Investigating social media skill development to align with industry expectations

A new study from the Collat ​​School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals how college students understand the concept of social media marketing and what industry leaders are looking for when applying for a job.

Teaching social media marketing presents unique challenges, said lead author Dr. Nicole Beecham, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution, and Economics. The field is constantly changing, requiring professors to keep pace with evolving platforms, algorithms, and tools. Balancing course preparation, research, and other job responsibilities further complicates effective teaching in this dynamic field.

One challenge, Beacham said, is that social media courses may require frequent updates of materials each semester.

“The landscape itself is changing so quickly that even people working full-time in the industry have a hard time keeping up,” Beacham said. “From the emergence of new social media platforms to the numerous changes to each social media platform, change is one of the only constant aspects of digital marketing.”

This study Marketing Education Journal, we found that meta-skills are still very important for students. This study also claims that client-based projects significantly enhance metaskill acquisition in undergraduate students compared to simulation alone.

“Even if you have technical experience in social media marketing, it's still important to have good communication skills, time management skills and an enjoyment of learning,” Beacham said. “As with many jobs, being able to be part of a team and communicate effectively with teammates, clients, and customers requires more than just having technical skills.”

Beacham said students are often better informed than professors when it comes to actual new and upcoming social media platforms, which can be an interesting dynamic. says.

“Professors are not going to just go and teach 'what is Instagram' to students who are already completely familiar with the platform,” Beacham said. “Instead, they should be able to explain and understand for themselves how marketing and advertising for businesses on Instagram is different than using Instagram personally.”

Beacham added that this study shows that professors need to understand advertising dashboards, effectively explain them, and ensure students have access to these tools and analytics in the classroom. .

The study also utilized interviews with marketing managers to find out what they look for in new social media marketing graduates. The goal was to understand the skills that graduates need in the job market. Additionally, the study also investigated how hiring managers view classroom evaluations.

Feedback recommended that students need guidance, particularly in articulating learning experiences gained from simulations in resumes, portfolios, and interviews, and that students should be encouraged to obtain simulation content and reflection reports. added that it helps you communicate your skills and value effectively.

Other feedback included that video content creation and editing skills are becoming increasingly important in the job market. Basic knowledge of HTML, content management platforms, and search engine optimization (SEO) will give you a competitive edge. Incorporating these topics into the curriculum increases the marketability of students.