Social Media Simtership: Learning How To Optimize Your Social Media Content

This semester, one of the key assignments in our Principles of Social Media class was a social media marketing simulation. The simulation spanned 12 rounds, with each round focusing on different aspects of social media marketing. We created and scheduled organic social posts, paid ads and influencer campaigns. In the final rounds, we were required to manage all of these elements simultaneously.

Throughout the simulation, we had to decide which platforms to use, select appropriate content, create captions and target specific audiences, all while staying within a strict budget. The goal was to optimize spending, ensuring every dollar was used efficiently without exceeding the set limits. In the later rounds, it became increasingly challenging to stay within budget, especially when scheduling posts, compensating influencers fairly and managing both paid and organic content.

Initially, my results for each round were not hopeful, but as I progressed, I became more better choosing the right platforms, posting times and content strategies. As a result, engagement and revenue for my campaigns improved.

The influencer rounds presented their own set of challenges. Offering too little money to an influencer could result in a refusal to post, while offering too much could limit my ability to collaborate with other influencers. After several attempts, I learned which influencers aligned best with our brand and which strategies were most effective. For example, offering free merchandise to influencers didn’t have good results, but influencer takeovers, brand ambassador partnerships and giveaways significantly boosted engagement and revenue.

Overall, the social media marketing simulation was a great learning experience, particularly for anyone considering a future in social media marketing, which is my career goal. The simulation required critical thinking about audience targeting, content creation and budget management. I thoroughly enjoyed working through each round and look forward to how this experience will benefit me in my future career.