Skills
I have learned so many skills throughout this course but the two most important skills I have learned in Comm 365 are how to create an action plan and how to use Google to my advantage. Learning how to create an action plan for a company’s social media was a very good experience and something that I may find myself using throughout my career. This project was very in-depth and allowed for a lot of creativity, which I really appreciated. I also chose to do this project with a team which gave me a better feel for what it might be like working with a team in a future job. Along with the social media action plan, I also found myself learning so much through the weekly GNI readings. I knew how much Google was capable of but I did not realize just how simple some of the features are to actually use. I always imagined it being a complicated process to do things like pull up statistics on a podcast but I am glad to know that it is easier than I thought.
Lessons
The first lesson I learned is how to use social media as a marketing tool. This was something that I knew social media platforms were used for before this class but did not realize just how powerful of a tool they can be. Throughout this course, there were examples like the 7-step Social Media Marketing process that I feel will prepare me to work in the world of social media in the future. The second lesson I learned from this course was how to be careful when scrolling through social media. We talked about the dangers of these platforms and how easy it is to get caught in a string of videos that could be depressing or worse. I have stopped myself from aimlessly scrolling so many times since this course started and I think that is something that I will keep doing from now on thanks to you.
Future Impacts
As I mentioned above, I think this course has given me a head start on others looking to work with social media in the future. Not only was I able to learn about how social media truly works, but I was also able to get real practice with creating an action plan and working in a team to do it. My goal is to work in the world of sports journalism which is becoming more and more linked to social media. Companies like Barstool and Bleacher Report have their biggest presence on social media and also happen to be two of the biggest names in sports news. I feel more prepared than I did previously to work with one of these companies instead of being limited to actual stations and newspapers. Not to mention that these stations and newspapers are hiring fewer people than ever, as those forms of journalism are less popular than ever.
Conclusion
Overall this class was an absolute joy to take, and I am extremely happy that I did it. I feel more prepared to work with social media in the future, and also feel that I have cleaned up my personal use as well. As these platforms are only growing bigger, it is our job as users to educate ourselves on the topic. Comm 365 did this for me, and I only hope that everyone has the opportunity to learn about the good and bad sides of social media.