Tool or Teen Fad?

Benjamin L. ClarkExecutive Director

MonDak Heritage CenterSidney, Mont.

Using Social Media in the Museum

About Me

• I am not a computer guru or web savvy ninja

• I was a *history* major – you do the math

• I was a technology naysayer (i.e., why text when I can call?)

My Assumptions

• You have computer access

• You have internet access

• You have email and use it enough to be comfortable with it (i.e. attachments?)

• You want to use FREE things to get your museum “out there” and to interact more/better with your museum’s friends

What Are These Things?

Twitter

Facebook

Flickr

MySpace

YouTube

What about these?

IGNORE THEM

Maybe when you’re older…

Sorry, There Isn’t One of These

A 12-Year-Old Explains

the Information Age's Facts of Life to Her Mother

By Julia Young & Zachary Smilovitz, mcsweeney’s.net

Mom, it's gonna be a long ride to Grandma's, and while we have some time alone together, I think it'd be good for us to talk about some things. I'm getting older, and I'm not always gonna be around the house to explain stuff to you. I know you have a lot of questions, and I want us to be open with each other. So, I think it's time you learned where blogs and tweets come from.

I don't know what kind of stories you've heard from your friends or the ladies in your book club. Sometimes, old people will spread around what they've heard from other old people. This can make things even more confusing and scary. That's why it's important you get the straight facts from me.

The Internet is a very beautiful thing if used properly.

When a person loves a funny video very much, he or she may want to share it with someone special to them. This is called linking and if done properly, it can bring people together in a very special union of love: usually the love of sneezing animals, or bed intruders, or Bill O'Reilly having a temper tantrum. But it's important to be sparing when you send your links. You don't want to become the neighborhood outbox, constantly forwarding yourself around. Nobody wants that kind of reputation. Trust me, you do not want to be known as a "spammer."

Now when someone has a lot of things they want to say, they may want to try blogging. Blogging is a kind of social intercourse, and should only be tried after years of experience with the Internet. Think of a blog as a newspaper that people actually read. It's a very personal thing, and you need healthy boundaries. For example, you can't go around blogging about the time I peed my pants when we went to see Ice Age like you told that woman in line at TJ Maxx yesterday. You need to be even more cautious before you move on to something more serious, like a tweet.

A tweet is a powerful yet brief experience that you share with thousands of people, sometimes even famous ones. Don't feel bad if you don't tweet! A lot people never tweet, and they live perfectly happy lives. Yes, you'll read a lot of bad tweets before you find the right ones. But once you do find that perfect feed, you'll spend the whole day wanting to refresh on it.

You should try Facebook, though. Everyone tries Facebook at least once in their life. It usually starts in college. It may seem like harmless fun at first, but I know a lot of people who once they started Facebooking, couldn't stop. They'd waste their whole day updating their status, commenting on colleagues' vacation photos, and, tragically, poking almost complete strangers. It can become very unhealthy, so I want you to be careful. And listen; I don't want you ever writing on my Wall; even if it's my birthday. That's just not appropriate for a mother and daughter.

I hope this wasn't too embarrassing for you. We'll talk about what a meme is when we get to Grandma's. I don't want to have to explain it twice.

Develop a Policy

• Like everything else you do in a museum, have a board approved policy in place to provide guiding principles.

• A working example from the MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, MT is attached.

Create a Plan

• Policies are nice, but…..

• Answer the who, what, when, where, and how

• Set benchmarks to reach your goals

• KEEP IT UP

Who?

• Updates

• Sets passwords, who updates passwords

• Is allowed to upload material

• Decides which sites to use

What?

• Information is allowed to be shared

• Sites will be used (don’t try to do them all if you are new to social networking! Start small, they all have learning curves)

When?

• How often will you post? (Goal setting)

• Can you be on sites “on the clock”

Where?

• Can users upload/ interact on personal machines from home, or only at the museum?

• Mobile?

Setting Up a Facebook Account

• What you’ll need:– Policy– Procedures– Email– Password– Something to say

A Case Study

Facebook

If it’s so easy, let’s see you do it.

YouTube

• More video was uploaded to YouTube in the last 2 months than if ABC, NBC, and CBS had been airing *new* content 24/ 7/ 365 since 1948 (When ABC started broadcasting).

• What does that mean? A lot of people are using YouTube.

• Fort Benton – AVS4You• Google

Flickr

• Yahoo

• 250 images – free (Don’t disappear, just rotate off. They’d all be there if you upgrade to a paid account, and will still be there if you lapse off.)

• Unlimited images - $25/ year

Twitter

• 140 *characters* • The media LOVES twitter and use it extensively• NOT just a bulletin board for event reminders

and links. SOCIALISE and participate• Not as many people use, but those who do use it

a lot• Link to your website/ blog/ facebook/ local

newspaper articles, etc.• @MontanaMuseums, I have a list - Montana

Museums and MT Museum Professionals

MySpace

• MySpace only feels like a failure b/c of the exponential success of Facebook. MySpace user numbers have stayed steady since 2006.

• Most “regular folks” have fled to Facebook • Still a lot of artists and musicians/ bands• If you need to book music, MySpace is a great

place to search out bands and get previews of music through mp3 clips or videos.

• More spammy

Contact

Benjamin L. ClarkExecutive Director

MonDak Heritage Center120 3rd Ave. SE

Sidney, MT 59270406-433-3500

406-433-3503 – faxbclark@richland.org@BLClark on Twitter

ReferencesColleen Dilenschneider, “38 Ways Zoos and Aquariums are Engaging

Audiences through Social Technology.” Know Your Own Bone Blog. March 11, 2011. Online: http://colleendilen.com/2011/03/10/38-ways-zoos-and-aquariums-are-engaging-audiences-through-social-technology/

---, “41 Ways Museums are Merging Social and Tech to Engage Audiences.” Know Your Own Bone Blog. March 11, 2011. Online: http://colleendilen.com/2010/10/18/41-ways-museums-are-merging-social-and-tech-to-engage-audiences/

Elizabeth Olson, “Smithsonian Uses Social Media to Expand Mission.” New York Times. March 16, 2011. Online: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/design/smithsonian-expands-its-reach-through-social-media-and-the-public.html