CPC CPC Digital & Social Media Communication 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which social media metric BEST measures audience engagement rather than just reach?
- Total impressions
- Engagement rate (likes, shares, comments per follower) (Correct answer)
- Number of followers
- Page views
Correct answer: Engagement rate (likes, shares, comments per follower)
Engagement rate measures active audience interaction relative to audience size, reflecting true resonance rather than passive exposure.
Question 2: The concept of 'earned media' in digital communication refers to:
- Paid advertising on social platforms
- Publicity gained through organic sharing, mentions, and press coverage (Correct answer)
- Content published on owned websites
- Influencer marketing contracts
Correct answer: Publicity gained through organic sharing, mentions, and press coverage
Earned media is organic coverage and sharing generated by the quality of your content or news value, not paid placement.
Question 3: In a digital crisis situation, the 'golden hour' rule for public communicators means:
- Waiting 60 minutes before responding to ensure accuracy
- Issuing an initial holding statement within the first hour to demonstrate awareness (Correct answer)
- Spending one hour preparing a comprehensive report
- Consulting legal for exactly 60 minutes before any statement
Correct answer: Issuing an initial holding statement within the first hour to demonstrate awareness
Responding within the first hour—even with a brief holding statement—signals responsiveness and helps control the narrative before misinformation spreads.
Question 4: A social media content calendar is PRIMARILY used to:
- Track competitor performance
- Plan, organize, and schedule content across platforms for strategic consistency (Correct answer)
- Monitor negative comments in real time
- Calculate advertising spend
Correct answer: Plan, organize, and schedule content across platforms for strategic consistency
A content calendar coordinates messaging across platforms, ensures consistent cadence, and aligns posts with organizational goals and campaigns.
Question 5: Which practice BEST describes 'social listening' in digital communication?
- Monitoring audio podcasts for brand mentions
- Tracking and analyzing online conversations about a brand, topic, or industry (Correct answer)
- Following key journalists on social media
- Posting consistently across all social channels
Correct answer: Tracking and analyzing online conversations about a brand, topic, or industry
Social listening uses tools to monitor and analyze mentions, sentiment, and trends across social platforms to inform communication strategy.
Question 6: The CAN-SPAM Act primarily governs which type of digital communication in the US?
- Social media advertising
- Commercial email messages (Correct answer)
- Text message marketing
- Website cookie policies
Correct answer: Commercial email messages
The CAN-SPAM Act sets rules for commercial email, requiring honest headers, clear opt-out mechanisms, and truthful subject lines.
CPC CPC Digital & Social Media Communication 1
Which social media metric BEST measures audience engagement rather than just reach?