Social Media – The Academic Designer

How to Update Your Social Media Profile in 10 Steps

You should update your social media profiles 1-2x per year. Here's a step-by-step guide to help.

Is Social Media Consuming Your Life? Let’s Talk About Digital Wellbeing

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.

Aaron Shepard Talks NASA, Robots, and Starting Company Cogito

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.

Aaron Shepard feature interview on The Social Academic blog

What are Social Media Stories? Sharing Stories on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

Social media stories are a limited time 24-hour social media post, and they're a great way to connect with your audience.

Jennifer Adams Talks Being an Instagram Influencer and PhD Life

PhD student Jennifer Adams @RunwayRedLA joins me to talk about what it's like to be an Instagram influencer.

Writer Steven Dunn Talks Facebook and Community

Novelist Steven Dunn joins me to talk about writing, Facebook, and being yourself online: "Facebook is my playtime."

When Tweets Go Wrong: Dealing with Negative Reactions on Twitter

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.

A Chat with Ruth C. White about YouTube and Being on TV

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.

Connect through Direct Messaging on Social Media

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.

hands holding phone finger touching screen

Brittany Trinh Talks STEM Website Design

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 of GradBlogger Talks Turning his Blog into a Business

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.

Social Media Tips for the Job Market

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.

5 Ways to Showcase Your Teaching Online

From celebrating your teaching on social media to updating your LinkedIn profile. Here are 5 ways to let people know about your teaching online.

How to Manage Your Online Presence in Academia

Get started with the process of managing your online presence in academia with these 3 steps.

A Chat with Jacklyn Lord of the Society for Scholarly Publishing

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.

EdD Candidate Andrew Paulsen Talks Teaching and Travel

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…

Melanie Bruce of The Leveraged PhD Talks Instagram

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.

How Academics Can Use Instagram to Build 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.

Social Media Platforms for Academics, A Breakdown of the Networks

Check out my in-depth guide to social media for professors, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and more.

It’s OK to Take a Break from Social Media and How to Detox

Taking a break from social media has so many benefits. And practically no consequences. This post is all about how it can help you.

Meet the Social Academics, My Interview Guests of 2019

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.

Enjoy Social Media? I Asked Academic Twitter Here’s What You Said

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.

PhD Candidate Jessica Doble Talks Fanfiction and Social Media Management

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.

You Wrote a Book, Now What? Share Your News on Social Media

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.

Prep for your Next Conference Presentation with Social Media

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.

Share Your Academic Writing on Social Media with Process Writing

Academic writing takes a long time. Peer review is slow.

That's why it's so important to start talking about your project now.

New to Social Media? Find Your Scholarly Network with These Tips

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.

Welcome to The Social Academic

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.