Social Marketing: From Literary Celebrities to Instagram Influencers

Typical Duke students spend hours each day using social media. You've surely heard the platforms described as 'revolutionary,' and you've also heard them described as 'time wasters.' What you probably haven't thought about is how similar they are to previous 'revolutionary' communications technologies like novels, newspapers, and even language itself. This course explores ways in which studying the masters of previous 'social' media technologies—the Shakespeares, Whitmans, and Eliots of the world—can help us understand how influencers on digital social media leverage the same platforms you use every day to market themselves, build their brands, and grow their audiences.