Connecting Social Media with Purpose

Define your personal mission and work towards a better future for all living things by finding your community using social media (in English or another language of your choosing). You will learn how to strategically contribute to a wicked problem that connects to your personal values by using social media to build a community and to test and build your purpose-driven idea(s) to get closer to a goal that is most important to you personally.

Real change starts from the inside out

Have you ever cared about an issue so much, but felt powerless to change it? In this minor, we help you make the change you want to see in the world – by first looking within, then growing it in relationships with other like-minded people. Whether your cause is advancing justice, equal rights, or sustainability, this minor is a first step in preparing you for a shift towards a regenerative and sustainable world.

There is still a gap between understanding what the sustainable way forward is and actually walking down that road. How do we take an abstract concept and bring it to ourselves, then to our communities?

This minor closes the gap between knowing there is a problem to deciding that problem is important to you. It then shows you how to find kindred spirits in a strategic way so that together, you can create the change you seek. You will learn how to approach this in a strategic way with the use of social media.

Admission 

You have an interest in social developments and/or (wicked) issues that arise in today’s world. You possess a creative, entrepreneurial, and above all curious mindset. You can work independently and like to bring in ideas yourself.

Enough oral and reading English language skills to follow classes in English. You can do your social media campaign in your native language.

The minor doesn’t require an internship or workplace.

The Examination Board determines which minors do not have a higher professional education level and/or have an unacceptable overlap with the compulsory curriculum of your own study programme. Check at the page Not allowed minor courses under your institute which minors are not allowed. This page will be updated from 29 February 2024 for the 2024-2025 minor offer. 

Content 

In this minor, you hold all the power! You will have the opportunity to design most of your learning, with support from your lecturers as you need it. You are in the driver’s seat: it is all about what you stand for, what you find important, and finding like-minded people.

We will get super clear on your vision, mission, and values, so you can speak from an authentic place. And we’ll give you the tools that the best marketing strategists use to find your community online – a community that shares your values and gives you the voice you need to advocate for the change you want to see in the world.

You will learn what the impact you want to make is, and how to actually create it.

Influencing comes in various forms and shapes. You can choose to be an influential follower or to be an influential influencer, or both.

In the space of one semester, you won’t only set a goal, you will be well on your way to achieving it.

You will work on the following skills:

• Vision on how to make an impact: You will formulate a vision on ways to have an impact and how you can and want to play a meaningful role in it.
• Innovation skills: You will look at issues and solutions in an open creative way and show guts and dare to experiment.
• Empathy and global sensitivity: You will relate your values to the wicked problems in service of life on Earth, and with responsibility for the wellbeing of our planet and future generations.
• Learning how to cultivate authentic relationships: You will learn how to engage, motivate, and communicate with your community.
• Personal leadership: It starts with you. Leadership is not only about the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, but also about the ability to shape and realize changes oneself.  You will define your own learning goals through the lens of self-management.

Although the courses will be in English, your social media content can be done in whichever language you choose.

You will leave this minor with an expanded network, you will know yourself better and get to know others better, and you will feel less of a ‘victim’, and more connected and seen. You will be able to experience the power of a group, and the power of ‘small acts, huge impact’.

Learning Objectives

This minor gives you a lot of flexibility to carve out your own path. You will be the director of your own learning journey and learning objectives, supported by industry experts and lecturers with solid didactic experience.

You will:

• Understand your values and mission, and align them to the positive change you want to create in the world.
• Formulate a goal that will lead you to create this impact.
• Create a digital marketing strategy to help you reach this goal.
• Apply social media tactics to find your community and build your network.
• See the impact you are starting to create in the world.

Courses

You will work within two themes, both worth 15 EC. You will finish each theme with a portfolio and interview. 

Block A: Find your purpose (15 EC)

Futures lab

“When we put our hearts and minds into transforming a reality, the biggest transformation is ourselves.”

Via a Futures Literacy Laboratory, we will co-create the meaning of a better planet for all living things. You will become aware of where your interest lies. Team-based projects will challenge you to identify a problem or job to be done, and create ways to address the issue.

Find your Purpose

You will reflect on your personal mission, and brainstorm new ways to connect that mission to our global ones. You will take inventory of the things you love doing and what you are good at.

Create your social media strategy

While going through the journey of using your impact, you will write a social media strategy. You will work on your message that is connected to your purpose, define your target audience, and choose a social media platform. The goal of the strategy is to find your community to test and build ideas.

Block B: Build your Tribe (15 EC)

Building and executing ideas

You will learn by doing. You will execute your social media strategy. You will discover how to engage with others towards a shared goal, as well as find your community to test and build ideas. As you build your network and ideas, you will discover how to set meaningful goals that will help you achieve success as an individual and leader.

You will learn about who you are in connection with the common good, and how to build a community around this in seven steps:

1. Understand the ecosystem that you are part of.
2. Get clear on your vision, and values and connect these to your purpose.
3. Based on point 2, formulate a goal.
4. Formulate a strategy to achieve the goal.
5. Implement your strategy to find their community.
6. Develop and test ideas.
7. Evaluate your progress towards the goal, iterate and continue to improve.

Assessment 

Personalized learning

The minor will be open and personalized: you will choose your own path. You will be able to co-create this minor in two ways:

1. Individually: Based on your individual interests, you will propose a personal learning path: you will do research on what learning routes you can take (do a MOOC, listen to a podcast, shadow a role model, meditate, etc.) and you will choose a path that fits your journey best. You will set your own learning objectives for this minor, which are connected to the overall learning outcomes.
2. In collaboration: You will decide together on the content of the minor: what do you need (apart from some basics) to succeed in your projects? You will have to collaborate, negotiate, and find shared-value within the contents/learning outcomes of the courses.

Literature

We will use a wide array of readings, MOOCs, and podcasts, connected to your personal interest: from specific topics to more general books on personal development.

Schedule

The schedule and the days are not yet known. We try to facilitate personal learning journeys as much as we can. If you are a part-time or flex student, please contact the minor coordinator beforehand (inge.rozendal@hu.nl).

There are no fixed teaching and internship days.

With the exception of the first teaching period of the academic year (starting September), the lesson and test schedules are always posted on Mijn Rooster four weeks before the start of each teaching period. The schedule for the first teaching period of the academic year can be found on the site three weeks before the start. The most up-to-date schedule is always visible on Mijn Rooster. 

At HU, full-time education may be scheduled between 08:30 and 19:00.

Additional costs

All reading material will be provided for. No additional costs required. 

This minor course is marked by the Green Office as a sustainable minor. This means that by participating in this minor course, you can contribute to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals from the UN.