Promotions with WordPress Fall 2011 Marketing Class

Promotions with WordPress Fall 2011 Semester Class

1. Materials, Tools, Domains, and Hosting
2. Install WordPress
3. Learn WordPress
4. Learn Photoshop
5. Photoshop Graphics
6. Photoshop Photographs
7. I. Photoshop Website Mockups
8. II. PSD to HTML
9. III. HTML to WordPress PHP
10. WordPress Menus and WordPress Widgets
11. WordPress Plugins
12. WordPress RSS Feeds
13. WordPress Search Engine Optimization
14. WordPress Video
15. Project
16. Share

Get the Promotions with WordPress eBook.

I’ll post links to each blog post I write this semester for my promotions class on this page.  I’ll try to include helpful YouTube video screencasts in each blog post.

This is my 3rd semester teaching this promotions class at Sonoma State University and my Promotions with WordPress is in its 3rd iteration.

I focus this class on how marketing research is related to marketing skills that include web design,graphic design, video editing, and search engine optimization.

There are great resources to learn these and other marketing research skills at Digging into WordPress, SEOmoz, Lynda.com, Rockable Press, Tuts+, and Kelby Training.

Promotions Class Week 1: Materials, Tools, Domains, and Hosting

This first week is going to be a BIG one.  Welcome back to school!

The next couple of weeks will be easier.

Before we install WordPress you need a domain name and hosting.

This semester we will be using WordPress.org, not WordPress.com.

There are also great teaching materials and tools that I recommend using this semester.

Promotions Class Week 2: Productivity

This week we are going to install WordPress.

Next week we are going to learn the WordPress user interface.

A lot of hosts offer to install WordPress for you with one click.  This is the easiest option, but there are couple of other options you might want to try if you are feeling daring.

Promotions Class Week 3: Install WordPress

This week just practice learning the WordPress user interface.  Write some pages and posts.

I recommend waiting until Week 9 to switch to a different WordPress theme.

This week is your last chance to get caught up before we move on to Photoshop next week for a month.

I have some additional recommendations for promotions/advertising/pr educational resources.

Promotions Class Week 4: Photoshop

This week we are going to follow a basic Photoshop logo design tutorial.

Next week we are going to gather graphics for your WordPress website.

The week after that we are going to gather photographs for your WordPress website.

One week is not enough time to learn Photoshop, but the better you know Photoshop the better you’ll be able to pimp your blog.

A lot of this work is done by graphic desingers and photographers, but marketers should be aware of what graphic designers and photographers do.

Promotions Class Week 5: Graphics

Keep following the learn Photoshop resources from last week.

This week you should find some graphics and fonts that you want to use for your WordPress website.

You can also use these graphics and fonts on your social media accounts.

If you have drawing skills then you should check out Adobe Illustrator after this semester, but this semester we are going to focus on Photoshop.

This is the kind of work that graphic designers usually do.

Promotions Class Week 6: Photographs

This week we are going to find a cool portrait, landscape, or product photograph for your WordPress website.

You can also use these photographs on your social media accounts.

This is the kind of work that photographers do, but the more marketers know about photography the better.

Promotions Class Week 7: 1. Website Mockups

You should understand how your WordPress theme is created.  It starts with Photoshop.

Then, the Photoshop file is sliced up used to create a static HTML/CSS/JavaScript version of your WordPress theme.

Finally, a dynamic (different content for each page and post) version of your website is created using the WordPress PHP functions and theme files.

This is the kind of work that web designers do, but the more marketers know about this process the better.

We are going to follow a Photoshop mockup tutorial in class.

Promotions Class Week 8: 2. PSD to HTML

We’re going to use this week to review HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Again, a lot of this work is done by web designers, but it is important that marketers understand how WordPress websites use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

It’s best to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in this order, and it’s okay if you don’t learn much JavaScript.

In class you are going to add a hot CSS3 button to your WordPress website.

I recommend waiting until Week 9 to switch to a custom WordPress theme.

Promotions Class Week 9: 3. HTML to WordPress PHP

This week you are going to pick a custom WordPress theme.

I’ve purchased WordPress themes from ThemeForest and from WooThemes.

The service is much better at WooThemes, but there are more choices at ThemeForest.  Choose wisely.

Promotions Class Week 10: WordPress Navigation

Make sure your menus, page hierarchies, and categories are working how you want them to.

Make sure your widgetized sidebar and other widget areas have the widgets that you want.

Promotions Class Week 11: WordPress Plugins

Plugins are like phone apps.  Which ones do you have?  I’ll tell you about some of my favorites.

Promotions Class Week 12: WordPress RSS Feeds

Have you been using Google Reader?

Bloggers want you to subscribe to their RSS feed.

Promotions Class Week 13: WordPress Search Engine Optimization

Google “site:yourdomain.com” to see how your site is showing up in search results.

Promotions Class Week 14: Video

Let’s get some video on your WordPress website!

iMovie is a great way to learn video editing, but more advanced stuff is possible with Final Cut, Motion, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe After Effects.  Photoshop even has some video capabilities.

Promotions Class Week 15: Project

Promotions Class Week 16: Share