Elevate the Debate

chapter sevenSocial Media Can Build Audiences That Matter

David Connell

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn give you the opportunity to connect and converse with new and influential audiences around your work in ways that are both intimate and public. These platforms can help you connect with anyone: colleagues around the world, decisionmakers in your and other organizations, policymakers, and, perhaps more important, members of their staff. And they allow you to make these connections in ways that facilitate one-on-one conversations, but let the world see that you are connecting—and potentially influencing—important stakeholders and thought leaders.

There are real barriers and dangers to engaging in social media, however, and it can seem difficult to break through the noise. Engaging in social media conversations can seem intimidating and fruitless, particularly when you are starting out. This chapter is designed to help you engage on social media platforms in ways that feel comfortable and productive and do not distract from your existing work. In short, I want social media to help you advance your work, not distract you from it.

Some goals to think about when engaging in social media:

• Find an audience of colleagues, thought leaders, and changemakers who are interested in your work and can act on it.
• Provide content that includes blog posts, research ...