Originally presented as a webinar to the membership of OSA-The Optical Society in November of 2015. This presentation provides an overview of how to leverage social media and online tools to enhance networking and one's own visibility and brand.

1. LeveragingApps,
SocialMediaand
YourDigitalReputation
forProfessional
Success

3. #OSAwebinar
This session is Twitter-friendly.
@paulgordonbrown

4. aboutmewww.paulgordonbrown.com
@paulgordonbrown

5. goalstoday
• Articulate trends in social and digital media adoption
and use by job recruiters and faculty/researchers.
• Describe your current digital presence and articulate
strategies to influence and enhance it.
• Know the basics of building an online and offline
brand and strategies to disseminate your work.
• Describe the importance of digital networking,
cultivating a personal learning network, and articulate
strategies to grow these networks.
• Be exposed to social and digital tools and how to use
them to further professional development.

6. agenda
1. SocialMediaRealities
2. YourDigitalPresence
3. BuildingABrand
4. YourNetwork
5. PlatformsandPractices

7. social media is a
TOOL

8. social media
is also a
CONTEXT

9. personalprofessional

10. You don’t
Expert
have to be an

11. Social Media Realities.

12. 89%
of adults 18-29 years old use social media
67%
access it on mobile
98%
of adults ages 18-29 are on the internet
70
70
70
43%
60%
89%
65+
50-64
30-49
70
78% 18-29
social media use
by age
(Brenner, 2013; Brenner & Smith, 2013; Pew Internet Project, n.d.)
* US-based statistics

13. of recruiters use or plan to begin
using social networks/social
media for recruiting
94%
Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2013
* US-based statistics

14. http://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf

15. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disgree Strongly Disagree
Social media is a good way for professors to
communicate with the broader public.
Source: Inside Higher Ed 2015 Faculty Attitudes on Technology Survey

16. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Facebook: How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media 5
responsibilities; for professional (non-teaching) use; and,
finally, for use in the classes they teach. Further details on
they use them in their classes are also explored.
There is a very strong pattern of social media use by age
among teaching faculty. The youngest faculty (under age 35)
use social media for personal purposes at a far greater rate
of 84 percent of those aged under 35 to only 54 percent for
2
Faculty Personal Use
of Social Media (2012)
Monthly
64.4%
Do not use
16.1%
Rarely
19.5%
Faculty Personal Use of
Social Media by Age (2012)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Under 35
35-44
45-54
55+
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Facebook: How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media 1
BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS AND FACEBOOK
Mike Moran
Pearson Author and Chief Strategist
Converseon
Jeff Seaman, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Babson Survey Research Group
Babson College
Hester Tinti-Kane
Vice President of Marketing
Pearson Learning Solutions
A LWAY S L E A R N I N G
how today’s
higher education faculty
use social media
OCTOBER 2012

17. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Facebook: How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Frequency of Faculty Professional Use
of Social Media by Site (2012)
LinkedIn
Blogs and Wikis
Facebook
Podcasts
Twitter
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Facebook: How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media 1
BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS AND FACEBOOK
Mike Moran
Pearson Author and Chief Strategist
Converseon
Jeff Seaman, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Babson Survey Research Group
Babson College
Hester Tinti-Kane
Vice President of Marketing
Pearson Learning Solutions
A LWAY S L E A R N I N G
how today’s
higher education faculty
use social media
OCTOBER 2012

18. Social Media Realities
Social media is becoming an ever present reality.
Search committees and recruiters will search you online
and look at your social media profiles.
Faculty and researchers are increasingly using social
media to expand their audience and share their expertise
in community.
Review

19. Your Digital Presence.

20. digital stamp

21. digital footprints
+ digital shadow
+ digital trail
digital stamp

22. digital footprints

23. digital shadow
https://flic.kr/p/mhf2SN

24. digital trail

25. digital footprints
+ digital shadow
+ digital trail
digital stamp

26. Your Name
Activity

27. Your Name
What is the first thing that comes up?
Is it you?
Is it someone else?
What do you want to come up?

28. take

29. BE
AWARE!

30. evaluateyour presence
/facebook

31. Your Digital Presence
You have a digital stamp—which includes digital
footprints (what you post), digital shadows (what others
post), and a digital trail (data collected by others)—
whether you want to or not.
Be aware of what is out there when people search for
you. Be aware of what your social media profiles say
about you.
The best defense is a good offense. Define what you
want others to find rather than allowing them to define it
for you.
Review

32. Build a Brand.

33. What is a Brand?
It’s what you are known for.
It’s what people come to expect.
It’s your expertise.
It’s your niche.
It’s YOU.

34. Why is it important?
It makes you more easily found.
It establishes you.
It leads to opportunity.
It helps you build connections.
It creates clarity of focus.

36. compass?
digital
What’s your

37. “Inspiring others to be digital adventurers, vanguards, and change
agents.” @paulgordonbrown
“Be a Digital Dale Carnegie by motivating others to their best life,
leadership & legacy. Honor my family & God.” @equalman
“I want every one of my academic papers and studies and lectures to
be accessible and available to all (+free)” @JohnGirdwood
“Life is full of seasons, but at the end of mine, I want others to find that
I spoke for those who couldn't speak for themselves.” @JanieSikes
examples

38. #DigitalCompass
Tweet to the hashtag
Activity

39. PUBLIC
PRIVATE

40. BIO
build your

41. think of it like an
elevator pitch

42. get a good
head shot

43. What platforms
should I be on?

44. 0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Facebook LinkedIn Pintrest Instragram Twitter
23%
26%28%28%
71%
Social Media PlatformAdoption (2014)
Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Update 2104
* US-based, may vary on location
What about
niche sites?

45. claimyour name

46. Build a Brand
“Brands” are important because they communicate what you
are about in easy to grasp terms and help you solidify
expertise.
Define a digital compass for yourself. What do you want to be
known for?
Write a brief professional bio that sums up who you are. Make
it appropriate for posting online. Get a good headshot.
Decide what platforms and technologies you want to be
present on and what your unique screen name will be. Claim
the screen name.
Review

47. Your Network.

48. 6Degrees of
Kevin Bacon

49. small world social media
is making it
smaller

50. of jobs are landed through
networking and personal
relationships
80%
John Bennett, Assistant professor of behavioral science at the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte
* US-based statistics

51. Activity
Whoiscurrentlyinyournetwork?
Wheredoyouwanttoexpandit?

52. Personal
Learning
Network
Environment
OR

53. The people, websites, apps,
books, and resources that are
your real world “classroom.” It is
a combination of formal and
informal learning spaces.
Personal
Learning
Network.

62. Free, Low or No Cost
Professional
Development

63. Reddit

65. Pulse

68. Your Network
Building a professional network is important. Social
networks can help you solidify and leverage these
relationships.
Develop a personal learning network or environment. A
space where you can draw on professional knowledge
and others.
Integrate free and low cost professional development
into your daily routine.
Review

69. Platforms and Practices.

70. LinkedIn

79. Twitter

82. #? What’s a
hashtag?
a search term
a conversation

83. conferences
use at

84. share
use to

85. ResearchGate.net

91. Academia.edu

96. read/write a
blog

97. Wordpress

100. simple
landing pages

102. Create a Professional
Portfolio

103. SlideShare
SpeakerDeck

106. Blendingthe
Personal
Professionaland

107. “Personal” Networks
are still useful

108. Platforms and Practices
LinkedIn - Get on it! Update it! Connect. Attempt to
achieve 100% profile completeness. Check out their
other apps.
Twitter - Tweet regularly. Know the common hashtags
used. Use it at conferences. Use it to share.
ResearchGate and Academia.edu - Create a profile.
Upload papers. Engage and connect with others that
have similar interests.
Review

109. Platforms and Practices
Write a Blog - Consider starting a blog. Read and
comment on other’s blogs. (ex. Wordpress)
Establish a Simple Web Presence - Be more easily found.
Create a landing page. (ex. About.me and Flavors.me)
Create a Professional Portfolio - Archive your professional
work with examples. Upload conference presentations.
(ex. SlideShare and SpeakerDeck)
Blending the personal and professional…
Review

110. Final Thoughts.

111. it takes
TIME

112. Be consistent
Be dedicated

113. go analog

115. Q&A