Category Archives: My Social Journey

Atlas Sliced

Atlas Sliced Interview: Sharing Social Media Tips with the World

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Last week I had the honor of being featured in Slice #61 on Atlas Sliced, the web’s only travel show that offers advice for those looking to work and live abroad. In the interview, Alexa Hart, founder of Atlas Sliced, asks me questions about why social media is important, as well as how it can help you in your career, and even help you go abroad. Watch the full episode below to get some tips on using social media to promote yourself positively and professionally.

EPISODE SLICE #61: Using Your Travels & Social Media to Create a Positive Online Persona


A big shout-out and thank you to Alexa for having me on the show! Be sure to check out Atlas Sliced on Facebook & Twitter.

HootSuite Dashboard

A Hoot-Tastic Opportunity

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HootCampusThis week’s FAQ post is being put on hold in order to highlight an amazing initiative from HootSuite. For those of you who may not be familiar, HootSuite is a powerful social media tool, and as a company has many other programs and departments that aim to help students and professionals develop their social media knowledge and skills. One such program is their HootSuite Campus Ambassador Program, which works with university students around the world to gain experience in various roles. I am excited to announce that I have been asked to join the program as the first HootSuite Campus Ambassador Program Mentor!

What exactly is the HootSuite Campus Ambassador Program?

“The HootSuite Campus Ambassador program helps students connect with each other, lead the social media space at their school and community and represent HootSuite on campus, while gaining valuable career experience.” Students can apply online to become an Ambassador for their school, and then will be assigned one of four Ambassador roles:

  1. HootUp Star – Responsible for hosting HootUps, which are ultimately HootSuite inspired TweetUps, on and around campus, and reporting/sharing the results.
  2. Content Writer – Works to compose blog posts to be featured on HootSuite’s blog HootSource, helps curate content for HootCampus’ social media channels, and interviews others about their HootSuite experiences.
  3. The Moderator – Helps come up with topics for Hangouts and Twitter chats, and collaborates with Liaisons to bring in special guests.
  4. Trusty Liaison – Network and talk to students, professors/instructors, professionals and invite them to HootUps, Hangouts, and chats.

Each Ambassador is encouraged to be creative and bring their own flair to their role. Ambassadors are also given 3 months access to HootSuite University in which they can earn their HootSuite Professional Certification.

What will I do as a mentor for HootCampus?

As a mentor to the HootSuite Campus Ambassadors, I will provide help and advice for the Ambassadors in their respective roles, participate in Hangouts, chats, and HootUps, and work to spread the word about the program and recruit new Campus Ambassadors. Here are some of the ideas I have as a mentor:

  • Utilize Google Hangouts and Twitter Chats to connect with the Campus Ambassadors and answer questions
  • Brainstorm ideas to help the Ambassadors expand and develop their roles and projects
  • Introduce Campus Ambassadors to other social media professionals for chats or mock interviews

How can you get involved?

If you’re a student, consider applying to be a HootSuite Campus Ambassador! This is a perfect way to edge your way into the world of social media, network, and add valuable experience to your resume. And anyone can participate in #HSUChats and network with others on Twitter, as well as get their HootSuite Certification through HootSuite University. Overall, it’s a hoot-tastic opportunity and I’m honored to be a part of it!

Questions or comments? Post them below!

The New & Improved SocialMediaForStudents.com!

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I have finally gotten to an item that has been on my mental to-do list for over a year now – revive SocialMediaForStudents.com!

Check!Having originally created this site for my senior honors thesis, I did what I promised I wouldn’t and barely touched it after I completed my thesis presentation (in which I got an A+)! I could list excuses for not having posted in over a year, but I’m more excited about announcing the following:

1. SMFS Got a Face-Lift!

I thought it only appropriate that the re-introduction of SMFS came complete with a new look, updated info, and new, exciting ideas for content. Some of the changes include:

2. New FAQs Blog Series

When I asked myself what types of content I want to start posting, I came up with the idea of starting a FAQs blog series. In other words, I’ll answer a FAQ about social media or online marketing. While I have started a list of what I think are frequently asked questions about social media, I want to hear what questions are on your mind. Post them in the comments below, and I’ll add them to the list!

Now, as I once wrote, too long ago…join me in learning social media one lesson at a time!

What is your definition of social media?

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Social Media cloudAs I continue to write “lessons” about social media, I am more and more interested in what students actually want to know about social media.  While continuing to work on my thesis, I have conducted some in-depth interviews to try to answer the question, “What do you want to learn about social media?”

I have learned that many students are unclear about what social media means to them, therefore what they want to learn about it is a bit cloudy.  So, the question became “What is your definition of social media?”

The answers varied, and I realized that perhaps I should attempt to define social media.  First, here are some common definitions I’ve found on the web:

The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue (Wikipedia).

Merriam-Webster defines Social Media as forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).

Although I easily found these definitions with a Google search, it is clear that the definition of social media is still evolving.  However, I made the mistake of assuming that everyone was at least familiar with some form of the above definitions.  In actuality, many students think of social media as much more than what might otherwise be referred to as “social networks,” such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

When I hear the term social media, I immediately think of social networks.  Do I have tunnel vision?  Is social media more than social networks and how we use them?  Over the last couple of weeks I have had to second-guess my definition.  Does social media have to be technology based?

Perhaps a more broad definition could be: “Social Media is media, electronically based or otherwise, that enables users to communicate in an interactive and highly social capacity.”

What do you think?  What is your definition of social media?

Becoming a Certified HootSuite Professional

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Certified HootSuite ProfessionalIf you haven’t heard of HootSuite, it is a brilliant social media dashboard that makes managing social media accounts a breeze.   As a HootSuite Pro account holder, I am able to add unlimited social media accounts and streams to one dashboard for easy and controlled management. For Community Management, HootSuite is a life saver.

Having used HootSuite for quite some time now I decided it would only be fitting to become a Certified HootSuite Professional.  In order to do so, one must enroll themselves in HootSuite University – a series of online tutorials and webinars that walk you through the many uses of the HootSuite Dashboard.  After completing the required courses for certification, you are awarded a certification and badge.

I am proud to have completed my certification today – so of course I am showing off my new badge!

The Beginning

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Why am I really writing this blog you may ask? (Besides the reasons in the “About” section.)  For several reasons, but the most prominent is in order to create my Senior Honors Thesis for the Colorado State University Honors Program.  Luckily, an Honors Thesis is different than a Graduate Thesis in the respect that it doesn’t have to be a research paper (WooHoo!), but it can be a creative project – something that reflects my interests in a unique way.  Therefore, this site will serve as the creative project for my Honors Thesis, as well as a way for me to share my journey as an Honors student.  So, bear with me while I tackle my thesis and try to be creative!