Thing 12: Putting the social into social media

There's been a lot of discussion lately about how social media facilitated/encouraged the recent riots in the UK. I think that it's just a new method of bringing people together. In the past people have managed to organise demonstrations/football hooliganism without the use of social media so it's just a new tool and those that don't use or understand it simply jump on the bandwagon and start trashing it. If these people googled cpd23 they'd find out how useful social media can be!

The last few weeks following cpd23 have encourage me to use social media to meet a purpose. Instead of reading blogs on a Friday afternoon at work I now write my blog posts too and reflect on how to use the tools in my job. This has introduced regular reflection into my week. I've linked up with a few others on the course and it's nice to find supportive, like-minded online friends. Not only have I talked about cpd23 and social media on the blog, friends and colleagues are interested in what I'm learning and blogging about and even my Mum has started to read my blog.

I've been using blogs to keep up to date with the world of libraries and education for a couple of years now but it's this course that has made me sort out all the random links and get myself involved rather than sitting on the sidelines. I started tweeting earlier this year and check Facebook regularly but had never really thought about how to use it professionally - until now.

I intend to keep using social media in my work (where I am permitted) and some of the tools we have used so far I will use professionally and personally - like Twitter, Facebook and Evernote.

Thing 6: Online networks

I know other people who are on LinkedIn and in the past I've poked around in their profiles to see what sort of info they shared. I had steered clear of it myself because it didn't seem relevant to me as I'm not looking for a new job or for any freelance stuff. Since trying it out for Thing 6 I've decided that it's a good way to keep my CV up to date - this is something I'm very bad at. With the current state of the economy and job market I need to make sure my CV is updated and presentable at short notice. I can't see myself using LinkedIn to keep in contact with colleagues but if I was searching for a new job it would be invaluable to find out about the company and people that work there. I have joined a couple of LinkedIn groups but have just amended my profile to stop all the emails alerting me to new discussions as they were filling up my inbox.
The comment 'Facebook is the backyard BBQ; LinkedIn is the office' stuck a chord with me. I intend to keep Facebook as my locked-down, non-professional network. I'm all for maintaining a work/life balance and have no intention of being in the office (virtually or physically) when I don't need to be. I love my job but there is life outside of libraries.

I'm already a member of CILIP Communities and have kept my short profile up to date. I joined a while ago because I'm a mentor for the Chartership etc scheme. Chartership candidates looking for a mentor can find out a bit about my professional background which helps them pick the right mentor for them.

I'm pleased I've joined all these networks but now need to keep a tight reign on the info that comes out of them or I fear I'll have generated my own information overload.

Thing 3: Consider your personal brand

I don't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be slightly miffed. I tried Googling my name, trawled through the first 10 pages of results and found nothing! I'd like to point out that if you Google my name I'm not the author, the glamour model or the housing manager.  Still I carried on thinking I must be on the old interweb somewhere. I added in 'library' and lo and behold I found a couple of references to me.

On the first page of results I found a photo of me that I can't remember being taken nor did I give my permission for it to be put on the web with my full name! In terms of boosting my online presence, it's not my best side and I could do with a little airbrushing so I won't be getting snapped up for Paris Fashion Week. It's work-related but I think you should always ask permission if you put someone's photo up on the web. I would have said ok but not with my full name just my job title.

On the third page of results I found my work contact details. The fact that it only appeared on the third page doesn't say an awful lot for the web presence of my institution.

On the fifth page was my Twitter account. I've recently made my tweets public but think this will only last as long as cpd23 because I feel a little vulnerable. I keep my Facebook page locked down as much as possible as this is my personal not professional space - not that there's anything outrageous on it.

In terms of improving my brand I need to up my comments, tweets, blog posts etc to generate some more traffic. I'm hoping cpd23 will help with this.