Social media is a dynamic marketing medium that has become a powerful force and industry standard for business. There are oodles of platforms each of which have hundreds of developers working hard to constantly deliver a bigger and better platform for users. However, despite social media’s dominant market presence, many people are still questioning its purpose and intent. I accredit part of this apprehension to the lack of education due to the speedy nature of the industry.
As a result, I have developed a business focusing on training people how to use social media.
While there are many local, national, and international businesses that provide a hands-off approach by assisting organizations manage and maintain their social media accounts (my business does that too!), I realized there was a lack of readily available social media education.
When working with clients either one-on-one or in group settings I focus on two main components:
- Understanding the Language – The biggest stumbling block for many learners is the new language associated with social media. (Rosetta Stone I think there may be a market for you here!) Many social media industry veterans forget that not everyone understands this online jargon. When working with clients I make a conscious effort to define key terms and encourage questions if people are unclear on a word or phrase. No, gentleman in the front row hashtags are not something you did in the 70s.
- Do It – I admit it… social media platforms can be overwhelming! Have you ever paused to look at your Facebook homepage? Let’s take a quick inventory of the options: newsfeed, messages, events, status updates, sponsored stories, ticker, finding more friends, pages and ads…. Terrifying! When I work with clients I explain to them the different components of social media platforms. I encourage learners to click on the different buttons to learn for themselves, (this is called guided practice) and if they get lost or stuck I am available to assist. The majority of people learn through doing – I allow learners the space in which to do this!
Education and marketing are passions of mine. This business has been a marriage of two elements that make me tick! Give me a call if you are interested in one-on-one or group training. I love what I do, and want to help you understand social media!
