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Youth Work Online
Exploring youth engagement in a digital age
Use of Facebook - Examples of Good Practice?
Hi All,
I've been tasked with helping to fulfil our young people's requests that we "get on Facebook", and was wondering if anyone already using the site to connect with young people had any advice or success stories they'd be willing to share which could help when it comes to the inevitable job of putting a business case together to be allowed to do this.
Just to give a bit of background info:
I work in the Youth Information Team in Wigan Borough. Our work primarily involves getting information to young people in the area on positive activities and useful services and to provide advice on issues relevent to our audience.
We do this through a number of ways, including printed materials, a quarterly magazine (The LINC) which is direct-mailed to around 30,000 young people and a website (The LINC Online) which recieves around 100,000 page views per month.
My main role is around the development of the website and I've found myself taking a lead on social media and what some describe as 'new technology' (I'm loathe to use this term myself for various reasons).
We've had the 'you should get on Facebook' thing mentioned to us by both professionals working directly with young peope, and young people themselves on numerous occasions over the last three years. Before that it was Myspace, and we flat out told that we couldn't do it, though I think this may have something to do with us not being prepared enough.
Last year, we conducted a market research exercise that we do every two years with as many young people as we can reach through our magazine, website and several focus groups.
One of the things that came out of this research was that a vast majority of young people want to recieve information from us via Facebook, and this is something we can't ignore.
I'm currently busy helping to get a business case together that we can present to those at the top, doing lots of research and putting together a Cybersafety minisite that we can include within our site, partly because I feel information like this is always valuable to young people, and partly because it will go someway to proving that we are aware of our responsibilities when it comes to social media.
As part of all this, I was wondering if anyone had any examples of:
* How Facebook has helped your work.
* What obstacles you may have faced in setting one up and if/how you overcame them.
* If you encountered anything (either positive or negative) whilst using Facebook that you hadn't thought about when setting it up.
If you have anything to share regarding the above, or even if you just have some advice in general it would be very much appreciated.
Also, apologies for typing an essay!
I've been tasked with helping to fulfil our young people's requests that we "get on Facebook", and was wondering if anyone already using the site to connect with young people had any advice or success stories they'd be willing to share which could help when it comes to the inevitable job of putting a business case together to be allowed to do this.
Just to give a bit of background info:
I work in the Youth Information Team in Wigan Borough. Our work primarily involves getting information to young people in the area on positive activities and useful services and to provide advice on issues relevent to our audience.
We do this through a number of ways, including printed materials, a quarterly magazine (The LINC) which is direct-mailed to around 30,000 young people and a website (The LINC Online) which recieves around 100,000 page views per month.
My main role is around the development of the website and I've found myself taking a lead on social media and what some describe as 'new technology' (I'm loathe to use this term myself for various reasons).
We've had the 'you should get on Facebook' thing mentioned to us by both professionals working directly with young peope, and young people themselves on numerous occasions over the last three years. Before that it was Myspace, and we flat out told that we couldn't do it, though I think this may have something to do with us not being prepared enough.
Last year, we conducted a market research exercise that we do every two years with as many young people as we can reach through our magazine, website and several focus groups.
One of the things that came out of this research was that a vast majority of young people want to recieve information from us via Facebook, and this is something we can't ignore.
I'm currently busy helping to get a business case together that we can present to those at the top, doing lots of research and putting together a Cybersafety minisite that we can include within our site, partly because I feel information like this is always valuable to young people, and partly because it will go someway to proving that we are aware of our responsibilities when it comes to social media.
As part of all this, I was wondering if anyone had any examples of:
* How Facebook has helped your work.
* What obstacles you may have faced in setting one up and if/how you overcame them.
* If you encountered anything (either positive or negative) whilst using Facebook that you hadn't thought about when setting it up.
If you have anything to share regarding the above, or even if you just have some advice in general it would be very much appreciated.
Also, apologies for typing an essay!
Tags: Facebook, activities, information, socialmedia
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim Davies on
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Hey Chris
Quick reply with a few links.
This guide has lots in on making the case to management around using SNS; putting safety policies in place etc.
DCSF just published this guide on using social media to promote positive activities.
I've written over on the Plings blog about practicalities of using Facebook pages for engagement.
And, sneak preview as we weren't going to announce it until later today, but this conference will have all sorts of time spent exploring practicalities of using social media in youth engagement.
Have a search as well through past discussions on the network here (search box in the top-right) and you'll find some good shared learning - particularly in this thread.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Skoyles on -
Hi Tim,
Thanks very much for the great reply, those links are perfect and I'll be sure to spend much more time reading up on here.
Thanks again,
Chris
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Permalink Reply by Barnabas Shelbourne on -
Hi Chris,
I work for the Royalk Borough of Kingston Youth service, we have started using Facebook to keep in contact with yps.
we have used it to promote positive activities for young people and update them on workshops that are available to them like young parenting classes. We use it to remind yps of clubs that are running or if they are closed last minute, we get their feedback using it about various things. We keep in contact with yps that we have not had face to face with and find out how they are getting on with life/college/ work. etc
Yps are always on facebook so it makes sense to use it.
Generally it was quite easy to start using it but we have put monitoring in place and set of guidelines. I think I need to update them again though, we used ones that Tim put up as the basis of them. please see attached.
Also I have attached the Byron report about the use of new media when working with yps for your info.
thanks
Barnabas - Attachments:
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finished sns guidelines.doc, 38 KB -
Byron reveiw Executive Summary.pdf, 109 KB
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Permalink Reply by Chris Skoyles on
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Hi Barnabas,
Many thanks for the reply and for the attachments; had a look over them and they do seem very useful, have saved both for a proper read later today.
Do you mind me asking how you initially got young people to connect with you via Facebook? I think we're looking at the approach of setting something up, promoting it to let young people know it's there, then leaving the decision up to them as to whether they connect with us or not.
Would you recommend this approach, or might it be more useful to actively encourage young people we're already in contact with to connect?
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Permalink Reply by Shane Baker on -
Hi Chris
I work at Sheffield City Council and have been using social media as an engagement tool for some time which I lead on. I have some very useful documents which I could send to you. I also offer strategic support and guidance on using social media professionally and ensuring that professional boundaries are upheld. One of the key things you need to do is ensure safeguarding is embedded in everything you do.
If interest drop me a line shane.baker@sheffield.gov.uk
Best wishes
Shane
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