Technology has become a big part of today’s society. It makes communication much easier and we, as small community halls, can use this to our advantage. Below are some tips on how technology can be beneficial to halls on PEI:
Social Media:
Social media is a fast and easy way to reach various age groups and connect with people from across the island. There are endless social media platforms, so it is best to use the one that you can reach your community members with. Having multiple accounts is an easy way to spread the word. Here are some that you may like to consider:
- Facebook is a way to connect with people of all ages. With its many features, your events and posts can be shared very easily and get the word spread quickly. Also, you can add details such as your address and contact info, so that it is easy for users to know who you are and what you do. If you already have a Facebook page, make sure your information is up to date, as people will look at it to contact you.
- Twitter is a simple way of sharing information. It is known for the sharing of news in very few characters. Your tweets can easily be shared through the “like” and “retweet” features. Twitter can be used to inform the public of your events. This app is used by many different age groups.
- Instagram is a way to reach younger generations. On this platform, you can share photos with captions attached to them. On Instagram, you can share photos of events that you are hosting or pictures of your hall.
No matter what platform(s) you choose, make sure your accounts are easy to find by choosing a username that suits your hall (ex. @miltoncommunityhall). Additionally, keeping your accounts active engages your followers.
Email:
Creating an email address for your hall is a simple way to make the communication to your hall easier. This helps avoid using personal email addresses as a hall contact, therefore creating a smaller chance of missing an important message. Read this blog post about the benefits of having a hall email address: https://archarchives.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/why-your-hall-needs-its-own-email/.
Google:
Creating a Google account comes with multiple features that you may not realize. Google has a lot of great tools, such as Drive and Docs. Google Docs is similar to Word. The difference is that Google Docs is online which means that you can access your files anywhere, at any time. Documents created on Google Docs can also be shared with others and they can edit them. This tool is useful for group work, such as event planning, because the document is edited in real-time. All files created on Google Docs are stored in your Google Drive, which is an online “cloud”. You can also upload files from your computer to your Drive. Doing this save space on your computer and your files can be retrieved from anywhere!
Website:
Having a website for your hall is useful for members of your community. If you have a website, make sure that your contact information is up to date. Also, update it regularly with events and news about your hall. This gets people more engaged and excited to come to your hall!
Although technology is not compulsory for halls, it makes running your hall just a little bit easier! It is a simple way to self-promote and get the word out about your hall’s events. ARCH has a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account, so if you ever want us to help you promote your events, just send the information my way and I can definitely do that!
If you have a topic you would like me to cover in the next blog post, you can email me at peihalls@gmail.com.