Category: Online Promotion
I’m sure this has happened to many of you before. You are sitting in a staff or board meeting, brainstorming ways to increase your visitor traffic, and someone says, “I know! We need to create a Facebook page and start Twittering!”
What these people do not understand is that Facebook and Twitter are merely tools – they are not a salvation for struggling organizations. They have a reputation as being “The Way” to interact with younger audiences. This is true – younger audiences are on Facebook and Twitter. But just creating a Facebook page and expecting younger audiences to come pouring through your doors is an error in thinking. (more…)
I am always looking for creative ways that museums and libraries are using social media to engage their audiences. Today’s fine example comes to us from the National Archives, who challenged their blog readers and Twitter followers to tweet in 140 characters or less the Bill of Rights! You can read the winning entries here.
This contest is a brilliant social marketing strategy for several reasons: (more…)
A post on the Library of Congress blog reports that the organization recently posted a collection of Civil War-era photos on the social media site Flickr as a way to share these photos with a much wider audience than will be able to see them in person as a part of their exhibit “The Last Full Measure.”
An addendum to my last post… Seth Godin’s criticism has sparked a lot of discussion at The Chronicle of Philanthropy and has reminded me of an important point I failed to make in my last post. When you are using social media, your primary goal really shouldn’t be how many “followers” or “friends” you have. Many non-profits have taken issue with Godin’s point that non-profits aren’t successful with social media because they aren’t in the Top 100 Twitter users. Most commenters agree – and I do too — that “Number of Followers” is a poor measure of success. Many of the top Twitter users are celebrities (Ashton Kutcher) and media outlets (CNN) that have a tremendous reach. Unless your non-profit is nationwide, you will never reach those numbers. (more…)
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has responded to Seth Godin’s scolding of non-profits’ “non-use” of social media. One of Seth’s points is that all non-profits should have a group of volunteers ready to head up their social media efforts, and if they don’t, “then you’re not working on something important enough.” I’m not sure whether that last bit refers to
Wanted to share this great idea from the Maryland Zoo. Their fundraising event “Brew at the Zoo” is this weekend. They sent out a tweet today that said “To win Brew at the Zoo tickets for Saturday – retweet this message. At 4:30pm today we will announce a winner.” What a great way to encourage people to spread the word! In marketing lingo, this is known as “viral marketing.” I’ve seen it used a lot with email and on Facebook, but this is the most effective use I’ve seen on Twitter. And I’m proof that it works – I didn’t get the original tweet from the Zoo, but several of my friends retweeted it to me. And it got me excited, because the illusion was that “everyone else was doing it.” Try it to promote your next event – especially effective for museums with a local following.
So in the past few weeks, this Twitter thing has really exploded. News anchors twitter. Obama twitters. Your niece and nephew twitter. I’ve been conked over the head with it everywhere I turn. And so I started Twittering. (more…)
Think online programs are only for the younger generations and that older folks aren’t using the internet? Think again!
According to surveys conducted through 2008 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Gen X, and Boomers are just as likely to use the internet as Gen Y is. (more…)
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