acquiring social media expertise
DESCRIPTION
This paper explores university approaches to teaching social media and the expertise of social media professionals. Colleges and universities teach social media in business or communication-focused departments if it all. Social media professionals were surveyed to assess their skill set and how they obtained it. Respondent’s self-reported skills predominantly comprise marketing and brand management vs. analysis. Identification of this skill gap provides business schools opportunities to adjust their curriculum by teaching social media strategy coupled with analytics to better prepare graduates.TRANSCRIPT
Acquiring Social
Media ExpertiseSara G. N. Kerr
Marketing Management Fall Educators ConferenceSeptember 17-19, 2014
Mackay, F. (2010, March 30). Business schools respond to demand for use of social media. New York Times.
“To meet this demand for education in social media strategy, several top business schools are incorporating courses on social networks into their M.B.A. curriculums.”
2010
Holmes, R. (2012, September 26). Universities are failing at teaching social media. Fortune.
“Higher ed, however, has been painfully slow to step up and fill the knowledge gap. … When courses on social media are offered, they tend to be stand-alones or electives rather than integrated into a larger curriculum.” 2012
If these quotations were the frame in 2010 and 2012, where are we
today?
Research Questions• Which university departments teach social
media?• How did professionals learn social media?• What did professionals in social media
study in college?• What is the relationship between business,
social media, and higher education?
Secondary Research• Random sample of 92 institutions from 1,989 non-
specialized baccalaureate and/or masters granting institutions from the US Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
• Catalog search seeking course descriptions with these key words:– digital marketing; – interactive marketing; – social media; or– social networking
Findings
45.7 %
34 %
20.7%
Primary Research
• Convenience sample of social media professionals via requests on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and at social media conferences – 69 respondents
Respondent gender
75.36%
24.64%
Gender Ratio
Female
Male
Respondents age
18-246%
25-34 39%
35-44 28%
45-54 22%
55-64 4%
65-74 1%
RespondentAge Range
Why does age matter?
Many social platforms didn’t exist when the respondents were in college.
20244759 31
63
How old are these platforms?
26
What did I learn?
Survey results
Expertise is developed from many sources, not many of them in formal learning settings.
What kind of social media work do these social media workers do?
Answer OptionsResponse
PercentResponse
Count
Community Management 71.0% 49
Comprehensive Social Strategy 58.0% 40
Content Development 82.6% 57
Evaluation and Measurement (analytics) 44.9% 31
Influencer engagement 53.6% 37
Research/competitive analysis/gap analysis 26.1% 18
Other (please specify) 11.6% 8
69
Learnings
Secondary + Primary Results
What’s happening on campus now
• University social media curriculum research indicates that social media is taught at 54.3% of sampled institutions.
• Of these institutions, only 26 (28.3%) offer social media within the business curriculum.
What can universities do?
• Synthesizing this data suggests that business schools have opportunities to incorporate social media into their curriculum.
• Promoting a strategic approach to curriculum development that will both address business graduate needs and conserve university resources.
Ideas
ONE: Integrate classes from other university departments that teach social media into the marketing/business curriculum.
Ideas
TWO: Develop comprehensive social media classes that include practical application and strategic development
Ideas
THREE: Incorporate social media across the breadth of marketing curriculum, such as marketing communications, research, and strategy.
Ideas
FOUR: Develop social media analytics courses to augment communication-focused classes offered in business and/or other departments.
Ideas
FIVE: Outsource social media classes by partnering with other institutions.
Ideas
SIX: Include a service-learning component that pairs students with local businesses to give students hands-on experience with social media strategy and implementation.
Thank youLet’s connect on future research projects, please find me online:• Twitter: @saralitta• LinkedIn: Sara G. N. Kerr• Email: [email protected] • Blog: sara-kerr.com • Instagram: saralita• Pinterest: saralita• Vine: saralitta
Photo Credits
• catalogue / elise.y / CC BY• Clipboard and pens Rob Nguyen • Lighting Department stenographers, 1935 Seattle Municipal Archives• Before class Bard College at Simon's Rock • Strategy - It's game of life Anil Jadhav • University of Cincinnati on a September Evening {Explore} Rob Amend • Google Analytics on Computer Screen Blue Fountain Media • Pacific Partnership 2011 soccer team forms up during an exhibition soccer
match Official U.S. Navy Page • Service Dog – Canid swong95765