Social Networking

RaeJean Stokes
Sr. Program Officer, Secondary &
Professional Exchanges
Session Objectives
 Learn more about the social
networking options available to you
 Become more comfortable with using
them for professional purposes
 Use social networking to promote your
programs as well as to keep alumni
engaged
 Other
What is Social Networking?
 The interaction between a group of
people who share a common interest.
 Using social contacts to network.
 The use of Internet communities to
network and communicate using
shared interests, related skills, or
geographical location between
consumers and businesses.
Why Use It?
 To promote programs
 To expand programs
 To monitor programs
 To keep in touch with alumni
 To share news
Where Do I Start?
 Communication
 Exposure
 Traffic
 Ease of Use
 Appropriateness
Recommended Sites
 Google Alerts
http://www.google.com/alerts
 Google Alerts are email updates of the
latest relevant Google results (web,
news, etc.) based on your choice of
query or topic.
 Uses: monitor the competition, know your
reach, stay informed
State Alumni
 https://alumni.state.gov/
 State Alumni is your global community: a
dynamic and interactive networking
experience for all past and current
participants of U.S. government-
sponsored exchange programs.
 Uses: research, forums, reach out to
alumni (advertise programs)
Facebook
 http://www.facebook.com/
 FB is the fastest-growing popular online platform
that enables customization of user interface,
which also includes installing applications to
personalize the experience further. Users are
connected to their friends very quickly as they
could receive notifications when someone in
their network has made changes or updates to
his/her current profile or status.
 Uses: on-program monitoring, alumni
communication
LinkedIn
 http://www.linkedin.com/
 Believing that people relationships is a valuable
asset, LinkedIn serves to help individuals and
companies to build and maintain them. This
gives professionals an advantage to be more
successful and productive in their careers by
leveraging on as well as contributing their to own
professional and trusted network.
 Uses: targets a more mature and professional
audience than FB, join professional groups and
ask for advice
Blogger
 http://www.blogger.com/home
 A free blog site (one of many) that
supports multimedia
 Uses: share information with participants’
family members at home (alternative to a
newsletter), participants can share
impressions/reflections
Scribd
 http://www.scribd.com/
 On Scribd, you can easily turn any file—such as
PDF, Word and PowerPoint—into a web
document and immediately connect with
passionate readers and information-seekers on
our thriving community, through connected sites
such as Facebook or Twitter and search engines
such as Google.
 Uses: no more big attachments going to spam!
You can also “like” or otherwise brag about
documents (a good way to share information
about them) on other social networks.
Twitter
 http://twitter.com/
 One of the more “mysterious” yet
pervasive tools, tweeting can help you
share information once you have enough
followers
 Uses: encourage alumni or participants to
follow you (your program). Here’s a good
example:
http://twitter.com/FulbrightSchlrs
YouTube
 http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanCouncils#p/
a
 Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the world's most
popular online video community, allowing millions of
people to discover, watch and share originally-created
videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect,
inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a
distribution platform for original content creators and
advertisers large and small. 
 Uses: more interactive and appealing, you can
automatically FB or tweet uploads, post videos to your
program website
Considerations
 If you friend a  If it’s public, keep it
participant, make professional
sure your profile is  Become a frequent
appropriate/profess and reliable user
ional (or limit it)  Consider the
 Check your own effects (i.e.
access features participants more
 Cross-pollinate likely to
communicate via
FB than email now)
Right Now!
 Join the American Councils network on
LinkedIn (170 people already have)
 Become a fan of American Councils on
Facebook and add it to your favorites
 Start a FB fan page for your program
 Set up Google alerts for your programs
 Poke around the aforementioned sites
for more ideas & information