The road to being a social media influencer

Some communication students are already well-paid as social media influencers at UOW Malaysia KDU.

They command audiences of several thousand, and a few even have several hundred thousand followers.

Some get paid a few hundred ringgits from brand owners each time they post something related to those brands.

UOW Malaysia KDU's Head of the School of Communication and Creative Arts Loo Chong Hang discovered this a few years ago.

"We know of about 20 of them, but we are sure many more are influencers with varying degrees of success," he said, adding that his successful students were mostly influencers in the realms of fashion, trendy eateries and entertainment.

It is a phenomenon that leaves Loo shaking his head in amazement.

"Whatever we teach them on the campus, they immediately apply it in the real world and profit from the knowledge before they even graduate," he said.

The success of some of UOW Malaysia KDU students -- those pursuing either the Bachelor of Communication (Hons) or Diploma in Communication and Media -- follows the global trend in communication and advertising.

Instagram: @premosupremo (left) and @ellyakeesha (right)

"You see the rise of this new kind of communication practitioners almost everywhere in the world in every age group.

"They are valuable to the marketing people because when products and services are communicated to the masses via social media, they can interact real time with the market.

"Consumer footprints show up almost immediately after a communication strategy is launched. You see the results and can improvise and improve on the fly," Loo said.

Knowing this, Loo said UOW Malaysia KDU's Diploma in Communication and Media classes prepare students to be content creators right from the word go.

"It is a very hands-on course. We even coach students on how to develop a magnetic persona in front of the camera.

"We drill them on how to become interesting personalities, not be repetitive and be interesting and crisp," he explained.

From photography to video editing and scripting, Loo said that two-year diploma course readies a student to be a one-person creative team.

All the latest content creation technologies are taught, but Loo issued a warning: do not get caught up with technology and techniques.

In the 80s, when Loo himself was a student, he described the tedious process of learning how to be a paste-up artist to make dummy pages, to be photographed later as printing templates.

"And then when I graduated, I discovered that desktop publishing had taken over that process. Computers could immediately do everything I spent a long-time learning.

"Technology has a short lifespan because it keeps changing. Don't get too reliant on one technology or you will be stuck," he stressed.

Because of this, those pursuing the Bachelor of Communication (Hons) learn the next level.

"No matter what technology is used, the rules of engagement are the same.

"Target audience behaviour, understanding emotional cues that motivate consumers’ needs, the communication audit process that ultimately leads to a brand strategy to capture the target market, these things remain the same no matter what technology you use," he explained.

So, communication degree students delve into subjects such as social psychology, principles of journalism, consumer behaviour, crisis communication and much more.

At the degree level of communication in UOW Malaysia KDU, students have elective subjects to choose from that will lead them to specialise in one of four fields: corporate communication, advertising media management, journalism and broadcasting, or visual communication.

But the pervasive importance of the internet is without question, according to Dr Tan Lee Ooi, UOW Malaysia KDU's Head of Mass Communication in Penang, himself a former journalist.

From Google Analytics to search engine optimisation, Dr Tan said communication students at UOW Malaysia KDU eventually become highly skilled in these methods.

And his top priority is video production.

"I read and I remember. I see and I understand. Without a video, consumers will perceive that your product or service is not good," Dr Tan stressed.

He said communication practitioners need to embrace digitalisation across a broad range of media platforms.

"All our students are trained that way. They still learn the essence of communication, but they see communication in a digital way," he added.

If you have the gift of the gab, if being succinct and expressive matters to you, visit www.uowmkdu.edu.my for details.

This content is provided by UOW Malaysia KDU.

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