In 2015, it’s clear that social media plays a major role for cultural institutions such as museums, parks, and nonprofit organizations. Whether your institution is large enough to have a dedicated staff member for online communications/social media or these duties are just one of many hats you wear, let’s discuss how to maximize social media for public history and preservation purposes.
What do you see as the function of social media at your organization? How do you measure success? Who is your target audience, and are you reaching them on social media? At your institution, is social media a means to another goal (such as visiting your site or attending a program), or is online engagement itself the goal? What has worked in the past, and what do you hope to try moving forward? How does your social media correspond with your programs, website, etc.?
—Auni Gelles, @aunigelles
I am a public historian working in heritage tourism. The power of historic places is unlike anything else–and that motivates me to promote preservation and sustainable engagement with historic resources. I’m currently working on my graduate thesis, a digital history project on the Battle of Baltimore in collaboration with Baltimore Heritage.
