#OPENFORBUSINESS: STUDENT PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT This teaching innovation develops social media and strategic marketing skills through student promotion of community organizations and businesses – our local economic engine – following community or business interruptions (e.g., natural disasters, pandemic, seasonal closures). Our communities are periodically impacted by necessary shutdowns for economic reasons or to protect public safety; however, many local organizations lack the marketing or technology expertise to communicate effectively with their customer base during these times, creating significant disparities between small businesses and larger corporations. This experiential learning assignment was specifically designed to engage students in a social media campaign in which they created social media posts to support their communities and local businesses using the common hashtag #OpenForBusiness . Through this applied experience, students are able to learn real-world social media strategies relevant to their marketing careers, including the elements of design, strategic messaging, and effective solicitation of consumer behavior. Furthermore, this teaching innovation addresses a critical gap in business education, namely, the disconnection between theoretical concepts and practical experiences.