EASTERN

Bud Gibson

A Conversation with Bud Gibson: Social Media Tips and Tricks

No matter your age, Bud Gibson believes everyone should be on social media in order to keep up with current events.

Business professor at Eastern Michigan University, the creator of EMU’s first search marketing program, and social media aficionado all describe Bud Gibson. For the past nine years, Gibson has taught students how to use the search marketing program to help non-profits uncover new clients for their services. With his help, his students have managed over a million dollars in online advertising for 80 organizations. He also runs Bud Gibson, Inc., which helps organizations utilize social media for marketing purposes. Here, Gibson provides tips and tricks for posting on the Internet and clues us in on who we all should be following in the social media spectrum.

Eastern: Do you think everyone should have at least one social media account?

Gibson: Yes. I think being on social media is similar to having a subscription to a local newspaper 10 years ago. If you’re not on social media, then you’re missing a lot about what is going on around you.

Eastern: What is the most important thing you have learned from using social media?

Gibson: The key thing is how you manage existing relationships when moving into social media, because in your life you’re connected to people in different ways. There is a whole range of relationships, so you have to figure out who you want to connect with and how. I have fallen into the following: LinkedIn is the first level of getting to know me. Facebook is not necessarily for close friends, but for people who I think of as friendly business acquaintances. Messaging apps are what I typically use with all the people that I am good friends with.

Eastern: Should we take a break from social media every once in a while so it doesn’t consume us?

Gibson: Yes. I think some people get too glued to social media, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else. I do know people who don’t do social media on the weekends, or they only do it a few times a week, and that is perfectly fine. I would say that if you notice yourself getting obsessed by something on social media, then try to close your social media app and take a break for a while--maybe for a day. You don’t want to become completely disengaged, because it’s one of the big ways we find out about things. So you want to have a balance.

Eastern: How often should people be posting or sharing on social media?

Gibson: I would say almost daily participation is good, particularly if you are on LinkedIn or in a LinkedIn Group, but that doesn’t mean you are writing a post every day. Probably the best way to start when going into a profession is to write questions on other people’s posts. Think about responding to people more than writing your own posts.

Eastern: What should people keep in mind when posting on social media?

Gibson: Anything you post online is not private. My advice is typically if you wouldn’t say or do this in front of your parents, then don’t do it online. Another thing I tell my students is to create a professional profile. The first thing I would do as a student is make my Facebook profile private. Instead, have a LinkedIn profile and make that public, because that’s more of a professional site.

Eastern: What accounts on Twitter and Facebook should everyone be following?

Gibson: For Twitter, I actually suggest Twitter Moments (use the little lightning bolt icon in the app). For most people on Twitter, figuring out who to follow is hard. Moments gets you the most relevant stuff.

Facebook is harder. In Michigan, I suggest following Pure Michigan, Chad Wiebesick, Lucy Ann Lance, Jen Strayer Eyer, Paula Gardner, and your friends. Join groups that your friends are members of or that cover things you want to know about. My recommendations are based on people who give me a good perspective on what’s going on locally. Those perspectives range from pretty liberal to very conservative, along with some middle-of-the-road. That’s just the nature of local news. I want to keep abreast of all perspectives.

Eastern: What are your favorite accounts on Twitter?

Gibson: I like @NateSilver538. He is a great numbers-driven sports blogger, but he also covers popular culture and politics from a data-driven perspective. He always makes me think. His data-driven views don’t always lead to conclusions you would like, but he’s interesting.

I also follow a number of professional opinion leaders and people I’m connected to. I recommend following anybody who puts their Twitter handle on their business card. It’s a good way to track what they’re interested in and up to. It’s not as invasive as becoming their Facebook friend.

Eastern: What has been the most interesting use of social media that you have seen?

Gibson: I really like @realDonaldTrump on Twitter. I find myself rarely agreeing with him, and his ego is enormous. But Donald Trump has been the most effective user of social media to drive a political campaign to date. It seems like every other tweet has been a news story. I suspect that will eventually be his undoing, but boy, is it entertaining to watch.

Contact Geoff Larcom, glarcom@emich.edu , 734-487-4400