Social Media is all about collaborating, sharing, and providing
information while engaging with online communities (Stokes, 2008). The fifth
edition of eMarketing, the Essential Guide to Marketing in the Digital World
explains that Social Media is behind the explosion of content on the Internet
since just about anyone with an internet connection to create and share content
easily (Stokes, 2008).
Social Media is about using the tools/applications that the internet has provided us to connect and build relationships with others (Stokes, 2008). Museums are always in pursuit of better engagement. Social Media is just one of the ways we try to communicate with online communities as it allows for open dialogue between content creators, content consumers and content sharers.
You can connect with Fanshawe Pioneer Village on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube or through our Virtual Village. Like other Social Networks, these channels of communication have given us the opportunity to create dialogue and discussions with different communities. Many museums are taking Social Media more seriously, embracing the many benefits and using it as a tool for engaging with others. Check out how these Art Galleries and Museums are using Social Media to their benefit. One thing I learned from the article is that even a social media team of one (like me) can make a positive impact. It’s all about using social media to build relationships, start conversations and tell the story of your collection.
Here are five tips from me on what you can do to master you own organizations Social Media even with limited resources, staff and budgets!
1. Subscribe to blogs and free webinars. They’re informative, inspiring and really helpful. Geoff Evans founder of Social Media Coach has an excellent blog that shares tips and tricks for doing good Social Media. He also occasionally offers free webinars. They’re informative and relevant and take also place in real time so you to ask an expert specific questions.
2. Take advantage of the free resources available to you on the Internet. Last year I attended Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (SWOTC) annual Tourism Conference. The conference hosted some great speakers and workshops. Some of the topics included ways Ontario attractions can incorporate social media to their own benefit. SWOTC also has a helpful marketing resources page that provides a free Social Media Cheat Sheet, Geoff Evan’s past Social Media presentations, and other relevant and helpful information.
3. Implement a Social Media Policy. A Social Media Policy enables your employees to participate online in a respectful and appropriate way. It also helps protect your reputation and is a binding document on how your organization and employees should engage in Social Media online. Your employees are your experts; it makes sense to collaborate and use everyone’s expertise to the fullest! A Social Media Policy helps to regulate what’s being posted. Check out these examples of social media guidelines via HireRabbit.
4. Take advantage of the expertise around you! I am not a curator, archivist, historian or preservationist. I am a marketer! There is content I am interested in sharing with online communities but my knowledge is sometimes limited. Lucky for me I have a team of experts who can help me. Embrace the knowledge around you, and reach out to your experts and collaborate together. Our Facebook Page shows an increase in public interest, engagement and conversations since we all started collaborating to create content.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. There are many social media networks out there but that doesn’t mean you should undertake them all. Find what works for your business or organization and master it! Remember that quality outweighs quantity. Multiple social media channels may seem good in theory but they can be very difficult to manage in practice.
To end, here’s a video on the 2015 Social Media Revolution and some stats surrounding everyone’s favourite past time. Disclaimer: it was created back in January so it is probably already irrelevant!
- Marianne
Social Media is about using the tools/applications that the internet has provided us to connect and build relationships with others (Stokes, 2008). Museums are always in pursuit of better engagement. Social Media is just one of the ways we try to communicate with online communities as it allows for open dialogue between content creators, content consumers and content sharers.
You can connect with Fanshawe Pioneer Village on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube or through our Virtual Village. Like other Social Networks, these channels of communication have given us the opportunity to create dialogue and discussions with different communities. Many museums are taking Social Media more seriously, embracing the many benefits and using it as a tool for engaging with others. Check out how these Art Galleries and Museums are using Social Media to their benefit. One thing I learned from the article is that even a social media team of one (like me) can make a positive impact. It’s all about using social media to build relationships, start conversations and tell the story of your collection.
Here are five tips from me on what you can do to master you own organizations Social Media even with limited resources, staff and budgets!
1. Subscribe to blogs and free webinars. They’re informative, inspiring and really helpful. Geoff Evans founder of Social Media Coach has an excellent blog that shares tips and tricks for doing good Social Media. He also occasionally offers free webinars. They’re informative and relevant and take also place in real time so you to ask an expert specific questions.
2. Take advantage of the free resources available to you on the Internet. Last year I attended Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (SWOTC) annual Tourism Conference. The conference hosted some great speakers and workshops. Some of the topics included ways Ontario attractions can incorporate social media to their own benefit. SWOTC also has a helpful marketing resources page that provides a free Social Media Cheat Sheet, Geoff Evan’s past Social Media presentations, and other relevant and helpful information.
3. Implement a Social Media Policy. A Social Media Policy enables your employees to participate online in a respectful and appropriate way. It also helps protect your reputation and is a binding document on how your organization and employees should engage in Social Media online. Your employees are your experts; it makes sense to collaborate and use everyone’s expertise to the fullest! A Social Media Policy helps to regulate what’s being posted. Check out these examples of social media guidelines via HireRabbit.
4. Take advantage of the expertise around you! I am not a curator, archivist, historian or preservationist. I am a marketer! There is content I am interested in sharing with online communities but my knowledge is sometimes limited. Lucky for me I have a team of experts who can help me. Embrace the knowledge around you, and reach out to your experts and collaborate together. Our Facebook Page shows an increase in public interest, engagement and conversations since we all started collaborating to create content.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. There are many social media networks out there but that doesn’t mean you should undertake them all. Find what works for your business or organization and master it! Remember that quality outweighs quantity. Multiple social media channels may seem good in theory but they can be very difficult to manage in practice.
To end, here’s a video on the 2015 Social Media Revolution and some stats surrounding everyone’s favourite past time. Disclaimer: it was created back in January so it is probably already irrelevant!
- Marianne
Sources:
R. Stokes (eMarketing: The Essentials Guides to Marketing In A
Digital World, 2008)
