New audiences, new conversations: social media to engage communities 

with recording heritageSheena Payne-Lunn, Worcester City Council

Traditional engagement

Community engagement: All or nothing?

Starting small

Entertainment and education: New audiences

Entertainment and education: New audiences

Signposting to further information

Engagement and empowerment: New information

Engagement and empowerment: New information

Why this method?

•No set-up costs•Pre-existing audience•Little time commitment (though some management is required)•No pressure to continually update as this is managed by others•Able to engage with a wider audience, in a more sustained way•New information

Things to consider

•Managing expectations•Try not to get side-tracked!

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Worcestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Audio Boo & Tweetcaster apps were downloaded onto mobile devices

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

http://storify.com/wyaclub/wyac‐building‐recording‐march‐2012

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Alan Jacobs Young Archaeologist of the Year Award 2013Winning entry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gWMHLbFLmo

Social media as a tool for recording heritage

Recording #HeritageatRisk on the Worcester to Birmingham Canal using Twitter and AudioBoo

#WYACallotment

https://archworcester.wordpress.com/

Some lessons learned

• Feeding into existing social media channels works in terms of enabling the HER tohave a presence without the commitment of having to find regular content. It hasgiven us the opportunity to build our presence gradually and therefore not beoverwhelmed by the need to respond to hundreds of enquiries, or to simply losefollowers by not providing content.

• Content should always be illustrated by a photograph where possible. OurFacebook figures have shown that approximately double the number of peopleengage with content when there is an illustration.

• Social media works as a tool for engaging young people, but also connects withnew audiences, not previously engaged by the HER

• The use of social media channels can generate or link to useful new sources ofinformation which can be fed into the HER

• There is a wide variety of social media applications out there – the key is to findthe ones most relevant to your use and not to take on too much.

Next steps

• Worcester City HER Twitter account @WorCityHeritage

• Incorporate Social Media into upcoming engagement projects

• A new Social Media & Young People policy

• Next WYAC event in March will be looking at History Pin!

www.facebook.com/worcester

www.storify.com/worcsyac

www.audioboo.com

www.historypin.com

Further information

https://archworcester.wordpress.com/

Twitter accounts:

@worcityheritage

@Worcsyac

@sheenapaynelunn