Part of a workshop on Academic Tweeting and Blogging delivered as part of the Day of Digital Ideas 2016 at the University of Edinburgh.

1. Using Social Media to Amplify
Academic Events
Lorna M. Campbell
lorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk

2. What is event amplification?
“An amplified conference is
a conference or similar
event in which the talks and
discussions at the
conference are 'amplified'
through use of networked
technologies in order to
extend the reach of the
conference deliberations.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplified_con
ference

3. Social media can be used to amplify
• Audiences voices, discussion & debate
(Twitter, blogs).
• Speakers and keynotes (audio & video
streams, Twitter, YouTube, Periscope,
MediaHopper, liveblogs, sketchnotes).
• Slides (SlideShare, Prezi).
• Conference outputs (Flickr, SlideShare,
YouTube, Storify, TAGS, tableau, reflective
blogs, sketchnotes).

4. Why amplify an event?
• To encourage audience engagement.
• To encourage remote participation.
• To enable wider participation and
public engagement.
• To ensure your event is accessible.
• To keep an archive of your event.
• To add to your academic portfolio.
• To encourage conversations to
continue after event.
• To reflect on and analyse event

5. What kind of events benefit from amplification?
• Conferences.
• Seminars.
• Workshops.
• Project launches.
• Pretty much
anything!

6. Hashtags!
“A hashtag is a type of label or
metadata tag used on social
network and microblogging
services which makes it easier
for users to find messages with
a specific theme or content.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashtag
Can be used across multiple
channels (Twitter, YouTube,
Flickr, blogs).
#EdinDS
#DigScholEd
#DDI16

7. Choosing & using your hashtag
• Keep it short, no spaces or
underscores, include date.
• Check it’s not being used already.
• Circulate well in advance.
• Use hashtag to disseminate event,
e.g. CFPs, dates, registration info.
• Use the hashtag to build up
community around event.
• Don’t use multiple hashtags for
different conference strands.
• Display hashtag on event website,
programmes, agenda, etc.

8. Using twitter to amplify events
• Display hashtag prominently.
• Remind participants to use it.
• Invite questions for speakers
from remote participants on
twitter.
• Consider having an official
twitter live feed for keynotes,
etc.
• Use speakers’ twitter handles,
e.g. @lornamcampbell
• Twitter walls and fountains.
Image credit: Luc Van Braekel, CC BY
2.0, https://flic.kr/p/5F6WfB

9. Beware the backchannel
“Backchannel is the practice of using networked
computers to maintain a real-time online conversation
alongside the primary group activity or live spoken
remarks. The term "backchannel" generally refers to
online conversation about the conference topic or
speaker.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backchannel
Backchannel conversations may or may not use the
hashtag.

10. Playful use of twitter for amplification
• Add participants’ twitter
handles to name tags.
• Use for games and social
activities.
• All build community round
events.
• Useful to engage remote
participants.
• Natural Sciences
Collections Association
#NatSCA2016 and
#NatSciFashion

11. Livestreaming
• Live film or audio broadcast of speakers.
• Expected of major events.
• Important for remote participation and public
engagement.
• Think about cost and logistics.
• Need to manage expectations.
• May be institutional facilities available.
• Periscope offers quick and dirty solution.
• Requires media permissions.
• Recorded streams can be shared on YouTube,
MediaHopper, etc.

12. Livestreaming
Image credit:
Anna Page, CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.co
m/photos/acpage/25
944147414/in/album-
72157665077094714
/

13. Photography
• Can use official photographer…
• …or encourage all delegates to share
photographs.
• Upload to Twitter, Flickr or Instagram.
• Use the hashtag.
• Not necessary to seek permission but..
• …polite to ask
• Allow participants to opt out of
photographs.

14. Sketchnotes
• Visual
representation of
presentations.
• Another way to
capture and
disseminate
information.
• Nice take away
for speakers.
Image credit: Bea de los Arcos,
https://twitter.com/celTatis/status/7227979103044
32128

15. Sketchnotes
Image credit:
Beck Pitt, CC BY 2.0
https://www.flickr.co
m/photos/40959105
@N00/sets/7215766
7593223021

16. Sharing Presentations
• Ask presenters to upload to
SlideShare.
• Can also use dedicated
conference account.
• Ask permission to upload.
• Tag presentations.
• Can also use Prezi, Google
Slides, etc.
• Particularly valuable for
keynotes.

17. Blogging
• Live blogging – captures a
realtime transcript of talks
and discussions.
• Reflective blogging –
reflective blogs posted after
presentations.
• Consider using volunteers to
blog conference sessions.
• Set up dedicated conference
blog.
• Use blog feeds to aggregate
tagged post.
• Use the conference tag.

18. Archiving amplified events using Storify
• https://storify.com/
• Storify allows users to create stories or
timelines from social media.
• Add content from Twitter, YouTube, Flickr,
Instagram, SoundCloud, etc.
• Add links, comments annotations.
• Share and embed stories.
• Notify people named in the story.
• Use the hashtag.

19. Storify Interface

20. #edDDI Storify

21. Social network analysis with Tableau
• https://public.tableau.com/
• Visualise and share social network
data.
Image credit: Simon Thomson,
https://twitter.com/digisim/status/73
0038722247458817, #nlc2016

22. Social network analysis with Tableau
Image credit: Simon Thomson, https://twitter.com/digisim/status/729743091658280960,
#nlc2016

23. Archiving Twitter with TAGS & TAGSExplorer
• https://tags.hawksey.info/
• Developed by Martin Hawksey.
• Free and powerful.

24. TAGSExplorer #OER16

25. TAGSExplorer #OER16

26. Last but not least
• If you want your delegates to tweet,
blog & share images make sure they
have access to power and wifi.
• If you’re taking pictures, sit at the
front.
• USE THE HASHTAG!

27. Activity
Create a Storify of the Day of Digital
Ideas tweets.
https://storify.com/

28. Contact
Lorna M. Campbell
OER Liaison – Open Scotland
University of Edinburgh
lorna.m.campbell@icloud.com
lorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk
https://lornamcampbell.wordpress.com/
@lornamcambell
CC BY Lorna M. Campbell, unless otherwise indicated.