Social media is no longer just for procrastinating. While the world of Facebook was started in dorm rooms, majorly for dorm room use, the social networking revolution has branched deep into the workplace. Companies now rely on social networking to build their clientele base, which means that college students entering the workforce have a lot to learn about the ways their favorite pass time equates into the office.
This is just one aspect of web marketing that is being introduced to the college classroom. Web marketing is a huge area of concentration right now. Most companies understand the importance of web presence. Whether you work out of a storefront, a warehouse or a home office, a good website is often the first impression you get to make. Web marketing professionals take the base of a strong, well-designed website and give it the credibility and placement it needs to capture the attention of your audience. This is something that most companies and individual professionals will benefit from, but the rules of online marketing are not the same as traditional forms of marketing. Colleges are finally preparing the right style of course work that will prepare the next generation of workers for the demands of web marketing.
SEO Goes to the Front of the Class
Course titles featuring Facebook and Twitter are attention grabbers, so the rise of social media in the classroom is the topic that is getting a lot of attention in regards to the introduction of web marketing on college campuses. However, social media is only one facet of this new subject area. Students are being encouraged to learn the basics of web marketing as a core aspect of their business and marketing programs. Search engine optimization certificate and learning programs are popping up in schools and in online programs to enhance the knowledge of those already in the field, as well as to introduce students to the subject as they prepare for their potential careers.
The introduction of web marketing coursework has been slow to take on. This is because of the substantial cultural shift the world of marketing has undergone in the past decade. Ten years ago an entire class on web marketing would have been based on theories and potential advancements. This is no longer the case. Today’s workforce is highly web driven. Job candidates need to know how to use social media from a business standpoint. Almost three-quarters of Fortune 500 companies have official Twitter accounts, and about two-thirds use Facebook. Candidates need to know how to use these mediums professionally, which invokes a world of social media use that is very different from the realm of abbreviations and tagged photos that so many current college students grew up with.
Elite institutions like Harvard, NYU and Columbia University have taken the lead in introducing this type of coursework to their marketing and business programs. However, more and more colleges across the country are starting to offer classes on the subject, including many online institutions. This is a necessary trend, and one that holds the promise of a future generation of job candidates who are well versed in the intricacies of web marketing.