What’s this blog for?

When I first started in the role of social media manager at Sheffield Hallam last summer, I was overwhelmed by the positive responses I had from colleagues. The creation of the role demonstrated that this was a university that was taking social seriously and, for colleagues in the organisation, there was someone they could call on for help and advice.

And that’s what my role is about: helping people around the University do social well. Similarly, that’s what this blog is for. It’s somewhere that, as a University community, we can share thoughts, ideas, experiences and resources, so that we can learn from each other.

So it makes sense that posts won’t just come from me. Posts on this blog will come from a wide range of contributors: academics who are using social platforms for research, support teams who are using them to engage with students and provide services, and students who are using social tools to publish their own work and develop their own networks. We’ll share case studies of community management projects, promotional campaigns and approaches to teaching and learning.

This blog is also intended to be a useful resource. There will be guidelines, practical how-to guides, and links to other useful resources. If there’s something you’d like to see here, or if you’d like to contribute, get in touch.

Another important question is: who is this blog for? It’s primarily for Sheffield Hallam staff, in support of their work. But – in the interests of being social and sharing – all of the content on this blog is accessible to everyone. It’s important that we contribute to the knowledge economy, and show the world how committed we are to using social media to do good things.

Joe Field, social media manager
@joemcafield