The power of a social media marketing education

Written by Professor Omer Topaloglu

What makes a CMO different from all other C-suite members is that marketers are supposed to know customers better than anyone else. In today’s business world, if a marketer wants to be where customers are, being on social media is not an option. Social media marketing is probably the most novel form of marketing. Unlike traditional marketing, social media marketing requires marketers to understand and utilize what is called “empowered consumers”. Consumers now expect to be a part of marketing decisions. A lot of us abandoned Facebook for the neater and effortless Instagram experience. Now that Instagram has become more “Facebook-y”, we are migrating over to TikTok! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Social media marketing is even different from other forms of digital marketing, such as email marketing, mobile marketing, or search engine marketing because it takes place in a very authentic and intimate environment in which customers also engage with their acquaintances and/or loved ones. Out of all forms of marketing, social media marketing is one of the most technology-dependent and ever-changing marketing methods. Therefore, it requires quick adaptability to algorithmic changes by social media platforms and ethical savviness regarding the unique challenges emerging in recent years. Remember, in this new area of study, there are no established theories yet; even the most well-known “social media experts” do not have more than a decade of experience. Thus, free from the confinement of a status-quo, future marketers should embark on this journey with excitement and passion and allow the social media marketing education at the Silberman College of Business to guide them into this still burgeoning space.

Silberman College of Business offers a Master of Science degree in Digital Marketing, for which students are required to take a social media marketing course. While completing the social media marketing course, whether it is at the undergraduate or graduate levels, students acquire the skills needed to develop and maintain a social media marketing strategy for a small business of their choosing. Designed with a student-centered learning approach, these courses nurture students with a sweeping ability to create a social media marketing plan to accomplish a client’s specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-delimited objectives. Students engage in readings and media and exchange their comprehension of that material with the professor and their peers through threaded discussions as a class. Students further acquire the basic skills to craft their own personal brand. Since social media has blurred the line between a celebrity and a regular person, personal branding is more relevant than ever! Last but not the least, FDU is committed to developing course designs and creating documents and media that are universally accessible for students who participate in our online community. If you want to improve your social media marketing expertise, please inquire about the degree opportunities here!

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