Students in a marketing class at Coastal Carolina University have partnered with a Pawleys Island business to create and manage a real-world social media campaign.

Students taking Advanced Social Media Marketing, a new class offered for the first time this semester, have developed a social media campaign for Island Wave Yoga, a mind and body fitness center in Pawleys Island. The class, taught by Melissa Clark, associate professor of marketing, was divided into four teams, with each responsible for a different social media site: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The students have been researching the studio, its image, target market, competitors and current social media content since January. They have created editorial calendars for the entire time frame of the project, which the owner, Jodi Ryba, has approved. Ryba has also provided a small promotional budget for each team. The teams have been creating weekly reports including objectives, activity summary, insights and a reflection including recommended revisions.

The objective of the class and partnership is to prepare students for a career in social media marketing. The students will receive a social media marketing certification through Hootsuite University, which provides lectures and workbooks to train for the certification. Hootsuite is a social media management system.

"I feel that the class has prepared me for a future career in marketing," said Victor Queiroz, a student in the class. "It's great to not only learn skills through a real client, but also to walk away with an official certification that I can add to my resume."

Clark has been providing marketing consulting services for Island Wave Yoga for the past three years and is also a regular yoga practitioner. When she approached Ryba about the project, Ryba enthusiastically agreed to the student-business partnership.

"Overall, this experiential learning opportunity is a win-win for the students and the business," said Clark.