The use of social media in marketing and business communications has gone well beyond e-mails and Web sites, and the third annual YouToo Social Media Conference is geared toward teaching students and professionals to use these mediums to their advantage.

The conference, co-sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America Kent State chapter and the Akron Area Public Relations Society of America chapter, is open to everyone and will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Franklin Hall.

At the conference, attendees are given the option of three different tracks to follow: a nonprofit track, a business track and a student track.

All tracks will include hands-on sessions with experts on social media strategies and tools including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Shantae Rollins, a senior public relations major and student chair of the conference, said students can benefit from the conference when it comes time to find a job.

“It’s definitely a medium that is growing and it’s a part of many businesses,” Rollins said. “A lot of professionals will expect them to know how to use those tools effectively to impact effective communication.”

At the end of the day, students and professionals will have the opportunity to network with one another at a dessert reception.

Rollins said this may be one of the most beneficial parts of the conference.

“In this economy when jobs aren’t as abundant as we’d like them to be, it’s really about who you know. You never know who you’re going to meet; You never know where it’s going to lead.”

The cost of the conference is $30 for students who register before March 26, and $40 for any registration after that date.

For more information on registration and prices, interested students can check out http://youtoo2010.weebly.com/index.html or find YouToo Social Media conference on Facebook or Twitter.

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Rabab Al-Sharif

at [email protected].