Course at University of Copenhagen: Boost your research career with LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and alternative social media platforms

Boost your research career with Twitter, LinkedIn and alternative social media platforms

Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and alternatives like Mastodon, allow you to find and reach out to other experts and collaboration partners throughout the world. And they give you a potential global audience for your own specific research field and project.

In this course, you will:

• learn how to monitor specific fields on social media
• share via new networks that include Twitter, LinkedIn, and some of the alternative social media platforms (for example Reddit, Mastodon) that are used by scientists, and
• integrate social media into conferences, seminars, research and communication.

Image with permission of Instagram user @Martin.Orsted

Goals

You will:

• Learn how to use Twitter, LinkedIn and alternatives to these platforms to support your work and career as a researcher
• Find a social media routine that fits your personality and research field

Content

You will see what each of the two platforms, Twitter and LinkedIn, can do on their own, and how you as a researcher and communicator can get the platforms to work together. In the course we will go through the following. How to:

• be strategic in your use of social media
• set up personal routines, augmented by automation, for monitoring news and ideas from specific research areas.
• integrate social media in events and conferences
• get other people involved in your research
• use Twitter and LinkedIn to expand your network
• crowdsource content for specific research projects
• create a personal social media brand, centred on your own expertise
• extend your reach and better define your own research field at an international level

The course will also introduce you to some offline and online networking tricks for events and conferences. (Photo: Esther Vargas, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Course format

The course consists of two morning (4.5 hour) workshop sessions. Before the first workshop session, you need to do 1 hour’s preparation. There is 1-2 hour’s homework in between the two sessions.

At, or before, the first session, you will be paired up with one or two training buddies. You will meet them once (over Zoom) in the period between the two sessions.

First session: You take as your point of departure your own specific research, or research networking, goal: at the first session (day one), you will learn how to apply Twitter and LinkedIn to achieve it. Can your own research area, or specialty, be used for a good social media routine or concept on Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit or, say, Mastodon? On the first day, we aim to find out how.

Homework: Between the two workshop days, your homework is to implement this concept and to start networking and sharing.

Second session: In the second session (day 2), you will get feedback from the instructor (Mike) and your fellow participants on your social media work. You will refine your concept for even greater impact. At the second session, you will also be introduced to some monitoring and analysis tools, and learn how to target tweets and LinkedIn posts for even greater impact.

Target group / eligible participants

For researchers, scientists and communication staff at the University of Copenhagen.

Prior experience and expectations

The course is relevant for both beginners and experienced users.

However, beginners need to set off time (2 hours) to prepare on their own before the first workshop. Beginners need to at least have a Twitter and LinkedIn account, and to have familiarized yourself with the basic functions of these platforms. All participants will receive a link to introductory videos.

Write to Mike Young on mike@mikeyoungacademy.dk for any questions on the prior experience level needed.

Note: The course will be held in English. If all present are Danish-speaking, the course may be held in Danish.

Dates

13 October og 17 November 2023, workshops from 9.00 to 13.30 – the course includes some homework. ​

Course fee

DKK 1,210

You sign up for this course at the University of Copenhagen on this link here (needs log in): Employee Guide / Course Catalogue / UCPH Courses. Click on ‘Boost your research career with Twitter, LinkedIn and alternative social media’ (at the top of the list of courses).

Does your department, faculty or university need to boost its researchers’ international impact? My workshops in social media introduce researchers to the systematic use of Twitter, LinkedIn and other specialized social media and tracking applications. All Mike Young Academy workshops are bespoke and custom-fitted to specific scientific fields. Workshops can be held in-person, or online as a combination of video-conferenced live-sessions with group ‘breakout’ rooms, individual feedback, and homework.