3 Ways to Make Your Social Media Fun

Social media was supposed to be fun.

Wait, what?

That panel name grabbed me at Social Media Week Los Angeles and wouldn’t let go.

As a perk of being on the faculty in the Social Media B.A. program at FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, I got to go with my students. (Opinions expressed in this post are my own.)

Along with the department chair Tom Henkenius, I enjoyed the conference and its sessions on storytelling, influencers, AI, gaming and more.

But why did the session on fun jump out at me? Well, maybe because the last several months have been intense. I completed project after project, racing from one to another in rapid succession, without breaks in between.

Yes, it was exciting to publish my first book, give a TEDx talk, work with clients, and develop a social media consulting class for FIDM.

Yet the intensity of so many projects at times left me yearning to take a short break and recharge. I wanted to do something fun. But I couldn’t think of what that would be. Literally nothing came to mind.

Maybe the dictionary could help me. Fun is defined as, “something that provides mirth or amusement, enjoyment or playfulness.”

But I still had no ideas.

Wait, what?

Which is likely why the Social Media Week session on fun stood out. Usually when I face a problem, I assume it’s unique to me. It’s something to figure out on my own.

But this session painted a picture of a societal problem. “Modern life is really good at taking things that used to be fun and, well, making them NOT fun,” the session description began.

“Real fun is built on spontaneity and surprise, opening up possibilities for experience and memorable moments,” it continued. “Social media was largely considered fun when it first boomed in pop culture. So, what happened?”

Holland Martini and Bevan Mahaney of Grey talked about bringing the fun to life. It was based on Grey’s research study, the Famously Effective Business of Fun.

We learned some sobering stats:

  • the U.S. ranks #18 in the world on happiness
  • people rate fun as number 5 out of 9 options
  • people are doing “fun” activities for reasons other than fun, like reading for their mental well-being, working out for physical health, and going on social media just to pass time.

Ooof.

The problem, they said, is we don’t know what’s fun anymore.

Apparently, we are collectively experiencing a dearth of fun. It’s not just me. It’s many of us. It may be you. Or someone you know.

Holland and Bevan then related those findings to business. It turns out that “50% of people are more likely to consider or purchase a brand if they knew a brand could help them have more fun. And 76% would spend more on that brand.”

So, not only is fun good for us individually, it’s also good for business.

Holland and Bevan had valuable strategies for bringing fun back to social media:

  1. Create supportive communities for like-minded people
  2. Provide shareable, memorable cultural currency
  3. Give people canvases to enjoy life.

From my perspective of social media as a career booster, here’s what I would add. These are three things that make social media fun on a professional level for me. Maybe they will for you, too.

Yes, this does introduce a “good for you” aspect, beyond having fun for fun’s sake. But fun can foster an environment where people feel happier, more connected, and more creative. Fun has a unifying feel-good element that can help bring more enjoyment to your professional life. And there are echoes of my post on what to do when social media gets you down.

First, encourage others to have fun at work. Who says anything you do can’t be more fun? How could you make it more fun and enjoyable? Whether you’re a team leader or an individual contributor, you can share fun ideas and make them happen. Celebrating a big accomplishment, coming together for people’s birthdays, bringing in dinner when the team is working late on a project, and making a point to laugh and be silly at times can help a team bond and have more fun.

One of the most gratifying experiences for me in the corporate world was fellow colleagues laughing and bantering together as we worked under significant deadlines to put out a communication or make a big event happen. Enjoying the high points of our work and the celebration afterwards made it all the sweeter.

In these moments, you can encourage your colleagues to share their experiences on social media in a work-appropriate way. It amplifies the joy and shows how work can be fun. Images and emotions can be contagious, so you just may be contributing to making the world a more fun place to be.

Second, share the fun in what you’re doing professionally. Just because work can be intense doesn’t mean that you and your team shouldn’t enjoy the process and have fun in the process. Making a point of sharing those fun moments on your social media can increase the good feelings among your colleagues, amplify your employer’s brand, and encourage others to make their workplaces more fun.

Recently I spoke at a Town Hall meeting for a former colleague, Kim Keating, at AT&T. (Again, opinions expressed are my own.) Kim leads a data science team, and she wanted to better equip them to share on social media about what it’s like working at the company. My talk was covered how to tell your professional story on social media. Everyone I interacted with made the process simple, easy, and yes, fun.

Third, learn something just for the fun of it. It’s a quiet Sunday morning as I’m writing this. I made this morning a “Pajama Sunday” where I read for pleasure. I paged through some digital and print magazines, reading whatever I wanted, not what I thought I should read for professional purposes. And I started reading a new book: Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee.

Maybe you learn by reading, or by watching, or by listening, or by doing. What do you want to know more about, just because it would be fun? What really intrigues you, even if it seemingly has no relevance to your professional or personal life?

Go delve into that. Share what you learned on social media. Maybe it will brighten someone else’s day or give some much-needed insights.

__________

Writing this post was (mostly) fun. It has to be, or I wouldn’t spend so much time doing it. In a happy coincidence, this is post #200 since I launched this blog more than four years ago. Clearly, this is a joyful activity for me.

In Vancouver this month to speak at a conference for communicators, I took a morning stroll through the scenic, seaside Stanley Park.  I dipped into some “forest bathing” and felt refreshed by nature. I jumped on a swing for the sheer fun of it.

And now, because it’s a beautiful summer Sunday, I’m taking my bright red, beach-cruiser bicycle to a repair shop to get it in shape for the season. There are few things more fun than a leisurely bike ride at the beach.

What are you doing for fun today?

What to Do When Social Media Gets You Down

Photo of Cynthia Dillard, Kathie Frasquillo and Mallika Siegel by Jessica Sterling

Social media is in the headlines a lot these days. And not always in a good way.

As I shared in my TEDx talk this spring about lifelong learning, social media gets a bad rap. It saps our attention. It makes us depressed. It polarizes our world.

Scrolling through our Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn feeds can be a trip down the rabbit hole of comparison hell. None of us can ever measure up to the carefully curated feeds of people and brands we see every day.

Unless …

… we remember that the only competition is with ourselves.

… we remember never to compare others’ outsides to our insides.

… and most importantly, we remember a great power of social media.

And that’s the power to lift others up. To rejoice in the accomplishments of others. And to use our voice on social media to amplify their good deeds.

On Administrative Professionals’ Day this spring, I was inspired by a post from Anne Chow, a senior leader at AT&T and someone who always inspired me when I worked there. She lauded her administrative assistant and how important she was to the her and the team.

That made me reflect. I had the good fortune to work personally with two exceptionally talented assistants, Kathie Frasquillo and Nancy Takahashi. And I worked peripherally with others, including Cynthia Dillard and Mallika Siegel.

And that made me remember I had some great pictures of them from my corporate farewell event (thank you, Jessica Sterling). It was the perfect confluence of factors to post a thank-you message on LinkedIn.

Seeing the community of comments and appreciation that sprung out of it was truly gratifying. What a boost for all involved. Suddenly, my day felt brighter, and hopefully others felt the same.

It was the putting into action one of the concepts in the book I published this spring, What Successful People Do in Social Media: A Short Guide to Boosting Your Career.

In my book, I talk about the social media trifecta. What’s that? It’s bucketing your social media content into thirds:

  • The first one is sharing what you’re doing in the work world.
  • The second one is amplifying the great things your team or your colleagues are doing.
  • And the third one is being a brand ambassador for your organization.

In this way, you don’t over index on promoting yourself and potentially turning people off in the process. You build goodwill with your colleagues and your team by highlighting their good works. And where it makes sense you share the good work of your employer.

As spring soon gives way to summer, I reflected on some of the social media posts that made me rejoice in what colleagues and friends are doing ..

My former colleague and inclusion mentor L. Michelle Smith launched the popular The Culture Soup Podcast and embarked on an inspiring series of speaking events.

My friend Corii Berg boldly stepped into the president role of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, following other inspirational leaders Michael Felix and Jaime Lee.

My former boss Fiona Carter is now leading the #SeeHer movement to bring equality to and eliminate bias in the way women and girls are portrayed in advertising and media.

My friends Tom Henkenius, Austin Maddox, Madeline Lindsay, Allegra Guitierrez, Briana Latter, Stephanie Corrigan, Danielle Harvey Stinson and others celebrated their graduations from USC.

My former colleagues Sarah Groves, John Stancliffe and others continue to inspire me with their social media innovation in the B2B space and beyond.

My students in the social media program at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising are all doing amazing things as they get ready to graduate in June.

My friend Tina Quinn published a fabulous book this spring called Invisible Things. Tina coached me through some difficult times a few years ago and she inspires me every day.

My former colleague TeNita Ballard is doing so much to make the world a more inclusive place, especially for veterans and people with disabilities.

My former colleague Charles Miller keeps me and others up to speed with beautiful scenes of New York on his Instagram grid.

And an amazing thing has happened just as I’ve reflected on all of these special people and what they’re doing in the world. I feel uplifted. I feel inspired. I feel happy for them.

And the way for me to share that feeling is by engaging with their social media content, by liking and commenting and sharing their good deeds.

This spring has been difficult in many ways. Yes, it was the thrill of a lifetime to give a TEDx talk and publish a book and help my husband Kevin with the launch of his new restaurant this summer (Pacific Standard Prime in Redondo Beach, for those in So Cal).

But it’s been challenging shepherding my son through his last few months, weeks and days of high school. Like seniors all over the country, he’s beyond ready to move on to the next thing.

In his case, it’s a bit of a different path. He’s been “scrimming” (practicing) with two esports teams in League of Legends. Now when he’s sitting on the couch with his headset on playing a video game, he’s actually doing a job and getting his first paychecks.

Our world is changing so quickly, it can be hard to keep up. But if the happiness I feel right now in thinking about friends and colleagues is any indication, one way for you to find happiness is to look for the good in others and amplify it in social media.

How to Share Your Great Speech on Your LinkedIn Profile

iStock.com/momnoi

Do you give speeches, talks and presentations as part of your work?

Have you wondered where to share them on your LinkedIn profile?

It’s a bit of a conundrum since there isn’t a specific section for speeches and talks at this time. But that gives you options, depending on how much you want to emphasize the speaking you do.

There are a few starting places. You could showcase them in your summary, as part of a specific job, or as a separate job listing as a speaker.

Another option is to use one of the Accomplishments sections. In this area, you can provide content for:

  • Honors & Awards
  • Publications
  • Certifications
  • Projects
  • Patents
  • Test Scores
  • Organizations
  • Courses
  • Languages

At this point in my career, I hope no one would be interested in my GRE or GMAT scores, even if I could remember what they were. I’m still struggling to learn Spanish. And I’m not anticipating a patent any time soon. So test scores, languages and patents are off the table.

But speaking engagements?

In reflecting on this year alone, I realized I’ve given a talk at least once a month – at mentoring circles, at a legal conference, in town hall meetings, at a women’s leadership event, in a video series, at a sales and service center, in a social media podcast, and so on.

My LinkedIn profile was missing this important aspect of my work. In updating it, I discovered some tips that may be helpful to you in determining the best ways to share your own speeches.

A bit of research led me to a decision point between Publications and Projects.

I already had one project, Social Media for Innovation with Michael Ambrozewicz, Thyda Nhek Vanhook and Gerry Ledford. It was a series of case studies and innovation experiments on engaging employees and customers through social media. It was clearly not a speech. So there would be some cognitive dissonance to overcome in including speeches alongside this project.

That’s where the dictionary came in handy.

A publication according to Dictionary.com is “(1) the act of publishing a book, periodical, map, piece of music, engraving or the like; (2) the act of bringing before the public; announcement.”

And publish means to “(1) issue for sale or distribution to the public; (2) issue publicly the work of; (3) submit online, as to a message board or blog; (4) announce formally or officially; (5) make publicly or generally known.”

The sense of bringing something before the public felt analogous to giving a speech and sharing information publicly.

How about a project? It’s “(1) something that is contemplated, devised or planned; (2) a large or major undertaking, especially one involving considerable money, personnel or equipment; (3) a specific task of investigation, especially in scholarship.”

In a stretch, a speech could be considered a project. But to me it feels more like a publication.

And the information fields for both areas in LinkedIn are very similar. One minor difference is a Publication lists an author or authors, and a Project lists a creator or creators. Also, the Project entry lets you identify which specific job or educational degree the work is associated with.

Ultimately it’s up to you which area to choose. The good news is you have options. And perhaps a future LinkedIn update will add a “Presentations” or “Speeches” section to Accomplishments, making this a moot point.

What’s a good way of choosing which speaking engagements to include in your profile? In my case, there were three criteria.

  1. Could it be shared publicly, i.e., was it not confidential or sensitive?
  2. How relevant was it to my current and future work?
  3. Was there a public link to the video or audio?

That’s what led me to add Publications entries with 5 talks so far this year, including as authors the people who interviewed me or produced the segment – Josh Ochs of the Smart Social Podcast, John Stancliffe who rebooted a Women in Technology video series, and Shelley Zalis who founded The Female Quotient.

And I’m excited about a few more talks in the queue.

On Monday, October 29, I’ll moderate a USC Annenberg Facebook live with alumni session on starting your own communications firm. These are learning sessions that Annenberg’s Leticia Lozoya creates a few times each year. In this one, business owners Maggie Habib, Tom Henkenius and Rebecca Meza will share an inside view of how to launch and grow your own company.

I’ve also been approached about giving a TEDx talk in spring 2019, speaking to professional associations, and talking about personal branding for women. The invitations often result from my presence on LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media.

If you want to speak more to develop your career and your reputation as a thought leader in your field, consider adding your speeches to your LinkedIn profile and sharing your expertise through articles and posts.

You may be pleasantly surprised that you’ll be invited to talk about those subjects to audiences you care about.

Where do you share your speeches and talks in your LinkedIn profile?

How to Tell Your Career Story on Instagram

Do you think your career story doesn’t lend itself to Instagram?

Do you believe your days full of meetings and screens aren’t visually compelling?

After all, Instagram is about high-quality photos and the overall vibe, say Brian Peters and Hailley Griffis in one of my favorite podcasts, The Science of Social Media.

The aesthetic bar is high. One strategy Brian and Hailley recommend is doing research to find top accounts and see what’s working for others.

Here’s a great way to fast track the research on people who are using Instagram well to tell their career stories: check out the Instagram for the Sparkset App.

Here you can see all kinds of work in a visual way.  Lawyers, doctors, communicators, marketers, editors, social media analysts, cinematographers, scientists and many more are featured in the site’s posts.

Beyond that, you can check out the 1,700+ accounts that Sparkset App is following for more great examples.

Together, they show that your workspace, your presentations, your travels, and your interactions with people, data and things – plus so much more – are all ways to tell your professional story in a visual way.

Be sure, of course, to only post what can be shared in public. Always follow your employer’s social media guidelines, both the letter and the spirit. (Opinions expressed in this blog are my own.)

How did I find Sparkset?

In doing research about how people are using social media to build their careers, I invited people in my network to complete a survey and share it with their networks.

As a serendipitous outcome, Tom Henkenius, a storytelling expert, introduced me to a fellow USC alum in his network. Her name is Tiffany Frake, a senior account director serving the auto industry.

Tiffany’s three young sons were the inspiration for her to launch an app called Sparkset. Fascinated by how people choose their career paths – or mostly don’t consciously choose them – she wanted to help her children and others make better decisions.

Enter Sparkset.

As Tiffany explains, “It’s a visual platform for current and future generations to truly explore careers and job shadow professionals in a virtual way.”

Here you can:

  • Job shadow contacts and professionals from around the world
  • Explore and follow professionals in different industries
  • Visually capture your professional responsibilities and accomplishments
  • Discover new careers and companies.

Tiffany has a big vision. “The hope is that the platform can enable people to make conscious career choices,” she says, “and not just follow the path of least resistance.”

This is especially important as people make decisions about their first jobs, their next career steps, and their career transitions as their interests and the world change at an ever-increasing pace.

A 2017 report by the Institute for the Future estimates that 85% of the jobs people will do in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet. More than ever, we’re all lifelong learners. And we can share what we’re learning as one way of cultivating our personal brand.

When Tiffany embarked on this journey, she did research about current gaps in social media for developing a career and making valuable connections.

She asked two questions. The first: can people tell their professional stories through images? The second: who is doing this well?

She has captured her ongoing learnings in both her app and her Instagram. In each you can see all kinds of day-to-day work in a visual way.

Who else is sharing their career story well on Instagram? A few of my favorites …

TeNita Ballard, a diversity and inclusion champion

Chris Adlam, a top-producing realtor

Jessica Sterling, an LA event and portrait photographer

Young Guru, a hip-hop sound engineer and renaissance thinker

Willow Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Jaime Lee, president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors

This brings up several more questions for me …

  • How are people coming up with compelling content?
  • How are they curating content from others?
  • How are they using video?
  • How are they thinking about the personal and professional blend?

These and many more will be the subjects of future posts.

In the meantime, whose professional stories are you following on Instagram?

Want More LinkedIn Reach? Post in a Group

How often do you make a desirable discovery by accident?

If you’re me, not as often as I’d like.

It’s like finding $20 in your pocket. It doesn’t happen frequently, but it’s always a happy discovery to meet up with serendipity.

Three times in the last 6 months I’ve posted a conversation in the The Official USC Alumni Association Group, and it’s shown up the next day as the lead item in the monthly digest email for the group.

There are more than 46,000 members in the group. And some portion of them probably opt in to get the group’s email digest. So my posts are landing front and center in the inboxes of many fellow alums.

It wasn’t something I planned. It’s part of my volunteer role on the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. I’m proud to represent the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where I got my master’s degree.

Each of us on the Communications & Marketing Committee led by Tom Henkenius and Mary Ann Brennan regularly post content in the group and engage in conversations with fellow alums in the group. Madeline Lindsay from the Alumni Association also keeps us on track.

It just so happened, a few of my posts were on Sunday nights as I was wrapping up my weekend to-do lists.

And on Monday morning when I saw my post featured in an email, I paused for a moment.

Wait.

What?

Why was my post being featured?

Then I realized I must have been the last person to post before the monthly digest email went out.

The learning?

If you want your posts in a group to get pushed to a larger audience, identify the timing of the monthly or weekly digest emails, and do your post shortly before then.

Now, I don’t want to take the limelight from my fellow alums. I don’t want to be the featured post every time. But once in a while is kind of fun.

The other learning?

It’s imperative to customize your headline in your LinkedIn profile. Don’t use the default of your current title. Personalize it to tell your story. Why? Because it displays when you comment on content … and appear in search results … and when your group post is featured in the digest email.

The recommendations?

Join groups that are relevant your interests. Be an active participant. Post content that the group can benefit from. Engage with the posts of others, by liking and commenting on the content.

Social media is all about reciprocity.

And maybe every once in while, you’ll have the featured post. That’s what serendipity taught me.

What have you learned in social media about serendipity?