At the onset of this New Social Media class I was caught up in the energy of learning how to maximize Facebook to promote acceptance and equality of LGBTQ people. I created the page Moms For Equality in October of 2009 as an attempt to move my cause away from my personal Facebook page. That was successful for a time, until I began school full time and completely dropped posting any relevant information on a regular basis there. The page was severely neglected through 2010 up to September 2011. Thus, I had high hopes of revitalizing and growing the Moms page.
I appreciated the guidance in getting clear on the mission and focus of the site. I noticed that whenever I strayed with posts that were not relevant to my focus, the likes and reach were minimal. The converse held true. There was a surge of views as well as shares, extending the reach, when my posts were focused, consistent and clearly relevant to the mission of the page. The new insights offered by Facebook are extremely "insightful" and as John said, keep you from "cheating social media."
As stated at the beginning of the class, consistency is king. This is the area I will do much better as class ends and I have a much better grasp and understanding on how and what to post on a regular basis. My goals are to revive www.MomsForEquality.com blog, which will in turn stimulate response and growth in both Twitter and Facebook. My goals also include becoming more connected to Twitter and utilizing it on a regular basis. Linking Twitter to Facebook and uploading the Twitter app on my phone is an easy fix for accomplishing that end. I have also experienced the incredible power of YouTube and I am committed to producing video to post there and on my blog.
I am grateful for this class for bringing me the information which translates to confidence in expanding my message of hope, love and acceptance on a global scale. It is most exciting! Thank you Eric for encouraging me in the midst of what has at times felt like oppression at Dixie State. You are a beacon of hope and have helped me find my voice!
Below are the metrics for the Facebook page. I chose to post the screen shots because they make more sense to me and tell the story in a snapshot.
I am experiencing greater hope that one person, maybe even me, a mom in small town Utah, can have an impact in this world. As I reflect on this past year, my heart is lifted with the social movement created by one idea, one inspiration, one man.
In September 2010 Dan Savage, well known sex columnist, read and blogged about the tragic suicide death of Billie Lucas.Billie had been repeatedly taunted and tortured at school.The bullies called him a fag and told him “to go kill himself” which is what he finally did.His family set up a Facebook page to offer a place of memorial for friends and family to come together.Those same bullies went to that Facebook page and mocked Billie, even in death.As Dan wrote about these horrific events, someone commented on his story and said he wished he had known Billie, he could have told him things get better.
Dan Savage began obsessing about those words and how he could get that message to young Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) kids or any one being bullied in school.He realized that those who needed to hear the message most would not likely be allowed to attend one of his lectures, or a support group for LGBT, or join a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club.
It was at this point that Savage decided in this era of Youtube and Facebook that he would not need permission to reach those struggling young people and offer his message of hope. He set up a Youtube channel titled It Gets Better Project with the goal of getting 100 videos from LGBT adults shining a light on the path from bullying and abuse to success and joy.
Dan and his husband Terry Miller made the first video and launched it the same night.
Being naïve about the power of Youtube, he used his personal email on the account.Emails began pouring in by the hundreds, and they received 100 videos within the first 24 hours.The influx of emails and videos crashed his server.Within 36 hours, they received 650 videos, which at the time was the limit for a new Youtube account.Google took notice and within 24 hours, they backdated their account to 2004, allowing for 5,000 videos to be uploaded.Unknowingly, a social movement was born.
In October 2010 Joel Burns, a Fort Worth City Councilman, during a council meeting “came out” after speaking to the rash of gay suicides due to bullying and harassment.
He delivered an emotional and poignant message that life gets better.This courageous speech has currently received 2,689,421 views.
It was this video by Joel Burns that seemed to catapult the It’s Get Better Project into the mainstream media. The video and the project attracted attention from the likes of Lady Gaga, Hilary Clinton and President Obama, each of whom have created their own video and uploaded it to the channel.The World Series winners San Francisco Giants baseball team was the first professional sports team to make a video but have since been followed by a number of others.
The It Gets Better Project has grown into a 501c3 Non-profit organization partnering with other LGBT support organizations.It has reached millions of struggling young people and their parents and friends.It has become a worldwide phenomenon reaching over 40 million viewers, with more than 20,000 videos posted.Through the comments and the threads from the sight it is easy to see LGBT kids getting online support that they do not get at home.The project provides a sympathetic adult that LGBT youth don’t have at home or at church… adults who are illuminating the path from bullied youth to fulfilled adulthood.
In May 2011 Google Chrome aired their Ad Campaign using the It Gets Better Project during an episode of GLEE.
The implications are enormous, not only affecting LGBT youth, but making it cool for straight people to support their gay friends, to be an out ally.
Dan Savage in speaking to Google employees (http://www.itgetsbetter.org/blog/entry/video-authors-google-dan-savage-and-terry-miller-on-the-it-gets-better-proj/ ) shared a letter he received from a 15-year-old girl who came out to her parents who did not handle it well, in fact, they threatened to remove her from the home.Therefore, this young girl made a turn around, told her parents she was confused and began dating boys to play the part her parents insisted she play.She told Dan in the email that she watched the videos in her room late at night from her phone, under her covers.The videos not only gave her hope for herself, but for her parents… hoping they too will get better.She said it helped her to love her parents and be patient with them.
I am grateful my son and daughter were patient with me as I learned that while their futures weren't what I once expected them to be, they are most certainly full of all the love and joy any mom could ask for her children.
Mission Statement Engaging parents, siblings, and friends to be vocal and visible as advocates for their LGBT loved ones.
Product & Compelling Content Current news & resources regarding the LGBT community
Persona's
1. Carol is 48 and has 4 children ranging in ages 27- 15. Her 2nd child is gay, and came out to her three years ago. She is active in her church and children’s sports and school activities. She is conservative in her political views but is experiencing conflict now with understanding her son’s homosexuality and long held moral beliefs. She is afraid to talk to anyone about it. She uses Facebook to stay connected to family, and friends also community events and activities. She stumbled across Moms For Equality and reading the posts from other moms experiences helped her realize she is not alone.
2. Josh is 18 and recently came out to his best friend Lisa. He is afraid to tell his parents he is gay because he believes they will think it is a phase or something he can get over. He loves theater and finds his escape there. He is the third child of five. His parents are conservative Christians and have supported anti-gay legislation. Lisa told him about Moms For Equality. Josh found hope there when he read the stories of other very conservative parents as they made the journey to understanding and accepting their gay child.
3. Bob is 54, a sales person by day and an actor by night. He is divorced with four children. He has always been sensitive and aware of the inequities that exist for many of his gay friends and counterparts. Most recently he watched as a gay friend was denied hospital visitation to his partner of 12 years when the family of origin stepped in to intercede. Bob turned to Moms For Equality and was excited to find that there is organized support for his friend and ways that he himself and get involved to help enact legislation that gives equal access and protections to his LGBT friends.
Marketing Tactics to Reach Goal of 100 Likes in the next 60 days 1- Post new content weekly to my existing 527 fans 2- Post links to that content on other LGBT Facebook & other blog sites weekly 3- Place targeted Facebook ads 4- Link my Blog & Twitter with Facebook
Current Insights:
