This document provides guidance on using social media effectively for student engagement. It discusses planning social media channels and content, addressing challenges like privacy and risks. Specific tips covered include understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and combining social media with other communication channels. Resources on managing digital footprints and making the most of social media platforms are also included.

2. How to use social media effectively
for student engagement
Nicola Osborne, EDINA.
6/26/2015 Connect more with Jisc in Northern Ireland

3. Social media for effective student engagement
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» Privacy and Risk: Issues of inclusion and information literacies, and the RSE Spreading
the Benefits of Digital Participation in Scotland
» What is your “digital footprint”
» University of Edinburgh Digital Footprints Campaign
and Research Project
» Social Media andTeaching and Learning
» Planning social media channels and content
» Discussion
Outline

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» Independent Royal Society of Edinburgh Inquiry investigating:
› Potential societal benefits of digital technologies and how Scotland might realise these
› Social and economic risks of a growing digital divide
› Identifying barriers preventing increased digital participation and engagement
› Identifying policies and actions that could overcome these barriers and maximise the
benefits of Digital Scotland
» Interim report published 4th December 2013; Final report on 30th April 2014.
Dissemination ongoing
» More information: royalsoced.org.uk/1109_Interimreport.html
Royal Society of Edinburgh Spreading the Benefits of Digital
Participation in Scotland Inquiry (April 2014)

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» Information literacy and digital skills are essential in the modern information age
» But, many have very narrow digital capabilities and limited understanding of e.g. privacy
settings, and many lack critical reflective understanding of information found online
» Risk averse attitudes in schools can limit the potential for use of digital tools in the
classroom; and may fail to give children experience of managing the risks and realities of
the internet
» People have to be motivated to engage online, bad experiences create new barriers
Relevant Findings

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» Older people and people with disabilities risk being left behind – digital take up is low in
both groups and the barriers can be multiple and complex
» Access and skills to make best use of the internet are essential in job seeking
and employment
» Social media enables advantageous professional networking and work opportunities
» Transparency, safety and privacy are crucial to building trust and digital participation
Relevant Findings

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» How can students be supported to develop the skills and understanding over the impact
of public postings, tagging their own or others’ images, sharing others’ work
» What HR and Student policies and guidance do you have in place to address online
bullying, harassment, inappropriate conduct etc.?
» If social media is used for academic purposes is it pedagogically justified?Are students
comfortable and supported in this use? How are issues of accessibility being addressed?
» How do you support international students, those with valid safety concerns, or students
with disabilities that exclude them from social media sites to feel part of the community
if their peers bond and worth together via social media that they do not or cannot use?
» How are students encouraged to develop professional digital skills – including being
aware and conscious of their own presentation of self and it’s impact?
Specific challenges for Universities and Colleges

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What is your “digital footprint”?

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» Campaign to raise student awareness of digital footprints, social
media, online tracks and traces. Runs from academic year 2014/15
to 2015/16
» Parallel 1-year research project examining implications for
teaching and learning. Funded under the University of Edinburgh
Principal’sTeaching Award Scheme
» Will generate research, best practice guidance and
recommendations for sector-wide use
University of Edinburgh Managing your digital footprint project

10. Social media for effective student engagement
Campaign activities
» Large scale surveys capturing student
usage of social media.
» Videos, podcasts, blog posts, tweets,
news items etc. raising awareness of
digital footprints and their importance.
» Best practice advice and guidance
materials.
» Training and workshops for students
(and staff) on managing digital
footprints, “brand you”, using tools
includingTwitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Project Partners
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» Students increasingly use social media, but they don’t always understand how what they
share reflects upon them
» Raise awareness of potential risks of cyber bullying, copyright infringement, appropriate
conduct, etc.
» Prepare students for expectations of their future employers, peers, and professional
bodies as they move from school leaver to university studies, placements, projects,
first employers
» Ensure students make the best possible use of the right digital tools for them, their
needs, and their interests
Why do this?

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» Understanding how you present yourself online:
› What do others find when they search for you online?
› How do you want to appear to peers, employers, etc.?
› How do those around you contribute to your online digital footprint through
comments, tagging, location check-ins, image taking, etc.?
» Understanding privacy settings and preferences, app approval processes and risks,
location aware mobile devices and implications
» Understanding important legal and ethical issues – copyright, privacy of friends and
others, understanding terms and conditions
» Considering audience and purpose before selecting social media channels, and
» reflecting upon and monitoring those spaces
Key issues in this campaign include:

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» What are you current concerns or questions?
» Are you already addressing students digital footprints needs?
› What works best for your organisation?
› Are there approaches you’d recommend to others?
› Have you encountered serious problems or incidents around social media?
How did you handle those?
» Are your staff (of all types) aware of their own digital footprint?
› Do they control and curate it?
› Are they notably absent or do they have an “uncontainable self”
(Barbour & Marshall 2012)?
› How do their digital footprints reflect upon their own and the organisation’s reputation?
Discussion: Privacy and risk in social media

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» What is the audience for your own social media channel/s?
» What is the purpose of those presences?
» Do you know what success looks like? Do you have goals for your social media presences?
» What kind of content do you share? Do you have a clear “voice” or style – and what does
it say about you/your organisation?
» Are your audience genuinely engaged – can you do more to reward them for
participating?
Planning and managing social media channels and content

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» Who are your audience(s)?
› Be specific about who you are targeting with your presence: are you reaching the right
people?
› Where do your audience hang out online? Can you make use of the same space or
similar approaches to the tone, format or regularity of your content?
» What does your audience enjoy or respond to?
› Use GoogleAnalytics, Facebook Insights,Twitter Analytics,YouTube Insights, etc. to
see what has done well before and reflect on why
› Consider what type of content gets liked, commented upon, shared – are there
themes, formats or specific topics that work best
› Make use of surveys, feedback forms, chats at events, comments left on
posts, etc. to track requests for new content, complaints or compliments etc.
Planning Content (1)

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» What do you want to achieve with your presence and/or content?
› Do you have clear (preferably SMART) goals and objectives that you can
measure against?
› Are you monitoring and reflecting on how well you are doing?
› What can you learn from what does particularly well (or poorly)?
› Are you reviewing the channels you use, when you post, what you post?
» Are you taking advantage of “calls to action”?
› When your audience sees your content, do they know what to do next?
› Calls to action can include requests for comments, triggers to register for events or
mailing lists, etc.They are an indication of what you want the reader/viewer/audience
to do next
Planning Content (2)

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» Different audience members want to hear from you in different spaces, e.g. for some
Facebook is a space blurring professional and personal, for some it is a strictly personal
space
» Different channels may have different audiences, varying levels of formality and different
“voices” but should present consistent messages and share core values
» In-person events, print materials, etc. can help to you promote social media presences,
and social media presences can amplify the impact of events, regular publications, press
releases etc
» Combining social media with other channels reaches far more than either traditional or
social media channels will manage to on their own
Social Media doesn’t mean forgetting other channels

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» Try making a list/calendar of dates that matter for you and your target audience(s) – you
can always add to it as you go.
» Prioritise the most important events – those you want to get most impact from, those
you need the most engagement around (e.g. a conference requiring break even
registration numbers).
» Consider what resources (skills, people, images, video, etc.) are available and how they
will be used.Who will be responsible for preparing the content, by what date?
» Decide which other channels you will use to raise awareness of social media activities,
and vice versa. Ensure that you are also promoting and shouting about achievements and
activities in other mediums – reports, presentations, awards, etc.
» Make use of simple scheduling and automated tools and opportunities
(e.g.Wordpress,Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, IFTTT).
Think ahead…

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» Are you listening to your audience by monitoring your active social media channels?
» Do you respond to questions, comments, shares, etc.?
» Consider how often you post – posting more often will get you seen by more people but
also risks appearing automated and noisy
» Consider how you reply – automated responses are efficient but can also feel inauthentic
» When your audience does respond to a call to action, or to a request, are they respected
and rewarded with responses, with perks or exclusive opportunities? Do they feel valued?
Respecting your audience

20. Social media for effective student engagement
For example…Tweeting to
your full potential
» Perfect your mention
technique
» Follow others
» Don’t just talk about yourself
» Tag, tag, tag
» Don’t be a robot
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» Are you reaching the audience(s) that you want to? Do they actively engage with you
and your content?
» Do you plan and schedule content ahead of time?
» What content do they really respond to?
» What are your tips for creating really engaging content?
» How do you monitor and measure what you are doing?
» Are you using the right channel for your purpose? Do you review (and sometimes cease
to use) those channels?
» How do you combine your social media and other communications
channels?Who has responsibility for them?
Discussion: Planning content that best reaches your audience

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» Campaign site: ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/about-
us/projects/digital-footprint
» Research strand: ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-
development/learning-teaching/staff/news/funding/previous-projects/march-
2014/digital-footprint
» Privacy podcast: soundcloud.com/uoe-online/managing-your-digital-footprint-privacy-
podcast
» What is a digital footprint video: youtube.com/watch?v=U2MBbXngYXM
» EC Factsheet on the “Right to be Forgotten”: ec.europa.eu/justice/data-
protection/files/factsheets/factsheet_data_protection_en.pdf
Useful Resources – Managing your digital footprint

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» Tweeting to your full potential (Tom Mitchell, Jisc): jisc.ac.uk/blog/tweeting-to-your-full-
potential-25-jun-2014
» How to LiveBlog (2 part post): nicolaosborne.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2012/08/29/how-to-
liveblog-part-1-why-liveblog/
» How does it feel to participate in public? (presentation):
slideshare.net/edinadocumentationofficer/how-doesitfeeltoparticipateinpublic
» Using social media to communicate your research (presentation):
slideshare.net/edinadocumentationofficer/social-media-researchjan2015
» EDINA Social Media Guidelines (CC licenced and free to reuse and adapt):
edina.ac.uk/about/social_media/social_media_guidelines.html
Useful Resources – Making the most of Social Media

24. Find out more…
Contact
Nicola Osborne
Jisc MediaHub service manager /
Digital education manager
Email: nicola.osborne@ed.ac.uk
Web: jiscmediahub.ac.uk/
Except where otherwise noted, this
work is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND
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