San Francisco State University now offers a really interesting Professional Development Certificate in Social Media. I’m all for learning, and all for practicality. My courses, offered at BAVC and at AcademyX, are one- or two-day “crash courses” designed for busy business and marketing professionals. The SFSU course, in contrast, is a more in-depth, more “academic” look at social media marketing. According to its literature:
The Social Media Marketing (SMM) program is designed to provide participants with a foundation and skill set in social media marketing, so they can develop successful social media marketing strategies and implement effective and engaging social media marketing campaigns. Participants will be able to immediately apply their newly-learned skills both to workplace and personal endeavors, and build networks for future collaboration.
Social Media San Francisco: Don’t Forget the SEO Please!
As is so often the case, the course is not really well-promoted on the Internet (ironic, no?), nor are the teachers very visible on Google searches (ironic, no?). I think a lot of that comes from a more academic, more social media background. With my roots in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), I always emphasize that SEO and Social Media are not either / or’s but boths. So my one big criticism of the program is its lack of focus on search engine optimization. But let a hundred flowers bloom! Let all knowledge find its adherents! If you have the time and the inclination for a longer term, in-depth look at social media marketing in San Francisco (or elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area – there’s BART, remember?), take a look at their program, here.
