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Networks for Change: Social Media for Social Impact A CSVC Panel On Trends and Change The number of Facebook and Twitter users grows each day and the amount of time we spend using technology seems to multiply by the minute. How do you break through this noise and leverage social media to make a difference and take action? Four leaders in the social media space spoke to these issues during a November event that kicked off Smith’s celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Sponsored by the Center for Social Value Creation with support from the Dingman Center For Entrepreneurship and moderated by the Center for Social Value Creation’s Assistant Director Guillermo Olivos, the panel provided students with specific action items on how to use their wide social media networks to further the causes they believe in. Wendy Harman from the American Red Cross provided the most vivid example of the immediate use of Twitter and social media in an emergency. During the 2011 tornados in Joplin, Missouri Wendy was able to connect people stuck in their homes with one another through Twitter. She was home that evening after work and noticed a significant amount of Twitter traffic using the hashtag #tornados. Versed in observing the use of hashtags and Tweeters talking about the Red Cross, Wendy noticed that a lot of people were saying they were stuck in their bathtubs. Wendy was able to make a connection between these people and provide much need timely assistance on how to stay safe. At the end of the panel I had a chance to speak with panelists Devon Smith from Threespot and Danielle Brigida from the National Wildlife Federation one-on-one about how we, as students at the University of Maryland, can use social media to further our work on campus and our careers. Some advice that I found most useful was to remember that everything you post online, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can and will be traced to you. Many times we view this as a potential threat for employment, but I think it can also be a really powerful venue to show who you are and what you are passionate about. By connecting with causes, issues and companies that matter to you online you can grow your personal network and contacts and demonstrated that you are up-to-date on the latest trends and are on the cutting edge of your field. Get connected, start following the causes that are important to you, and get involved. Follow our panelists on Twitter:
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| © Center for Social Value Creation Newsletter, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland |