The use of Social Media is becoming an increasingly important part of business. Many businesses are currently using social media to market their products and services and consider social media to become an important part of their marketing strategy.

Businesses are advertising jobs for a ‘social media experts’ – no mention of IT skills required, but how do businesses identify who actually is an ‘expert’? What they need is a social media qualification which offers practical elements as well as underpinning knowledge about strategic use of social media tools.

We have worked closely with Concise Training to create this valuable opportunity for businesses.  This Level 3 qualification can help you distinguish yourself as an ‘expert’. The creation of the ITQ Social Media ensures that the ITQ qualification stays current and at the leading edge of technology. There is a Level 2 social media qualification available, in addition to the Level 3. We have created a task centred Workbook that can guide you step by step of the way and a structure to ensure your strategy and approach, when using social media tools, is the best it can be. Click here to peek inside one of the Workbooks.

What are the 20 tasks?

Task 1: Setting up a Blog (this is set up to capture reflective comments and underpinning knowledge throughout the programme)

Task 2: Reflective task talking about the forms of marketing currently used, how successful the forms are and a start in thinking about measuring success. This also includes brand and values.

Task 3: Diamond ranking activity looking at main aims for using social media.

Task 4: Linked In profiles, answers and feeds looking at individual profile and company profile

Task 5: LinkedIn connections and events. Scenarios asking how they would react to invites to LinkedIn connections

Task 6: Twitter – Profile ( This includes peer review of avatar use and profile.)

Task 7: Twitter Followers

Task 8: Social media management tools part 1 ( the setting up and use of Hootsuite or Tweetdeck)

Task 9: Links and Delicious

Task 10: Facebook – Individual profile

Task 11: Facebook – Business Page

Task 12:  Social media management tools part 2

Task 13: Website design and use of Google Documents ( a collaborative planning activity looking at the design for a website) This also looks at SEO.

Task 14: Word Press (to create at least 5 pages)

Task 15: Blogging content and analytics

Task 16: Multiple browsers

Task 17: Video (You Tube)

Task 18: Mobile social media

Task 19: Scenario based task bringing in wider understanding about fundamentals of the Internet (accessibility, connectivity, safety, security, netiquette)

Task 20: Forward planning (review activity looking at measuring impact and planning to go forward with social media.)