Social media has become an integral part of modern society. Today, in the new digital social era, communication is no longer bound by geography and reach: A person in a rural village in India can communicate with a limitless network of people, just as a resident of San Francisco can, using social media channels.
There are general social networks with user bases larger than the populations of most countries. There are niche sites for virtually every special interest. There are sites for sharing photos, videos and status updates, sites for meeting new people, and sites for connecting with old friends.
Since the debut of digital social networking in 2002, there has been a huge surge of individuals connecting online. Today, LinkedIn boasts an audience of more than 100 million, Twitter attracts 200 million visitors, and a staggering 750 million active users flock to Facebook to connect.
How does social media affect UCSF communications?
The way people share information is changing the way we communicate with our target audiences. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are just the tip of social media iceberg; there are more applications available and more to come, which means more ways for you to personally connect and engage with your constituents.
Anything that communicates the UCSF story, or connects UCSF to helpful resources, is considered networking. And technology now makes networking possible online, not just face to face. So whether you’re reaching out to the public in general or to alumni, students, faculty, staff, donors or friends of UCSF, social networks should be brought into the mix.
Quick Social Media links:
Questions: socialmedia@ucsf.edu
