This document provides an overview of best practices for using social media as an academic or professor. It discusses the 4 C's of online branding: Clean up your online presence, Create consistent profiles, Continue posting engaging content, and Connect with others in your field. It also covers legal issues like balancing freedom of speech with employer reputation, and cases where social media posts were considered protected concerted activity. Ethical issues addressed include not friending or requiring social media participation from students, using privacy settings appropriately, and guidelines from USF on individual social media use. The goal is to help academics use social media professionally and avoid legal/ethical problems.

1. BECOMING A
SOCIAL MEDIA
ROCK STAR
Kelli S. Burns, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Mass Communications

3. Topics in this Presentation
• 4 C’s of Online Branding
• Clean
• Create
• Continue
• Connect
• Legal Issues
• Ethical Issues

4. CLEAN

6. 57% of adult Internet users use
search engines to find
information about themselves
online.
“Reputation Management and Social Media,”
Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010

9. CREATE

11. CHECK NAME
http://namecheck.com/
http://usernamecheck.com

16. Use a quality profile photo

19. CONTINUE

22. CONNECT

27. Inspiration
• 50 Most Social Media Savvy Professors in America
• 50 Best Professor Blogs

28. LEGAL ISSUES

32. Balancing Act
Reputation Freedom of
of Speech of
Employer Employee

33. Hispanics United of Buffalo, Inc.
• Employee complained to co-worker about “slacker”
employees. Five employees engaged in a Facebook
conversation about the complainer and were fired.
• "Employees have a protected right to discuss matters
affecting their employment amongst themselves…Explicit or
implicit criticism by a co-worker of the manner in which they
are performing their jobs is a subject about which employee
discussion is protected.”-- Judge Amchan, 2011
• Facebook posts constitute protected speech under the
National Labor Relations Act (section 7) when they involve
concerted activity (discussion).

34. What is not Concerted Activity?
• One employee ranting on a social media
site
• Disparaging another employee about
something not related to work, such as
sexual orientation
• “Disloyal” statements that are
defamatory and not supported by facts
• Divulging confidential information

35. ETHICAL
ISSUES

36. • Do not accept
friend requests
from students or
initiate requests to
students
• Create a Facebook
group for students
• Use a profile that is
strictly professional
• Use the privacy
controls on
Facebook (and ask
students to do the
same)

37. Facebook Group: Faculty Ethics on
Facebook
• Don’t friend students unless they request the
connection.
• Never require students to participate in Facebook or
have Facebook participation influence a course grade.
• Never pressure students to friend the professor (such
as repeated mention of a faculty profile in class).
• Accept friend requests from all students (unless the
instructor makes the decision not to friend students at
all).
• Take extreme care with privacy settings and profile
content.

38. Twitter and LinkedIn
• Consider using Twitter and/or LinkedIn
to connect with students.
• Twitter is mainly text and sometimes photos or
links. Information shared is not as personal.
• LinkedIn is similar to sharing resumes.

39. USF Social Media Guidelines
• Present yourself as an individual.
• “The views expressed are mine alone and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the University of South
Florida.”
• Posts may be considered public record.
• Applies in situations where you tweet/post in official
capacity or comment on USF business.
• Be aware of Sunshine Meetings Laws.
• Two or more members of board, commission, or committee
should not discuss business on their social media
platforms.
From “Individual Use of Social Media”
www.usf.edu/brand/social-media/individual-guidelines.asp

40. Stay in touch!
kburns@usf.edu @KelliSBurns
linkedin.com/in/kelliburns kellisburns.wordpress.com