Social media marketing has forever changed how businesses interact with customers. Social media content directly connects businesses with consumers, allowing companies to build buzz about products and services quickly. It’s also made earning a social media degree online an increasingly popular choice for modern marketers.

While typically part of a company’s overall marketing strategy, social media has its unique set of challenges. Larger companies want someone in-house who understands how to manage social media accounts to deliver the best business results. For entrepreneurs, earning a social media degree online can make the difference between success or failure in the modern business world.

Social Media Management in Business

Digital marketing now plays a significant role in campaigns for both large and small companies. It is especially attractive for entrepreneurs, allowing them to level the playing field and compete against much bigger companies.

While setting up social media is relatively easy, managing the accounts is challenging. It takes dedicated social media management by people with expertise in the best practices for leveraging social media to meet business goals. Done correctly, the rewards are plentiful.

Brand loyalty. Consistent interaction through social media builds brand loyalty, the ultimate goal of every marketing effort. Brand loyalty is built on trust and a transparent, honest relationship with consumers. The result is that people buy a company’s products or services without any persuasion.

Easy communication. Social media is a two-way street. Rather than sending out messages for consumption by a mass audience, digital marketing involves give-and-take between a company and its customers. This type of feedback is powerful in product development and finding out quickly what marketing efforts are succeeding or failing.

Creating word of mouth. A majority of people now read online reviews before making a purchase decision. Positive social media postings by consumers fuel strong word-of-mouth marketing – another coveted prize in the world of marketing.

Reduced costs. This is especially important for entrepreneurs launching a new company or seeking to earn market share against better-funded competitors.

Social Media Benefits for Small Businesses

For entrepreneurs, all the positives listed above apply. But certain benefits of smart social media management can particularly help those running small businesses.

The low cost of social media allows companies to build brand awareness in a consistent, strategic way. By steadily building out a social media marketing plan, an entrepreneur can begin to rank higher on Google searches and other internet search engines. This can raise a company’s profile in a relatively short amount of time and at a low cost.

Good social media links back to a website that can promote the products and services of a small business, increasing site engagement and establishing the company as a thought leader within its business niche. Rather than spending large amounts on legacy media marketing campaigns, an entrepreneur can focus on creating strong content that consumers need to understand products and services better and make well-informed purchasing decisions.

For small businesses (and many larger ones), social media is now often the face of the brand. Content on social media allows people to assess the purpose and quality of a product and whether it meets their needs, as well as read feedback from past customers. They can do all this without talking to anyone at the company.

As noted by the website Business to Community, “Think of social media as your product brochure. People come to your business social media profile to check out what you are doing and how you’re doing it.”

Why Should an Entrepreneur Earn a Bachelor’s Degree?

With the easy availability of social media channels, it might seem contradictory for entrepreneurs to want a traditional college education. However, a social media degree gives graduates the skills they need to use those channels successfully.

Earning a college degree raises an entrepreneur’s inherent talent and ambition to a new level, helping them enhance their skills and perfect their approach to business strategy, product development, and marketing.

“To succeed in the business and take your company to the next level, acquiring a formal college degree is mandatory,” wrote Sania Gupta, a founder and CEO of an India-based digital marketing company. “In times of global competition, a degree or formal education will definitely help you upgrade your skills and hone your talents.”

Why Earn a Degree in Social Media Management?

Entrepreneurs can earn a bachelor’s degree in business management, business administration, or organizational leadership. However, many entrepreneurs, recognizing the significance of digital marketing, have decided to earn a BS in Social Media Management.

The degree, offered online by Point Park University, provides students with a specialized education that combines successful management strategies and techniques with innovative social media concepts and tools. The social media management online degree program curriculum delves deeply into issues critical for success in the field.

  • Principles of Marketing
  • Media Ethics and Responsibilities
  • Communication Law and Regulation
  • Social Media Practices
  • Social Media Analytics and SEO
  • Social Media Crisis and Communications
  • Social Media Campaigns

Understanding how best to leverage social media is key to success for entrepreneurs. For those who want to maximize their talents and get the best results in this critical field, earning a social media degree online can help them reach their business goals.