The Hip and the Hip-Replaced
After discussions with three different sources, at Camp Long and at Green Seattle Partnership, I am going to begin strategizing with them to let social media help them. With Camp Long, I will focus on building a Facebook fansite targeting "hip" internet-savvy West Seattleites middle-aged and younger. With the GSP, I will help introduce Twitter as a marketing tool to their volunteer park stewards to help get more of a turnout. To a more realistic and minor extent for first-time internet users, this means merely being able to update the Twitter feed in the case of an emergency event-detail change. For those who want to tackle something larger, I will explain how to make the Twitter account relay an appealing plea for more volunteers and to become an interesting account to follow. The following three steps I will by no means finish in the coming week, but I will certainly outline and somewhat flesh out:
1. A Facebook fansite splash page for Camp Long that looks legit! I want to better learn how to design an image like on the Best Buy or Starbucks splash pages where I can make clickable, appealing buttons which link to sections on the Camp Long parks website, for example.
2. Start to publicize the fan page and aggregate followers, even without the final touches I am sure people will "Fan" (well, now "Like") the page. Lincoln Park has over 2000 and they don't even update!
3. Start making an intuitive "how-to-use twitter" guide for those who primarily write hand-written letters! This will be tough, and I'll have to get many pairs of eyes to proofread it so that I really do speak in terms that will be helpful for those who have never used Twitter, and rarely use the internet. I think it could evolve to be a great tool in the volunteer service.
Posts
I love the social networking approach to your project. Taking advantage of these tools today is the best way to go! I think a Facebook fan page and twitter account would really benefit Camp Long and Green Seattle Partnership with getting their names out there and building awareness around Seattle. I think one thing that will be key in utilizing these networks is putting together some long-term goals. I know this project will be over in a couple of weeks but even just sketching out a timeline with goals would be perfect. Facebook and Twitter are perfect for Internet marketing but only when we are using them regularly since it is such a fast-passed world! Also educating people on “how-to-use twitter” is another awesome idea! It is amazing how many people don’t know how to use these sites that are so common to us. Great start and I love the creativity.
Kripa