Welcome to The Social Academic blog. I'm Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I share articles and interviews on managing your online presence.
Start here to learn about the blog. And get a full listing of articles, interviews, and videos.
Like, comment, and share: what's the best way to engage on social media? Discover 9 ways to interact with posts online.
Read more What Is Social Media Engagement? Likes, Shares, and Comments
Social media, collaboration, and networking are all topics from the 2020 YouTube live series.
You should update your social media profiles 1-2x per year. Here's a step-by-step guide to help.
Read more How to Update Your Social Media Profile in 10 Steps
Do you feel like social media is consuming your life? Hear from academics like you. And, get tips to spend less time on social media.
Read more Is Social Media Consuming Your Life? Let’s Talk About Digital Wellbeing
Aaron Shepard is a robotics intern at NASA Langley. This feature interview focuses on talking about your science on video. Learn about Aaron's TEDx Talk and why he loves science communication.
Read more Aaron Shepard Talks NASA, Robots, and Starting Company Cogito
Social media stories are a limited time 24-hour social media post, and they're a great way to connect with your audience.
PhD student Jennifer Adams @RunwayRedLA joins me to talk about what it's like to be an Instagram influencer.
Read more Jennifer Adams Talks Being an Instagram Influencer and PhD Life
What should you ask for this holiday season? Check out my top recommendations for your gift list in 2020 for professors and researchers like you.
Novelist Steven Dunn joins me to talk about writing, Facebook, and being yourself online: "Facebook is my playtime."
A common fear or anxiety academics have about Twitter is that someone will have have a strong negative reaction to something you share. The extreme version of that fear: What happens if your tweet becomes front page news? Let's talk about what happens when tweets go wrong.
Read more When Tweets Go Wrong: Dealing with Negative Reactions on Twitter
Ruth C. White, PhD joined YouTube with the goal of getting on TV. Her 1st YouTube video landed her on The Today Show, and she's booked recurring TV spots since. Learn how.
Read more A Chat with Ruth C. White about YouTube and Being on TV
The simplest website structure for academics is a 1-page personal website. Learn what's needed on your website and how to get started.
Read more A 1-Page Academic Personal Website Should Include These 6 Things
Direct messages are a great way to have conversations. And that means they're my favorite way to network. Echo Rivera, PhD and I talk direct messages and social media for networking as introverts.
In this interview I chat with scientist and STEM website designer Brittany Trinh. And this one's on video! Dive into this chat about all things websites.
Chris Cloney, PhD of GradBlogger and DustSafetyScience joins me to talk about how his grad school research blog has grown into an independent research company. Then he answers your questions about blogging.
Read more Chris Cloney of GradBlogger Talks Turning his Blog into a Business
Check out my top tips for your social media profiles when you're on the job market. I go in-depth into LinkedIn and Twitter for jobseekers.
From celebrating your teaching on social media to updating your LinkedIn profile. Here are 5 ways to let people know about your teaching online.
Get started with the process of managing your online presence in academia with these 3 steps.
This step-by-step guide teaches you how to create an academic personal website. From content creation to launch, this guide is the how-to you need.
Jacklyn Lord manages marketing and communications for the Society for Scholarly Publishing. She loves pop culture and social media. We talk online identity in this interview and her advice for scholarly writers like you.
Read more A Chat with Jacklyn Lord of the Society for Scholarly Publishing
Andrew Paulsen is a senior educational advisor and doctoral candidate who loves to travel A doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University, Andrew Paulsen is making strides to change education in America. In this interview we talk about his travels across the United States in his role as a senior educational advisor at Agile Mind. And how…
Read more EdD Candidate Andrew Paulsen Talks Teaching and Travel
Ever see the disclaimer "Likes and retweets are not endorsements"? Let's talk about what people think it means, the true effects of sharing on social media, and what to add instead.
Read more Likes and Retweets Are Endorsements on Social Media
LinkedIn is the top platform I recommend for grad students, faculty and researchers because it's all about connecting and building a network. Learn why and get 7 exclusive tips for your LinkedIn profile.
Read more LinkedIn as Networking Platform for Faculty and Researchers in 2020
Let's talk about what to include on your personal academic website. Here are 10 ideas to jumpstart your website design for academics and researchers.
Read more 10 Highlights to Include on Your Personal Academic Website
Melanie Bruce wears many hats as a marketing professor and as an entrepreneur with multiple businesses. In the final academic interview of 2019, we chat about why that balance works well for Melanie, who says, "the research that I'm doing, the up-to-date knowledge that I'm gaining, that I'm keeping up-to-date from my academic position, that helps me be a better entrepreneur." We talk about social media, balancing academic life, and more.
Read more Melanie Bruce of The Leveraged PhD Talks Instagram
Norman Eng teaches educators to communicate with their audiences. We talk balancing teaching with being a business owner. And, how self-publishing can be a great option for academics. Check out this interview for Norman's clear and concrete advice.
Read more Norman Eng Author of Teaching College Talks Self-Publishing
Lauren Smart is a journalist and professor of practice at Southern Methodist University. In this chat we talk about social media in and out of the classroom.
Read more Journalist Lauren Smart Talks Social Media and Teaching
Tomi Oluwasanmi, MPH chats with me about her teaching practices and use of YouTube live. And we talk about using social media to start conversations with your network.
Read more Tomi Oluwasanmi Talks Networking and Teaching with YouTube
For many academics, the idea of a personal website is a nice one - for someone else. Someone with the time and skills. A surprising number of academic websites are outdated. Many are unmanaged. Learn why, and how to avoid it in this post.
Read more Pitfalls of Personal Academic Websites You Want to Avoid
Walter D. Greason, PhD is a historian, educator and urbanist prolific on social media.
Learn how he uses Twitter and social media.
Read more Historian Walter D. Greason Talks Twitter and Community
Let's talk about how you can use Instagram to network and find your academic community. Learn how to find people with similar interests. And about the interactive things you can do.
Read more How Academics Can Use Instagram to Build Community
Sophie Arthur, is a science communicator interested in curiosity.
Based in the United Kingdom, she runs the blog Soph Talks Science, winner of the 2018 UK Blog Awards.
Check out my in-depth guide to social media for professors, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and more.
Read more Social Media Platforms for Academics, A Breakdown of the Networks
Personal websites are the most effective way to share your academic accomplishments. Let's talk about the benefits of a personal academic website.
Read more 8 Benefits of a Personal Academic Website to Inspire You
Taking a break from social media has so many benefits. And practically no consequences. This post is all about how it can help you.
Read more It’s OK to Take a Break from Social Media and How to Detox
Meet the interview features of 2019: Leigh A. Hall, Greg Loring-Albright, Jazmine Benjamin, Echo Rivera, Daisy Shu, and Jessica Doble, Sophie Arthur, Walter D. Greason, Tomi Oluwasanmi, Lauren Smart, Norman Eng, and Melanie Bruce.
Read more Meet the Social Academics, My Interview Guests of 2019
This post is all about enjoying your time on social media. Academics and researchers are busy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy your social media life.
Read more Enjoy Social Media? I Asked Academic Twitter Here’s What You Said
PhD candidate Jessica Doble researches fanfiction and online communities in popular culture media.
We chat about Instagram, Twitter, and having the feed you really want.
Read more PhD Candidate Jessica Doble Talks Fanfiction and Social Media Management
I chat with Daisy Shu, a postdoc at Harvard's Schepens Eye Research Institute.
We talk about her journey to enjoying social media and the people who inspired her. Then, learn about her experience crowdfunding her PhD research!
Read more Postdoc Daisy Shu Talks Science Communication on Instagram
Whether you have a new book hitting stores, or are just starting on your manuscript, social media is the best way to get the word out there.
Let's talk about what you need to share your new book on social media.
Read more You Wrote a Book, Now What? Share Your News on Social Media
I chat with Jazmine Benjamin, a Cellular and Molecular Biology PhD student at University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She's made great connections on social media. Learn about her research, and social media life!
Read more PhD Student Jazmine Benjamin Talks Community on Twitter
I chat with Dr. Echo Rivera, who helps academics and scientists communicate through presentations.
We talk about using Twitter all day, jumping into conversations, and more.
Read more Echo Rivera Talks Presentations and #DeathByPowerPoint
Every presentation or talk you give is a chance to make an impact.
Let's talk talk about the benefits of announcing your talk on social media.
Read more Prep for your Next Conference Presentation with Social Media
Greg-Loring Albright is a 2nd year Communications and Media PhD student at Drexel University.
We talk about game design, Twitter, and social media life.
Read more PhD Student Greg Loring-Albright Talks Crowdfunding on Social Media and Game Design
Academic writing takes a long time. Peer review is slow.
That's why it's so important to start talking about your project now.
Read more Share Your Academic Writing on Social Media with Process Writing
Meet Leigh A. Hall, PhD, Professor of Adolescent Literature at the University of Wyoming in the 1st feature interview on The Social Academic blog.
Read more Leigh A. Hall of Teaching Academia Talks About YouTube
People tell you to join Twitter for the conversation, or connect on Facebook. Once you get there, what's the best way to ensure you have a good time?
Social media is a two-way street. It's important that you follow the right people to have a curated feed.
By following the right people, you take control of the types of content you are regularly exposed to. This is true for every platform.
Read more New to Social Media? Find Your Scholarly Network with These Tips
Graduate students need the holiday season to relax. It's important to practice self-care, and spend time with friends and family. But what do you buy them?
You want your grad student to have the gift they need this holiday season. You know them well, but do you know what they need for their grad school life?
My gift guide is here to help.
Chances are you're spending time this holiday season with friends and family outside your specialty.
Whether you're an student or faculty member, explaining how and what you do can feel overwhelming. Ask yourself
What is the impact of your work?
What part will be of most interest to this group?
What can I compare this to?
Read more Communicate Your Academic Life This Holiday Season
Studies of "documented the exacting nature of self-promotion," but the reality is, most researchers and academics are missing out by not connecting with a huge potential audience on social media.
Read my 3 Myths on Social Media and discover why you should get on board.
Read more Let’s Bust 3 Myths About Social Media for Academics