At Moxley Carmichael we love to keep our finger on the online pulse. Through monitoring new media trends and topics we find tons of great info to apply in the communications industry.

One recent opportunity was the first #ufprchat on Twitter, which connected University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications students, faculty and alumni interested in discussing social media trends.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from UF in 2007. At that time, Facebook was for college affiliates only. I had never heard the word “Twitter” – in a classroom or at all.

#ufprchat was the brainchild of my fellow classmate and PR grad Adrienne Browne (@msgatoradr), now a senior writer in customer advocacy for Southwest Airlines. She partnered with Gator grad Caitlin Murphy (@TravelPRgirl), social media specialist at Cheryl Andrews Marketing Communications, and the University of Florida Alpha Chapter of PRSSA (@UFPRSSA).

Adrienne wanted a place for us all to connect about the role of social media in communications fields: How is it being handled in the classroom these days? What’s going on in the real world among graduates and professionals? And how can we learn from each other? Just like it’s designed to do, Twitter gave us a platform to talk, share ideas and get excited about the exchange between so many people – including Joe Hice, chief communications officer at NC State (@HiceSchool) and Alpha PRoductions, UF’s accredited student-run PR firm (@AlphaPRoduction).

The result was fantastic – a fun, fast-paced, interesting exchange of ideas, concerns and advice between 70 participants. But the most exciting part was that this clearly posed a greater opportunity. Growing from our Twitter chat is a soon-to-be regularly scheduled #ufprchat discussion, a collaborative Web site for students and alumni, a #ufprchat member list for additional communication and more.

The most critical takeaway was the need for ongoing education and exchange of ideas, just like we’re doing with #ufprchat. That’s why the discussions will continue – because whether in or out of the classroom and whether new to online networking or among 1,000+ followers, you can’t possibly know it all in this emerging, evolving medium.

Here are my favorite responses to the first question of the chat: What was your social media “aha!” moment?

@msgatoradr: Q1 My SM aha! moment: when I started having genuine convos with journalists and other professionals. The world became smaller. #ufprchat

@paolinaharris: My moment was when I included the link to my blog on my resume and saw how many people actually visited my page! #ufprchat

@HiceSchool: Think bigger. Its just a tool. Like the typewriter I started with. Use it to build your influence by creating your own network #ufprchat

@TravelPRgirl: Q1 When a notable journalist recommended me on her #FridayFollow. Co-workers had been trying to pitch her for ages – I got to her. #ufprchat

@stephaniepadron: Q1 when one of my professors required that we use twitter… “aha!” #ufprchat

For a full transcript of the chat, go to http://ufprchat.com.

Moxley Carmichael can help you get in on the conversation. We’d love to connect about what social media means for you and your organization.