Twitter and Digitisation Projects
Many digitisation projects have an interest in (or feel that they should be) engaging with social networking and communication tools.
Many projects are tempted to automatically adopt the use of sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, LinkedIn, as well as share information through Flickr, Vimeo, You Tube, Second Life, Digg, StumbleUpon, Google Groups…etc….
But with so many different tools and sites out there, and with the different range of projects and outputs that digitisation produces, it can be difficult to find the tools that will really work for your project.
It is important that time is spent on using the tools that help maximise the aims and objectives of the project itself. Resources are often limited meaning that participating in Web 2.0 simply for the sake of it is not a viable option.
There might be a variety of ways to assess the use of a particular tool or site to a project, but one way would be to create a chart to plot the use of a resource against the aims and objectives of the project.
I have created a very simplistic example of what such a chart might look like.
Examples of some recent projects that have sucessfully used Twitter for their project are:
- First World War Digital Poetry Archive - Have used a range of social networking sites very effectively including Facebook and Twitter.
- East London Lives - Although this project only has a holding website, they have been able to engage a wide audience of interested followers with Twitter and Flickr.
- Serving Soldier - Again this is a young project, but have successfully used Twitter as a way to highlight interesting parts of their collection, and engage interested communities. They have also been very strong bloggers.
Like many social networking sites, Twitter in particular is an excellent way for projects to highlight new collections they have digitised, or recently made available online.
It is also a wonderful way to create a ‘count down’ to the launch of a website or new online presence. Twitter also offers projects a unique way to ask for help, get feedback and call upon a vast and interested community of possible users.
Most important of all, it is fast and demands a limit on the amount of time and input it asks of you!
Short courses on Search Engine Optimisation
The Strategic Content Alliance and Netskills are offering introducory short courses on Search Engine Optimisation techniques to improve your online presence, web visibility and website traffic. This event builds on a highly successful course in London in February which resulted in improving professional practice and increased traffic to attendee’s websites.
The short courses are aimed primarily at delegates from universities, archives, museums, health, public service broadcasting, schools and cultural heritage. No particular technical knowledge is required as a prerequisite.
What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a process that aims to increase the visibility of a website in important search engines like Google. SEO works by modifying the content, the layout, and the architecture of web pages, in addition to using community building techniques to enhance the popularity of a website.
Topics covered will include:
• Maximising access and removing barriers to your content
• The importance of a structured approach to preparing content
• Content integrity and reaching the right audience
• Metadata and its significance
• Sustainable content and future proofing
• The social web and marketing
Dates, locations and registration
Belfast
10:30 Monday 29 June - 15:30 Tuesday 30 June 2009
The Mount Conference Centre - register for this workshop
Edinburgh
09:30 Thursday 2 July - 16:15 Friday 3 July 2009
Grosvenor Hilton Hotel - register for this workshop
London
09:30 Monday 27 July - 16:15 Tuesday 28 July 2009
JISC Meeting Rooms, Brettenham House - register for this workshop
Cardiff
09:30 Thursday 30 July - 16:15 Friday 31 July 2009
Hilton Hotel - register for this workshop
Previous courses have proved very successful and early booking is recommended.