I have been a part of many different Facebook Groups, and I have found there are a range here for the types of communities they serve. Some are very large (like Carlos Gil’s Social Media Mastermind Group with 10k+ members) to relatively small (we have a family group for our new nephew Marcus!). I have been managing and overseeing a Social Media Professor’s Group now for almost two years (WOW!), and it has been one of the most engaged and vibrant communities I have been a part of. We have now over 830+ members and growing. My goal is to see if we can get to 1k in the next few months – we shall see!
However, I know many professors have mentioned they have used FB Groups for their classes. With the new unit features, this seems to be a natural fit. However, most universities and programs want to host these communities and discussions on their LMS platform, so this may not necessarily work. Plus, FB groups for class have been around for ages, so this is nothing new to the social media pedagogy space.
Yet – we have to ask ourselves, how can Facebook Groups be used in a new way? What can we as professors do that is relatively new and unique – but serve a different purpose perhaps? We sometimes focus just on using these tools for our current classes, but what do we do for those students who finish our classes and graduate? How do we still stay connected and make sure they continue on their journey in the industry?
That was the question I was thinking of over the past few days. Then – it dawned on me that there is a community where I could use FB Groups in a new way.
That’s why I created a new FB Group community for #FrebergAlums.
What exactly is #FrebergAlums?
If you have looked at my social media feeds over the years, you may have seen this hashtag being used a lot during the course of my social media and PR classes. I did not create this hashtag – it was created by my students.
I have to thank my students a few years ago for this new hashtag. Many of my students have mentioned to me that it was somewhat of a rite of passage for them to finish my social media class. With the intense syllabus, real world client assignments, and large amounts of readings to do – it was pretty intense.
My students created this class as a way to say – hey! I survived this class! Yet, it also allowed them to build a community AFTER the class where they can stay in touch as well as share a common experience that connects them with each other.
In fact, after my first semester teaching social media, I had my first alums panel come to class and share their experience. This was good for the current class to see so they can witness for themselves: 1) You will survive this class, 2) You will get some amazing learning and professional opportunities from this, and 3) You will become a coffee drinker (for the most part! :)).
Overall, it’s a community and almost like a badge of honor for these students to say they are alums. From a branding standpoint, this has been something my students have shared with professionals and others in the industry, which is very sweet of them as well.
Why did I create a FB Group for #FrebergAlums?
I feel it was the right time to create a hub for students, professionals and speakers to come together. Here are some of the main reasons why I wanted to create this FB community:
Embracing continued education. I believe as professors, we have to realize our students will always need us even after they graduate and go on with their careers. Continued education, especially in public relations and social media, is not only expected, but a mandatory task to do. With FB Groups as mentioned earlier, you are able to create units.
However, most groups focus on topics related to a class – whereas this group will focus on topics that are key to be aware of AFTER graduation. Such as – what are the best ways to go about in seeking out a mentor? What are some must have skills that are needed for the professional industry that are not covered in the classroom? What are some current topics you want to learn more about that was not covered in class? These units will continue to evolve and grow of course – depending on the need of the community. Most programs offer certifications for those students who want to add this to their resume, but this can be a good starting point of sharing which ones to go after at various programs or brands (ex. Hootsuite, HubSpot, etc).
Allowing the community to decide on the content. That’s the beauty part of this FB group feature (the units) and using this for continued education purposes and for a specific community.
Plus, if you are using this for a class purpose, there are some challenges and obstacles you have to be aware of that can get some universities very excited (ex. copyright information and content among others as this article outlines). Building a place where people can come together, decide what content they would like to see that’s helpful for them, and then share amongst each other allows it to become a dynamic learning environment.
As the moderator, you do have to set forth the pace and expectation for content on a regular basis. As I have shared with fellow colleagues and students over the years, you do not want to build a community and not do anything with it. Building a FB community like this takes time and dedication – but it is well worth it. We are all working to help each other and making an impact on the industry.
Staying connected. One thing I have shared with my students over the years is the fact that my office door (both physically and of course digitally with the thanks of social media) is always open to them. I want to make sure as a professor, I am accessible in many different ways. Some students have wanted to connect with me via LinkedIn, which is great. Others view Twitter as the go-to place to stay connected. Others think email is the best way. I want to give the students the option if they would like to be part of this community on Facebook without the need to friend me if they do not want to.
Plus, it also allows new members to come into the group and seek out others who have been part of the program. This is a good way to network and share common experiences with each other in a place they feel comfortable.
Bringing speakers and professionals who are part of the class here to stay connected. This group is not just for students, but the professionals who have been part of the class and have made an impact on our overall community. Some of my students have become good friends with our speakers over the years, and it would be a great way for the speakers to stay connected with the students from class. Another layer of networking and community building is always a good thing to bring to the table for groups.
In summary, I am looking forward to seeing how this community will grow and evolve. I am very proud of all of the students who are #FrebergAlums. They are making me one #ProudProf!
How can you join? Here’s the link to the FB Group and we all are looking forward to seeing you here!
Have a great day!
Best Wishes,
