introduction to social media for academics | ecodemia
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Introduction toIntroduction to
Richard RoafRichard Roaf
UCL Environment Institute
BackgroundBackground
What isWhat is
• Blogs
• Microblogs
• Social Networking
• Multimedia Websites
• Social Bookmarking
PopularityPopularity• Grown by 340% in 3 years in UK• Youtube videos are watched 2 billion times per
day• There are 500 million active users on Facebook• Every week 3.5 billion pieces of content are
shared just on Facebook• 6 million new users join Twitter each month
DemographicsDemographics
The average social network user is 37 years
old.
The average Twitter user is 39 years old.
The average Facebook user is 38 years
old.
What isWhat is
• Blogs
• Microblogs
• Social Networking
• Multimedia Websites
• Social Bookmarking
• Must engage the public with research on sustainable development
• Mainstream media is failing to do this
• Peer influence is crucial
• Social media connects positive greens to rest of population through weak ties
Social media andSocial media and
• Allows you to use creativity
• Helps people digest complex information
• Allows for engagement
• Creates a two way dialogue
Social media andSocial media and
Results of Pilot Study published in Autumn 2010. They like:
“Focused and concise evidence, without generalised or overblown statements...”.
“Evidence was provided about dissemination (such as audience or visitor numbers).”
“The activity went beyond ‘business as usual’ engagement (such as public lectures), and attracted widespread interest or involved a programme of activity which was often innovative.”
They don’t like:
“Reliance on indicators that lacked context or meaning, for example, numbers of hits on a website, without benchmarks or further contextual explanation”.
• Set to become more important
• Sixth formers are very active online
• Can present the department as more exciting, interesting, relevant
• Engaging with potential students is crucial
AttractingAttracting
Martyn PoliakoffMartyn Poliakoff
“Particularly impressive was a presentation describing online outreach including a "You Tube" video on the periodic table of the elements that has already received greater than a million "hits" worldwide.”
Chemistry for the Next Decade and Beyond
EPSRC
BlogsRapidly increasing number of academic blogsBuilds on academics existing competenciesBeing personalAvoid text overloadhttp://startswithabang.com/Can cross-post
How are otherHow are other
Youtube
Lots of lectures
Easier than ever to make videos
Important to be creative and different
RSA Animate
How are otherHow are other
Great way to disseminate content
Can be used to share anything
Must initially recruit followers
Stanford University
How are otherHow are other
Short posts used to share links and news
Increasing number of academics using it
Lots of funding councils & related bodies
Recruit followers by becoming one
How are otherHow are other
• Crowd sourcing and citizen science
How are otherHow are other
“The amount of knowledge and talent dispersed among the human race has always outstripped our capacity to harness it.”
Jeff Howe
Best Practice
• Use an integrated approach
• Help people climb the content ladder
• Be personal
• Take part in conversations
• Be different
How are otherHow are other
Integrated approach
Use a content platform and a distribution
platform
e.g.
Youtube & Facebook
Blog & Twitter
How are otherHow are other
Social MediaSocial Media
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
• Sharing what with who?Sharing what with who?• Assess your resourcesAssess your resources• Survey the landscapeSurvey the landscape• Establish guidelinesEstablish guidelines• What does success look like?What does success look like?
Sharing what with who?Sharing what with who?
• What research do you want to share?• What could be of value to people?
Who could benefit from engaging with your research?• NGOs• Government departments• Local government• Schools• Community groups• Online groups• Members of the public (which ones)
Assess your resourcesAssess your resources• Staff members• PHD students• Undergraduates• University communications team• University IT staff• External support such as Ecodemia
How much time do they have?
How much interest do they have?
What skills do they have?
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Survey the landscapeSurvey the landscape• What are other people saying about this?• Where are they saying it?• List the topics and sites that are relevant
to you• Where possible assess popularity
e.g. number of followers
What does success look like?What does success look like?
A large number of hits?A significant engagement with a few
peopleTargeting the right people
Establish GuidelinesEstablish Guidelines
• Encourages a consistent presence
• Helps those who aren’t savvy
• See Vanderbilt University Best Practice
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Choosing the right platformsChoosing the right platforms
• Where are your audience?• What will compliment your research• What is realistic
• Blogs
• Microblogs
• Social Networking
• Multimedia Websites
Start creating content
• Just do it
• Begin with your audience in mind
• Create a rough content timeline
• Don’t expect fireworks to begin with
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
ParticipateParticipate• Interact with your community
• Be part of the conversation
• Develop relationships
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
Monitor statistics and feedback
Facebook: Number of likes, comments
Online video: Views, subscribers demographics, comments
Twitter: Number of followers, retweets
Blogs: Number of views, comments, engagement
Review
• What worked for the audience?
Look at comments and statistics
Encourage honest feedback from target audience
• What worked for you?
How time intensive was it?
Getting started withGetting started with
4 Stages4 Stages
How could UCLHow could UCL
How could UCLHow could UCL
What doesWhat does
How could UCLHow could UCL
ReferencesReferences• Time Spent on Social Media has grown by 340% in 3 years in UK• Youtube videos are watched 2 billion times per day. Source:
http://www.youtube.com/t/fact_sheet • There are 500 million active users on Facebook. Source: Wikipedia• Every week 3.5 billion pieces of content are shared just on Facebook Source:
Facebook Factbook – visualisation produced for Facebook’s 6th birthday • 6 million new users join Twitter each month.
http://www.hubspot.com/blog/bid/5503/HubSpot-Releases-Third-State-of-the-Twittersphere-Report-SOTwitter
• Demographics http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/02/16/study-ages-of-social-network-users/
• Vanderbilt Social Media Guidelines http://www.vanderbilt.edu/publicaffairs/webcomm/vu-resources/social-media-handbook/appendix-a/
LinksLinks• Royal Society of Arts Animate Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
• ICARB Video http://icarb.org/about/
• Video of Professor Martyn Poliakoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2799XSIlZM&playnext=1&list=PLA6F45C81BAF9D513&index=61
• Video by Stanford academic responding to questions from Facebook users http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=710996190773
• SD Update blog http://www.sdupdate.org/
• Vanderbilt University Social Media guidelines
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/publicaffairs/webcomm/vu-resources/social-media-handbook/
• Award winning blog on physics http://startswithabang.com/