Normally, I have a no-texting policy in class, but last night was different.

In Promotional Communications / MKTG 2350 Integrated Marketing Communications, Reid Sellgren of Conuiti joined our class to discuss his work and trends in social media for business. As part of the discussion, my students and I tweeted questions back and forth using the hashtags #m2350 and #bananafairy.

It’s always interesting to sit with your class and not stand up front to teach. Between Reid’s presentation and my iPhone Tweeted answers, my students took what they read this week about social media and used the technology they’d read about in class. It’s one thing to read about businesses using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., but it changes your perspective and appreciation for the technology when you use it, as you learn it, real time.

Case in point, Reid’s company manages the fantastic, interactive marketing presence of Anderson Dry Cleaners. I’d never really thought about my relationship with my dry cleaner until I saw this website. Dry cleaning is just not fun, like shopping for a smart phone app is. But Anderson’s now my source for information — the stuff I need to know on caring for my clothes because of their content-rich website. Will that make me buy their services? Probably! Reid walked my students through Anderson’s website and its use of social media to enhance the customer experience and ultimately grow revenue. It was a fascinating experience augmented by Twittering through the presentation.

Now, I’ll have to ask Reid what it likes looking out on a sea of faces pointed at their smart phones and lap tops. As a prof, that would unnerve me. As one of the Tweeters, it was an enthralling experience.