By Dr. Kevin Trowbridge
To learn more about Belmont’s growing Social Media Management program, the PR at Belmont blog interviewed department chair Dr. Kevin Trowbridge! To learn more about Belmont University’s Social Media Management program, visit http://www.belmont.edu/social-media-management/index.html.
What inspired the Department of Public Relations to branch out to add a Social Media Management program?
Social media is pervasive and has revolutionized the way we communicate and interact with one another. Early on, public relations helped organizations and brands communicate with their publics using traditional media. Now, social media dominates the landscape. Organizations of all types are embracing social media channels to share information with and engage their various publics. As with any public relations function, social media management requires special knowledge and skills. We design our social media management program to equip emerging professionals with knowledge, skills and abilities to use social media strategically to achieve an organization’s communication goals. The new major and minor allows students to focus on this ever-expanding specialty within the strategic communication profession.
What kind of future career can students explore with a SMM degree?
A degree in social media management prepares emerging professionals to lead the social media efforts for any type of organization. Whether they are creating social content, developing the strategies, managing online communities or advising other communication professionals, graduates of our program will be ready to step into any of the countless openings for tomorrow’s communication professional.
What new SMM course offerings can students expect to see on Classfinder within the next few semesters?
Our first new SMM courses roll out in Spring 2021 with PRL 2880 Social Media Content Development and PRL 3680 Risk & Crisis Management for Social Media. Other new courses include Social Media Measurement & Analytics and Social Media Planning & Management. We plan to introduce them during the 2021-2022 academic year.
How is the SMM major a well-rounded program for all students? How can more traditionally analytical and more traditionally creative students find their fit?
The best social media professionals tap into their creative and analytical talents. Both are essential for managing strategic communication in the social space. Our curriculum is designed for the creative or analytical student to hone their natural talent while developing the other. The creativity needed for strategy and content development goes hand in hand with the analysis needed for monitoring, measuring and evaluating.
Can public relations students pair their major with a major or minor in SMM, and is this something you would recommend?
Social Media Management pairs perfectly with many other academic areas, including public relations, corporate communication, communication studies, political science, creative and entertainment industries, data science, design communications, entrepreneurship, business, journalism, marketing, mass communication, music business, publishing, sport administration, etc.
Dr. Kevin S. Trowbridge, APR, is an educator and professional, strategist, researcher, Learner®, Maximizer®, Relator® and all-around communication enthusiast. And, Dr. Trowbridge fuses those roles as a member of the public relations faculty at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to his institutional and professional commitments, Dr. Trowbridge enjoys researching social media and new technology’s impact on communication and culture, leading a ministry to young professionals, collecting Potato Heads and experimenting with all kinds of technological gadgets.