social media and preservation: 10 great ways to engage preservationists on facebook
TRANSCRIPT
Social Media & Preservation
10 Great Ways to Engage Preservationists on
That saying about “a picture is worth
a thousand words” is doubly true
when it comes to Facebook, so
share whatever you’ve got:
gorgeous buildings, amazing historic
photos, or charming ruins.
1. Share pretty pictures.
Photo courtesy Jeff Scott
Paired with a pretty picture, National Public Lands Day keeps their
fans engaged even after their annual event is over by asking them
to weigh in on questions like "One of my favorite fall outdoor
activities is …."
2. Ask questions.
Photo courtesy Sarah M. Heffern
On the Civil War Trust's page, they play "Name
that Battlefield" by sharing a photo and asking
their fans to identify where it came from.
3. Keep 'em guessing.
Photo courtesy Jason Lloyd Clement
The National Parks Conservation
Foundation hosts "Trivia Tuesdays"
where they encourage folks to visit
their page on Pinterest to answer a
trivia question about a National
Parks site.
4. Be trivial.
Photo courtesy Sarah M. Heffern
The folks at Vintage Roadside must go everywhere with their cameras because their page is full of captured-in-the-moment roadside attractions. (The fact they're all mid-century eye candy doesn't hurt, either!)
5. Take it on the road.
Photo courtesy Adrian Scott Fine
Buffalo's Young Preservationists share links to a
lot of local events to help build real-world
community -- not just online camaraderie.
6. Help people connect
offline.
Photo courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation
The California State Parks Foundation is asking people to share their "Defend What's Yours" photos on the foundation's page, and the High Line (shown above) asks folks to share their photos when they have public events.
7. Ask your supporters to share.
Photo courtesy Jason Lloyd Clement
If your fans know you're a reliable
source for all things historic or all
things built environment (or both!),
they'll keep coming back to your
page. See the National Park
Service's link to a story about their
newest park, César E. Chávez
National Monument.
8. Extra! Extra! Read all
about it!
Official White House Photo courtesy Pete Souza
On the Save Prentice Facebook page, a bold
"Take Action" button brings fans right to a
petition asking the Commission on Chicago
Landmarks to support landmarking the historic
hospital.
9. Offer a simple action.
Photo courtesy Landmarks Illinois
A lot of organizations default to gathering fans on a page, but many
projects work better if people are bouncing ideas around -- just what
Facebook's groups was made for! Take it from the folks at Preservation-
Ready Sites, a group where many people are driving the conversation.
10. Think outside the page.
Photo courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation
Ten on Tuesday features ten preservation
tips each week. For more tips, visit
blog.PreservationNation.org.