I’ve checked out several social media sites, but really enjoy Facebook the most. When Dzenaela was a teenager, I knew her immigrant parents were too busy to keep an eye on things. Teens were using Facebook for bullying and posting crude photos, so I joined to watch. Okay, lurk.
But I discovered a handy way to get rid of guilt about ending up with over 100 years of old family pictures–cousin Facebook pages. I shared them all, and people can save them to their own computers and have copies made.
Then some of those old photos needed sharing in the counties where my grandparents grew up. Soon I was the Admin for Iowa’s Audubon, Dallas, and Guthrie Counties.
It’s been delightful to get feedback from others, and to have them share what treasures their families have saved through the generations, along with their stories.
Yes, I get some feedback here on WordPress, but my most fun interaction comes after I’ve copied and pasted the URL on Facebook pages with similar content, such as the Forgotten Iowa FB page or various WWII sites. Both Thursday’s RAGBRAI and Bonnie and Clyde post, and Friday’s about the siblings who died of hog cholera, got over 130 responses and at least 14 people even shared the stories!
Write That Book
I’m also part of an online group called Write That Book. Every week there are “office hours” with published authors, agents, interviews, and worksheets. We students are encouraged to try out different social media to see were we’d most enjoy connecting with people interested in what we write.
Instagram is delightfully visual, but I haven’t figured out yet how people connect there. And I’m puzzled that that’s where I get the most lurkers who only want to say hi. hmmm
I’m warming up to Twitter, but couldn’t decide why I’d want to try Pinterest. I don’t collect recipes or decor or fashions. But one of the experts on WTB said that she linked each of her blog posts as a pin on her Pinterest boards.
Board? Pin?
Here on my website, I sort stories by category–Depression Era, Growing Up on a Farm, WWII, etc. Here’s how the Books & Authors category looks here on WordPress.
I made each category into a “board” on Pinterest. Wow! It was easier to break down those categories, so blog posts could be “pinned” on more than one board.
Here’s how Books & Authors looks on Pinterest.
How about Dexter (Iowa) History?
Bottom line: I get a lot more interaction and feedback with people interested in what I write on Facebook than anywhere else on the internet.
And I’m having fun.