What have you learned by having the Museum in Facebook?

I am getting more calls from communications colleagues within non-profit organizations wondering if social media is the place for them. Or, more specifically, how do you get started?

It is a big question, but hopefully this will be an effective way to answer those questions and create dialogue around our shared experiences. There are also many, many people blogging on this every day. Look for links to other knowledgeable resources.

But, my advice on getting started in Facebook:

1. Don’t be afraid of it! Yes, there is some risk, but not any more risk than just being open to the public every day.

2. Know why you are there! What are you trying to achieve, who are you trying to reach, and what are you hoping to learn through your organizations social media strategy. And, more specifically, what are you hoping to achieve, reach & learn through Facebook?

I placed the Museum in Facebook because I wanted to (a) promote museum events outside the Museum’s normal network (b) create a social community around the museum and (c) get people talking/engaged on the many issues we consider to be important at the Museum, especially as we look forward to the future.

On the first one, promoting the museum outside our normal network, we’ve had good initial response. For solid Facebook users, it’s been a great way to both create awareness and attendance to some targeted events. And it's been great to get response and feedback on new programs.

On the creating a social community around the museum, I am amazed at the people who find us and have joined our network. Our fan base is not huge (but I’ve not spent any money promoting it yet) but it is extends across the state and around the world!

One getting people talking, I have found people don’t talk nearly as much online as I expected!! I constantly experiment with the way in which I pose questions, start dialogue, etc. People don’t jump in. Other web resources I read say this is normal and that people are actually looking for expert info/insight (specifically on blogs, not on social networking sites, but...) and prefer to be “voyeurs” vs. participants. I’m not giving up. I’m have some new experiments up my sleeve for the year ahead to see if I can “break the code”.

3. If people DO comment, encourage them!! Respond! Talk back! Given how hard I’m trying to get people to talk, I tend to talk on other sites! I’ve posted a couple of questions on other museum sites, given politicians feedback, and have been amazed how they have not responded!

They should respond if only because it creates more activity/traffic on the social network site ("Janet commented on the Museum's wall" goes out to a network, etc.). So if you go social, then go social. Don’t use it as another one-sided website.

4. Find your voice. While the Museum’s website voice is “friendly, inclusive, scientifically-based and authoritative” the Museum’s Facebook voice strives to be “open, tell us what you think, we are working on this and would like your feedback, I’ve been thinking about this and wonder what you think”....for what it is worth. I use it a place to “try things out with insiders” (even though this audience expands beyond our normal).

5. Oh, and don’t spew out your standard PR info. It sounds false in social networking.

6. Give it time. Spend time to keep it up to date, vital, and active. I do believe that you can't truly identify the answers to #2 (why are you there) can't until you have spent some time figuring it out, finding your voice, building your network, etc.

Give it at least six months of active experimentation. Enter without judgment, experiment, see what works. Tell your boss what you are doing and she’ll probably just be relieved that someone is doing something in an emerging environment that she herself doesn’t understand!

7. Be active yourself in Facebook and encourage your colleagues to do so as well. You will learn a lot from other people. Plus, the partnership opportunities (your organization becoming a fan of others) help create the buzz.

Last summer, I heard there were 200,000 Facebook users in Utah. I have heard recently that there are 175,000 just in SLC Metro now — I figure my time is well-spent as that number is only going to grow. I’m pretty convinced that, while Facebook may change/go away, social networking, this way of connecting with people and this way of finding things out, is going to become a natural part of life. At least that’s my bet!