Is there more to it than posting a status update?
Is there more to it than posting a status update?
Is there more to it than posting a status update?
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does what, at least almost on case by case principal, as <strong>there</strong> are only a few people updating<br />
the content from the organization.<br />
…We always shout <strong>to</strong> each other “should I post <strong>it</strong> or will you?”… (Informant 4, Museum<br />
3, A medium sized museum in a medium sized <strong>to</strong>wn).<br />
-<br />
…Well, we post when we have something <strong>to</strong> say. (Informant 2, Museum 1, A large<br />
museum in a big <strong>to</strong>wn)<br />
Social media are in constant flux and modified, by far, by <strong>it</strong>s users. Thus, <strong>it</strong> was seen difficult<br />
<strong>to</strong> estimate how much time and effort one should put in<strong>to</strong> which application.<br />
…Maybe Fb is the “<strong>it</strong>” thing now but how about in 5 years, who knows?<br />
Perhaps <strong>it</strong> is impossible <strong>to</strong> predict which applications will be popular in a few years time, but<br />
some of the museums do conduct informal research on applications used <strong>to</strong>day and utilize the<br />
information found <strong>to</strong> be present where their potential cus<strong>to</strong>mers are. A social media strategy<br />
should not make the actions of an organization less agile, but rather provide them w<strong>it</strong>h aswers<br />
<strong>to</strong> questions such as what kind of applications should we have a presence in, or what is<br />
needed <strong>to</strong> enter or leave an application. Some benchmarking is done in the museums, as <strong>more</strong><br />
<strong>than</strong> half of the informants <strong>to</strong>ld they follow what other cultural inst<strong>it</strong>utions, for example, do in<br />
social media and online in general by “liking” them on Facebook. This kind of benchmarking<br />
has not always provided them w<strong>it</strong>h concrete ideas on how <strong>to</strong> upgrade their own museum’s<br />
social media presence, but at least <strong>it</strong> has inspired and challenged them.<br />
I “like” MoMa or other museums even if I would never be able go and see the actual<br />
museum, I think <strong>it</strong>’s fun <strong>to</strong> know what they are up <strong>to</strong>… (Informant 1, Museum 1, A large<br />
museum in a big <strong>to</strong>wn).<br />
It is not only the question of which applications <strong>to</strong> take part in that a social media strategy<br />
could answer, <strong>it</strong> could also make <strong>it</strong> easier <strong>to</strong> evaluate some of the daily decisions the<br />
employees need <strong>to</strong> make. Some mentioned the fact that they need <strong>to</strong> decide on who <strong>to</strong> create a<br />
relationship w<strong>it</strong>h in social media. Not only individual cus<strong>to</strong>mers, but also other organizations<br />
wish <strong>to</strong> “friend” the museum, and friends can affect how the museum in question looks like <strong>to</strong><br />
others. One of the outcomes of having a relationship w<strong>it</strong>h cus<strong>to</strong>mers in social media,<br />
according <strong>to</strong> the informants, is that the people, and other organizations, may affect the<br />
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