After last year’s kickoff meeting for UH’s Social Media Student Alliance was something of a disappointment, the staff members replaced their discouragement with the determination to work harder organizing this year.
UH social media coordinators Jessica Brand and Kimberly Davis, along with public relations senior J.C. Gage, worked as a team throughout the year to find students interested in taking a proactive approach toward getting UHSMSA off the ground.
“We had an opportunity to put together an event that could change the way our students view social media,” Gage said.
A panel of five professionals in the communications field spoke at Tuesday’s meeting about the incorporation of social media in their careers and offered advice regarding Internet etiquette.
The thin line between appropriate and inappropriate web content, as well as when to incorporate humorous anecdotes, were among the many topics of discussion and were answered with varying opinions.
There was one thing, however, that they all agreed was non-negotiable: attribution.
“Give credit where credit is due,” said Amy Carl, junior account executive at 20K Group.
Grace Rodriguez, co-founder of design and marketing studio Culture Pilot, said it was necessary to take advantage of everything social media has to offer if building a personal brand. She emphasized that while it can be fun to communicate with friends, utilizing particular platforms relative to your career goals is rewarding.
“It’s about being an advocate for yourself and putting intelligent content out there,” Rodriguez said.
The organization recently became registered with the Center for Student Involvement and is now searching for leaders to organize Fall 2013 events.
Gage said although he knew from the beginning he would only be able to serve on the board for a couple months, his passion for social media compelled him to get involved.
“I recognize the importance of it,” Gage said, “and wanted to share that with as many people as possible before I graduate.”
