Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Genealogy 101 Webinar
Beginning in March I will be offering an online Genealogy 101 webinar! I am very excited about this new venture! My goal is to offer affordable and informational courses for anyone who is interested in learning more about Genealogy and Cemetery Research. I am working on several courses including Genealogy 101, Cemetery Research, Genealogy Research Online, Social Networking for Genealogists, Marketing for Genealogical Societies, and much much more. If you have a course suggestion please feel free to send it to me at becky.guymon@hotmail.com!
If you are interested in attending one of my online webinar's please let me know :) You can also visit my web site at www.zitania.com for updated listings!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Raise your Genealogical Societies Membership and Revenue - A How To Guide for the 21st Century
I recently surveyed 10 random people under the age of 30 and asked what they knew about a genealogical society. I think the answer might surprise a lot of people! The most common answer I got is "a bunch of older people sitting around in a library." Well, OK, while this answer might be a little true, anyone who is affiliated with a genealogical society knows that it is a lot more than a bunch of older people sitting around in a library!
As Genealogists our passion is preserving history. However, sometimes in order to preserve history it is important to progress into the future and embrace technology. Technology is changing the face of genealogy research on a daily basis, from internet searches to DNA tracing. I am going to stop right here and take a second to say, I am not saying the new way is any better or more important than the old way, I am just saying in order to keep the younger generations interested in genealogy it is important to keep up with the times. As they say in the medical profession "If it isn't documented, it didn't happen." This is true for genealogy as well. Birth records, death records, marriage certificates, all of those paper hard copies are imperative for quality genealogical research.
With all of this said, below are some tips that I would recommend for Genealogical Societies in order to bring their groups into the technological world and increase their membership.
1. Web Site/Internet Presence - The internet is a huge asset for Genealogists. Many people, especially the younger generations rely on the internet for just about everything. A well maintained and updated web site is a huge asset and a MUST for a thriving genealogical society today. It is important to keep the web site updated and fresh. This gives people a reason to visit the web site to keep up to date on upcoming events, purchase the items your society has for sale, and request more information from your society. Make it easy to apply and join your society on the web site. This will attract "impulse" members who visit the site and say "wow, this looks like a good group, I think I will join." Often with today's busy world it is just too much hassle to download an application form, fill it out, put it in an envelope, write a check, mail it in...just reading all of that took up enough of your busy day! Your web site is your cheapest and best marketing tool!
2. Facebook/Social Networking - Creating a Facebook page for your society is another great and FREE marketing tool. This allows you a great place to advertise your upcoming events to the public for absolutely no cost! I know that many societies are still skeptical of creating a Facebook or other social networking page, but I urge you to consider it. The creator of the page has a ton of security features that can keep your page nice and secure and well worth it!
3. Online Sales - Many times societies will publish books, maps, forms, or other projects. These projects are very beneficial to the society in the form of raising much needed funds and also very beneficial to the genealogists that are researching in the counties. The key to selling these items is getting them out into the public eye. Selling these items on your societies web site is a great idea. This again will increase your sales from impulse buyers. Once you establish a Facebook page you can also list the items you have for sale on it. Again.. FREE ADVERTISING! There are other ways to raise money thru online sales, including listing your products on Ebay. For a small fee you can list your item to buyers all over the globe.
4. Market, market, market! There are so many easy and cheap ways to market your society. Keep an updated mailing list of anyone who contacts you for information or who visits your society and send them information when you publish a new project or have a special event going on. Put on special seasonal presentations that will attract a variety of people, but also be a good representation of your society. For instance, during Halloween time, hold a public meeting on the history and genealogical information for a local "haunted" cemetery or location. This will attract those interested in genealogy, history, and paranormal. You can do special presentations for just about any holiday. Feature genealogical information on Irish families for St. Patricks Day, Churches that were started by our founding fathers during the religious holidays, etc.
Participate in local parades and events. Set up a booth at the local mall during the Non Profit Organization weekends, etc. The list goes on and on!
As Genealogists our passion is preserving history. However, sometimes in order to preserve history it is important to progress into the future and embrace technology. Technology is changing the face of genealogy research on a daily basis, from internet searches to DNA tracing. I am going to stop right here and take a second to say, I am not saying the new way is any better or more important than the old way, I am just saying in order to keep the younger generations interested in genealogy it is important to keep up with the times. As they say in the medical profession "If it isn't documented, it didn't happen." This is true for genealogy as well. Birth records, death records, marriage certificates, all of those paper hard copies are imperative for quality genealogical research.
With all of this said, below are some tips that I would recommend for Genealogical Societies in order to bring their groups into the technological world and increase their membership.
1. Web Site/Internet Presence - The internet is a huge asset for Genealogists. Many people, especially the younger generations rely on the internet for just about everything. A well maintained and updated web site is a huge asset and a MUST for a thriving genealogical society today. It is important to keep the web site updated and fresh. This gives people a reason to visit the web site to keep up to date on upcoming events, purchase the items your society has for sale, and request more information from your society. Make it easy to apply and join your society on the web site. This will attract "impulse" members who visit the site and say "wow, this looks like a good group, I think I will join." Often with today's busy world it is just too much hassle to download an application form, fill it out, put it in an envelope, write a check, mail it in...just reading all of that took up enough of your busy day! Your web site is your cheapest and best marketing tool!
2. Facebook/Social Networking - Creating a Facebook page for your society is another great and FREE marketing tool. This allows you a great place to advertise your upcoming events to the public for absolutely no cost! I know that many societies are still skeptical of creating a Facebook or other social networking page, but I urge you to consider it. The creator of the page has a ton of security features that can keep your page nice and secure and well worth it!
3. Online Sales - Many times societies will publish books, maps, forms, or other projects. These projects are very beneficial to the society in the form of raising much needed funds and also very beneficial to the genealogists that are researching in the counties. The key to selling these items is getting them out into the public eye. Selling these items on your societies web site is a great idea. This again will increase your sales from impulse buyers. Once you establish a Facebook page you can also list the items you have for sale on it. Again.. FREE ADVERTISING! There are other ways to raise money thru online sales, including listing your products on Ebay. For a small fee you can list your item to buyers all over the globe.
4. Market, market, market! There are so many easy and cheap ways to market your society. Keep an updated mailing list of anyone who contacts you for information or who visits your society and send them information when you publish a new project or have a special event going on. Put on special seasonal presentations that will attract a variety of people, but also be a good representation of your society. For instance, during Halloween time, hold a public meeting on the history and genealogical information for a local "haunted" cemetery or location. This will attract those interested in genealogy, history, and paranormal. You can do special presentations for just about any holiday. Feature genealogical information on Irish families for St. Patricks Day, Churches that were started by our founding fathers during the religious holidays, etc.
Participate in local parades and events. Set up a booth at the local mall during the Non Profit Organization weekends, etc. The list goes on and on!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Social Networking for Genealogists
Social networking can be an awesome way to jump start your family tree! Social Networking sites like Facebook are extremely popular right now and many people and businesses are taking advantage of that popularity. I recommend going to Facebook and doing a search for your surname. You could find a Facebook group dedicated to your family, or possibly other family members. Another good idea is to check for Facebook groups for genealogical societies in the areas you are researching. They could offer a great amount of information on your ancestor!
A new social networking site that I have recently discovered is Genealogywise.com. This site is the "Facebook for genealogists". There are groups separated out by Surname, chat options, forums, genealogy classes, genealogy blogs and so much more. I highly recommend checking it out!
Becky
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Welcome!
I wanted to take the opportunity to welcome you to my new Genealogy Blog. The purpose of this blog is to share information in regards to family history and research. Our goal is to provide new and exciting ways to find your story!
My name is Becky, also known as Zitania. I am the owner Zitania Research Services in Mattoon Illinois. I have been doing Genealogy research since I was about twelve years old (about 25 years now!). I have to give special thanks to my wonderful Step Mother for getting me interested in learning my story!
I will offer tips for making your genealogy research easy and fun! We will talk about some of the tried and tested methods, as well as, new and untraditional methods.
Please check back! I will be posting at least one article daily :)
If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email me at becky.guymon@gmail.com.
Thank you :)
You can also visit our web site at www.zitania.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)