Please - tell me what do you think?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
From your (Cedars) Prez - query for you
I'm wondering how many Cedars' Members are on Facebook and whether it would be worth creating a Facebook group for Cedars. It could be yet another way to use the latest technology to expand communications. I'm interested in what you all think and what ideas you might have for how we could use the group. Of course, there will be redundancies with what we already have - in print and on the website including the blog. But everyone responds differently and is excited by different things. Perhaps if enough people are on Facebook, it might be an easy way for them to stay abreast of what's going on.
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2 comments:
I'm on Facebook and I know a lot of other Cedars members are. I think there may be ways to replicate content we put in once place, say here on the blog, and have it show up automatically in Facebook.
The UUA suggests creating a Facebook page for a congregation, not a group.
The following Do's and Dont's are from the UUA.
Facebook Dos and Don’ts
for Leaders of Unitarian Universalist Congregations
DRAFT
From the Unitarian Universalist Association
For more information, contact pw_specialist@uua.org
Getting Started
DO set up a "page" for your congregation on Facebook. Get started at: http://www.facebook.com/business/?pages
DON'T set up a "group" for the congregation. Pages offer greater functionality and more visibility than groups, and are designed for use by organizations.[1]
DO make sure that more than one person has administrative access to the page and that the administrators are authorized to post information on behalf of the congregation. This page should belong to the congregation, not to an individual member or staffer.
Adding Content
DO upload a logo for your "profile picture." Choose an image that is recognizable at a very small size. Eligible congregations may use the UUA logo: http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/corporateidentity/index.shtml
DO treat your Facebook page as a public document. Visitors as well as congregants will see it. Offer information that is relevant to visitors, including contact information, phone number, service times, and website address.
DON'T post private information on the Facebook page. If you wouldn't post it on your congregation's website, DON'T post it on Facebook.
DO take advantage of the features offered to page administrators, by answering questions posted on your wall, creating events, uploading videos, and adding other content that is relevant to congregants and visitors.
DON'T clutter your Facebook page with excessive or irrelevant content. And DON'T install additional applications unless they are necessary and you know that they are free of viruses and malware.
DO upload photos of your congregation.
DON'T upload photos of children without permission from their guardian(s).
DO add new content and respond to questions on a regular basis, so that visitors know your congregation is active.
Encouraging participation and creating a safe space
DO tell congregants that the congregation has a page, so that they can become "fans.”
DO have fun with your page and use it to share the spirit of your congregation.
DO encourage “fans” of your page to participate by writing on the wall, uploading photos, and answering questions on the discussion board.[2]
DON'T allow threatening or offensive content posted by fans to remain on the page. DO consider reporting such content to Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/help.php?safety).
Keeping in touch with the UUA
DON'T hesitate to contact Shelby Meyerhoff, public witness specialist, if you have questions or would like to share your Facebook success story! DO e-mail pw_specialist@uua.org or call 617-498-6103.
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[1] Committees or other groups within the congregation may find Facebook “groups” helpful for conducting conversations or sharing information amongst their members. However, “groups” are arguably less useful than “pages” for interacting with the general public.
[2] Fans can write on the wall and participate in discussion boards without administrative access. Fans can also add photos and videos, although photos and videos uploaded by fans are labeled as such, and are differentiated from photos and videos uploaded by page administrators.
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