The document discusses curating an online presence and managing different social media platforms. It provides an overview of common platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and how to optimize a profile for each. Specific tips are given for creating a LinkedIn profile, using Twitter at conferences, and getting started with blogging. Managing an online reputation, connecting with others, and maintaining content over time are also addressed. The goal is to thoughtfully represent yourself online and utilize various tools to develop your professional network.

1. Curating your online presence
Putting your best foot forward in the digital world
MGA EP Workshop 4 June 2018

2. Introductions
 Dr Regan Forrest
 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reganforrest/ (joined 2007)
 Facebook: facebook.com/regan.forrest (joined 2008?)
 Twitter: @interactivate (joined 2009)
 Instagram: @interactivate (joined 2011?)
 Blog: reganforrest.com.au (2010-2015)

3. Overview
 Why curate an online presence?
 Online presence basics
 Overview of different platforms and their uses
 BREAK
 Creating and maintaining your LinkedIn profile
 Twitter and tweeting at conferences
 BREAK
 Blogging
 Summarise and share with other EP workshop groups

4. Why curate an online presence?
 Develop your reputation/profile
 Bounce, share, develop ideas
 Be part of a global conversation
 Be visible to prospective employers
(or clients)
 Have the tools to research and grow your
network
“I was hired because
of the Internet”
- Colleen Dilenschneider

5. Different online footprints
 Social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram)
 Posts on by social platforms (e.g. LinkedIn articles)
 Stand-alone blogs
 Long-form platforms (e.g. Medium)
 Specialist networking platforms (Academia.edu)
 Podcasting / Video

6. Avatars: first impressions and branding

7. Avatar selection: considerations
 Rule one – don’t have a blank avatar!!
 People will associate you with it
 Do you want to be recognisable?
 Suitability to platform – format and style
 Reflecting your personality and interests vs. keeping it generic
 Consistency vs. changing with the times (age, stage of career, etc)
 Background/cover images can add personality and context to a basic headshot

8. Professional headshot suite

9. Understanding different platforms
(and who uses them)
(2014 data)

10. Matching your presence to the platform
Credit: @johnfoxUX
via Twitter

11. Twitter
Good for:
 Conference hashtags
 Following events in real time
 Getting to know who’s who
 Complementing with networking IRL
Potential issues:
 Brevity without context
 Timezone sensitive (slightly less so lately)
 Generally not where our visitors live
“Australian Twitter is
rubbish!”
- @amyldale

12. Facebook
Good for:
 Very widely used platform
 Groups and pages on areas of interest
 Best platform for connecting to (most)
museum audiences
Potential issues:
 Less “professional”
 Privacy!
 Algorithms can limit what you see

13. Instagram
Good for:
 Pictures say more than words
 Fastest-growing among audiences
 Hashtags
Potential issues:
 Lack of inbuilt reposting limits reach
 Comments more than real dialogue
 Supplementary rather than stand-alone
platform (unless you’re in a highly visual
area of work)

14. Instagram – suggested examples
@timothylongfashioncurator
@aaroncanipe
@ladynaturalist
@museummammy
@latinainmuseums
@museum_whisperer
@amyldale
@oliviameehan_

15. LinkedIn
Good for:
 Virtual business cards
 Stay connected to colleagues who
change employer
 Monitor movements in the field
 Being visible to recruiters and prospective
employers
 Online CV that can include more details
than will fit on your application
Potential issues:
 Groups can be spammy
 Unsolicited sales pitches
 Random job suggestions and
endorsements
 Connection request etiquette

16. Curating online presence in academia
 Academia.edu
 Altmetrics
 Mendeley
 Google scholar

17. Discussion – other
platforms?

18. Staying out of trouble online
 Know your employer’s SM policy:
follow it but don’t fear it
 Don’t feed the trolls: disagree and debate
respectfully
 Consider separate personal & professional
accounts
 Internet memory is “unfairly long”
 . . . But your views will evolve over time and
that’s OK. Own it.

19. Be aware of biases (conscious or otherwise)
 Whose voices are heard and amplified?
 Whose aren’t?
 Network or clique?
 What assumptions are made about you
online?
 What assumptions do you make about
others?
Credit @MariamVeiszadeh via Twitter

20. Break

21. Creating your LinkedIn profile

22. Profile tips
 Professional, recognisable profile picture
 Customise your profile’s URL – and put this on your CV
 Maintain a (reasonably) complete employment history
 Add details as relevant to your career interests: publications, patents, projects, volunteering
 Manage profile order – don’t just leave it to defaults

23. Managing employment history over time

24. LinkedIn profile clinic

25. Using LinkedIn as a networking tool
 Consider writing articles or other activity to boost profile views
 Write recommendations and endorsements (but only genuine ones)
 Change settings if you’re job hunting (or open to offers)
 Look up other people’s profiles prior to a meeting or job interview

26. Connection etiquette
 Don’t be afraid to connect “up” – but only if there is a genuine link
 Personal notes and “thanks for connecting” messages – thoughts???
 Don’t bait-and-switch new connections by immediately trying to sell them something
 Remember people can usually tell when you’ve looked at their profile, if they choose to
 L.I.O.N.s

27. Researching others on LinkedIn
 Search by name, skills, location, organisation
 Research recruiters and selection panel members
 See who’s connected to whom: request introductions (either on the platform or off)
 Visibility on other platforms (e.g. Twitter)

28. Twitter profiles

29. Twitter at Conferences
Features
 Listen in on conversations and observe
what people are finding interesting/
tweetworthy
 Vicariously follow multiple parallel sessions
 An icebreaker for meeting people IRL
 Find others to mix with at social events
 Matching handles to people (particularly
speakers)
Bugs
 “What did she say while I was tweeting
that??”
 Device-juggling distractions
 FOMO and session envy can be
magnified

30. Not sure what to say?
 Start with summarising: noncontroversial, don’t need anything of your own to share
 Be useful: did a speaker mention a website or a report? Post a link to it with the
conference hashtag
 Watch and listen: follow the cue of others for tone and content if you’re not sure

31. Don’t forget – you probably know more
than you think you know!

32. Break

33. Blogging – getting started
 My first blog post: June 2010:
http://reganforrest.com.au/2010/06/a-restless-and-disgruntled-visitor-writes-in-the-monthly/

34. Blogging: finding your voice
 Subject matter: what interests you? What do you know something about?
(What do you want to learn more about?)
 Style: articles, listicles, note form, images, etc.
 Go it alone or as part of a group?
 Test the waters on other platforms: LinkedIn Articles, Medium, etc.

35. Don’t just post it, promote it!
 Share new posts on other platforms
 Build a subscriber base
 Categories and tags for organising and searching

36. Blogging: keeping going
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37. Blogging roadblocks
 “Content fatigue”
 Time and headspace
 Sometimes it’s just too personal
 Confidentiality and dirty laundry

38. Sample Blogging Layouts
trevorodonnell.com

39. Sample Blogging Layouts
museumtwo.blogspot.com.au/

40. Sample Blogging Layouts
browngirlsmuseumblog.com

41. Sample Blogging Layouts
notyourtypicalmuseumguy.wordpress.com

42. Blogging Frequency and Lifespan
 Ed Rodley https://thinkingaboutmuseums.com/author/erodley/
 Science 365: daily blogging for a year 2012-13
https://scienceforlife365.wordpress.com/about/
 Please be seated https://stevetokar.wordpress.com/

43. Remember what I said about
Impostor Syndrome?

44. Closing thoughts . . .
“I’ve built a brand by being myself and I work hard not to stray far
from that . . . But be a “yourself” who is true to you and also balances
that with what you are trying to do and achieve. . .”
- Colleen Dilenschneider