Social media has radically changed the world and the way we interact with each other in the past five years. It has also changed the way businesses communicate with their customers. Now and in the future, being trained in digital and social media marketing will be an increasingly in demand skill that employers are looking for in potential employees.
Arbutus College in Vancouver, Canada, has recognised the importance of this form of marketing on industries globally and has introduced subjects on social media marketing into its programs.
Technology Instructor, Robert Sanzalone, says the skill is “absolutely” necessary for today’s marketers. “It’s already been identified as one of the highest skills in demand by LinkedIn and other business resources,” Mr Sanzalone explains. “We’re excited Arbutus is one of the few educational institutions in Canada offering this as part of the program.”
As a pioneer of online marketing (his first public self-developed course was presented in 1996), Robert has seen the industry rapidly expand and develop over the last two decades. After joining Arbutus in 2009, he quickly saw the need to expand students’ exposure to social media as a serious marketing tool rather than a tool just for leisure and fun.
Mr Sanzalone explains, “Many institutions today still lump social media marketing in with traditional marketing and the results are usually disappointing. Our students learn the importance of engagement, analytics and conversion which give them a different perspective on any given campaign. I’ve been proud of many students who have come back to the school and have told us they are now playing a major role in the social media campaigns of a company. It’s sweet validation for what we do here at Arbutus.”
Along with social media marketing, Mr Sanzalone teaches subjects on leadership and brings his knowledge of other countries and economies with him to each class.
“I have lived in numerous countries and I understand how frustrating it can be working in a business culture you are not familiar with. Arbutus is a great place to give students both the knowledge and confidence they need in the business world. I’m thrilled to be part of their transition by providing these skills.”
