Florida universities offer degree programs in social media influencing, branding

SAINT LEO, Fla. - Some Florida universities are expanding their communications programs to offer courses and degrees focused on social media influencing.

College influencer degree programs

What we know:

Colleges and universities across the country, including Saint Leo University and Florida Gulf Coast University, are offering courses centered around content creation. The communications department at Saint Leo University has three concentrations, including one designated as "Digital Media Influencer."

Associate Communications Professor Kenny Embry, PhD, teaches seven main skill sets, like content creation, monetization, marketing, analytics and community building.

"How do you actually create content?" Embry said. "How do you use your phone or whatever technology that you have around you to make stuff that people can watch and then distribute it? That's content creation. How do you get paid to do that? That's monetization, different skillset. How do you get people to actually watch that content? That's marketing, different skill set. How do you get a group of people that are interested not just in your content, but in you as well? 'I can talk to you about this thing, and I'm the best one to do it.' Or at least the one that you connect the most with. That's not really marketing, that's more community building."

Florida Gulf Coast University offers classes like "Influencer Marketing" and a minor in "Brand Management."

"We do teach them how to quantify the metrics, and how to sell yourself using the metrics, and making sure that you present metrics about yourself to build brand relationships with the brands that are looking for influencers and how to grow your brand going forward," Associate Professor of Marketing Gina A. Tran said.

Students also study the psychology behind human behavior and burnout and negativity online.

Tran says not every student is aspiring to be in front of the camera. She says that in one of her classes, seven out of 42 students wanted to be influencers.

They were interested in trying to help an influencer, like work for an influencer," she said. "They were interested in working for a brand, thus looking to partner with an influencer."

Social media content strategy

The backstory:

Professors emphasized that modern content creation requires strategy and long-term work.

"The stereotype of influencers is basically, it's infomercials," Embry said. "That you're trying to sell something that nobody needs."

Embry says the goal of his program is not for students to necessarily become viral social media stars.

"What a good influencer does, is they figure out their audience, and they figure out their niche, and they keep on solving problems," he said. "The more you develop value, the more you deliver value."

His advice to his students is to focus on the skill sets they're good at and to find their purpose.

"Passions come and go, but what you're good at usually sticks around," he said. "So, lean into what you are good at and then help people."

Future academic course offerings

What's next:

Professors expect courses and degrees centered around digital media influencing and brand management to continue growing.

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