Most college students know how to use Twitter and Facebook. However, did you know that some universities offer MBA programs in social media management? Colleges offering these degrees include Excelsior College in NY and Rutgers University. Other colleges may offer elective courses in the subject. More businesses are using social media mediums for advertising and marketing purposes than ever before and it’s important, especially for business students, to learn how to effectively use social media in a business setting. Here are a couple of reasons why social media courses are vital for business students.
Powerful Viral Campaigns
Traditional advertising via television and newspapers is still undoubtedly effective. However, younger generations are spending more time online and one of the ways to reach them is through the internet. Social media campaigns are generally a lot more affordable than traditional ones and have the potential to reach a huge market share and even go viral if executed properly. Many of today’s most successful campaigns involve creative contests on sites like Pinterest and Instagrams. Other campaigns may involve contacting influential bloggers and offering them products or services in exchange for an unbiased review. Business students who have studied successful social media campaigns will have the ability to think “outside the box” when it comes to creating effective and innovative marketing approaches.
Relationships With Influencers
Business students will also learn how to build powerful relationships with influencers via social media. It’s a lot easier to interact with an influencer on Twitter then placing a cold call to him or her in order to close a sale. Relationships with influencers can be used to promote product, services or even an article or press release.
Reputation Management
Business professionals will also need to learn how to manage the reputation of their company online. With the advent of review sites like Yelp, it’s rather easy for a business to rack up a few negative reviews which can damage their reputation. It’s important to learn how to monitor the social media channels and how to address criticism and negative reviews in a way that is constructive.
Most students already know how to manage their own Twitter and Facebook accounts. However, navigating the business world online requires a lot more finesse and skill. No matter if you are attending a traditional or an online university, check your course curriculum and find out if they offer any social media classes. More businesses are establishing an online presence than ever before and future business leaders may want to take a social media class if offered in order to make themselves more marketable and competitive.
Written by Jacqueline Starz – Jacqueline is an author specializing in social media and advertising.