From: "Hoover, Joseph" <Joseph.Hoover@MNHS.ORG> Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 15:31:54 -0500 Subject: RE: Questionis about Blogs Message-ID: <C3E8071100A6B747AB00D93914A8480A94457B7FBF@maple.MNHS.ORG>
Setting up a blog at http://www.wordpress.com or http://www.blogger.com is
a fairly straightforward process. Often you can work between social media
accounts and build one off the other. Example: post photos to a Flickr acc
ount then include the relevant ones you need to your blog post. The key to
success in any social media effort is content. Usually museums and historic
al societies are dripping with content, they just have to take the time to
organize it for posting. Offer content that people want. Don't make your Fa
cebook page (or blog) come across as a Press release that just posts events
. If you want people to opt-in to follow you offer them something they woul
d want to follow. Facebook, blogs and many other social media tools are che
ap (if not free) to get into but they are expensive are far as time commitm
ent. However, unlike advertising which is cost prohibitive for most museums
/historical societies to get involved in, social media does offer a low poi
nt of entry AND unlike advertising which has to get in-your-face to get not
iced, social media is opt-in people have to want to join you and let you ma
rket to them. Because of that museums and historical societies have a defin
ite advantage over commercial businesses when it comes to social media. Exa
mple: If you had to choose between following Metropolitan Museum of Art or
Kmart on Facebook which would you follow?
I thought so....
BTW: Don't underestimate email as a social marketing tool. With the 65+ cro
wd it is the "social media" tool of choice. Just use it wisely and responsi
bly. No Spamming and never ever buy mailing lists...
_Joe
Joe Hoover
Digital Technology Outreach Specialist
Minnesota Historical Society
Historic Preservation Department
345 W. Kellogg Blvd. 55102
(651) 259-3461
joe.hoover@mnhs.org
www.mnhs.org/lhs
From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu [mailto:localhistory-request@
listserve.uwec.edu] On Behalf Of sara steele
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 2:28 PM
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: Questionis about Blogs
Hi
Which Historical Societies are using blogs? I have the same questions that
Jarrod has about FaceBook but am several months behind and am just consid
ering doing some informal blogging perhaps as a means of sharing some of th
e photos in our photo collection and some of my views of the difference bet
ween collecting photos as visual records and accepting them like other muse
um items.
We currently share our photos to illustrate text in specific-topics report
s which run about 50 pages and are run by a printer--often with color cover
s--extemely reasonable costwise. We do not have a website.
In addition to Jarrod's questions, I'd love to have help from an individaul
who rememers how they got a site and got started with a blog.
Indivduals or societies who use all three can be helpful in sharing compari
sons in terms of roles and uses.
Another question, sort of like Jerrod's last one is how do people locate a
blog? Do they show up when you google?
Thank you!
History of image production
On a different subject a descendent of the man who built the first house in
Cottage Grove in 1841 has sent a photo of the man. She also has emailed m
e a quick history of periods different techniques were used. If she is wil
ling, would you like me to post her message? I had asked how glass plates
fit chronologically with tintypes. I am not sure I understand her reply in
that glass was used in both of the techniques before tintypes came along i
n the 1850s.
Sara Steele
Text Archivist
Cottage Grove Area Historical Society
----- Original Message -----
From: Monroe County Local History Room<mailto:mclhr@centurytel.net>
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu<mailto:localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 3:49 PM
Subject: Facebook: necessary evil or PR godsend?
Hello everyone.
Our museum does not currently have a Facebook presence but we're looking in
to it. I know little of Facebook and have trepidation about starting up wi
thout knowing more about how effective this format has been for small histo
rical societies and museums for networking. I was wondering if I could ask
those of you who operate Facebook accounts for your historical organizatio
n some questions?
--what do you wish you knew when you first started your Facebook page that
you know now?
--what tips could you share to make an organization's Facebook page success
ful and worthwhile?
--what warnings would you share?
--how much time do you (should you) devote to maintaining your Facebook pag
e? How often do you post stuff? I guess I'm concerned about the time commi
tment.
--do you find that genealogists appreciate and use it to share/communicate
info about family history? Does it work as a listserv?
Thanks!
Jarrod M. Roll
Director - County Historian
Monroe County Local History Room & Museum
200 West Main St.
Sparta, WI 54656
608-269-8680
www.MCLHR.org