I had the chance to be part of a great social media and digital media panel session yesterday evening at Power Creative, one of the main advertising agencies in Louisville that was sponsored by the Young Advertising Professionals (YAP) group of AdFedLouisville.
It was great to hear insights from professionals working in the field and from different industries. Ali Turner comes from Yum! Brands and David Jacobs has worked with some great brands like McDonalds with The Tombras Group in Knoxville. UofL had two representatives on the panel with Nick Stover from UofL Athletics and me – where I was able to share some insights on what I am doing with my research and social media class at UofL. It was cool to hear the stories, insights, and best practices from everyone and how we all came from different points in our careers and industries.
What I think is cool about being part of the panel was not only the overall focus on the range of topics associated with social media, but also how this panel and speaking opportunity came about. Of course, I have to thank social media for that! Got to give a shout out to Christy and Sean for reaching out to me and allowing me to be part of this panel yesterday. Had a wonderful time!
I had several students ask me how this panel went, and there are a few things I felt were key for me to note based on my experience to reflect on. Here were a couple of things I noted:
- Having a digital presence and way for people to reach out to you is key: This was not only a time to present and talk about the field and area of interest, but it was also focused on a great networking opportunity. Sharing business cards is of course traditional – but the main question I had yesterday was – what’s your Twitter handle so we can connect?
- Even professors can serve as students in the classroom and at events: What I liked about being part of this panel session was the fact that I was learning along with the panelists on these topics as well. I found it interesting to see what were some of the items and topics that were key for agency professionals to know and be skilled in, but also what are some future trends they see coming up as well. As a professor, I want to make sure I am preparing my students for the growing expectations that are coming from the field, so this was very useful and helpful for me.
- Serving as a connector for introductions: I had several friends at the panel yesterday and I realized that they had similar connections or interests with others I knew at the event, so I felt that it was key to make sure they were introduced. This is an industry where it is not only what you know, but who you know that is also important. Also, I had the chance to see several former students I have had in the class at the event, so I wanted to make sure they had the chance to network as well.
- Continue the conversation after the event: Sending out notes to people you saw at the event, sharing pictures from the session so others can see what the event looked like, and reach out to those that were in attendance on social media. This event was not only about sharing knowledge and experiences for one time, but it really has opened the door to a community with professionals that have similar interests, views, and insights in the profession.
Overall, it was a great event and I would like to thank AdFedLou for having a great event for young professionals and for Power Creative for being our hosts. Looking forward to seeing what future events you all have and continue this great discussion and network!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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