Online Communities

University of Southern California- Annenberg Program in Online Communities One of the obvious things about society today is an increased tendency to move online some of the activities that were not usually treated in that manner. The traditional form of communication, which implied the direct interaction between individuals or, at most, an interaction via the telephone or a printed material (letter, brochure) has now become almost obsolete. The online offers so many advantages, primarily including the speed of deliver and reception of the message and the diversity and potential outreach.

These changes in communication have also translated in new approaches in marketing and advertising. More and more, companies have become increasingly active on social platforms, not only with the goal to promote their products and services, but also to understand more about the consumers, about their needs, requirements and aspirations. With this in mind, being prepared to function properly in this dynamic environment and to understand the new way in which business is done has become a necessity.

Social media and online communities are much more than a present trend: they are the reality towards which society will continue to move, as more business and more activities will move online. As such, I have decided to apply for the Annenberg Program on Online Communities, an excellent opportunity for me to expand beyond the current phase and to build on what I have already accumulated and achieved so far.

The first argument for me in favor of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities is related to my background and my career objectives over the medium and long terms. Throughout school, I have worked as an intern for several companies and organizations, focusing on marketing social media. As a marketing social media business strategist for the past years (since 2012), I planned, implemented and maintained social media instruments, including SEO, SEM and blogs.

I worked as a marketing social media business strategist for Bonesta Swimwear, in Istanbul, Turkey, and for Designer's House and Scholasphere in Los Angeles. All these experiences helped me better understand how online communities work, what the new social marketing trends are and how all these new instruments connect stakeholders. Again this background, I see myself as continuing in the same field and my academic direction targets these objectives. I am currently a Business and Administrative Undergraduate student in USC, in the Marshall Business School.

The academic courses I have taken in these area are great for the core fundamentals of business, but I believe that a Masters program at the Annenberg Program in Online Communities would greatly complement my theoretical foundation. Having looked at the curriculum for the Masters program, the diversity of courses applies to all area of interest in terms of online communities and related topics.

I believe that the mixture of basic introduction into the area of online communities with technology aspects, which help us better understand how these communities actually work, and applications of online communities (social marketing, communication etc.) is the perfect approach to having a better grasp of how online communities can help in the area of social marketing and beyond. One of the things I appreciate most about this program is the rational combination between theory and practice.

Many other programs focus too much on theory and leave the student in need of understanding how the things learned in school actually work in real life. In a dynamic field such as that of online communities, doubling the theory with strong practical aspects because a necessity. I believe that the internships that the program offers, with prestigious organizations and innovators such as Yahoo! And MySpace offer great opportunities of understanding the role of online communities in every day life.

I also believe that online communities are a lot about networking and this Master program also offers a great opportunity to create real networks by meeting fellow students. These networks will create bonds that can go.