Lately, I've noticed many more #faculty using #socialmedia to promote their work.
I think it's great. It means academics are learning to translate their work into a language that is accessible to broader audiences.
I'm also seeing more advice offered to academics on how to use social media to build an online #brand & offline #reputation.
For example, here are excellent tips by Timo Mandler: https://lnkd.in/gRRgDguF
However, there is also risk with chasing a social media #brandingstrategy - you must back it up or else!
Authors of tips (like Timo or me) assume that readers have the substance to back up their desired image.
Many do not.
Substance refers to intellectual artifacts, skills, & time necessary to align an online image with offline behavior that makes you credible in your academic community.
So how do you go about building the "substance" necessary to support a positive image in your academic community?
First, publish. At the core of every academic reputation sits a corpus of published work - it can be in a traditional form of a book, journal, proceeding, or a contemporary form of a blog, a youtube channel, or a Ted talk.
Published work provides credibility to your social media poss & academic brand. It is tough to speak on a topic, no matter how many posts you create or retweets you share, if you have not done or shared real work on a topic.
Absent published work, you are not credible.
Second, establish credibility. The gold standard for credibility remains peer review. A second metric for credibility is viewers' eyeballs - citations or mentions. Either add substance.
Lest one dismisses eyeballs, I will never forget being sent a manuscript & told: "This study has appeared in thousands of news articles; if it's true, let's find a way to publish it quickly."
Fortunately, the paper was exciting & had the necessary rigor, it found a smooth path to publication. Eyeballs matter.
Third, work hard. While a branding strategy can elevate your visibility, failing to deliver promised work can deliver a reputation for sandbagging.
You can't "academic-wash" a lack of work ethic or knowledge forever. No matter how much you tweet or share positive energy - absent hard work - experts will eventually point out that the emperor has no clothes.
Fourth, promote; but, don't overstate. You want people to be aware of your work and competence. Presenting a ho-hum journal as a top hit undermines that awareness.
Your image hinges on authenticity and honesty.
As you build your brand, these common-sense tips to build it on actual competencies, deliver promised work, and show you know your work's worth, can help you build a positive image that serves as a strong foundation for your career.
Best of luck!
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