By Leonardo Parada Borda
A new university course in content creation and social media was introduced last week by the South East Technological University (SETU) for people looking to become ‘influencers’.
The programme (bachelor of arts content creation and social media) will begin in Carlow next September, with applications opening in November this year.
Although courses in social media and content creation already exist in Ireland, this course is slightly different. It is the first full-time bachelor’s degree (NFQ Level 7) course in Ireland, with a course duration of three years.
Other courses, like the social media marketing courses at University College Dublin (UCD) or the Atlantic Technological University (ATU), offer part-time courses in which you receive a diploma (not on the NFQ) or a certificate (NFQ Level 6) and runs for a duration of three months.
So, what makes it different to other courses like social media marketing or journalism?
Dr Eleanor O’Leary, the programme director of the course, said that the programme focuses a lot more on practical skills like creative writing, creative video and audio skills, journalism, and crisis management.
“The bachelor in content creation and social media is designed to provide students with a broad education to work in front of and behind the camera in digital environments,” she said.
Dr O’Leary mentions that the course intends to develop “students’ creativity and individual aesthetic”.
“We are also very focused on preparing students for working online and understanding the risks and challenges of operating in this space and the impact on mental health and wellbeing,” she added.
“Influencing has grown, and I think it will continue to grow as a form of marketing.”
Alan Kelly, Social Media Marketing Coordinator at ATU
With its ever-changing nature, social media poses another obstacle. Influencers must learn how to adapt to the latest trends within the industry to succeed. It’s a way for them to maintain authenticity and address cultural and societal issues.
“We stay up to date by working with industry experts, supporting and undertaking research, co-creating our educational offerings with students and industry leaders and reviewing what we offer every year,” Dr O’Leary said.
“Having worked in media education for over a decade, you are attuned to the aspects of media industries that change and those that stay the same. Core skills are often consistent over time, and it’s about paying attention to how audiences respond to, utilise, and communicate through new media technologies,” she added.
Mr Alan Kelly, the course coordinator for social media marketing at ATU, mentioned that the new course integrates all aspects of marketing, business, and technology into the programme.
“I think the degree itself isn’t focused only on influencing, so I think it’s sustainable because it has many aspects,” Kelly said.
“Fair play to them. They’re trying to be seen, and by including the words ‘influencer’, they’ve managed to market the programme really well based on that.”
“Influencing has grown, and I think it will continue to grow as a form of marketing,” he added.
Kelly said the course has a promising future and will ‘continue to evolve and grow’ if there is more emphasis on marketing and business rather than influencing.
“I don’t think there will be that many sustainable jobs, I think a lot of people are already there, but I think the course itself offers a lot more than influencing, which I do think is really important.”
“You can go out there and be an influencer without doing a course. If you have some decent technical skills, you can look up a YouTube video, but people don’t know enough about the ethical issues and the legal aspects that come with it.”
Kelly mentioned that Meta and the virtual world will also help social media influencers stay active and have an additional platform to market themselves.
“It will evolve. New platforms have come out. We can look at Meta and the virtual world as an example. Marketing will migrate there, and so will influencers,” he said.
“I think there is still that ethical and legal minefield out there […] There will also be people who want to fight with you on social media, and the way they communicate that with you can be terrible. There are going to be problems going forward.”
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