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Building Thriving Online Genealogy Communities: A Practical Guide
Creating a thriving online genealogy community is not about quick wins or flashy posts. It requires a steady, thoughtful approach that respects the values of history and storytelling while embracing digital tools.

Jon Marie Pearson
3 days ago4 min read


Turn Your Family History Research Into a Social Media Strategy Case Study
Start With One Research Question. The best case studies begin with one clear question. For example:

Jon Marie Pearson
3 days ago5 min read


How to Build Social Media Boundaries Without Disappearing Online
Social media connects us like never before, but it can also blur the lines between work, personal time, and rest. For professionals and communities managing online presence, constant availability can lead to burnout and stress. Setting clear boundaries helps maintain balance without vanishing from the platforms that matter. This post shares practical ideas to build social media boundaries that keep you engaged and healthy. Creating a calm workspace for managing social media t

Jon Marie Pearson
Jun 193 min read


Building Thriving Online Genealogy Communities: Creating Genealogy Groups That Last
Genealogy is more than just tracing names and dates. It is about connecting stories, preserving heritage, and building relationships across time and space. In today’s digital world, creating genealogy groups online offers a powerful way to bring people together who share this passion. But how do we create communities that are not only active but also meaningful and sustainable? This post explores practical strategies and thoughtful insights to help us build thriving online ge

Jon Marie Pearson
Jun 195 min read


How to Share Family History Online: Sharing Family History on Facebook - Tips and Tricks
Sharing family history online is a meaningful way to connect with relatives, preserve stories, and build a community around shared heritage. Facebook, with its vast reach and user-friendly features, offers an excellent platform for genealogists, educators, and heritage organizations to engage audiences thoughtfully and professionally. In this post, I will share practical tips and insights on how to share family history on Facebook effectively, balancing professionalism with w

Jon Marie Pearson
Jun 194 min read


Enhancing Genealogy Dialogue with Social Media Clarity Chats
In the world of genealogy, clear communication is essential. Whether we are sharing complex family histories, explaining research methods, or engaging with clients and communities, clarity helps us build trust and foster meaningful connections. Social media offers a powerful platform for these conversations, but it can also be noisy and overwhelming. This is where social media clarity chats come in—a focused, thoughtful approach to dialogue that enhances understanding and eng

Jon Marie Pearson
Jun 194 min read


When Your Family History Audience Is Scattered Everywhere
You have stories, photos, documents, and discoveries you want your family to have long after you are gone.
But here is the challenge.
Some relatives want emails. Some only respond to texts. Some are on Facebook. Some prefer Instagram. Some avoid social media altogether. A few may be comfortable on Ancestry, while others find it confusing or never log in.

Jon Marie Pearson
May 85 min read


Content Should Fit Your Life or Capacity
What if your content plan started with your real life instead of your social media goals?
That one shift can change everything.
So often, we sit down to plan social media content and begin with questions like:
What should I post? How often should I post? What is everyone else doing? What does the algorithm want from me?

Jon Marie Pearson
May 34 min read


How Many Facebook Groups Is Too Many for a Genealogist?
It is easy to join a Facebook Group. It is much harder to truly belong to one.
For family historians, genealogists, and society members, Facebook Groups can feel like a goldmine. One group helps with DNA. Another focuses on a county in Ohio. Another shares old photographs. Another talks about methodology. Before long, you are in dozens of groups, maybe more, and what once felt exciting starts to feel heavy.
You are not imagining it. Group overload is real.

Jon Marie Pearson
Apr 156 min read


Sharing Family History on Social Media: A Thoughtful Guide
Family history is a treasure trove of stories, memories, and connections that deserve to be shared with care and intention. In today’s digital age, social media platforms like Facebook offer powerful tools to bring these stories to life and connect with others who share our passion. Yet, sharing family history on social media requires a thoughtful approach to balance professionalism, engagement, and respect for privacy.

Jon Marie Pearson
Apr 65 min read


Genealogy Community Building: Creating Connections That Last
Genealogy is more than just tracing names and dates. It is about connecting stories, preserving heritage, and building relationships across time and space. In today’s digital age, genealogy community building has become essential for professionals and enthusiasts alike. It offers a platform to share knowledge, collaborate on research, and foster a sense of belonging among those passionate about family history.

Jon Marie Pearson
Apr 64 min read


Why Your Social Media Profile Matters More Than You Think
When someone finds you on social media, what do they see?
Before they read your posts, before they engage with your content, they see your profile.
And in just a few seconds, they make a decision.
Do we have something in common? Is this someone I want to connect with? Should I follow or move on?
For many people in the genealogy community, their profile hasn’t been updated in years. It may reflect a different season of life or give little indication that genealogy

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 262 min read


Protecting Living Relatives When Sharing Family History Online
One of the most meaningful parts of genealogy is sharing family stories.
Photographs, records, and personal memories help bring the past to life. When genealogists share these discoveries online, they often inspire conversations that lead to new insights, distant cousin connections, and deeper understanding of family history.
But genealogy does not exist only in the past.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 163 min read


Understanding Facebook Audience Settings: Controlling Who Sees Your Posts
One of the most common concerns genealogists have when using Facebook is privacy.
Many people worry that if they share something online, it automatically becomes visible to everyone. That assumption can make researchers hesitant to post ancestor stories, family photographs, or research discoveries.
The good news is that Facebook provides a simple way to control who sees each post you share. These controls are called audience settings, and once you understand them, they

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 163 min read


Understanding Meta Business Suite: A Tool That Helps Societies Stay Organized
For many historical and genealogical societies, managing Facebook can feel overwhelming.
A volunteer remembers to post an event announcement. Another board member responds to a comment. Someone else shares a photograph from the society’s archives. The work gets done, but often in a scattered way.
This is a common experience for volunteer-led organizations.
Facebook provides a tool designed to bring structure to that process. It is called Meta Business Suite.
Meta

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 163 min read


Understanding Facebook’s Professional Dashboard
For many genealogists who begin sharing research stories or educational tips on Facebook, a quiet question eventually appears in the background.
Is anyone actually seeing this?
Facebook provides a tool that helps answer that question. It is called the Professional Dashboard.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 165 min read


Turning Genealogy Research Breakthroughs into Trusted Public Stories
In genealogy, breakthroughs rarely arrive with fanfare. They often appear quietly in the margins of a census page, a probate file tucked deep within county records, or a land deed that finally connects two generations.
For professional genealogists and family historians, these discoveries are deeply satisfying. Yet the real opportunity comes when we decide how to share them.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 104 min read


How Facebook’s Pieces Work Together for the Genealogy Community
Once you begin exploring Facebook more intentionally, it’s easy to feel like there are too many moving parts.
Profiles. Pages. Groups. Professional tools.
At first glance, the platform can seem complicated. But when you step back, the structure is actually quite simple. Each piece exists for a specific purpose, and when they work together, Facebook becomes much easier to navigate.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 72 min read


Facebook Groups: Where the Genealogy Community Comes Alive
If Facebook Pages function as the public front door for organizations, Facebook Groups are where the conversations truly happen.
Groups were designed to bring people together around a shared interest, and genealogy is perfectly suited for that kind of environment. Researchers gather in groups centered on specific locations, surnames, historical events, and research challenges. Within those spaces, questions are asked, discoveries are shared, and collaboration often begins.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 72 min read


Facebook Pages: The Right Home for Societies and Genealogy Businesses
As the genealogy community expanded onto Facebook, many historical societies, libraries, and professional genealogists began creating a presence there.
Often this started informally. Someone from the organization created an account and began sharing announcements or posting event reminders. At the time, the goal was simple: help people find information about meetings, programs, and research resources.

Jon Marie Pearson
Mar 72 min read
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