Most of the buzz around Twitter and Social Media has been focused on business and professional branding and marketing. An area that I have not heard much discussion about is using Twitter as a University student. Just like in business, I believe that there are many opportunities to create and build meaningful relationships while still a student in University. Not only will these connections be beneficial to you while you are in school, but the online presence and connections that you develop will transition with you after you graduate!
As always, whether you stop reading now, or read the whole post- I’d love to hear your thoughts down in the comments section! Thank you! :)
Develop your personal brand… What are you all about?!
Just like many consultants and self-employed entrepreneurs use Twitter as a platform to build their personal brand image, students have this opportunity to build their brand and presence from an even earlier stage. Start with a twitter bio that discusses who you are and what you are all about. Twitter is about connecting with people you find interesting, influential, and may possibly share synergies. The twitter bio gives you an opportunity to stand out among the rest and give a taste of what you stand for. As you being to develop you presence, people who share the same interests and passions will be drawn to you based on your authentic and personal bio.
The age of 1 to 1 connections!
One of the most fascinating areas where I think social media has transformed communication is removing so many of the hierarchical boundaries within our society. This has huge implications for students, where once we may have had to jump through several hoops just to get a chance to leave a message for a CEO, leader, or influential person- now that opportunity lies at your fingertips by finding that person online. Whether you are working on a school project or just want to start making connections in an industry that interests you, Twitter is a great tool. From public speakers to CEO’s of fortune 500 company’s you have the opportunity to personally connect with leaders in your area of interest.
Reaching Out and Connecting
After you have created your profile, written a meaningful bio describing your personal brand and who you are, and gotten oriented to the Twitter interface, it is time to start building a meaningful network. Make a list of influential people and businesses that you are interested in and start by searching for them on Twitter. These may be people you know, or simply know of- both are important to the growth of your online presence.
You will find that some of these people are on Twitter and some are not, also some will be more active and influential than others, developing relationships with these people will be key to expanding your social network and meeting more leaders in this industry in the future.
An Important Note: After following these people, take the time to write them a personal tweet, introducing yourself and telling them why they were an important follow. This is what Twitter is all about, having real conversations that build new connection. For you as a University student this connection may be an interview for a project you are doing, a reference to another important person, or possibly even a job down the road. The opportunities are endless but they will never materialize if you don’t take initiative and connect with these people.
At the end of the day, you have absolutely nothing to lose. Take the time to reach out to a dozen people both that you know, and that you don’t know and see what the response is. If you get a response, respond back and continue the conversation!
School #Hashtag… What’s going on?!
Another great use of Twitter is to listen to the conversation that is going on at your school. Many schools have one or many school hash tags (A hash tag is a way to keep track of a real time conversation on twitter, if you search a word with a hash tag you will get a chronological conversation of everyone how mentioned that tag in their tweets, it is a way to reduce noise and talk around a similar subject).
Find out if your school has a hashtag already- at my school, Trinity Western University, a good friend of mine, Jeremy, has recently organized and promoted a hashtag that everyone using twitter at the University can use. It is #tdub, if you click the link you will see the real time conversation of many different students, faculty, and staff at TWU! This is a great way to stay connected to the buzz at your school, connect with new and interesting people, and also both learn about new events and promote your own at the right times!
If your school doesn’t have a hashtag, get one started! This is another great opportunity to build your online presence and personal brand, and it is very easy. Please feel free to check Jeremy out on twitter and ask him any questions about how he got the #tdub hashtag out!
Jump In!
It may seem intimidating jumping into this new world, especially if your goal is to reach out and make some great new connections in your area of interest. But you have nothing to lose, except the opportunity itself! My brother, Jordan, at the University of Arizona has recently joined Twitter and hit the ground running starting conversations with many different leaders and interesting people in all areas. It has great to see his progress and the connections he has made, this same opportunity is there for everyone!
Have you had success or failure in your social media campaign? How have you benefited as a student from Twitter? I would love to hear from you, please join the conversation with me in the comments!
