someone has to be the chief, right?

For the purpose of our Agency Games unit, I will be the CEO and founder of the agency and while you may report to individual managers, ultimately, the buck stops at my desk.

Client: THIS Content Marketing Habits CourseAs a brand new, student-operated content marketing agency your very first client is the exact course your are taking.

Agency Goals:Over the course of this semester, you and your fellow agency mates will further define and then design and execute strategies that use both offline and online content to achieve the following:

1. Launch OhioMarketingStudents.com among Ohio University students and Faculty. Grow the subscriber list

2. Raise awareness for the Spring semester Content Marketing Habits Course

3. Pre-Register at least 35 students for the Spring Semester class of Content Marketing Habits

Agency ReportingDuring the final week of class, you and your fellow classmates will present your full campaign and the results to date to a panel of judges that I will assemble. Chances are, you’ll be presenting to some of the authors who’s books we will read during the semester. No Pressure.

Agency Games

Ever seen the movie War Games?Now you and your classmates are the stars of the show.

Welcome to Agency Games!

Over the duration of the semester, you and your classmates will be required to collaborate, self-organize and manage operations and develop, maintain and execute a content marketing program and campaign that will help get more student butts in seats for the next semester’s class.

Your grade on this project will be tied to your active participation as a member of the agency, your success in your role which will be judged in peer evaluations, my personal assessment of your individual and department performance and most importantly – the results of your semester campaign.

You wanted real world experience? You got it! MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

About Your Multi-Author Blogging RequirementBlogging is a foundational part of any content marketing program.

As part of your coursework in developing your content marketing habits, you will be required to adhere to editorial calendar and meet your posting commitment deadlines, research, write and submit posts in various frameworks and respond to any attention that your content receives from the audience.

How Assignments WorkYou will be expected to commit to post contributions a few times each month, and will be responsible for hitting draft, editing and final publishing deadlines as well as participating in individual editorial coaching.

At first, I will be your main coach, but as contributors grow in their skills, opportunities for extra credit towards your final grade will be awarded to editors who volunteer for and are approved to fill the role.

You’ll be graded on your ability to meet editorial deadlines, the quality of your post content, your adherence to the post frameworks, execution of blogging and web writing tactics like linking, SEO, etc., as well as your individual growth as a blogger throughout the semester.

Multi-Author Blogging Contributor Requirements

OhioMarketingStudents.com

Welcome to the editorial team for Ohio Marketing Students. My partners and I have designed this platform to be the epicenter or “hub” of this and ongoing semester content marketing projects. While I will remain the managing editor of the blog, you and your classmates will each take roles as contributors or editors of this platform.

OMS.com sits on a self-hosted Wordpress CMS. You will be set up with a user account during our class period in week 2.

1. Lists2. Narratives3. Interviews

4. Integrated Medias

5. Compilations6. Videos7. Podcasts

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

Post Frameworks

Signature Required

I attest that I ____________________ have received and read, and understand the requirements, expectations of MKT4900 Content Marketing Habits as outlined by the instructor, Nate Riggs.

I also acknowledge that I will be expected to adhere to the mutual promises, attendance requirements, reading and homework deadlines as a class participant.

I agree to give my best working effort as a participant in this course.

Initials _________________________

Date ___________________________

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits

Student Instructor

Signature: Signature:

Name: Name: Nate Riggs

Level: Level: Instructor

Date: Date:

I'm a marketing strategist in the Midwest, specializing in content and social business design programs. Over the past decade, I've helped a variety of companies that include national chain restaurants, technology companies and Fortune 500 brands, grow their business by adopting new processes, tools and the cultural habits that allow them to use the web to turn customers into raving brand advocates.

I produce and host The Social Restaurant Podcast, a weekly show for restaurant marketers innovating with technology. I speak at around 50 events each year and have also published thought-leading content in business publications that include the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CCO Magazine, FastCasual.com, the Content Marketing Institute and many popular blogs and podcasts.

I've been blogging consistently on {nateriggs.com} since 2006, and both Junta42 and AdAge rank the site among the top social media marketing blogs in the world. On the side, I teach as adjunct marketing faculty at the Ohio University College of Business and run a course I’ve entitled Content Marketing Habits. At age 30, my first consulting business was acquired by The Karcher Group, a digital agency based in North East Ohio.  I spent a year as their director of social business during the transition.

I enjoy all kinds of live music, cross training and camping, I play around on the mandolin a bit and I love spending time with my wife and three boys.

About Nate Riggs

Blog: http://nateriggs.com Twitter: @nateriggsEmail: nate@nateriggs.comGoogle+: http://plus.ly/nateriggsFacebook: facebook.com/nateriggs Podcast: http://naterig.gs/srp

Phone or Text: 614-348-2646

FirmNate Riggs LLC

MKT4900 – Fall 2013 @nateriggs | #ContentMarketingHabits