The Society on Facebook

After much deliberation between the Executive Committee members over several months the Ipswich Society is now on Facebook!

Nothing else has changed. We still have our traditional website and our quarterly Newsletter and our Secretary will continue to send out reminders and updates to members by email just as she always has. Our Facebook page is just an additional tool in our communications armoury.

Why should the Ipswich Society use Facebook?

Whether we like it or not, we live in a changing world and increasing numbers of people are choosing to use social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook to receive their information. Many organisations similar to our own have been using Facebook for some time and have found it beneficial. It appeals to younger people as well as reaching a far wider audience than our other methods. (Some of our 'posts' were reaching over 2000 people within a week of us launching the page last December). For the Society to continue in the long term it will need to be able to attract younger people who prefer this form of contact. In this busy world we need to make our message friendly, informative and easy to read, and by using Facebook we can easily add to the stories by using internet links and images.

How does the Ipswich Society use Facebook?

The Ipswich Society looks upon its Facebook page as a 'real-time' Newsletter. Many of the stories on the Facebook page will be the same as in the Newsletter but as events and talks draw near we can post reminders and current information. Last minute activities can be notified and volunteers requested etc. We can use the page to alert members to relevant activities going on in Ipswich by referring them to local media reports as they happen and providing internet links. With our bigger projects such as Heritage Open Days and our forthcoming Fore Street Exhibition we can update members and use Facebook as a platform to publicise these events. Other similar minded organisations will share our posts putting the message out to a much wider public who may be interested and want to take part in what we do.

We can also use the page to make people more aware of all the things we are already doing on a regular basis such as promoting our ever-growing Flickr photo website which drew unprecedented publicity for the Society when it was officially launched in January this year with a blitz of media coverage, some of which stemmed from our Facebook page. We can make people more aware of our Blue Plaques, Winter Illustrated Talks, Summer Outings and events and anything else as these things occur, giving people a wider awareness of what the Ipswich Society does as well as making people aware of current activities of similar organisations which may be of interest to our members.

How do I use Facebook?

Using Facebook is very easy. To view our Facebook page is exactly the same as viewing our website. You just click on the Facebook logo on the Ipswich Society website homepage and it will automatically take you to our Facebook page. No password is needed and you don't have to type anything at all. The posts are updated regularly with current information and activities. Some stories will have links in blue which if clicked on will give you additional information on a story. Sometimes two or three stories a day may be added, and will remain on the page so they can be read at a later date. Clicking on photos will enlarge them and show the text more clearly.

If you have not used Facebook before just try clicking on the Facebook logo on our website or go here — It's as easy as that. We have had a very positive response from those who have tried it and our viewing 'hits' have been steadily rising. If you add a shortcut to your desktop you will be able to open the page whenever you like with just one click and browse the site.

Tim Leggett