The document discusses strategies for using social media for genealogy purposes without becoming overwhelmed. It recommends deciding if social media is needed, starting with one or two sites, automating posts if possible, using aggregators like HootSuite or Tweetdeck, backing up valuable posts, and considering privacy when sharing information online. The overall message is that social media should work for genealogists' needs and not control their time.

1. “Social Media”
Share Your Genealogy without Losing Your Mind
The NGS Family History Conference, 2011
GenTech Luncheon
Jordan Jones

2. What is the deal with
Facebook?

3. What is the deal with
Facebook?
“My kids | grandkids | genealogy friends
won’t stop pestering me about joining
Facebook!”

4. What is the deal with
Facebook?
“My kids | grandkids | genealogy friends
won’t stop pestering me about joining
Facebook!”
“I may have to quit my job in order to take
care of my farm on FarmVille!”

5. What is the deal with
Facebook?
“My kids | grandkids | genealogy friends
won’t stop pestering me about joining
Facebook!”
“I may have to quit my job in order to take
care of my farm on FarmVille!”
“Who cares when someone is having a cup of
tea?”

6. What is the deal with
Twitter?

7. What is the deal with
Twitter?
“How can anyone say anything of value in
140 characters?”

8. What is the deal with
Twitter?
“How can anyone say anything of value in
140 characters?”
“I simply don’t get the point of Twitter!”

9. What is the deal with
Twitter?
“How can anyone say anything of value in
140 characters?”
“I simply don’t get the point of Twitter!”
“Who cares when someone is having a cup of
tea?”

10. What is Up with the
So-Called Social Web?
© 2011 by Khalid Albaih.
Used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

11. There are so many social
media websites!

12. There are so many social
media websites!
Facebook Reddit
Twitter Google Buzz
LinkedIn StumbleUpon
YouTube LibraryThing
Tumblr Foursquare
MySpace Flickr

13. only increasing …
And the innovation is
© 2011 by Mark Nowotarski.
Used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 license.

14. The Point of Twitter

15. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:

16. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:
Blog / website

17. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:
Blog / website
Genealogy society homepage

18. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:
Blog / website
Genealogy society homepage
TwitPic photo

19. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:
Blog / website
Genealogy society homepage
TwitPic photo
To say something timely and … blissfully brief

20. The Point of Twitter
To get people off of Twitter, with links to your:
Blog / website
Genealogy society homepage
TwitPic photo
To say something timely and … blissfully brief
To hear something timely and … blissfully brief

21. So … how will you use
this for genealogy
Without Losing Your Mind?

22. Step One
Are You Ready to Try This?

23. Unlike Death and Taxes,
Social Media is Optional

24. Unlike Death and Taxes,
Social Media is Optional
Do you want to share photos with family
members and friends?

25. Unlike Death and Taxes,
Social Media is Optional
Do you want to share photos with family
members and friends?
Do you want to share research results in
near “real time”?

26. Unlike Death and Taxes,
Social Media is Optional
Do you want to share photos with family
members and friends?
Do you want to share research results in
near “real time”?
Do you want to publicize events or
publications for a genealogical society?

27. Step Two
Set Boundaries

28. Limit Your Involvement
Based on Your Goals

29. Limit Your Involvement
Based on Your Goals
Don’t sign up for more than one or two
services to start.

30. Limit Your Involvement
Based on Your Goals
Don’t sign up for more than one or two
services to start.
If you only want to see pictures of your
grandkids, only create an account where
your kids are sharing those photos

31. Limit Your Involvement
Based on Your Goals
Don’t sign up for more than one or two
services to start.
If you only want to see pictures of your
grandkids, only create an account where
your kids are sharing those photos
If you want to communicate with folks
about your research results or genealogy
events, create your accounts with a focus
on your purpose.

32. Stay Away from Social
Media Games

33. Stay Away from Social
Media Games
I am of the opinion that they rot your brain.

34. Stay Away from Social
Media Games
I am of the opinion that they rot your brain.
They certainly take up time you could be
using for your research.

35. Step Three
If You Have a Lot of Posting to Do,
Automate

36. For Bloggers or Societies

37. For Bloggers or Societies
If you are putting out regular content, in the
form of a blog or society website, you should
let people know when the site is updated.

38. For Bloggers or Societies
If you are putting out regular content, in the
form of a blog or society website, you should
let people know when the site is updated.
Instead of burning yourself out with doing
this manually, automate the process.

39. What Do You Mean By
Automation?

40. What Do You Mean By
Automation?
Many sites allow you to post once, and have
the posting delivered to multiple places.

41. What Do You Mean By
Automation?
Many sites allow you to post once, and have
the posting delivered to multiple places.
Additionally, if your website has an RSS feed,
this can be done automatically every time
the site changes.

42. What Do You Mean By
Automation?
Many sites allow you to post once, and have
the posting delivered to multiple places.
Additionally, if your website has an RSS feed,
this can be done automatically every time
the site changes.
Examples: Twitterfeed, PixelPipe, Ping.fm,
Posterous, OnlyWire, and MediaFunnel

43. PixelPipe

44. Step Four
Considerations If You Are Monitoring
or Posting to a Lot of Feeds

45. Use a Social Media
Aggregator

46. Use a Social Media
Aggregator
A social media aggregator can help you see
and post to multiple social media sites at the
same time.

47. Use a Social Media
Aggregator
A social media aggregator can help you see
and post to multiple social media sites at the
same time.
Examples:

48. Use a Social Media
Aggregator
A social media aggregator can help you see
and post to multiple social media sites at the
same time.
Examples:
HootSuite

49. Use a Social Media
Aggregator
A social media aggregator can help you see
and post to multiple social media sites at the
same time.
Examples:
HootSuite
Tweetdeck (purchased by Twitter for $40
million+ on 2 May 2011)

50. Tweetdeck

51. Backup Your Social
Media

52. Backup Your Social
Media
If you are posting items of value to you,
consider backing up this information.

53. Backup Your Social
Media
If you are posting items of value to you,
consider backing up this information.
Backupify.com is one of the best known
services, but there are others.

54. Privacy

55. Privacy
Keep in mind that anything you post can be
more widely shared than you think.

56. Privacy
Keep in mind that anything you post can be
more widely shared than you think.
Even if you are limiting a posting, there’s
nothing to stop someone from forwarding
it.

57. Privacy
Keep in mind that anything you post can be
more widely shared than you think.
Even if you are limiting a posting, there’s
nothing to stop someone from forwarding
it.
Try to limit what you post to something
you would feel comfortable if it appeared
in the newspaper or on a billboard.

58. Your Time is Yours
And Social Media Should Work for You,
Not the Other Way Around

59. To sum up ...

60. To sum up ...
Decide whether you want to do this. Social
media is optional, after all.

61. To sum up ...
Decide whether you want to do this. Social
media is optional, after all.
Set boundaries. Start with only 1 or 2 sites.

62. To sum up ...
Decide whether you want to do this. Social
media is optional, after all.
Set boundaries. Start with only 1 or 2 sites.
Automate, where necessary and possible.

63. To sum up ...
Decide whether you want to do this. Social
media is optional, after all.
Set boundaries. Start with only 1 or 2 sites.
Automate, where necessary and possible.
Use social media aggregators, such as
HootSuite or Tweetdeck.

64. To sum up ...
Decide whether you want to do this. Social
media is optional, after all.
Set boundaries. Start with only 1 or 2 sites.
Automate, where necessary and possible.
Use social media aggregators, such as
HootSuite or Tweetdeck.
Don’t forget to create backups, and to
consider privacy.

65. Thank You
These slides will be made available by Monday on
www.genealogymedia.com/talks