Social media, when handled effectively, can be a useful component of a department’s communications plan. The Office of University Communications and Marketing has created the following introduction to social media since many workers have shown a desire to create and maintain a social media presence in a both personal and professional capacity. Before creating your social media presence, please take a moment to read this overview.
Table of Contents
What are social networks?
Social media is a channel of communication that uses the internet. Users can engage in conversations, share information, and produce content for the web via social media platforms. Social media can take many different forms, including blogs, microblogs, wikis, social networking sites, photo and video-sharing websites, instant messaging, podcasts, widgets, virtual reality, and more.
What advantages do social media platforms offer?
Social media is used by billions of people worldwide to connect and share information. Social media gives you the personal freedom to interact with loved ones, learn new things, explore new interests, and be entertained. By engaging with other professionals in your business, you may use social media to expand your professional network and deepen your knowledge in a certain field. Social media allows your business to interact with customers, get their opinion, and build brand recognition.
What are social networks?
Social media is a channel of communication that uses the internet. Users can engage in conversations, share information, and produce content for the web via social media platforms. Social media can take many different forms, including blogs, microblogs, wikis, social networking sites, photo and video-sharing websites, instant messaging, podcasts, widgets, virtual reality, and more.
Should my department establish social media accounts?
Only university workers who have been given the go-ahead by their departments are allowed to perform university business on social media. Ensure that none of the social media platforms you intend to use already have a department account. Do not make another account if one has already been made. Instead, if you want to add material, get in touch with the current account manager.
How do I use social media?
Polaroid-style social media icons Why you should use social media
Social media platforms have become useful tools for marketing, communication, education, and the University of Cumbria, as well as for building your brand and finding a job (s).
Every student’s life revolves around social media in some way. Social media frequently makes it simpler and more convenient to get information, share information, and communicate. Tutors and students can connect and utilize these platforms effectively to study and teach.
Quick online conversations
The preferred method of communication among people is social media. Alumni, stakeholders, current staff and students, as well as potential staff and students, can connect with others who share their interests to ask questions, form friendships, and network.
Relationships
The University can engage with students, potential students, researchers, and other organizations via social media, but at its core, social media is about building relationships with individuals just like you.
Students may relate to:
- Students enrolled in your course (from your cohort or the years above or below)
- students from other universities who are pursuing similar studies
- specialists in your area
Knowledge Transfer
Social media gives you a platform to share your knowledge and establish a reputation in your field(s) of interest or area of specialization (s). In an online community, you can also get knowledge and insights from people who have done similar research or have been in your shoes.
Low price
It is frequently cost-free for the end user and can be a very efficient communication tool. You can use it to communicate, but it’s also a great way to advertise events, new programs, and scientific breakthroughs.
Connect whenever you like
Social networking is always active. Although most social networking sites are not geo-restricted, there is frequently someone to talk with from the global community even at three in the morning GMT. You might not get an immediate response from someone nearby. Alternatively, you could wait till daybreak and post a query.
Branding
More and more people are investing a lot of time in social networking sites. Getting your identity, and the name of the university, out there on the web in the manner we want, is crucial since social media should be viewed as a broad-reaching tool to reach a vast audience.
It can also be a tool for finding out what others are saying about us!
Search results are now connected with social media content.
Information from social networks is increasingly being indexed and ranked by search engines like Google and Bing. Our rankings in online search results increase the more social media presence we have. This makes it more crucial than ever for us to project a favorable image of ourselves.
