Social Media for Academia: Making an Impact through Social Media.

Social media has grown to become an integral component of our daily communications over the past decade. However, academia has lagged behind in using this incredible communication tool. Social media can be an effective way to disseminate research and to make an impact. This symposium will provide faculty and graduate students effective strategies to disseminate their agricultural research and extension programs through social media. We will discuss the overall strategies for branding your research on social media, building your network online, publicizing academic research, and increasing public engagement. Just as important, we will discuss the challenges that academics face when using social media including determining the optimal amount of time to dedicate to social media. Through real life examples, attendees will leave with steps to create or improve their social media presence.