Essentials of social media series will begin

We get a lot of email from people in the community with questions about social media.

“How do I [blank] on Facebook” or “Where can I find [blank] settings on Snapchat?”

It’s a laundry list of questions that usually involve changes to basic settings, and strategies for connecting with their friends, and sometimes, customers.

The answers we give are often followed with another question: “Do you have a student who can help?”

We teach social media courses at Youngstown State University. Those courses are part of a special track in our communication studies bachelor’s degree program.

As you might imagine, it’s a popular track. In fact, it’s now a sort of a destination program, attracting students from around the country who want to learn social media theory and applications.

Of course, we were teaching about social media before we started the track, but now we focus almost exclusively on preparing students for careers as social media designers and directors.

Our graduates are managing and curating social media accounts in all types of industries, from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofit organizations.

In response to the questions we get about social media and our students, we’ve gathered local experts and our students to launch a new series.

This spring, we’re excited to offer the first “YSU Social Media Essentials Brown Bag Series.”

Each session will feature a social media expert and focus on a specific platform.

Sessions last 90 minutes. The first half will focus on platform basics and the second half on questions, giving attendees an opportunity to interact with each other and with our social media experts.

We’ll have students from our social media program on hand to answer questions and offer basic tips.

Here’s the schedule:

Feb. 5: Instagram. Jamie Jamison has an impressive following on Instagram. She’s an Instagram “influencer” and an instructor in our communication studies program. She also runs her own social media coaching business.

March 5: Twitter. Kati Hartwig, a graduate of our master’s program in professional communication, is coordinator of social media and digital marketing at YSU and an expert on all-things Twitter.

March 26: Facebook Live. Dennis Schiraldi, founder of DOYO Live, is one of our amazing social media instructors at YSU. Dennis has produced an endless stream of valuable Facebook Live videos on social media marketing.

April 30: Snapchat. Ryan McNicholas, assistant director of marketing for fitness and wellness in YSU’s campus recreation program, knows Snapchat. If you want to reach a millennial audience, Ryan will teach you the basics.

Each session begins at noon in YSU’s Kilcawley Student Center Ohio Room.

The series is free, but you must register via email at acearnheardt@ysu.edu.

Adam Earnheardt is chair of the department of communication at Youngstown State University. Follow him on Twitter at @adamearn and on his blog atadamearn.com.