Mountain-Plains Museums Association:
Museums and Web 2.0
What we've learned so far

from MPMA Museum Technology Committee
www.vlib.us/mpmatechcom.html

Also see:
Museums and Social Networks: What to do the easier way; www.vlib.us/mpma/social.html
Museums and MySpace: If you don't have time, what to do; www.vlib.us/mpma/myspacetips.html
Museums on Myspace -- what we've learned so far; www.vlib.us/mpma/museumsmyspace.html

1. MySpace.com still active, but Facebook.com has expanded beyond 200 million users;
2. Flickr.com and YouTube.com get indexed in searches fast and museums must add to the mix from their own sources to 'control' in some way what is found in searches;
   • flickr.com is owned by yahoo.com -- flickr stream of photographs will help you get found in yahoo's regular search, in addition to image search;
   • YouTube.com is owned by google.com; YouTube videos show up well in regular google searches;
3. MySpace search engine send different group of users to museums;
   • MySpace google search bar is a smaller set of sites;
4. Linkedin.com is great for museum directors, curators, graduate students, resumes;
   • Use linkedin for professional presentation of your CV
5. Facebook.com is useful both for professional contacts, and for institutions;
   • Set up a facebook fan group for your museum;
   • Do not send out endless Apps on facebook (what age am I really? type of Apps) unless you really do want people to think that you have no job, no life, no plans;
6. Blogs are additional resource, but take the most time if they are to be useful. Do not start a blog then only add to it every other month. At least weekly updates are necessary for audience;
   • blogger.com & www.wordpress.com are two free blog sites used by most bloggers.
7. Off-site links are the power to your MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. -- make sure, if possible, that your museum, etc., adds a link from your regular website to your museum social network and blog sites.