The bright side of the digital world

with instructor Liz Pittman

By Sarah Androsoff, Marketing Services

The thought of pursuing digital communication stood out to Liz Pittman like a rainbow glowing in the sky after a heavy rainfall. "Social media can be a great community building tool," she says. "I realized this when I was working as a weather personality for a TV station." Liz managed some of the TV station's social media and witnessed many online conversations about the weather. "Social media gets a bad reputation, but I think there's a lot of goodness there too." She feels that people need to be more aware of how technology influences their emotional intelligence. That kind of thinking is what encouraged Liz to reach for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and switch to a career in digital communication.

Liz holds a diploma in communication arts, specializing in broadcast journalism from Lethbridge College. She worked in TV and radio for six years before switching over to communication. Once she had launched her own freelance business as a digital communication specialist, she knew she had found her calling. In her business, Liz partners with clients on projects, providing expertise on social media strategies, content creation, podcast production, and blog and newsletter writing. "I make the client's life easier," Liz states. "I set them up with a strategy by talking about their goals and who they are trying to reach as a customer base."

In 2020, an opportunity for Liz to become an instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic presented itself—and to her, it was the best of both worlds. It gave Liz a chance to combine her communication and journalism experience with teaching. "There was a need for programming, and I have a soft spot for post-secondary education," she adds. Continuing Studies made Liz's transition to becoming a new instructor at the peak of the pandemic stress free. "I appreciated how supportive the department was. Help was always guaranteed."

"I love teaching because I enjoy opening students' eyes to new concepts," Liz explains. Her students would describe her as very energetic and interactive. She gives her students the opportunity to experiment and grasp new ideas through hands-on learning. A class with Liz will often grab your attention. "I don't hold still. I talk with my hands and by the end of a full teaching day, I am exhausted!" she laughs.

Liz teaches courses in social media marketing, digital communication and podcasting. "Social Media Marketing is the course I teach the most. I cover how to set up a website, how to write good social media copy, content marketing and social media ads," she says. In Digital Communication, Liz talks about instant messaging, video conferencing and emailing; and finally, Podcasting is a community course that takes students step-by-step through the making of a podcast.

Our digital world has forever changed the way we communicate with others and entertain ourselves. Technology and online platforms impact our personal lives, but also our work lives. "Even if you aren't in the communication or social media marketing industry, it's helpful to learn how to be an effective communicator and to understand why you're being marketed to," she explains. If Liz could change one thing about the online world, she would wish for more kindness behind the keyboard. "If we just took a breath before tweeting or emailing back so quickly, I think we would be living in a much happier world."

Liz Pittman is a digital communications specialist in Victoria, BC. This term, Liz is teaching: Social Media Marketing, Digital Communication and Podcasting. View all of our creative technology courses.

• Posted December 4, 2022