Collaboration is key in the virtual world. For genealogical and historical societies, joining forces on social media can significantly amplify reach, share resources more efficiently, and engage a broader audience. Here’s how your society can harness the power of collaborative content strategies to foster a stronger community and boost its digital presence.
Why Collaborate?
Collaboration allows societies to pool their resources, share unique content, and tap into each other’s networks, creating a richer, more diverse offering for followers. It can help smaller societies increase their visibility and larger ones to diversify their content. Most importantly, it builds a sense of community and shared purpose that is vital in the field of history and genealogy.
Cross-Promotion of Events and Programs
Start by identifying societies with similar interests or complementary goals. Plan joint events such as webinars, workshops, or virtual conferences and promote these collaboratively. Cross-promoting events not only splits the workload but also doubles the promotional power. Share each other’s posts, create event pages together, and engage jointly with your audiences.
Actionable Tip: Use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to co-host events and tag each other in posts related to the event to expand your reach.
Joint Content Series
Create a series of posts, videos, or Live events that tap into the strengths of each participating society. For example, a “North Carolina's Repositories” series where different societies, museums, or libraries showcase collections and research treasures from their area could be fascinating.
Actionable Tip: Use YouTube or Facebook Live for series that benefit from visual storytelling. Promote upcoming episodes jointly to build anticipation.
Shared Hashtag Campaigns
Develop a hashtag that all partnering societies can use. This could be related to a specific campaign, event, or ongoing discussion. A shared hashtag helps track the conversation’s impact and reach and fosters a sense of community among followers of different societies.
Actionable Tip: Create a campaign around a theme like #AncestorStories or #LocalHistoryLove, encouraging societies and their followers to share posts related to the theme.
Resource and Research Exchanges
Collaboratively share each other’s research resources, databases, and publications. Highlighting each other’s resources can provide significant value to followers and help societies attract new members interested in specific data or expertise.
Actionable Tip: Feature a “Resource of the Month” from a partner society on your blog and social media channels, with links to access the resources.
Collaborative Fundraising or Advocacy Campaigns
Work together on campaigns that benefit the genealogical and historical community at large. This could include fundraising for joint projects, advocating for historical preservation, or lobbying for access to public records.
Actionable Tip: Launch a joint crowdfunding campaign on platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter, or coordinate advocacy efforts using a unified social media strategy.
Collaboration in the digital sphere opens up a world of possibilities for genealogical and historical societies. Societies can significantly enhance their online presence and community engagement by leveraging shared interests and resources. Start small with a single collaboration and gradually expand as you build successful partnerships.
Remember, the goal is to create meaningful, engaging content that resonates with your audience and promotes a richer understanding of genealogy and history.