Using Social Media Professionally (ESF-funded specialized course)

Whether you run a small business or are a solo entrepreneur, if you want to be visible today, you can’t ignore social media. But often, there’s little to no time left in the day-to-day work routine to manage social media, and sometimes there’s also a lack of clear strategies. That’s exactly where this course comes in. This course is a **SPECIALIZED COURSE** funded by the European Social Fund Plus Baden-Württemberg. Through this funding, you can receive up to 70% reimbursement. Read here to find out what you need to do and how much funding you’ll receive: [SPECIALIZED COURSES](https://innovationscampus-sigmaringen.de/detail/unsere-fachkurse) Whether you’re a small business or a solo entrepreneur: If you want to be visible today, you can’t avoid social media. But often there’s little to no time left in the daily work routine to maintain social media accounts, and sometimes there’s also a lack of clear strategies. This is exactly where this course comes in. In a compact, practical format, the various modules provide the necessary tools to use social media efficiently and professionally—even if it isn’t part of your core daily responsibilities. Participants will be able to manage their own social media channels and will no longer rely on external service providers after completing the course. You will learn how to use social media strategically for public relations, marketing, and customer retention—even without prior knowledge. You will gain an overview of the most important platforms and learn how to create effective content, plan campaigns, and implement them efficiently with the help of AI. From regional marketing and the professional handling of reviews to image and video creation, the course covers all the fundamentals for a successful online presence. At the end, you will develop your own social media campaign—tailored to your business. Individual questions will be addressed specifically Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to use social media strategically and purposefully for their business. They will know the differences between public relations and advertising and understand the importance of digital communication in a business context. They will know their target audience and understand how to implement communication holistically. Participants will master the basic setup and maintenance of profiles on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Business. They will be able to create, plan, and publish content tailored to their target audience—including using AI tools for text and image generation. They will also be able to create ads on Instagram. In addition, they are familiar with key elements of content strategy such as hashtags, storytelling, posting schedules, and editorial calendars. They know how to measure success on social media and how to professionally handle reviews, particularly negative feedback. Participants will acquire the creative fundamentals for creating engaging visual content as well as basic knowledge in video production and editing. A special focus is placed on the efficient use of AI to support creative processes and save time. Participants will also reflect on the legal and ethical aspects of digital content. By the end of the course, they will be able to plan, implement, and analyze the impact of an independent social media campaign. They will be able to integrate social media into their daily professional lives in a professional, time-saving, and effective manner. **MODULES:** Module 1: Public Relations and Social Media – 4.5 hours, 6 class periods – June 22, 2026 – 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Instructor: Katharina Krauss Contents: - Goals of public relations - Distinction between public relations and advertising - Target audience analysis and definition - Introduction to corporate identity - Overview of the most important social media platforms - The importance of social media in a business context - What can be achieved with social media Module 2: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube & LinkedIn for Businesses – 4.5 hours, 6 teaching units – June 29, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Instructor: Jörg Meyer Contents: - Objectives - Criteria for a successful and professional social media profile - Optimizing participant profiles - Target audience and platform analysis - Types of posts based on target audience and objectives - Content strategy - Creating specific sample posts within the context of participant profiles Module 3: Social Media Advertising Campaigns and Regional Marketing with Google Business & Handling Negative Reviews – 4.5 hours, 6 teaching units – July 2, 2026 – 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Instructor: Jörg Meyer Creating social media advertising campaigns using the Ads Manager, - Creating an ad campaign on Instagram / Facebook and LinkedIn - Creating a sample campaign - Analytics and KPIs: Measuring success Regional marketing with Google Business & dealing with negative reviews - Collaboratively creating your own Google Business profile - Importance for local businesses - Benefits of a Google Business account - What to do in case of negative reviews - - How to delete negative reviews Module 4.1: AI-powered content creation and editorial planning – 4.5 hours, 6 teaching units – July 6, 2026 – 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Instructor: Dominique Saile Contents: - Introduction to AI in general: Where can I use AI effectively? - Introduction to AI tools for social media: How can AI support me? - Basics of good prompts: How to write targeted prompts for text AI - Text creation with AI: Post texts, captions, calls to action, hashtags, etc. - Storytelling in general and with the help of AI - Creating an editorial calendar with topic ideas, posting frequency, and templates Module 4.2: Visual Content with AI (Images, Videos) & Advanced Applications – 4.5 hours, 6 class periods – July 8, 2026 – 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Instructor: Dominique Saile Contents: - Fundamentals of visual communication - Color theories, typography, and design principles - Brand identity and corporate design - Creating social media posts - Introduction to text-to-image technology: how it works and its capabilities - Introduction to design software (e.g., Canva) - Creating social media images with AI (e.g., post images, quotes, thumbnails) - Introduction to AI-powered video tools (e.g., Lumen5, InVideo) - Creating short clips from text templates for Reels, Stories, or posts - Automation options with AI agents (automated interactions, posts, messages) - Legal basics: copyright, attribution, ethical considerations - Creating a social media campaign with targeted use of AI tools in the right places Module 5: Creating Videos – 4.5 hours, 6 class periods – July 13, 2026 – 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Instructor: Katharina Krauss Contents: - Clarification of technical equipment - Overview of various editing tools - Recording and editing directly on a smartphone Module 6: Final Project – 4.5 hours, 6 teaching units – July 27, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Instructor: Katharina Krauss Contents: - Development of a social media campaign using the knowledge acquired - Presentation of the campaign with a feedback session - Analysis and optimization of the created content Target audience: Entrepreneurs, marketing managers, public relations staff, self-employed individuals—and anyone who wants to leverage the potential of social media for themselves and their business with minimal time investment. This course is suitable for people with little to no experience using social media. You can download a module handbook for this compact course as well as for all other modules: [MODULE HANDBOOK](http://www.innovationscampus-sigmaringen.de/files/innocamp/downloads/Modulhandbuch_Social_MediaFachkurs_Stand251022.pdf)