So You Want To Be a Social Media Rock Star?

Social media can be much more than cat photos and Instagram reels. For many, it is a way to enhance and promote their work; for some, it’s easy to reach media contacts with the news; others use it to grow their client list on LinkedIn. During this session, UGA outreach and academic faculty share the different ways they employ websites, Twitter, Instagram, and other digital tools to convey their messages. You may come away with an idea that makes your workday a snap.

Target Audience: PSO faculty and staff.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand how to use social media more effectively to promote your work.
  • Learn which platforms work best for different audiences.
  • Learn how often you should post depending on the platform.
  • Evaluate the mix of work and play on your social platforms.
  • Understand why some people don’t use social at all and why they should.
  • Learn tips to apply to your own social media usage to increase engagement.

Presenters:

Kelly Simmons, director of strategic communications initiatives, Public Service and Outreach
Kelly leads special projects that involve identifying new and innovative ways to communicate the impact of PSO’s work to diverse audiences. She also writes in-depth stories about the work of PSO around the state and helps oversee content for PSO magazine and monthly PSO newsletters. Prior to PSO, she spent eight years as editor of the Georgia Magazine and eight years as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and an MPA from UGA.

Samantha “Mandy” Joye, Regents’ Professor and UGA Athletic Association Professor of Arts and Sciences, Department of Marine Sciences, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Mandy is a Regents’ Professor and holds the Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences in the Department of Marine Sciences in the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert in biogeochemistry and microbial ecology and works in open ocean and coastal ecosystems. Her interdisciplinary work bridges the fields of chemistry, microbiology, and geology.
Megan Ward, administrative director, Entertainment & Media Studies/New Media Institute, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication
Megan oversees all daily operations for the New Media Institute, which offers the largest undergraduate certificate at UGA. She also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for both the NMI and the Emerging Media master’s concentration. Megan has worked with the NMI since 2011 and has served in a variety of capacities. As TEDxUGA licensee, Megan has overseen TED on campus since 2013, leading all organization and curation efforts for the annual TEDxUGA event in March.
Pete Williams, senior business consultant, Small Business Development Center
Pete joined the SBDC at UGA in 2013 after owning and operating a corporate finance consulting firm for 11 years. He also previously served as CFO of an Internet start-up, a principal of a private equity investment firm, and an analyst and manager in the investment management divisions of two insurance companies. His expertise includes mergers and acquisitions; business planning and valuations; corporate financial management and business case analysis; capital formation, allocation, and return analysis; and referral-based marketing.