In January, 2018, Amanda J. Weed—in collaboration with Karen Freberg (University of Louisville), Emily Kinsky (West Texas A&M University), and Amber Hutchins (Kennesaw State University)—launched #SMStudentChat. The monthly Twitter chat focused on trending topics in social media communication. Each month, a rotating guest lineup of industry professionals discussed topics such as personal branding, analytics and measurement, and augmented reality. Chats were open to all students, educators, and professionals working in, or studying, social media communication. More than 300 participants from nine countries joined the first “season” of #SMStudentChat, earning a combined reach of more than 24 million.
#SMStudentChat was featured in the 1st Place submission for the GIFT (Great Ideas for Teaching) Competition, sponsored by the Public Relations Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). The GIFT submission was recently published in the Journal of Public Relations Education.
The next season of #SMStudentChat will premier in September, 2018.
