Would You Take a Course on Social Media Etiquette and Branding?
By Christyna Pourhabib
April 2016
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Utilizing social media as a platform to build your brand or network with like-minded people in your field has become the modern alternative to spicing up your resume, going to the mall and applying to any store with a help wanted sign in the window. Not too long ago, this was how many of us obtained our first jobs. I remember when I was 16 or 17 years old going down to Fox Hills Mall or South Bay Galleria in hopes of getting hired at whichever minimum wage clothing store would have me. Before I knew it, I found myself interviewing for the sales associate position at the store we all hate to love, Forever 21. My palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms were heavy as I walked in with my folder filled with more than enough copies of my resume, ready to sell myself and highlight every appealing attribute listed on that resume. As I look back eight years later and realize how I went about securing my first job, I’m forced to acknowledge the evolution of building a name for yourself and creating your own brand and/or lifestyle by means of social media.
Social media has without a doubt transformed the entire realm of networking and branding. On one end, you have the infamous Instagram models with thousands of followers devoted to their daily postings of half-naked images, and on the other end is the small-business owner promoting her natural hair products, backyard catering service or online magazine. There is an entire array of people selling something for the consumption of others. But how do you successfully navigate within this territory? We all learned how to properly format our resumes, but how do you go about formatting your social media resume? How do you promote yourself with the right amount of skill that will eventually elevate you to the status of a Karen Civil or Tiphani Montgomery? Of course the easiest way would be reaching out to others in your field and inquiring how they got their start. Business can definitely go down in the DMs (Yo Gotti voice). But why not start at the source? Why not provide this education in the classroom and offer an extracurricular course on building your brand through social media?
Learning how to navigate the streets of social media can prove to be one of the most effective skills to possess within our generation. Social media opens doors that were much harder to find in the past, let alone walk through. If social media etiquette is addressed in the classroom, students can be both assisted and inspired to think outside of the box and create their own unique journey. Instead of focusing on how college students can form themselves into the ideal job candidate, why not give them the tools to be their own model of success? Professors can promote collaboration between students by welcoming an open space of communication and partnership, while also researching and recommending the best social media platform for each student’s vision. For example, an up-and-coming photographer can take to Instagram to build an aesthetically pleasing page that promotes their work, while an aspiring writer can use Twitter to release samples of their written work. Social media has made it possible to be anything you want to be as long as you are dedicated to your craft. Sure, there may not be a textbook guide or strict syllabus to secure your individual success, but exposing yourself to the many platforms of social media is without a doubt a major key alert.
Implementing the study of social media into college courses is an ideal way to find your niche and build your brand. If you’re interested in staying ahead of the game and becoming savvy with the new wave of self-advertising, this is what your course syllabus could look like:
SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE AND BRANDING
FALL 2020, SECTION 24, TR 11:10-12:30, WAT 2141
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Ms. Susan Brown, MA
Office Hours: Tue. 12:30-2:00 P.M., Thu. 8:30-9:30, and by appointment
Office: HMNSS 2001-D
Email: sbrown010@ucr.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is all about YOU. The aim of Social Media Etiquette and Branding is to improve your social media presence and find your voice within this electronic networking world. You will have the ability to explore various social media outlets as you develop your own personal and unique brand. How do you want to portray yourself on social media? If you are dedicated to this course, you will find the answer to this question and be equipped with the appropriate tools to help you along this journey of self-revitalization.
REQUIRED TEXTS
The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend by Mark
W. Schaefer
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week One
The Basics
Social Media for Dummies
Instagram, Facebook, Periscope, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter.
Week Two
Find your voice
What sets you apart? Submit an essay about yourself and your vision.
Week Three
Discover the best social media outlet for you
Read The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users and present a summary of your findings.
Week Four
Learn how to market yourself as you develop your social media presence
Read and annotate Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World and draft an essay about your own personal approach to getting noticed on social media.
Week Five
Produce and manage content for your social media page
Read Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend and prepare three questions for class discussion.
Week Six
Social media etiquette
Week Seven
Present your social media page(s) to the class