Is there a demand for Social Media and Community Technologies?

IdentityCrisiz

I am a lecturer in an Institute of Technology and we are in the process of developing a BSc in the area of Social Media and community technologies (title to be decided and open to suggestion)

Our graduate would be a Social Media Strategist, with expertise in communications, sociology, and technology.

They would have knowledge of web development, SEO, systems requirements, online moderation, project management, strategic communication, business strategy, marketing, building social capital, online and offline community awareness.

We are hoping to design a course that will enable our graduate to be innovative and creative with an ability to embrace new technologies but yet appreciate the importance of applying these technologies in the appropriate context.

If you are working in an organisation, here are some questions to ponder:
1. Do you think that there would be such a role in your organsiation in the future?

2. Have you any recommendation in relation to the programme, its content, or specific areas your ogranisation would like to see included?

p

Honestly, overall this sounds like a terrible idea. It's something you can learn in one year at the very most, not as part of a degree. I'd be very wary of peopel coming out of a course like that because they'd probably have a very broad base of knowledge, but no expertise in one area. Noone likes a jack of all trades, master of none.

I would say, it's the type of thing that should be a branch of another core degree. E.g. you're doing a degree in buiness or marketing, and you take the 'social media and online marketing' stream. That way, you know what you're getting.

That hits on a more general point. Having a degree in social media is dangerous because it's so new, it's constantly changing. Online marketing however, is here to stay and could be interesting.

Another important point is that there's probably only a handful of people who really get this stuff in Ireland so it's unlikely you'll get them to teach on the course. In which case you end up with a very fluffy course.

IdentityCrisiz

p wrote: »

Having a degree in social media is dangerous because it's so new, it's constantly changing. Online marketing however, is here to stay and could be interesting.

Yes, it is a risk and the landscape is constantly changing, and that is why we have struggled for some time to define it. But remember, our first graduates would be entering the workplace in 2014, I would imagine by then the dust will have settled and these technologies will be commonplace for organisations and communities.

You have some very valid points here and you have mentioned something that concerns me - when people hear the term "social media", they may see it as fluffy and not a serious course (so that wouldn't be the course title).

The graduate we are talking about is a technologist that understands people and their behaviour and knows how to connect with them.

mneylon

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

1. Do you think that there would be such a role in your organsiation in the future?

Maybe, but I wouldn't want a graduate in a course like this. They'd be of little use to me.

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

2. Have you any recommendation in relation to the programme, its content, or specific areas your ogranisation would like to see included?

While I could see this being included as a module or as series of seminars in an existing course, I can't honestly see how it could be justified as a full degree

Roro4Brit

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

If you are working in an organisation, here are some questions to ponder:
1. Do you think that there would be such a role in your organsiation in the future?

2. Have you any recommendation in relation to the programme, its content, or specific areas your ogranisation would like to see included?

I would have to say that I very much doubt an ablitiy to turn this into a full scale degree course of 3 or 4 years. I think at best it could be turned into a module which features in a Marketing degree (or what ever context it is in) and maybe have a module which focuses on one aspect of social media in each year.

For example year 1 could look at trends in social media use, web 2.0 as part of the promotional marketing mix, consumer empowerment, relationship marketing through social media, co-creation of value, IMC and web 2.0, organisations internal use of social media and blogging etc

Year 2 then could have a module that takes a sociological approach by discussing consumer behaviour around the topic, online community development, contruction of online identities & self representation in a digital age, online social capital and consumption practices, brand advocacy within online communities etc

Year 3 module then could have a look at online marketing in general looking at SEO, AdWords etc, maybe get involved with the Google Online Marketing challenge for students etc.

I think this would provide more that sufficient scope for full development in the area for any student. Ideally this type of course would suit a full time 1 year certificate, maybe even post-grad.

From an industry perspective, from the discussions I've had with people who work within marketing / ad agencies social media is never going to kill off traditional media and it is really now being considered as something which needs to be understood and mastered as part of an employees overall skills base. Future developments might create a need for a social media specialist but not to the extent that it requires a 4 year degree.

On a different note I am currently doing a PhD on this subject (from a marketing perspective) & looking at brand communities, consumption subcultures and brand tribes that are developed and sustained around social technology. If there is anyone else out there studying similar pm me as I'd love to make contacts in the academic field.

Thanks!

link8r

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

Our graduate would be a Social Media Strategist, with expertise in communications, sociology, and technology.

They would have knowledge of web development, SEO, systems requirements, online moderation, project management, strategic communication, business strategy, marketing, building social capital, online and offline community awareness.

If you are working in an organisation, here are some questions to ponder:
1. Do you think that there would be such a role in your organsiation in the future?

2. Have you any recommendation in relation to the programme, its content, or specific areas your ogranisation would like to see included?

Where would you get this expertise from? The way search engines work is a closed system - and its changing. Links from Social Media are barely counted anymore (re: your comment on knowledge of SEO).

I think its a really scary idea. It's one thing to share really big brands with your friends on Facebook (like Ferrari, or Mercedes or Sony) but now we have hundreds of thousands of small businesses setting up Facebook Fans pages. Just because you do something the sameway a big company does, doesn't mean you achieve the same thing.

Compare the Markets "CompareTheMeerkat.com" social media exervise on TV, web and twitter was a resounding success. Its probably something that worked because it was a once-off. Copy-cats will probably see a diminishing return based on the number of copy-cats.

So much of "social media capital/marketing/seo/advertising" seems to just all fall into "15 top things to do with facebook, twitter and youtube.." If I saw someone with a degree in this, I'll probably be unable to speak.

zAbbo

Can't believe an IT are jumping on the Social Media bandwagon, reminds me of those useless degree's you hear about like the David Beckham course

I certainly wouldn't want a "Social Media Strategist" responsible for SEO, the very thought is ridiculous.

4 years time when you graduate, it will be something else, just like it was SEO, PPC, Social Media & now Cloud Computing.

Don't waste your time and put more effort into producing students who are capable of thinking for themselves and not regurgitating outdated examples of which this course would be rife with.

Roro4Brit

zAbbo wrote: »

Can't believe an IT are jumping on the Social Media bandwagon, reminds me of those useless degree's you hear about like the David Beckham course

I certainly wouldn't want a "Social Media Strategist" responsible for SEO, the very thought is ridiculous.

4 years time when you graduate, it will be something else, just like it was SEO, PPC, Social Media & now Cloud Computing.

Don't waste your time and put more effort into producing students who are capable of thinking for themselves and not regurgitating outdated examples of which this course would be rife with.

Ok calm down man the OP is only looking for advice not a new a-hole.

IdentityCrisiz

link8r wrote: »

So much of "social media capital/marketing/seo/advertising" seems to just all fall into "15 top things to do with facebook, twitter and youtube.." If I saw someone with a degree in this, I'll probably be unable to speak.

Ok, I'd rather see a degree in celebrity behaviour than a travesty like this!
Thank you all for your comments.

Would it make it clearer if I said that the graduate will be a reasonably competent web developer with these other skills incorporated into it?
When I say reasonably, they will have some programming abilities and be able to integrate a database. But will be more about usability, accessibilty, validation, video and image editing etc.

I want to empasise that we are not jumping on a bandwagon here. There are organisations, particularly not-for-profit that have a genuine need to engage with their audience online and build virtual communities, for example people with a disability, people suffering from an illness, people that may for one reason or another be socially excluded.
For SME's, customers want more than brochureware sites, this graduate can plan and build a site (or assist for larger projects) with web 2.0 capabilities that is in tune with the company's needs and strategic plan.

This graduate is not a marketing person, but they would be able to work with a marketer to provide technicial solutions for a marketing plan, so they would have the basics eg. marketing mix, online marketing.

It's very difficult to know where to pitch this person, but I can see from the comments that calling them a "Social Media Strategist" was a bad idea. However, it does have to be attractive to school leavers, as well as employers, and get the message across that this is a new type of web developer.

IdentityCrisiz

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

Ok, I'd rather see a degree in celebrity behaviour than a travesty like this!

That's funny, I wrote this reply before I read the more recent posts, but I obviously needed to clarify our position! Hope I have done so.

Thanks Roro4Brit... and for your excellent earlier suggestions

Roro4Brit

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

That's funny, I wrote this reply before I read the more recent posts, but I obviously needed to clarify our position! Hope I have done so.

Thanks Roro4Brit... and for your excellent earlier suggestions

I'm not understanding the aggession in some of the posts. Some people tut.

You may already know about this but it may be of interest to you if not

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/media/socialmedia

Keep us updated on here with progression, I like to keep up to date with new courses etc. Plus you could be seeing my CV once I'm finished my PhD

link8r

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

Would it make it clearer if I said that the graduate will be a reasonably competent web developer with these other skills incorporated into it? When I say reasonably, they will have some programming abilities and be able to integrate a database. But will be more about usability, accessibilty, validation, video and image editing etc.

But then would it be a post-grad? I mean, you can do a degree, like a Masters in Entrepreneurship and use Social Media as your thesis (a friend of mine did this at UL) - so he's not being conferred as an expert, he's researched it using the standard business and academic tools he's acquired doing his course.

link8r

Roro4Brit wrote: »

I'm not understanding the aggession in some of the posts. Some people tut.

Bearing in mind that short or quick responses may not be written with any aggression. From what I know, the writer's tone (as is common with e-mail) is often lost in a post or reply. Often the tone picked up (whether friendly, neutral or aggressive) is also as much to do with the person reading it..?

Also, just because people are surprised, quick to re-act or disagree - this doesn't mean they are aggressive or don't get along. It's not like the user had come out with a definitive and personal exclamation of fact and then people had a go at them.

I don't sense anything as strong as outrage or anger..tbh...but if anyone pointed out something I'm missing, I'd be happy to hear.

mneylon

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

Ok, I'd rather see a degree in celebrity behaviour than a travesty like this!
Thank you all for your comments.

Would it make it clearer if I said that the graduate will be a reasonably competent web developer with these other skills incorporated into it?
When I say reasonably, they will have some programming abilities and be able to integrate a database. But will be more about usability, accessibilty, validation, video and image editing etc.

I want to empasise that we are not jumping on a bandwagon here. There are organisations, particularly not-for-profit that have a genuine need to engage with their audience online and build virtual communities, for example people with a disability, people suffering from an illness, people that may for one reason or another be socially excluded.
For SME's, customers want more than brochureware sites, this graduate can plan and build a site (or assist for larger projects) with web 2.0 capabilities that is in tune with the company's needs and strategic plan.

This graduate is not a marketing person, but they would be able to work with a marketer to provide technicial solutions for a marketing plan, so they would have the basics eg. marketing mix, online marketing.

It's very difficult to know where to pitch this person, but I can see from the comments that calling them a "Social Media Strategist" was a bad idea. However, it does have to be attractive to school leavers, as well as employers, and get the message across that this is a new type of web developer.

An ability to effectively engage with users / community is not something that either a school leaver or fresh graduate would be able to do

I can see it being something that, as I already mentioned was part of a bigger course OR was maybe some form of post-grad cert / diploma

Social Media is all about interacting with people. I honestly don't see how a web developer or designer can fit neatly into that niche.
I can however, see how someone with an existing skillset could move into it or take it on as part of their role

Just my two cents ..

IdentityCrisiz

Blacknight wrote: »

An ability to effectively engage with users / community is not something that either a school leaver or fresh graduate would be able to do

I can see it being something that, as I already mentioned was part of a bigger course OR was maybe some form of post-grad cert / diploma

Social Media is all about interacting with people. I honestly don't see how a web developer or designer can fit neatly into that niche.
I can however, see how someone with an existing skillset could move into it or take it on as part of their role

Just my two cents ..

Why not? I think you are underestimating graduates. Many teenagers I know are good at communicating and social media is not social media to them, its just another way of engaging/interacting with others, it's a natural extension of their social environment. Sure, they have to learn this in an organisational context, but that is experiential, like it is for graduates entering the workplace from other disciplines.

The course would have a social studies related stream as well as communications to an advanced level including contextual written communication. They would also do a supervised real-world project to apply their skills.

Yes, the web developer with all this sounds like an awkward fit - it takes a lot of experience to become an expert in web development, but is this a new way to set them on the right road? Why should we have an expectation that web developers graduate from college without an ability to interact with people? Is web development not ALL about interaction?
What if they leave college with a better understanding of their customer and how to appreciate their customer's environment?

There is merit in suggesting a post-grad but I would be more interested in targeting this at business/technology/social graduates.

mneylon

IdentityCrisiz wrote: »

Why not? I think you are underestimating graduates. Many teenagers I know are good at communicating and social media is not social media to them, its just another way of engaging/interacting with others, it's a natural extension of their social environment. Sure, they have to learn this in an organisational context, but that is experiential, like it is for graduates entering the workplace from other disciplines.
.

You asked for opinions.

I've given you my professional opinion, as have others

IdentityCrisiz

Blacknight wrote: »

You asked for opinions.

I've given you my professional opinion, as have others

Yes I did. Thank you, I do appreciate your opinion