Beyond the redundant school of redundancy

I'm going to make a bold prediction here (but don't tell my boss): 2015 will be the year we stop talking about digital marketing.

I know, I know, I work for a digital marketing agency. But it's redundant. It's time for a change.

Bottom line, we live in a digital world where (apologies to Forrest Gump) marketing happens. Period. And whether you see it on the Web, in print, broadcast, billboard or smoke signals - every message will lead a customer back to the Internet for more information.

This disruption profoundly has changed the way we do business and, by extension, the way we market. Business models have transformed, required skills sets have changed and new job titles have emerged.

IT professional, content specialist, Web technologist, marketing operations - where does one role end and another begin?

For example, web developers need to know programming and code, but they also need to know the basics of SEO so customers easily can find the website. But often, SEO isn't taught along with coding, programming and web design.

By the same token, communicating effectively on the web takes much more than good writing or stellar production values. Content creators need to take into account the latest search algorithms such as Panda and Penguin, as well as basic user experience (UX) principles.

Until recently, these kinds of real-world considerations weren't covered in a liberal arts classroom.

The academic world fortunately is catching up to these shifts. Several local colleges now offer academic programs or continuing-education classes focusing on new platforms and channels as well delivering the right content to those channels.

In Eastern Iowa, both Kirkwood Community College and Hawkeye Community College offer degree programs and certifications in web design and development, teaching how - to production skills along with business and marketing theory. Kirkwood also is starting a certification focusing solely on social media.

Business colleges offer traditional marketing degrees with a new emphasis on social media and content management. They also work closely with students to arrange for internships that focus on offering practical experience on how to deliver marketing messages in a digital environment.

At a higher level, the University of Iowa is now one of many universities offering a master's program in strategic communications, emphasizing how to create and distribute messages to target specific audiences. This program is designed to teach the communications principles that apply to emerging platforms, using the latest technology, as well as measuring and analyzing the results.

Obviously, the Internet itself offers plenty of resources for online education on these topics. From online degree programs to YouTube tutorials, there is no shortage of choices.

In addition, many businesses not only create software and platforms for marketers to use, they also offer certifications on how to use them.

Getting a degree or certification with an emphasis on marketing in the digital world won't make a potential employee an expert in every discipline. But those individuals should be able to execute on what they do know, understand what they don't know and communicate what resources they will need to get the job done if they can't do it themselves.

As traditional academic programs gather and distill what businesses and marketers have learned in the past few years into academic programs, students will come out of school better prepared for marketing in the digital world.

#alwaysbelearning

l Comments: Regina Gilloon-Meyer, (319) 368-8530, regina@fusionfarm.com, is a content marketing specialist for Fusionfarm, a part of The Gazette. Twitter handle: @RegiiMary