Very short talk for Social Media Week DC 2013 about how to measure the impact or health of an outreach project that uses social media as one of its tools.

1. HOW DO YOU MEASURE A
RELATIONSHIP?
@erinblasco, formerly of @postalmuseum, now at
@amhistorymuseum
Friday, February 22, 13

2. GEEK LOVE
The power of Twitter:
Stumbling upon a group of
30-somethings who were into
postal stuff but not hugely
aware of the Postal Museum.
Outreach project?
Mail art photos by Donovan Beeson. Creative Commons.
Friday, February 22, 13

3. YEAH OUTREACH PROJECT
• Twitter stalking
• Saying hello
• Flirting a bit
• Focus group via Google Hangout
• Decision to begin a mutually-beneficial outreach
project. My goal: increase their postal knowledge,
made them advocates. Theirs: fun, socializing around
postal topics. Mostly using social media.
Mail art photo by Donovan Beeson. Creative Commons.
Friday, February 22, 13

4. • Behaviors and attitudes that indicate that a target audience outreach
project that uses social media as one of its tools is going well:
• Humor - You need to know somebody well to really know how to make them laugh. Do they
joke with us?
• Amount and quality of effort - We asked them to take and tweet a relevant photo and use our
hashtag. How many did, how on-target were the photos?
• Introducing us to their friends
• Honesty - They tell us they honestly hate our website design. (Then offer to help fix it!)
• Commitment - Two local members of the audience volunteered with us.
• Language - Can you finish each other’s sentences?
• Meeting their goals - We wanted them to learn things and advocate for the museum. They
wanted to have fun and socialize around content interests. “Is the fun enough? Social enough?”
Friday, February 22, 13

5. OH NO.
This is kind of a one-sided relationship.
Friday, February 22, 13

6. • Staff and volunteer behaviors and attitudes
that indicate that a social media-based target
audience outreach project is going well:
• Ability to describe the target audience
• Ability to anticipate what the target audience might like or
not like in the museum
• Bringing up the audience during a decision-making
meeting
• Bookmarking a website that the target audience frequents
• Changing interpretation style to better suit audience
Friday, February 22, 13