When did Facebook become the official announcement venue for USAU?

[jeremy.mcnamara]

We've already spent god knows how much money on this brand new website complete with a rotating news reel on the front page and a forum. Why not use it instead of posting announcements on facebook? Still nothing on the website...

[zjsmith]

Not speaking for anyone or making excuses, but Facebook is easier to update. A status is quick and doesn't have to be %100 percent professional looking. Anything post on this website has to be well thought out and decorated with photos and such.

[jeremy.mcnamara]

Not speaking for anyone or making excuses, but Facebook is easier to update. A status is quick and doesn't have to be %100 percent professional looking. Anything post on this website has to be well thought out and decorated with photos and such.

I agree that it SHOULD be well thought out and decorated, etc, but we have a long way to go to get there. For a recent example, the HoF announcement was riddled with simple grammar errors and was very unprofessional. For an older and larger example, they appended someone elses candidate statement to the end of my own statement in the newsletter. If their articles and posts were professional here then I might agree with you.

Also, we still haven't had anything 2 days later.

[rrudnic]

I think the facebook should be in unison with the site but agree it should be secondary. The organizations website should be the first place that any announcement is made, then you facebook and tweet and everything else.

[commitch]

merely my opinion, but facebook definitely needs to be in addition to the website, not in place of it. some of us like to use facebook to keep up with friends instead of the 1,000 companies we do business with, or tv shows we watch, etc, etc.

[zjsmith]

I don't think it should be something that should be in lieu on the site. I'm just saying if you want people to get excited about something that is in the works (I don't actually know what we are referring to, sorry) then Facebook, like Twitter, is a good tool to reach lots of the members.

I also think that college students tend to check Facebook more often than usaultimate.org.

Are we referring to a specific event or happening in general?

[ambler]

Facebook and Twitter are great ways to throw out tidbits that don't make a whole story, but help members stay on top of what is happening. The social media sites are also a nice way to bring news directly to people as opposed to have to seek out what's happening directly on the USAU site. Using those tools in addition to the website is a great way to capture a wide ranging audience, and the USAU team is continuing to expand its communication efforts.

The coverage of last weekend's Board meeting is a good example. Official announcement of the meeting's agenda (http://www.usaultimate.org/news/board-meeting-agenda--january-2010/) was posted to the website before the meeting began. Then, USAU posted some photos and updates on its Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/USA-Ultimate/119701558067872) during and after the weekend, providing some pieces of information in real time to help spread the word about the meeting and some of its topics. After the fact, a recap video (http://www.usaultimate.org/multimedia/board-meeting-recap-january-2011/)was posted to the website and the new officer positions (http://www.usaultimate.org/about/contact_us/board_of_directors.aspx) were updated (all of which takes more time than a status update on Facebook). All told, those only visiting USAU's site would have access to the same information as those only seeing the Facebook page, but hopefully more people saw the news items than if only one communication channel was used.