GET SOCIAL

How to join the digital conversation and grow your network

Humphrey Fellows are social. Whether it's in-person or online, staying connected to friends from the program and forging new relationships with alumni after the program is valuable. Below are a few ideas for how getting and staying in the loop during the 40th Anniversary celebration and beyond!

FACEBOOK: show and tell

Facebook is a great platform to keep up with friendships and professional relationships. Facebook allows you to store memories and make new ones making it the perfect place to start celebrating the Fellowship's 40th Anniversary. Here are a few ways you can take advantage of the opportunities to join in the digital festivities on Facebook:

Follow the official Humphrey Fellowship Program page, @HumphreyFellowship, to stay up-to-date on the latest news and goings-on in the program in the U.S. and abroad.
Use the official Facebook filter to show your program pride and insert yourself into the conversation.
Use the hashtag #HumphreyFellows on evergreen posts and #Humphrey40 to contribute your thoughts, images, videos, and events to the anniversary festivities. Searching these hashtags will also help you make new connections and even find more ways to get connected locally and globally.
Stay in touch with the Fellows and alumni from your host institution to build your personal network for potential collaborations and future projects by friending them and creating Facebook groups.
Tag @HumphreyFellowship, your host institution's account, and other Fellowship friends in updates about collaborations, projects, events, or ideas you've been working on to open up opportunities for the Fellowship community to share what you're doing and even contribute.
Share posts and events you find valuable to spread the word and make others aware.

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TWITTER: #ChimingIn

Twitter is a fast-paced platform that is best for inciting open dialogue and contributing to major global conversations. On this social network, tagging and hashtagging are the name of the game. Here are a few ways to make the most of your Twitter presence:

Follow the official Humphrey Fellowship Program page, @HumphreyProgram, to keep up with latest from the program in the U.S. and abroad.
Use the hashtags #HumphreyFellows and #Humphrey40 to add your thoughts, images, videos, and other web content to the conversation. By searching these hashtags, you can see what others related to the program are saying and doing around the world.
Follow Fellows and alumni from your host institution to build your personal network of people to bounce ideas off of and contact for future collaborations.
Tag @HumphreyProgram, your host institution's account, and other relevant accounts when joining conversations to keep the dialogue open and fluid and to help expand each post's reach.
Retweet posts and commentary you find relevant or important to inject yourself into the conversation.

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INSTAGRAM: worth 1000 words

Instagram is a highly visual, personal platform. Make each post count with high quality photos, videos, and graphics accompanied by short, intentional captions. Be careful not to over post on this platform - Instagram users value quality over quantity. Here are a few ways take advantage of all Instagram has to offer:

The Humphrey Fellowship Program does not have an official Instagram account, but many host institutions, Fellows, and alumni do. Follow them to stay connected and in-the-loop about what's going on on a local and personal level.
Use the hashtags #HumphreyFellows and #Humphrey40 to contribute your photos, videos, and and graphics to the conversation.Searching and following these hashtags will allow you to keep up with what others related to the program are up to around the world.
Tag your host institution's account, other relevant accounts, and your location when posting in order to expand you account and each post's reach.
Post on Instagram stories and IGTV when you have important content that either doesn't work as a regular post or needs a more in-depth look. Save those stories as highlights and tease your IGTV posts in a traditional post to get more traction.

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GO LIVE: getting into the action

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer live webcasting features that brings your audience closer than ever before. Allow your followers and friends to ride along with you as you attend Fellowship program events, 40th Anniversary celebrations, and professional growth endeavors around the world. Here are a few tips for going live no matter the platform:

Plan ahead what you want to show, how long you intend on showing it, and what you want to say before going live.
Encourage your audience to participate with commentary and try to respond as often as possible.
Announce you are going live ahead of time with a post or series of posts to make your followers aware of what you are doing and when.
Keep the camera steady as your film. Using a tripod or phone holder is a good idea if the video is stationary. A shaky camera is hard to watch and distracts from the content you're trying to share.
Save the videos after so those who missed it still have the chance to watch. Plus, this footage can be repurposed into smaller video packages to post on your social accounts after the live event.

FORUM: making an impact

Some conversations don't quite fit on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If you want to have a more free-flowing discussion on a password-protected platform, the Fellow to Fellow Forum. This forum page is the perfect place to collaborate and foster new professional relationships. Here are a few ways to use the Fellow to Fellow Forum to grow your network and reach:

Create a personal, secure username and password to enter the private forum.
Join one of the conversations already happening in the forum to contribute your own insights and see what others are saying.
Start a new thread on the forum to inspire new discussions, get project ideas, collaborate, and make new connections with Fellows and alumni you may never have otherwise had the chance to meet.