32 The Linguist Vol/57 No/4 2018
ciol.org.uk/tl
INSTITUTE MATTERS
I
first joined CIOL as a Student Member in
2011 and became a full member in 2016
after establishing my business full-time
(English to Greek translation). In June 2017,
I attended the Business, Professions and
Government (BPG) Division AGM and talk.
The committee wanted somebody to raise
awareness of the division on social media.
As the youngest person in the room, I felt
this was something I could contribute. I
have training in social media and digital
marketing, and specialise in translating
marketing and advertising, as well as testing
websites, phone apps and videogames.
For my own business, I use Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. On Monday
mornings, I spend an hour scheduling posts
for the entire week: one a day that leads back
to my website or blog, and one that reposts
an article or event. I then check my social
media channels at least three times a day.
For the BPG, there is, for now, only a
Twitter account to manage. Although I am
not a member of the committee, I am
committed to tweeting at least once a
day about the division and its events, and
to monitoring interactions. Members
sometimes tweet questions about an event
or a problem with email updates, so it's
almost a first-line customer support role.
Jane Galbraith, CIOL Head of Membership,
went through the do's and don'ts of social
media activity with me. The strategic plan is
to raise awareness of the division – what it
does, who it is for – and to bring more people
to events, while increasing awareness about
joining CIOL and becoming a Chartered
Linguist. What makes CIOL different is that it
is for any professional who uses languages in
the workplace, and the BPG represents that,
welcoming linguists from all fields/careers.
For each committee meeting, I generate
a report on how many tweets go out, how
many people see them, what kinds of
interactions we receive etc. My first meeting
was a significant experience for me, because
the committee members are valued and
experienced colleagues. I was asked to
quantify my use of time on Twitter. This is
not something I did for myself, so I didn't
know that Twitter had its own analytics tool,
which provides useful data, such as which
tweets are the most successful and what
followers like. That was an immediate benefit
because I can use this tool for my own
business, picking up patterns that enable me
to achieve the desired interaction by giving
people more of what they want.
So I am improving my skills and
understanding of social media through the
BPG role. It has provided a good insight into
how the Institute works. In time, I want to be
more involved with CIOL and help shape
things from the inside, for my colleagues
and our profession. This role offers a sense
of achievement because I am giving
something back.
To find out more about getting involved with
the BPG Division, email bpg@ciol.org.uk.
Follow the division on Twitter
@CIOLBusiness
For contact details for CIOL's membership networks (divisions, societies and associations), visit ciol.org.uk/networks-events
To view the calendar of events, see ciol.org.uk/events
MEMBERSHIP NETWORKS
Vasiliki Prestidge MCIL CL explains what she gets out of her voluntary role with the BPG Division
Spreading the message
