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A PhD is one thing, publications and grants are another, but what more can faculty do to increase their competitiveness in today’s international Higher Education market?  One effective strategy includes virtual marketing, networking, and publication known as Social Business. Social Business is a cyber market which provides an international platform to promote a product or business for social benefit (Simmons, 2011; Yunus, 2007).  Faculty can use Social Business practices to establish their value by marketing themselves as a personal brand while contributing new research (Evans, McKee, & Bratton, 2010).  An effective personal brand can be established through blogging, tweeting, a Google+ profile, a personal website, a professional Facebook profile, and other social media for business (Simmons, 2011). Social Business also allows faculty to publish and disseminate research faster, reach larger audiences, engage in worldwide educational dialog, and reinvent virtual delivery methods of classroom instruction while promoting their professional skills and achievements.

Higher Educational leaders should consider using Social Business strategies to become more competitive by increasing their rate of publication, curate data amongst other educational leaders, and build a personal brand.  Inbound marketing and blogging are metacognitive activities which contribute towards better publishing and instructional skills (Livingston, 2003). Employers, scholars, and students gain better access to faculty professionalism and academic contributions through the use of Social Business. The prevalence of Social Business will continue to demonstrate its usefulness within Higher Education’s faculty community and institutional practices (Kelm, 2011). I recommend that faculty learn responsible and professional Social Business skills in order to lead our digital citizenry within an international cyber culture.

Educational Leadership Administration has the responsibility to stay abreast to technological advances which influence our industry. We have the duty to master and lead effective educational Social Business strategies.  Higher Education’s increasingly capitalistic market suggests that faculty's effectiveness will be held more accountable and will be made more public via social media. We will continue to witness how faculty’s value will be considerably based on the impact, output, influence, and recognition of their overall personal brand.  Faculty can use Social Business to create a website portfolio showcasing their personal brand to increase their competitiveness and global recognition.

If you are faculty, Google yourself. What do you find? You have the power to construct an international image and personal brand to promote your research and professional status.  Social Business is a proactive technique enabling you to succeed in a cyber culture by competing in an international academic market.

References

Evans, D., McKee, J., & Bratton, S. (2010). Social media marketing: The next generation of business engagement. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Kelm, O. R. (2011). Social media: It's what students do. Business Communication Quarterly. 74(4), 505-520.

Livingston, J. A. (2003). Metacognition: An overview. Retrieved from http://1.usa.gov/zMT9ok

Simmons, B. L. (February, 2011). Social media for business. Retrieved at http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2011-02/social-media-for-business/

Yunas, M. (2007). Creating a world without poverty: Social business and the future of capitalism. Philadelphia, PA: Public Affairs.

Image: By cybernetikz.com retrieved from http://bit.ly/yPK8MO