Please click for a DRAFT Agenda 

Course Description: This advanced and intensive seminar is designed for public affairs professionals who need to plan strategic communications programs -- whether planning a low-budget, one-month awareness program targeted at a niche local audience or a broad, multi-year program targeted to influence the behavior of thousands.  Participants will be taught a strategic communication planning process that has proven effective for many public affairs professionals and that has been revised and updated to effectively tap social media technologies.  Using lecture and facilitated team work, Dr. David Lipscomb will work with participants to develop strategic communications plans, with a particular emphasis on social media.

Learning Objectives:

• How to refine goals so that they are meaningful, motivational and measurable
• How to select target audiences
• How to uncover the best audience motivators, media, messaging, messengers, and moments
• How to craft messages that are compelling, current, credible and competitive
• How to frame a smart media strategy -- including social media
• How to crystallize an effective strategy statement
• How to brainstorm for tactics that are on strategy
• How to lay out a practical timeline and success measures
• How to sell your program to stakeholders
  
  

Optional 4-hour Social Media Boot Camp (immediately precedes start of main course)

This is a short on-ramp for those enrolled in the full course who are new to social media or who want a better mastery of social media basics.  This hands-on 4-hour session is designed to get you up to speed so you can participate fully (and with confidence) in the remainder of the 4.5-day course. It will be learning by doing, not lecture. Those who have moderate to extensive experience using Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and other social media technologies need not attend this optional session-- which directly precedes the start of the full session. This Social Media Boot Camp will focus on the basics of the most popular social media technologies: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube.  For each of these four, participants will learn:

• How to set up accounts and customize the look and feel
• How to post, comment, and monitor activity
• How to create specialized pages, groups, and lists 
• Best practices -- from both military and non-military sources
• What NOT to do
• What resources can take your skills further

• Credit Card: Please choose the credit card payment option when registering. A receipt will be sent to your email address.
• SF-182 Form: When registering online, select the Third Party Billing option, but do not submit the Intent to Pay Form.  Fax your signed SF-182 Form to 703.812.9324.  You must register early to allow time to process your SF-182 Form. Do not fax the review copy of your SF-182 Form but instead the approved copy of your SF-182 form.  Please call Student Accounts at 202.687.7696 with questions.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to change your password after registering and write down your newly created password.  This is important so that you may logon to our computers.  Also write down your NetID.

Parking: Our building has a parking garage which charges $7.00 a day. There is also street parking available, some of which is metered.

Food & Beverage: Breakfast and a light snack in the afternoon will be provided. Lunch will NOT be provided, but there are many restaurants in close walking distance to the building.

Location: We are located across the street from the Clarendon Metro station on the orange line in suite 200.  A Metro map can be found here.  Our address is 3101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.

Instructor Information: You may contact your instructor with any questions or concerns.

Georgetown University CCPE Guidelines: Please review the Student Handbook for our policies and other important information.

More Information:
For more information or to speak with a program advisor, please complete the Request More Information Form, send an email to ccpecareeropt@georgetown.edu, or call 202.687.7000.