2 minute read
Social media marketer helps students navigate crises
By Adam S. Kamras
Nancy Dibert
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Social Media Marketing Certificate instructor
Whether it has been the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the economy or the presidential election, social media has been the driving force of the exchange of information since March 2020.
“Every word that is typed and every video that is posted is dissected,” said Nancy Dibert, program director and instructor for the UD PCS Social Media Marketing program and CEO of EPIC Marketing Consultants. “The amount of crisis management of self-inflicted wounds that organizations have done on social media has been mind-blowing.”
Despite all that has been happening in the world—and continues to happen—Dibert has not needed to make any significant changes to the UD PCS curriculum because the program was already providing relevant lessons on timely social media for business topics, including decision trees, crisis communications, listening and when to go dark, and preparing participants for countless situations. In fact, she has been gratified to learn how her classes have provided content that can be applied to any issue, even if it is unprecedented.
“I have heard from many former students and it has been a resounding, ‘I never thought I would have to use that and am so glad I have those tools,’’’ said Dibert. Caffé Gelato employee Kiran Wiker was not able to wait to become a former student to begin utilizing the coursework, since she was enrolled in Advanced Social Media Marketing for Business Certificate during the spring 2020 COVID-19 quarantine period.
“Every lesson was crucial to getting us through quarantine because I had to apply it that second,” said Wiker. “I couldn’t learn fast enough and was astounded by how much of the material I was able to put into practice.”
Dibert, an experienced practitioner herself, has a valuable tip for all social media professionals.
“As social media marketers and managers, we have had to have our fingers on the pulse of what is happening, not on a day-to-day basis, not even on an hour-to hour basis, but on a minute-to-minute basis,” said Dibert. “The most important advice I can give is to always be aware of your audience and its values, and if you can’t say something that is supportive, it is probably best to not say anything at all.”
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