Ma’ayan Plaut, Manager of Social Strategy and Projects at Oberlin College, is one of the 12 higher ed professionals who presented at the 1st Higher Ed Social Media Conference in December 2013.
In this 3-question interview from November 2013, Ma’ayan told us about one of her great social media moments, her favorite social tool and shares some advice.
1) Can you share one of your great social media moments with us?
My favorite social media moments involve interacting with our students, especially the newest members of our campus community. As one of the representatives on our incoming class groups, I get to absorb all their enthusiasm as it builds during the summer, and once that excitement collides with arriving on campus, it’s overwhelming in the best possible way.
I’ve taken that opportunity to drift around campus and introduce myself as “Ma’ayan, the girl from the internet!” as a warm welcome to our community. (And of course, we loop our students into our fun social projects right from the get-go, too. That’s always fun!)
2) What is your favorite social media tool of all time?
All time?!
Almost definitely blogs. They can be whatever I want them to be and it’s up to me/my ideas to make it great. It’s not media or character limited, and it’s more flexible when it comes to shifting with the times as I shift.
3) What advice would you give to somebody who is just starting in social media?
Think. At least a little bit if not a lot about what you’re doing every time you do it.
The internet is no different than real life (it is real life) but the pace of the internet means that the world as a whole, by extension, is moving faster too. Social media is a reflection of us and what we do, but rather than take that as an inevitable, use it as an opportunity to proactively reflect on what you’re doing and why.
