Geniaus’ small Social Media Geneameme

After yet another good contact made through my blog, I couldn’t resist helping my friend and Society colleague out with her 'small' social media geneameme.

Geniaus posed a series of short questions following the recent Unlock the Past genealogy cruise:

1. Tell us about your favourite social media tool and why you like it.

Hands down it’s Blogger. I’m still learning, and have lots to learn but the results have been great. I’m also on Facebook but mainly to keep in touch with friends.

2. How do you use social media to further your genealogy career or business?

I use Blogger to share my family history stories with family and friends. It has also ‘made me write’ and it’s true, you just have to start writing and it gets easier.

3. What advice would you give the cruiser who said “I must be living

under a rock” and is not sure about coming out from under it? (This came from my Social Media presentation)

Give a blog a try. It’s a really easy way to start. I started my blog as a travel blog as I wanted to record the big holiday but also thought it would get me in the habit of writing frequently – and it did.

My Dad has started a blog and he is enjoying finding things to put on it (not a geneablog).

Oh, and don’t forget to comment on blogs that interest you.

4. What aspect of Social Media makes you grit your teeth

Inane comments on Facebook, Facebook ads, and I’m just starting to get a few spam comments on the blog now.

5. How does social media assist with your CGD (continuing genealogical development)?

Writing a blog has made me more interested in other people’s blogs and there are so many things to learn from the experience of others.

Facebook has helped by getting notifications of events, new releases, and new websites through the pages I have ‘Liked’.

6. How do you fit social media time into your busy day?

I can quickly check Facebook each day in between other things. It’s worth checking at least every day so you can easily read everything.

I now try to put up two blog posts a week but am not being strict about that. Finding a few ‘prompts’ that I enjoy has really helped – Trove Tuesday and Sepia Saturday are fun and make me want to research and post something.

7. Do you have a story of how social media enabled you to connect with a long lost relation or fellow researcher?

I have three just in the last year!

The first was from something I read on a blog and enquired about. This led in a roundabout way to a lady in NZ who shares ancestors with me and had some wonderful oil paintings of them. We are hoping to meet this year.

The next was from a descendant of my great grandmother’s first husband. This has lead me to a second cousin in Canberra.

The third was someone researching my great aunt’s husband. This has just happened and has provided a wonderful collection of information that will probably disprove a long held family ‘myth’, and certainly lead me in a new direction to research.

8. You have a minute to share a piece of advice about genealogy and social media. Go for it.

As if the above isn’t enough to make you want to start.

Some of the other advantages of a geneablog are:

·      it has made me write. I am so much more confident writing now and it comes more naturally – maybe there’ll be a book in it someday

·      more members of my family are interested in the family history. I think reading it in short bursts, and with photos, at their leisure is so much easier than reading a book or having me tell (bore) them

·      some members of the family are sharing more memories and photos because of the ‘prompts’ in my blogs

·      you make some good ‘friends’ that you then meet at conferences or just online. Some of them have really helpful suggestions too

·      make comments on others blogs and respond the comments made on yours – you never know where they might lead

·      it’s fun!