Why Traditional Business School Qualifications Are Very Relevant for Social Media Business Owners
Social media has been a significant factor in how the world works for less than a decade, but it certainly isn’t going away any time soon. For those of us who love what social media has brought to the table in terms of marketing opportunities, ways to engage people, networking, and who have made it the foundations of our careers or businesses, it may seem like anything conceptualized or written before the advent of social media about business can’t really hold much relevance. However, this isn’t really the case. Studying for business qualifications that notionally predate Facebook and Twitter like an MBA (master of business administration) can still give your professional or entrepreneurial credentials a big boost.
Taking Advantage of Technology
Of course, business schools have also progressed in line with technology, and it is now easy to take an AACSB (Association To Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) online MBA degree with numerous prestigious business institutes like Northeastern University with almost all of the work done remotely. You will even find ways that social media will help you get more from the course. Here then are the reasons why business school courses like online MBA programs are worth considering, even though you want to lead in a very new industry:
Management Skills Beyond Your Specialization
If you want to manage people, deal directly with clients, control budgets, or of course do all of the above as CEO of your own social media consultancy, then you will need skills that go far beyond those you have picked up as a social media expert. As well as being a specialist in social media and its use, you will also need other practical abilities, such as a good understanding of finance, people management skills, and sales and marketing that extend beyond social media marketing (because you’ll have to sell your own services to clients).
You can outsource some of this, but even then, you need some strong business skills to manage the relationships with the other businesses you hire and to work out whether it is cost effective to do so. These are all skills you can gain through life experience, but with a business school background and an MBA or similar under your belt, you’ll be well equipped as a strong well rounded business person, as well as a social media specialist.
Diversifying Your Business
Social media may be enough right now to sustain your business, but this may change in the future. Even Facebook is seeing a dip in popularity for marketing due to its algorithm changes, and is less popular with young people than it used to be for a range of reasons. With business school experience, you can develop the sense to diversify your business to offer other useful and complimentary services, or to pounce on the next relevant big thing early. So, just in case the social media bubble bursts, you and your business can be resilient.
