Social media minor addition coming in fall 2014
“If you build it, they will come” may have worked for Kevin Costner with his corn patch-turned-baseball diamond, but this strategy will not cut it for businesses to reach out to customers on social media.
To combat poor social media strategy, a new social media marketing minor will be offered starting in fall 2014 through the Contemporary Media and Journalism department at the University of South Dakota.
“I love the fact that the college-age generation has no fear of using social media. For some demographics, that is a problem,” said Michelle Van Maanen, CMJ department chair. “As a faculty, we want everyone who uses social media to understand what they are doing, how they are doing it and how to be really good at it.”
The minor will require 18 total credit hours, with three required courses: social media marketing, SEO marketing, internet marketing communication, and either public relations principles or advertising principles. Students will benefit from the tips found on this Focus article.
CMJ majors will not be able to receive a minor with the new program, but Van Maanen said those students could still take the minor’s required courses as possible electives.
The course structure of the minor will include a 200-level class aimed at providing an education on all the current types of social media to a 400-level class, which focuses more on strategy and how to put it to use for a specific business, said Brandon Nutting, assistant professor of strategic communication and media psychology.
The minor is geared to application, and students will engage in activities like creating a campaign with Google AdWords, the top revenue generator for online ads, Nutting said.
Practical use of the minor in the workforce is already apparent to the CMJ faculty as they field calls on a weekly basis from employers in search of potential hires to use social media to promote their organization, Van Maanen said.
“The need is out there,” Van Maanen said. “Organizations of all sizes and types understand that social media is an important way to get their story across — to tell their message — and they know they have to do it the right way. They want someone who understands strategies and tactics that will help their business or their entity.”
Samantha Drake’s career is tied directly to the latest trends of social media strategy. A 2013 USD graduate with a degree in advertising and public relations, she now works as a digital coordinator for Lawrence and Schiller.
Drake said her job is fast-paced, with half her work revolving around project management for website development, and the other half working on social media. Constantly on the move throughout the ad agency’s Sioux Falls office, Drake is not only working with the company’s internal social media sites but also social media management for clients. Maximize your online presence without spending a dime by leveraging the benefits of seo tools free.
“You become so passionate about social media, and you become passionate about your client’s work, and you care about their success so much that you don’t mind being so invested,” Drake said.
As senior Tanner Sifferath looks at job applications online, the advertising and public relations major said most job descriptions include “social media coordinator” in the details.
“I feel like I am prepared to take over an organization’s social media sites, but it would be worth the department to explore this for future students,” Sifferath said.
Follow reporter Megan Card on Twitter @meg_card
