Diving into social media…Where to start?

Diving into the social media universe can be a daunting task for anyone, especially if you’re doing so to promote your community’s recycling program. There are so many ways to interact with social media – through blogs, YouTube, Flickr, etc. – you may be wondering if there is a good starting point. A place to get your feet wet without diving into the deep end. Well, the good news is that there is!

To make the social media world a little less intimidating we recommend starting out with Facebook. Facebook is a social networking Web site where people who have personal profiles can interact with friends and acquaintances who also have personal profiles. Facebook allows users to show their support for causes or to become “fans” of companies or organizations. Starting a fan or cause page for your community’s recycling program is extremely easy. And the best part? It’s FREE!

Not convinced Facebook is for your program? Here are some quick facts about Facebook that may change your mind:

• There are more than 400 million active users on the site.
• 5 billion pieces of content (Web site links, photos, news stories, etc.) are loaded to the site EACH WEEK.
• More than 1.5 million local businesses have active pages on Facebook.
• The average user on Facebook has 130 friends. That’s 130 people that will be exposed to your messages for every ONE of your fans.

Here are some easy tips for getting started on Facebook:

1. Start by creating a personal profile of your own to get a feel for the site and its many functions. This can take as little as five minutes depending on how detailed you want your profile to be.
2. Get “friended.” When you get your personal profile up and running, start searching for everyone you know and become their friend on Facebook. The more friends you have the more people you can ask to become “fans” of your recycling program's page.
3. Start your program’s fan page (you MUST have your own personal profile to do this). Here’s where to get started: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/create.php
4. Plan your content for the new page first. Know your target demographic. Know what kind of events or news you want to promote on the page. (Hint: you want to keep the page as fun and dynamic as possible)

Here is an article that describes all the elements of a successful fan page: http://mashable.com/2009/03/30/successful-facebook-fan-page/

Here are some sample fan pages we like:
YouGottaBeKidding.org fan page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/YouGottaBeKiddingorg/125027614858

RE3.org fan page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=4722719197&ref=ts

Athens-Clarke County fan page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=61691220943&ref=ts

Have some Facebook tips of your own or know of an awesome fan or cause page? Comment below or e-mail us at info@recyclecurbside.org!

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