SACRAMENTO — Professors and prominent researchers can either talk to people on social media, or just be talked about.

“If you have a profile (in your field), you’re going to be in social media whether you like it or not,” Paul Knoepfler, associate professor in the School of Medicine, told about 50 faculty members and researchers during a Jan. 28 workshop to help them inform, inspire and interact with targeted audiences via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs.

Vicki Bencken, digital communications director for the UC Davis Health System, which organized the workshop, said: “If we don’t engage, we allow others to drive the conversation for us and we’re left out.”

Don’t be hesitant, the presenters said, jump in and start experimenting. Knoepfler and Kay Nelsen, residency program director for the Department of Family and Community Medicine, said sharing (or “retweeting,” in Twitter vernacular) posts from others can be a good way to get your feet wet.

But they also warned against allowing social media to consume too much time.

Dean Michael Lairmore of the School of Veterinary Medicine said he has a morning ritual of reading the news, and conducts most of his social media posting during this time.

Knoepfler said new users could try spending 15 minutes on social media on a Saturday and Sunday, then take a critical look at what that accomplished.

The panelists urged attendees not to be intimidated by social media or to think they must be experts to start an account.

“I had one qualification as social media was getting started (in our department) — I had two preteen daughters,” Nelsen said.

Social media touted as promotional tool, way to connect

Social media can drive visitors to a UC Davis website, but should not be entirely self-promotional, the panelists said.

“If all I did was post UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine press releases I would have a very limited following,” Lairmore said, noting that he also posts links to articles related to his field. “About every sixth or seventh post I’ll weave in the UC Davis message.”

He said he and members of other departments share one another’s posts so all receive a boost from social media.

Nelsen said social media has replaced recruiting fairs and traditional outreach as a way to talk to potential students.

That message resonates with Hammad Khan, a second-year medical student who helped organize a December “White Coats for Black Lives” demonstration at the medical school. He urged faculty and staff to use social media to connect with students and prospective students.

“People want to know about your research, but also want to hear your stories” about everyday life at UC Davis, he said.

Lairmore urged faculty to use their expertise to tell their own stories in a way that demonstrates their impact.

“Faculty members find themselves being asked all the time what they do. It’s a very complicated message that requires background (information),” he said. “We have an obligation to tell our story accurately and in an understandable matter.”

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