Last year I accepted an adjunct professor position with Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois http://www.csu.edu- where I have been teaching an on-line undergraduate business course - MKTG 3705 – ENTREPRENEURIAL SALES & MARKETING. I am excited about this opportunity and will use this course to discuss the impact of social media on business and communities.

My goal has been to develop a case study - that will be picked up by blogs, magazines and other business schools around the country, as a training tool for the new social media realities and how they intersect with diversity and inclusion. 

 My second class at Chicago State is coming to an end.  As part of their final assignment I asked my students to write 300 word paper on what have they had learned about social media and what they  plan to do with their personal brand - Twitter page or Facebook page. 

I present the top three papers

Here is paper # 2 

Social Media Marketing? 

What I Learned in Professor Jackson’s Course

11/17/2012

MKTG 3705.51

Jonathan Plowman 

            Three months ago, I had no idea what was meant by “social media marketing.”  I had never even been on Facebook or Twitter, so I asked my wife (a veteran Facebooker,) if she knew what this was all about.  She told me that social networks were not meant for advertising, and added “that’s just stupid.”  Then I began Professor Jackson’s course.  With some trepidation, I decided to keep an open mind.  I am about to start a new small business, so I figured this can only help.  As a bonus, I am getting college credit for the class.

            Since then, I have learned that social media is not only a useful tool in marketing; it is a necessary ingredient of any successful marketing mix.  The business that I am starting will involve me providing professional bookkeeping and tax preparation services to individuals and small businesses.  The main thing that I need to promote is myself, and social media networking is the greatest vehicle I can imagine for this.  I have very little start-up capital and this form of marketing can be done for free.  Taking this course literally feels like a dream come true.  I am actually going to start a year earlier than I had originally planned because of this course. 

            I believe I can describe the foundation of what I have learned in this course in a few sentences.  If you give social network users something they want or need, they will gladly and willingly accept it.  The “something they want or need” can be entertainment, gossip, knowledge, advice, education, or information.  Once they accept “it,” the door is open for you to deliver your marketing message.  From that point forward, it works just like any other strategy in your marketing mix.  Obviously this is extremely oversimplified and there are countless implementation methods, but in a nutshell; that’s all there is to it.

Beginning the first week of December, I will begin posting the “Tax Tip of the Week” on Facebook and Twitter.  Follow me on Twitter @jplowman77.