Social Media Building Blocks and Breadcrumbs: Two Case Studies and a Discussion About the Potential of Personal Connections in Social Media

To many, social media is just another mass media outlet. And yes, it can be a very effective way of sharing our information with a wide audience. But social media also provides unique opportunities to join conversations, develop relationships, and discover mutually beneficial connections with people that could not happen any other way. In the process, social media becomes more valuable to our professional goals and more satisfying as an integral part of our work. Using two case studies, this session will examine: 1) the value of making personal connections through social media in light of your work, 2) where and how personal connections can be initiated and nurtured, and 3) how personal connections help redefine social media successes.