Introduction to
Social Media
Contents
• What is social media
• What is and can social media be used for
• Social media in the University and within
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Student Services
Creating a social media presence
A couple of issues
Social media and disability
What is social media?
• generally known as an online technology that
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facilitates social interaction
its aim is to enable, inspire, influence and
engage
It’s a fundamental shift in the way
we communicate…
Years to 50 million users
• Radio = 38 years
• TV = 13 years
• Internet = 4 years
• iPod = 3 years
• Facebook = in less than a year had over 200
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million users
iPod application downloads = 1 Billion in 9
months
Social media allows connections with
people who share a common interest.
These can be used to:
share and test ideas, participate, inspire, contribute,
collaborate,
Communicate, ask questions, collect feedback
Research - new developments, sector based news,
vacancies and opportunities, social change
Information – News, locate or learn something
Develop and engage professional and/or academic
networks - people/employers/groups
Allows users or members to produce content in a
meaningful way – in any format…. blogs, audio, video
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Motivations at the University
“ solution to providing an
inclusive environment to
promote the work of the
school.
Students want to feel a sense
of belonging and ownership of
their school and recognise the
importance of an online
presence."
Product Design
"students need to have an online
professional presence and using
external services for academic
and professional purposes helps
students to understand this and
helps develop their digital skills
and literacy"
University of
Brighton
social media
presence
www.brighton.ac.uk/
socialmedia
Facebook: Brighton Business School
Student Folio: Graduate Degree Show
Flickr: Research Poster Competition
Youtube: University of Brighton
An opportunity for
students to ask questions,
us to reply….to give
information
Its not all positive .. but it does allow us to pick
up on issues or concerns
Advantages for Student Services
Assuming the students are engaged:
Quick and cheap way to get information to
students at stages within the lifecycle
Repeat messages, pick on up on common
themes
Students supporting each other
Allows students to lead the agenda
An opportunity to tap into the mindset and get
feedback
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twitter.com/brighton
student
Creating
a social media presence
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Post meaningful, useful and respectful content
Be useful and helpful, informative or inspirational
Allow and encourage debate and opinion, listen and
comment
Add/share other content: news, events, useful resources
Make contacts, get recommendations
Find and join groups and discussions
Follow, like or use hashtags (#)
Promote: add your URL to your auto signature/CV etc
SEO: add links / tags and keywords, your location, your
name, your blog or LinkedIn URL.
http://marioncurdy.weebly.com/
DON’T
Create too many accounts
Know why you are doing it
to manage
Choose the correct tool for
Post anything that may be
the task
too controversial, untrue or
Be consistent with naming
libellous
and branding
Repeat yourself
Post positive, useful
Upload anything that you
content
wouldn’t want everyone to
Respond quickly to
see
interactions
Forget to proof read your
Check your sources
posts
before posting.
DO
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A couple of issues
(a) Your online reputation
‘It takes many
good deeds to
build a good
reputation, and
only one bad
one to lose it’.
Benjamin
Franklin
The police were alerted to her comments …she was identified from her
Facebook page …she had also posted pictures of herself tailgating other
motorists, and photographed her speedometer showing a speed of 95mph.
She was suspended from her accountancy firm …
‘It was a spur of the moment thing and I'm sorry. I didn't realise it would ever
escalate to this.’ – Emma Way
http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2013-05-22/cycle-tweet-girl-breaks-her-silence/
Your online reputation:
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The information you put up about yourself - personal or professional
how you put content online, where you put it and when you do it….
Information other people put up about you – personal or professional
Includes comments others may make about you or your character, or
professional work
Photos you have been tagged in
Being digitally non existent can be of detriment
Increasingly employers check out candidates online presence prior to
interview -"77% of recruiters said they used search engines to find
background data on candidates. Additionally, 35% admitted they
eliminated a candidate because of what they found online." (The
Guardian)
A couple of issues
(b) Your Digital footprint
Being online leaves a digital footprint
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Your activity is permanent, direct and immediate
Information stored online becomes public by default
You don’t control what your friends do with that
content/photos.
Search engines catalogue everything from blogs, press
releases, social media updates…and these will come up in
a web search – unless you set appropriate privacy settings
You don’t own much of the content you put online
Simply removing something from the web doesn’t
always mean that people won’t find it.
Check your digital footprint www.123people.com/ or
www.google.co.uk/ etc
Social Media and
Disability
In the social media world,
a persons disability is
invisible
http://www.slideshare.net/SezenKapanc/disability-social-media-15379803
http://www.guardian.co.uk/s
ociety/2012/jan/17/disability
-spartacus-welfare-cutscampaign-viral
‘This carefully planned
viral campaign steered
by a tiny band of
activists almost singlehandedly put the
previously arcane issue
of cuts in disability living
allowance on the public
agenda’
BBC In Touch – the disabled view
5th April 2011. www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/social_network_savvie.shtml
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‘Twitter does away with the eye-contact element of a conversation.
We’re all equal and I think that’s why people like it so much’.
‘In the past, papers like the guardian might have been a week old
before they were available in a format I could read’.
‘I’m often ill and can’t afford to physically attend events, so I tend to
use social networks as a way of engaging with other people in real
life’.
‘I met lots of my Facebook friends through Ouch! The Suggest a
Friend option led me to another message board poster’.
‘Without social networks, none of the current disability campaigns
could happen’.
‘I like to get to know prospective employers on this unnaturally level
playing field’.
‘I sometimes upload tutorials on how to do technical tasks or how to
use a piece of assistive technology’.
Five disability people to follow on
Twitter…according to @bbcouch
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Sue Marsh @suey2y.
diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/
The minister for disabled people @MinisterDisPpl or
@EstherMcVeyMP.
Francesca Martinez @chessmartinez
Ellie Simmonds @EllieSimmonds1
Neil Crowther @neilmcrowther
www.neilcrowtherconsulting.com/blog.php
See also
Disability Twitter List
Influences and Hashtags
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In summary:
• Social media can be a powerful tool
• Social media isn't going away
• Not having an online presence can be a bad thing
• You are probably using these tools anyway
• Experiment, explore and try and keep up with the trends
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o Sign up for Facebook and/or create a professional Facebook
profile
o Sign up for Twitter and follow University of Brighton accounts
o Follow the Disability influencers and hashtags
Check your digital identity and manage your reputation
o What can people find out about you? What have people said
about you? Is it a positive impression? Is there anything you
wouldn’t want people to know about?