Web 2.0 for communications professionals

‘Working the Web' is a two-day course facilitated by Melissa Attree on behalf of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ), aimed at corporate communications professionals who would like to employ social networking and WebPR tools to enhance their communication/marketing strategies.

Practical

This hands-on practical course aims to impart the skills and understanding of web 2.0 and its relevance to a communications strategy.

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Identify and apply web trends relevant to your business.
  
• Participate in online social networking.
  
• Find and create blogs then tag/list so your blog is discoverable.
  
• Motivate for blogging as a key communication strategy.
  
• Apply basic Wiki development to your business/event needs.
  
• Use RSS and newsreaders (configuration and management for ease of information delivery and use)
  
• Practice effective research on the web.
  
• Use social bookmarking tools to organise and share information.
  
• Track online mentions or follow a conversation.

The course structure was born out of a quest to introduce a wider understanding of Web 2.0 concepts and the aim is to give marketing, advertising and communications professionals the knowledge and confidence to be able to motivate why web 2.0 concepts have a place in a communication strategy.

The first course will take place on 20 - 21 May 2008 at the IAJ in Johannesburg; after that courses will run as often as demand requires. Attree is an experienced branding and communications professional, with her company GetOn eMarketing using the social web to creatively engage consumers and build brands.

For more info and specific course content go to http://melissaattree.wordpress.com, www.geton.co.za or www-za.iaj.org.za/index.htm?main_category=4&view_course_id=468&show_detail=true&date=5-2008.