Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. To take advantage of the 2019 six most important social networking platforms, businesses must anchor their SMM plan to a fully integrated superior website. Thus, SM platforms (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat) are used to drive prospective customers to a business's website in order to close the deal.
In the spring of 2017, the CIS and Business Analytics Department introduced a NEW course that focuses on social media. The MIS 347 " Internet and Social Media Marketing (SMM) for Business" course was added to all CIS and Business Management Majors. The course provides a practical approach to developing successful social media marketing plans, strategies, major social media platforms, and social media ethics to achieve desired marketing goals. Students create a SMM plan and then use various internet platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) to help drive and implement the plan.
In the Spring of 2017, students created a website for a local author, Robert Van Kirk, to market and sell mystery novels. The website got fantastic reviews and several students participated and placed second in our annual elevator pitch competition while demonstrating the website. During the fall, students created and raised awareness for various non-profits such the current world-wide problems with sex trafficking, modern day slavery, and hurricane relief. Other student projects included renovations to the Mount Olive Historical Society, Town of Faison (Facebook) and raising money for the UMO Lacrosse team.
In February of 2019, Dr. Reimers presented to the Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce on a pragmatic approach to implementing social media marketing (SMM) on a business's website. The SMM: A Strategic Approach presentation discussed why SMM is critical to most businesses, especially small and online startup businesses; and, Dr. Reimers cited recent 2018 statistics gathered from the Pew Research Center which help to support the implementation of well thought-out SMM plan. Moreover, interest in the SMM topic from the Chamber of Commerce helped to spark the development of a SMM major/minor.
The new SMM program is targeted to small business entrepreneurs and online retailing/services startups. Because SMM is anchored to a receptive website, the concentration of the program is attached to website development. The program title is "Web Design for the Entrepreneur." For many reasons (e.g., aesthetic, resources, course overlap, etc.,) the proposed program is an interdisciplinary initiative between the Departments of Art and CIS.