In regards to PRSSA’s writing prompt on instilling social media and digital marketing courses within college and university settings, I believe it is essential for recent graduates, especially within communications, marketing, and public relations degrees, to uphold social media knowledge and to know how to strategically and appropriately use it.
I have not taken a class that was fully focused in social media and/or digital marketing. All of my upper level communication/PR courses as well as marketing courses review the basics of social media, which the majority of students are already aware. The significance of knowledge social media contains within our generation and today’s is extremely important, and provides a great set of skills and assets when job seeking. Because companies are still learning abut social media, to have the ability to run businesses social network accounts, and be strategic and comfortable doing so, is something a company would appreciate in a recent college graduate.
I believe professors that begin to teach the social media and digital marketing courses need to not only teach how to use social networks, but how to use them strategically to reach a goal. For example, if a company or client’s goal is building brand awareness, teach the process and justification of how social media can contribute to accomplishing that goal. Also, with these social media and digital marketing classes, some companies may not experience as many social media scandals, inappropriate posts and pictures, if these courses are taught to university students today.
Overall, the importance of social media and digital media in today’s market has a significant impact on students when job seeking and companies as a whole so it is important to be able to produce skills and strategies as well as have the knowledge to use them appropriately.
http://progressions.prssa.org/index.php/2014/05/14/may-2014-progressions-writing-prompt/
Thoughts & ExPRessions: A blog by Madison 