UD PCS Students Assist Local Nonprofits With Social Media

Thanks to a pair of new programs offered by the University of Delaware’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies (UD PCS), local nonprofit organizations will benefit from free social media marketing assistance.

In both Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing (beginning Sept. 5) and Advanced Social Media Marketing for Business (beginning Aug. 28), groups of students will participate in experiential learning assignments in which they help nonprofit organizations. The fundamentals class focuses on leveraging a variety of social media platforms to build and extend awareness, increase visibility, converse with prospects and customers, cultivate brand ambassadors, gain market share, and support organizational goals. The advanced class digs in deeper by researching, planning, developing, integrating and executing comprehensive social media marketing strategies, integrated campaigns, targeted content and paid placement, and then measuring success.

“We are looking for organizations that at least have a presence on social media and have tried it,” said instructor Nancy Dibert. “Perhaps they post sporadically or maybe they abandon their sites, come back for a couple of posts, and then abandon them again. We are going to show them the benefits and return on investment of social media.” Dibert, a highly experienced social media marketing practitioner, is the founder and CEO of Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation.

While each section of Dibert’s fundamentals and advanced classes is limited to working with up to 15 and eight organizations, respectively, applications from interested nonprofit organizations are continuously accepted at pcs.udel.edu/socialmedia. Those selected are required to provide the class with access to their accounts and with organization imagery and logos.

“Including nonprofit organizations in our new social media marketing classes creates a win-win for all involved,” said Vic Wang, UD PCS program coordinator. “Our students get the opportunity to learn by performing real work for organizations in need of assistance; the nonprofit organizations build their social media followership and receive powerful advice; and members of the public learn more about the services provided by the nonprofits.”

Both classes are conducted in a hybrid format consisting of a combination of face-to-face and online sessions. Communication between the workgroups and nonprofits is conducted virtually or in person at mutually convenient times.

For more information about UD’s Social Media Marketing program, visit 

pcs.udel.edu/socialmedia, email 

[email protected], or call 302-831-7600