Cutting-edge social media skills at your fingertips

In a world where Facebook has 845 million users, 175 million tweets are sent per day and two new members join LinkedIn every second, this social currency is changing the face of marketing. Social media sites provide a significant window of opportunity for getting in touch with an online consumer base.

Keeping informed of this rapidly changing landscape can be a challenge even for seasoned marketers. New social media platforms conquer the online environment and shift the marketing powerbase regularly. More than ever, too, consumers expect to be discovered via social networks. Knowing which avenues connect most effectively to this consumer community and how to utilise them effectively has become a vital soft skill for marketers.

This has implications for the way we do business, too. 91% of South African internet users have a Facebook account and the average Facebook user is logged on for 700 minutes every month. That's a significant window of opportunity for getting in touch with an online consumer base. Mxit alone boasts 10 million users, and other social media like YouTube and Twitter also offer impressive market penetration rates. If you are looking to start a career in marketing, then a focus on social media will prove invaluable.

The University of Cape Town and GetSmarter, South Africa's leading online education company, are proud to announce the launch of the University of Cape Town Social Media short course. The eight week part-time course provides a comprehensive overview of social media and its most popular networks in South Africa, with a strong focus on local trends and tactics to effectively engage with online users for business success. The course starts on 27 August 2012 and is presented entirely online throughout South Africa using GetSmarter's innovative online learning platform.

The course is intended for current and aspiring marketers, business owners, PR professionals, entrepreneurs, community managers and social media managers from both the public and private sectors who want to boost their social media and online networking skills. If you have ever dreamed of working on the cutting edge of your industry then this course will give you the necessary grounding and fundamental knowledge you need to tap into the latest social media developments.

GetSmarter's advanced and user-friendly learning model provides students with a personal and professional educational experience. Students work through the course material together and receive continuous academic and administrative assistance during the course. Each of the eight modules includes comprehensive and up-to-date course notes, discussion forums where students interact with one another, an interactive quiz and video lectures to make the course material more engaging.

GetSmarter has trained over 10,000 students in the past four years, in such diverse topics as project management, internet marketing, marketing and events management - all from the comfort of the students' homes or offices.

The University of Cape Town is one of Africa's leading universities. GetSmarter and the University of Cape Town work together with the best industry experts to provide professional and exceptional teaching support. The Course Conveners are Jennifer Kling and Kerri Paddock, both of whom are dynamic corporate social media professionals.

Get ahead with social media and register for the University Cape Town Social Media short course. Registrations close on 17 August 2012 and the course starts on 27 August 2012. Contact Roxy on 021 447 7565 or email roxy@getsmarter.co.za for more information. Alternatively, visit www.GetSmarter.co.za, or view the course here.