Everyday #highered Social Media: great story & tips by Alaina Wiens (@alainawiens) from UM-Flint

Alaina Wiens, Web Content Strategist at University of Michigan-Flint, is one of the 12 higher ed professionals who presented at the 1st Higher Ed Social Media Conference in December 2013.

Alaina is in charge of social media at her institution.

In this 3-question interview from November 2013, Alaina tells 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?

In 2012, the University of Michigan-Flint held its first 24-hour photo project, where all members of the campus community were asked to post photos of their “day in the life at UM-Flint” to Twitter, Instagram, or Flickr.

It was the first large-scale social media project we’d attempted, and we weren’t sure what kind of participation we’d get.

It was so exciting to see those photos come in throughout the day! Almost 1,500 in total from around 250 people.

2) What is your favorite social media tool of all time?

Twitter. No question. I’ve made so many valuable connections with some of the smartest people in higher education, many of which have become invaluable friendships. Twitter allows us to connect with large numbers of people on a regular basis, around specific topics or nothing specific at all, as deeply or as surface-level as we like.

3) What advice would you give to somebody who is just starting in social media?

Reach out. Connect with other people who do what you do. Connect with people who inspire you. The tools, tactics, and terminology changes all the time–but the root is always the people. Ask questions. Share what you learn. And never stop learning.