Cincinnati State to launch Institute for Social Media

November 17, 2010

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College’s Workforce Development Center will soon introduce the Institute for Social Media at Cincinnati State.

The Institute’s goal is to educate students on the most advanced techniques available for leveraging social media to achieve business success for themselves and their employers, according to Dr. Dennis Ulrich, executive director of the Workforce Development Center.

The Institute’s first offering will be an intensive three-day course oriented toward business professionals. In step-by-step fashion, it will show students exactly how to create, implement, and measure a strategic, results-driven social media marketing program.

“Business owners know that the world is changing and they need to embrace social media, but they don't know where to start,” Krista Neher, the Institute’s managing director and curriculum designer. “That’s why we created this course. It doesn't just cover where to start, but includes strategic plan building and best practices in executing a social media marketing strategy.”

Neher, who is also the CEO of a private firm, Boot Camp Digital, provides advice and training to organizations throughout North America on how to use social marketing to deliver measurable return on investment. She is partnering with O’Keeffe PR, a Cincinnati-based agency specializing in targeted public relations and social media marketing, to deliver the three-day course at the Workforce Development Center.

Although it is designed with business professionals in mind, the course will be open to anyone. Each program will consist of three full-day classes, which include classroom instruction, evaluation, testing and homework, as well as lunch each day. Cost of the course will be $1,795; however, the initial session to be held Dec.1, 7, 15th will be offered at a discounted rate of $1,295.

According to Dr. Ulrich, students who earn a certificate from the Institute for Social Media program at Cincinnati State will be able to show employers that they understand social marketing and can create and execute a social media marketing strategy.

To help insure the program stays current, the Institute is forming an advisory committee consisting of industry leaders from across the country. Dan O’Keeffe, president of O’Keeffe PR, will lead the advisory committee.

For more information and to register, call 513-569-1643 or visit:

http://www.workforcecincinnati.com/wdc/socialmedia