As a professor, we are working pretty much all year round. We are teaching, conducting research, preparing for conferences, and even consulting and providing our insights in our specialties. However, summer is a time to work on new projects and reflect on the past year as well as brainstorming new ideas for future projects and collaborations.
I have to say, this summer has probably been the busiest I have had. It seems like each year it gets more so. However, I would not have it any other way. 🙂 One thing I did realize is the growing importance to stay socially connected, especially for professors. We need to be engaged not only for our students and fellow colleagues, but also to the profession. This was one of the things Richard Edelman emphasized in his talk to the attendees at last week’s Academic Summit, which I really appreciated.
So, what do I mean when I talk about “social connectors?” Well, we are in a position to connect professionals, knowledge, students, and the professional community together through digital channels to engage in dialogues and network opportunities. I actually had a chance to work on some research a few years ago with a good colleague and friend of mind, Dave Remund, on social connectors in the classroom. We came up with this idea after being on a panel together at the AEJMC Conference in 2012. Here’s the link to the presentation.
This is one of the things I love about what I do in my research projects. Yes, there is definitely a core theoretical foundation involved in providing insights from previous researchers and studies to see what has been done as well as what are the main factors involved to help explain behaviors and actions taken by individuals, groups, and large organizations. However, we have to make sure to be able to not only apply these findings, but do so strategically.
How do professors become social media connectors to the profession? Here are a few tips and best practices I have learned over the years that have helped me:
- Write up a blog summary of your work: It’s not only important to talk about the findings you found in your research, but what is the story behind this project? How did you come up with your research team? How did this idea come about? I joke that a lot of my ideas for projects came from when I was out for a workout or the dinner table. However, it’s an opportunity for you as the professor to connect your audience with a story that has not been shared yet or even included in your published work.
- Tweet and share the article from where it is published: I think this is key – you want to direct people to where they can see your published work. Make sure to use the appropriate hashtags used in the professional field that would be interested in your work. For example, I use #crisispr and #crisiscomms whenever I share published work I did in crisis communications.
- Use social media to share updates visually: When an article comes out or you have a published book chapter, utilize visual storytelling platforms like Instagram to share the news. However, don’t rely on just one platform to do the trick. Send out a tweet with the news, share an extended update on Facebook, and integrate all of these back to your website and blog where you are establishing these platforms as the hub of your online reputation for your work.
- Connect the dots visually with your research and presentations: Another way you can connect the story behind the research is to publish your slidedeck on Slideshare and then share the associated published article so people can see what you presented on as well as the written document. You want to share as much information in different formats as possible. In addition, if professionals are looking for research in a particular subject, recommend a fellow professional you know in the area. It’s all about connecting not only the dots in research, but also in potential networking and collaboration opportunities within the community.
- Curate relevant articles associated with your work: We are all in the same team when it comes to research – so why not suggest and share articles and other reports that are similar to your work?
- Be engaging and on the platforms where the conversations are taking place: Be accessible for conversations, questions, and comments about your work virtually. Sometimes this happens just through email, but it can also take place on various social media platforms. Some of the best conversations and discussions I’ve had about research have all been done through social media.
These are just some of the findings I felt have helped me become more of a social connected professor. As a result, Kristin and I are very excited to be part of the Executive Council for Firestorm Solutions and working with Hootsuite on a new groundbreaking research project. How did this come about? Because of a great conversation after we presented our research at the ICRC Conference for the last couple of years. We are very excited about this great opportunity!!! Make sure to check out Kristin’s blog post on the exciting news.
In essence, professors can use social media and present their research not only to share within the academic community, but extend and connect these findings to a larger audience group. The more we can do to branch out our community to talk about these insights and findings from our work, the better. This is how the field continues to evolve and change. We as professors can lead and set the example to help bridge the practice and academic field.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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