Laura,

I agree with you whole heartedly. 

It is so easy to get caught up in the media itself, and to forget to match
your FB performance against your initial goal(s).  

But then, I think all of us working in public archaeology have to  try to do
a better job of EVALUATING our performance and reporting on our evaluation
to our peers in all our projects, not just Facebook.  I am certainly guilty
of this sin.


Linda Derry



-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura
Seifert
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2013 6:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: HISTARCH Digest - 18 Jun 2013 to 19 Jun 2013 (#2013-140)

While Facebook is easy and effective, we need to all be thinking longer term
and deeper engagement. Social marketing is about creating a community that
interacts, not dictating the message to them. Sites like Old Cahawba can
(and clearly have) done this well, but what about temporary sites like
Abercorn Archaeology? Once the project is done, are these Facebook sites and
blogs abandoned? The next project has to re-attract fans and regain a
following.

Fans or followers do not mean anything without action behind it. Are your
fans willing to write a letter to their mayor or senator to support
archaeology? Several months after your site closes, your page will no longer
be showing up in your followers' news feed. Could you rally the troops to
speak at a city council meeting then? Or get them out for a vote?

Think about consolidating projects locally like Georgia Southern U has done
with their projects (https://www.facebook.com/GaSARP) or in Savannah,
everyone is welcome in our Digging Savannah project (
https://www.facebook.com/DiggingSavannah). We need to create longer-term
engagement with our communities to make archaeology and history a normal,
everyday part of American life.
food for thought,
Laura


Laura Seifert

Chairperson, Savannah Heritage Emergency Response http://sheronline.info

Digging Savannah <https://diggingsavannah.wordpress.com/>
a new archaeology program in Savannah
Find us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/DiggingSavannah>