NSU Horizons Spring 2013

29 HORIZONS DOWN TO BUSINESS At the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneur- ship, the graduate-level course, Inter- net Marketing and Social Networking, acquaints students with the complex- ity and power of Internet marketing and social networking, including search engine marketing, online advertising, blogging, e commerce initiatives, and increasing brand awareness and sales. “We have new areas of marketing on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn,” said James Barry, D.B.A., an associ- ate professor of marketing at the Huizenga Business School. “Relation- ship marketing is the way to go, and social medial allows you to do that.” Companies of myriad sizes are adding social media coordinators to their staff. Social media allows compa- nies to build relationships with their clients and customers. “It takes us from cold calling to warm calling,” said Barry, who earned his Ph.D. from NSU in 2004. “The consumer has the power today over whom they want to invite into the conversation.” STARTING YOUNG Students at University School of NSU also are making plenty of noise on social media with several Facebook pages and a presence on LinkedIn that is used mostly by USchool alumni. While high standards are main- tained on all official NSU social media pages, dealing with minors means University School must be especially diligent. “We have a professional system in place to monitor posts and maintain the privacy of University School students,” said Stacey Gonzalez, M.S., associate director of marketing and communications at University School. Posts and pages are monitored continually, tagging is not allowed, and students are rarely identified in photographs. While many students have their own personal pages, Uni- versity School officials ask parents to actively monitor those pages as well. Still, University School teachers and staff members encourage their students to post on the school’s Face- book pages. “Whether it’s to announce a blood drive or a fund-raiser, we are encouraging our students to become leaders and take an active role in their education,” Gonzalez said. In addition to its official school page with more than 1,160 “likes,” University School has Facebook pages for alumni and its arts and athletics programs. “Many teachers also use social media to enhance lessons within their classrooms. They are using social media to its full potential, whether it is with Wiki sites, blogs, or Instagram,” Gonzalez said. Personal interaction, especially eye contact, still is important, espe- cially for students learning how to network and for whom interpersonal skills will prove essential in job hunt- ing and career development. But, social media can bring the campus and its community together. “Social media provides opportu- nities for students to communicate with other students and alumni and to develop engagement online,” said Ruidiaz. “It has bridged the gap for communicating, and it has done so in an efficient manner. Social media is real time, it’s immediate.” To access NSU’s social media, visit www.nova.edu or www.nova .edu/social . To learn more about the iShark mobile app, visit www.nova .edu/iShark . A video about Razor’s Revenge can be viewed at www.nova .edu/razorsrevenge . n By Oline Cogdill Will Damhuis (M.B.A. 2010) wants you to like him. More specifically, he wants you to “like” the various businesses and charity events that display his Face- book Like Machine. A “like” on Facebook can raise a company’s profile, act as a free mini-advertisement, and provide a real- time marketing tool. But, 60 percent of social media users only access Facebook on their home comput- ers, according to Neilsen’s 2011 social media report. “Our device gives everyone a chance to access Face- book right away,” said Damhuis. The Facebook Like Machine features an iPad perma- nently set to the business’ fan page. National businesses using it include Verizon Wireless, Lulule- mon Athletica, Farmers Insurance, Land's End, Mandalay Bay Casino, and Golf Pride. Even the Face- book headquarters in Menlo Park, California, has one in its lobby. Thomas Tworoger, D.B.A., associate professor of entrepreneurship and a member of the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Board of Governors, remembers Damhuis well. “He was one of those students who was highly engaged in my course, and I just knew he was going to make it,” said Tworoger. Damhuis credits NSU’s Huizenga School of Business with expanding his ideas about entrepreneurship. “NSU’s curriculum and philosophy sounded more interesting than what was offered at other colleges,” said Damhuis. “Many of the Huizenga Business School professors actually have done the work in the real world, and I knew that I wanted to learn from people who actually knew what worked. More colleges should be like NSU.” PHOTO: MARK RANDALL/ SUN SENTINEL nsu alumnus clicking with facebook