Crowdsourcing Your Genealogy to Break Down Walls

Social media is hard to define, or even describe to most people.  It is ever changing and almost fluid in the way it has evolved over the past decade.  Essentially this concept refers to a community based, online communication forum that relies heavily on sharing of content and collaboration. 

Genealogists can use social media in several ways. For example research, networking, or education are ways that we can connect, share, and collaborate using various platforms. Social media and genealogy can go hand in hand with each other very easily.  By the end of this presentation you should be comfortable in making a choice about how you will use social media for your pursuits.

If you asked 10 people to define social media as well as explain it to you not one of them would give you the same answer.  Of course, it all depends on who you ask, and that would not necessarily be based on their age.  In my opinion there is not a common answer because we each use the platforms that best fit our needs, thoughts, and ideas. 

Some love Twitter while others detest it.  Some are Pintrest obsessed while others avoid it.  That is the great thing about this ever-evolving world of collaboration and sharing: you can make it what you want it to be.  It is like putty that you can shape, mold, and form into your way of doing things. What works for you might not work for someone else, but there is something out there for everyone.

Here is something to think about.  Where do you think you fall on the social media usage scale?  Are you a lurker, a dipper, or maybe an informer?  Perhaps you have several personalities depending on what you like to use.  Hopefully you will be willing to try something new and shift your social media persona by the end of this presentation. Thinking about your strengths and weaknesses will help you determine how you can adjust and change your usage to get more out of this resource.

There are many different platforms that are considered social media.  To give you some ideas on the different products which are covered under the social media umbrella look at the graphic by Popular Culture Social Media Infographics shown here.  Did you realize that all these services fell under the auspices of social media?  How many do you use in one day?  The first time I looked at this list I realized there were nearly 20 platforms that I use on a weekly basis.  Over half of those help me daily on my genealogy pursuits. 

Remember, social media outlets will only work for you if you participate in them.  It is simply not enough to have an account and watch the feeds go by.  To learn, grow, and find the answers you are looking for will take a time commitment on your end.  Posting your finds and talking with other genealogists is just the beginning.  Think about how you want to use social media and then seek out the sites that will make it a reality for you.

Below is a listing of some of the more popular and frequently used social media platforms.  There are examples listed of how you could use these to aid your genealogy research and pursuits.  From it you should be able to put together a basic plan on how they can work for you and which ones you will get the most use out of. 

             

Platform	Type of Social Media	Genealogy Use
Facebook	Social Network	Collaboration, sharing, education, networking
Twitter	Micromedia	Education, publicity, sharing
Wordpress / Blogger	Blogs	Research, sharing, education, publicity
Google +	Social Network	Education, publicity, research, collaboration
Flicker	Picture sharing	Collaboration, sharing, research
YouTube	Video	Research, education
LinkedIn	Curated Networks	Professional networking
Skype	Voice / Messaging	Collaboration, sharing, networking

The key is to use what you can handle and be active with those you chose to use.  You don’t need to have a dozen accounts if you are not going to use them.  Pick and choose and make it your own.  Most of all have fun getting to know genealogists and family historians from all over the world!

Web Resources:

·        Hubspot.com “The Ultimate Glossary: 120 Social Media Marketing Terms Explained” bit.ly/M8UqrZ

·        About.com “What is Social Networking?” webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htm

·        Family Search “Popular Social Networks for Genealogy” familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Popular_Social_Networks_for_Genealogy

·        Social Media and Genealogy by Carole Riley socialmediagen.com

Print Resources:

·        Staying Safe with Social Media: A Guide for Genealogy and Family History by Thomas Macentee

·        Social Media for Family Historians by Carole Riley

·        Social Networking for Genealogists by Drew Smith