With a new year, this means adapting and adding on to your current list of readings, professional goals, and idea for classes.
While I am not technically “teaching” social media at the University of Louisville this semester (I’m currently on my sabbatical), I’ll be able to have the opportunity to be in the classroom setting. However, the classroom will be a time zone hours away.
In just a few short weeks, I will be heading to Australia, where I will be spending about a month doing research, presenting a few talks, collaborating with fellow colleagues, and networking. I am BEYOND excited to be able to work with some amazing professors down in Australia, like Karen Sutherland, who is truly one of the leading educators and innovators in the social media education space. Stay tuned for more updates on my journey!
In the meantime, I have seen many conversations arise about what to cover in a social media class in 2019. Should professors focus on platforms? What about strategy? What are some assignments that need to be included? Which certifications are must haves?
All of these are very important questions for all of us to consider and think about. Here are some of my recommendations.
Explore what other professors have done for their classes. One of the things I really have been impressed with when it comes to professors, especially in the #SMprofs community, is the fact they are SO generous in sharing their thoughts, ideas, and in some cases, syllabi.
Like Matt Kushin – who I think is one of the BEST professors who is teaching social media right now. Matt just released a new blog post where he shares not just ONE syllabi for his classes – but all. This is unheard of and this is one of many reasons why Matt is a must follow and a true leader for our field. Thank you, Matt!
Certifications are great to have as part of your class. I think whether you go with Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Facebook Blueprint or even Stukent – all are going to be beneficial and helpful for your students. Do you need to do every single one all at once? No.
However, what I would recommend is to consider the following options. One option to consider is to have one designated certification for the class (ex. Hootsuite or HubSpot), and then have “recommended” ones for students to take in their free time. You want to at least give them the option to take these into consideration.
The other option you can have is to assign two – one being a semester long process (ex. HubSpot), and the other to be done in the first few weeks of the course to get the basics on social media management (ex. Hootsuite). In all the options you want to consider, you do want to provide your students options to consider as they move forward in the course.
Experiential learning is essential for assignments. As they say in the industry – don’t tell me you know social media, show me! With the growing expectations from professionals, students need to have work samples and the experience to be able to show future employers they not only understand the key concepts, but how to apply them into various situations.
Matching up key areas that are necessary to cover in the classroom w/ particular exercises and assignments is like connecting the dots. Everything has to be aligned and coordinated together. Many times you do see either one side or the other being emphasized, but in social media, it’s about balancing both the science and art of the field to create a strategic mindset.
Invest in your own professional development. This is crucial to consider both for students and educators. Learning is for everyone, and this is where you are able to make some great connections, gain some valuable lessons, and explore new possibilities. There are some great events that are happening this year in 2019 to check out.
The first conference to check out is in April, and this is the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC), and there are special considerations for students and educators for the conference. Make sure to check it out! I’ll be speaking at the event this year!
Stukent has their first ProfCon, which will be held in June and would be a great opportunity to learn from some incredible educators. Cannes Lions will also have their very first Educator Summit, a one day event bringing forth educators and professionals at Cannes to create a bridge between education and the profession. Stay tuned for more updates on this!
Join communities. Communities are the currency that drives engagement and fostering of new ideas. We have seen this across the board with brands and now platforms (ex. FB) putting more emphasis in groups.
I have found the SMprofs group very rewarding to see how everyone shares articles, ideas, resources, and advice for new professors entering the field. However, there are new communities students and professors can get involved in like #SMstudentchat (which was created by professors Amanda Weed and Emily Kinsky), and #SportsBizProfs (from Anna Stumpf). We are all on the same team and boat – we are here to help in any way we can!
In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions – would be more than happy to help!
Hope all is well and have a great day!
Best Wishes,
