Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this blog article, Gena examines the various soci
Turn your social media into a genealogy research tool with these genealogical and historical accounts.
Get the most up-to-date list of copy paste social media hashtags for genealogy and genealogists on Instagram in 2020 for Instagram + Facebook.
Turn your social media into a genealogy research tool with these genealogical and historical accounts.
From tracking down useful information, to organizing your research, to sharing it with your family and friends - Pinterest just might be the genealogy research tool you've been missing.
If you've ever tried - and failed - to hook your family on family history, now is the time to introduce your ancestors on social media. Whether it’s the vintage hues, ridiculous fashions, or subtle family resemblances, an old photograph of an ancestor can capture the attention of someone who would never give a pedigree…
Are you stumped on how to use Pinterest for Genealogy? Are you looking for some new ideas for your boards? The image below shows some creative ways to use your boards on Pinterest for your Family's Genealogy. There is no limit to the number of boards you can have on Pinterest. Why not have some fun with it! Are you interested in reading articles from Genealogy Girl Talks about using Pinterest for Genealogy? Click {here} for a list of our articles! How are you using Pinterest for Genealogy?
Share and learn more on your ancestors in the different states or regions they lived in using the social media - Facebook.
"Social Media" is defined by Wikipedia as "Social media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks." A neat "Conversatons in Social Media" infographic appeared on the Infographicality website back in March 2013: [Hat tip to the In-Depth Genealogist post "Social Media and Genealogy: It's Not Just About Chats With Friends Anymore" by Shannon Combs Bennett] There are about 200 different social media outlets listed. When I saw this, my reaction was "Wow, I'm way behind the times!" I wondered how many of these social media outlets I use. Here's my list: * Social bookmarks - I use none of those listed. * Question and Answer sites - none of those listed. Where's WolframAlpha? * Live Casting and LifeStreams - I use none of those listed. Where's Google+ Hangouts? * Social Shopping/Social Commerce - I use none of those listed. * Crowdsourced content - I use none of those listed. I have done FamilySearch Indexing, does that count? * Collaboration - I use Google News and Google. I looked at Mindmeister once and was confused. * Blog Platforms - I haven't used the ones shown. Where's Blogger? That's what I use! * Blog Search - I use none of those listed. * Blog Communities - I use none of those listed. I use Geneabloggers, Facebook Groups and Google+ Communities for genealogy. * Micromedia - I use Twitter! Finally something I can relate to! * Twitter Ecosystem - I have used Tweetdeck a few times. * Location Based Services - I use none of those listed. Where's Google Maps? I've used that! * Social Networks - I use none of those listed, except for Facebook. * Forums - I use none of those listed. I use Rootsweb message boards and mailing lists for genealogy. * SMS/Voice, Instant Messaging - none of those listed. I do send a few messages on my iPhone, and used Microsoft Windows Live messaging for awhile for genealogy. * Interest and Curated Networks - none of those listed except for LinkedIn, which I don't use much. I used Google Reader, and now Feedly for genealogy blog reading, which is an interest network of mine. * Reputation - I use none of those listed. * Location - I use none of those listed except for Google Maps. * Video - I watch YouTube often, LegacyFamilyTree webinars often, FamilySearch Research Courses often, and Vimeo occasionally, but don't create video content. * Documents/Content - I have used Scribd, SlideShare and Issuu occasionally. * Gaming - I don't do this. * Music - I use iTunes occasionally, and used Last.fm in the past. * Wikis - none of those listed except for Wikipedia. I use WikiTree, WeRelate and FamilySearch Family Tree for genealogy family trees, and the FamilySearch Research Wiki and Ancestry.com Family History Wiki for genealogy knowledge. * Pictures - I use Flickr occasionally, and used Picasa in the past, and 1000Memories before it was crushed by Ancestry.com. * Reviews/Ratings - none of those listed. The list doesn't even include Email! I think it should - it's computer related and social in nature. Are genealogical societies, teaching classes and making genealogy presentations social media? I think they are, perhaps in the Networks category. So, out of the 25 categories above, I use about 10 on a routine basis for genealogy purposes, and have used another 8 occasionally or in the past. Out of the approximately 200 social media outlets listed, I use maybe 20 of them. The top 10 social media outlets I use on a regular basis for genealogy are (with approximate estimated time shares): 1. Blogger - for blog writing on a daily basis (about 120 minutes per day) 2. Feedly - for blog reading on a daily basis (about 60 minutes per day) 3. Facebook - for blog promotion and family interaction on a daily basis (about 20 minutes per day) 4. Google+ - for daily blog promotion and occasional Hangouts (average 20 minutes per day) 5. Video - for regular but not daily genealogy porn education (about 20 minutes per day) 6. Google - for daily research and education (15 minutes per day) 7. Twitter - for daily blog promotion (about 5 minutes per day) 8. Forums - for occasional research and education (about 5 minutes a day) 9. Wikis - for occasional research and education (about 5 minutes a day) 10. Google Maps - for occasional information and education (about 5 minutes per day) Email adds at least another 30 minutes every day. Genealogical society meetings, teaching classes and making presentations average out at least 20 minutes a day over a month's time. That adds up to 325 minutes per day using social media! Over 5 hours! No wonder I'm not getting any research done... My question now is "What should I give up for more research time?" The obvious answer is blog writing and blog reading, or try to cut back on it. The next question for me is "Do I want to cut back?" Right now, the answer is NO, because I'm having a great time doing everything I do. I do almost all of that on my desktop computer, and on the laptop computer when I'm away from home. I do very little on my iPhone or tablet other than check email, Feedly and Facebook when I'm away from home. What about you? How many hours a day do you spend on social media? The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/10/are-you-using-social-media-for-genealogy.html Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver
Thank you for stopping by. I'm so glad you are here! If you're looking for tips, tricks, and advice on your own Family History & Genealogy journey you are in the right place! ARTICLES | BOOKS AVAILABLE ABOUT GGT | PODCAST Let's Talks Genealogy & Family History If you have questions or need assistance with your family history research contact us using our Contact Form. You can find us on Social Media using the links to the right.
Turn your social media into a genealogy research tool with these genealogical and historical accounts.
A question I frequently receive is "I would love to use Pinterest for my family history and genealogy, but I don't know where to start. Can you help me?" Maybe you are new to Pinterest and feel the same. Or perhaps you have been on Pinterest a long time and you are not sure where to start with your Family History. Let me try to help. Before we get started, I would like to briefly explain what Pinterest is. I like to think of Pinterest as a place to bookmark my favorite websites that contain valuable information that I would like to come back to. These are referred to as "pins" and they are placed onto "boards" on Pinterest. Pinterest is similar to the Favorites tab on your desktop computer except it is prettier, organized, and filled with images. The pins also contain links to the websites you wish to bookmark. Pinterest is also similar to a search engine like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You can search for pins already on Pinterest and add those pins to your boards. So, Pinterest is not only considered social media, it is also a search engine and a bookmarking system rolled into one. This is why I LOVE using Pinterest for my Genealogy & Family History. Now, lets get started with using Pinterest for Genealogy & Family History The first step is to set up an account with Pinterest. Simply go to www.pinterest.com and sign up. You can use your Facebook or Twitter account or your email address to create an account. Fill out all the information and compete your profile (it will make it easier for others to find you). Now that you have an account, you can create a "board" to store your pinned information. I have written several articles on how to use Pinterest for your Family History and Genealogy. You can find a link to those here. Setting up your account and creating a board are two crucial steps you will need to take before you start pinning your Family History. Now that you have those steps out of the way, it's time to start with the FUN stuff! Let's start pinning! 1. Where do I find information to pin? You can use Pinterest to pin from anywhere on the internet! You can even pin your own pictures, copies of documents (census records), birth certificates, and more. 2. How do I pin? The easiest way to pin a website or image is to use the "Pin It" button on the website. Many websites now have "Pin It" buttons on their images and/or webpages. You simply click the button, select the image you want to pin, select your board, and Pinterest does the rest! Its really easy when there is already a pin it button. 3. What if there is no Pin It button? If the website does not contain a Pin It button, there are a few options for you. You can use your browser's pin it button (which you can install from Pinterest) or you can create a template image and link it to the website (see my article here). 4. How can I add pins to a website using Pinterest? This is an easy way to add a pin to your boards. It may sound a little complicated, but after a few times its a piece of cake. You simply log into your Pinterest account and click the plus sign (near the bottom of the page) and copy/paste the website's address (URL) into the address bar. Hit the search button. Pinterest will pull up the webpage and then you click the red Pin It button provided by Pinterest. Select the image, select your board, and Pinterest will add it to your board. Happy Pinning! I hope you found this information helpful and that it helps you start pinning your Genealogy and Family History. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me (or leave a comment below). Be sure to pin this page and share it with your friends and family! If you are interested in all the articles I have written about using Pinterest for your Genealogy & Family History click here. Remember to keep it fun and simple! Happy Pinning! Last Updated: April 2024
When you're working on genealogy, hashtags can help you find items of interest and can help you reach readers for your blog and social media. Here's how.
Like many of you, I spend too much time on Social Media. I’m constantly on my phone scrolling through my accounts. I pick up my phone, click that pretty little icon and it happens. I’m liking, posting, commenting, watching Stories, reposting, and getting lost in the app. I try to convince myself that I need to do this to grow my following. I need to do this to increase my “Social Media Influencer” status (as one network calls it). I need to do this to interact with other genies. I try to convince myself that the “be everywhere” is true. I try to convince myself that no one will notice me if I don’t participate and keep posting. This is not true. It’s not true at all! Today, I Looked... I knew there was a way to view how much time I spend on apps on my iPhone, but didn’t want to know the truth! I knew it was a lot, but what I found was a little disturbing to me. What Did I Find? I opened the settings app on my iPhone, clicked the Battery option, scrolled down a little, and saw what I didn’t want to see! My phone shows two options. I can choose between the last 24 hours and the last 2 days. I chose the last 2 days. There it was! Instagram! My number one app usage. I clicked on the Instagram bar and the hours spent on this app were revealed. Can you believe I spent 8 hours in the last 2 days scrolling through Instagram? That’s 4 hours per day in the last 2 days! How sad is that!?!?! That’s FOUR hours in the last TWO days that I could spend with my family! FOUR hours that I could spend with my parents. FOUR hours I could spend at the park. FOUR hours I could spend laughing with friends. FOUR hours I could spend writing my next book. FOUR hours I could spend creating content. FOUR hours I could spend researching. FOUR hours lost... So.... HOW I’M CHANGING Today, I decided to monitor my usage of Instagram. I want to spend my time more wisely. Those four hours a day will no longer be used on Social Media. They will be spent creating content, researching, and bringing you better information. They will be spent creating courses and webinars. They will be spent sharing my knowledge and findings with others. They will be spent creating not scrolling. As my husband said, “That’s just Instagram!” So true! So, so true! How much time are you spending on Social Media? Have you looked at your hours of usage? What did you find? I’d love to hear your responses and thoughts on this...
In today's world of social media, do we still need genealogy societies? See Josh Taylor's take on this question.
Learn about opportunities for how volunteers help preserve history for future generations. Both virtually and in-person activities.
How to digitize old media yourself; tips on how to convert photographs, slides, negatives, home movie film, audio cassettes and vinyl records. Ideal for genealogists or anyone else who needs to digitize.
Turn your social media into a genealogy research tool with these genealogical and historical accounts.
Here is everything you need to promote your library as a center for genealogical study by leveraging your collection to help patrons conduct research on ancestors, document family stories, and archive family heirlooms. Websites, social media, and the Internet have made research on family history accessible. Your library can tap into the popularity of the do-it-yourself genealogy movement by promoting your role as both a preserver of local community history as well as a source for helping your patrons archive what's important to their family. This professional guide will teach you how to integrate family history programming into your educational outreach tools and services to the community. The book is divided into three sections: the first introduces methods for creating a program to help your clients trace their roots; the second provides library science instruction in reference and planning for local collections; and the third part focuses on the use of specific types of resources in local collections. Additional information features methods for preserving photographs, letters, diaries, documents, memorabilia, and ephemera. The text also includes bibliographies, appendices, checklists, and links to online aids to further assist with valuating and organizing important family mementos.
Archive the photos, memories and genealogical details you and others have shared on social media. Plus, learn what privacy and copyright issues you should be aware of.
Sharing social media accounts featuring lost family photographs. Tips on how to find old family photos online.
Looking for genealogy writers to follow on Pinterest? Here are 10 active family history pinners to save to your research, writing, and DNA research boards.
This blog is part 10 of a 12 part series for new genealogists. Learn how to combine your interest in genealogy with your social media.
If you're on the hunt for your ancestors, Pinterest might just be a secret weapon in your genealogy research. With almost half a billion users and a powerful search engine, hobbyists and genealogists write all kinds of genealogy content that can help you find your family. In this blog post, I'll explain ten reasons why
Paid software does not always mean you are getting the best. Here are some free genealogy software programs you can download.
A personal sharing article of why I write my blog on my website RLS Photogenic! And why I chose my topics to write about.
Learn how Artificial Intelligence or AI is used in genealogy to transcribe records, create digital maps, and search for ancestral records.
I have been a member of Pinterest for a while. Just like you, I've pinned recipes, quotes, inspiration, information on medical conditions, exercise, health, and so much more. It never occurred to me that Pinterest is a great tool for Family History and building my Family Tree. I love to search Pinterest for genealogy related pins. I've found inspiring craft and DIY ideas for displaying family photographs, printable family trees, resources for researching my ancestors, and a lot of ideas on my next projects. I have also seen a lot of amazing and creative ways people are organizing their boards - some have even brought tears to my eyes. I want to share these creative ideas with you and inspire you to create your own family history and genealogy boards on Pinterest. MEMORIAL BOARDS. These boards have brought tears to my eyes. I've seen these types of boards titled "Things my Father loved", "Places Mom visited", "Grandma's Garden". I've spent a lot of time looking through these boards, of complete strangers, but felt connected in some way. Memorial Boards are a beautiful way to create a Memorial for your family member or ancestor. PLACES BOARDS. These boards reflect places your ancestors lived in or came from. My family came from Germany, Scotland, England, and Ireland. It would be a great idea to build a board on Pinterest filled with pictures and links to the towns, cities, countries, and landmarks that your family came from. If you are like me, you may never travel to these countries, but now you can, through images and pictures. OBJECTS, DRESS, WAYS OF LIVING. What a wonderful way to portray your family heritage! Create a board based on the occupations of your ancestors. Were they farmers, coal miners, or bankers? What types of tools and machinery did they use? Another idea is to create a board with pins related to the dress and apparel of your ancestors. There are beautiful images of clothing from the 1800's available. Below you will find an example of a Family History Board I created for one branch of my family. I located numerous photographs online, uploaded family photographs, and more. This board is still in the beginning stage, but it may give you some ideas on using Pinterest for YOUR family genealogy research. Check it out: Follow Genealogy Girl Talks's board Fraysier (Frazier) Family Genealogy on Pinterest. How have you used Pinterest for your family's genealogy?
I came across this infographic from Got Genealogy? It offers some great reminders and advice to keep in mind when researching your family history. The reality with genealogy is that we may never ha…
Turn your social media into a genealogy research tool with these genealogical and historical accounts.
Last Updated: October 3, 2023 Having a hard time figuring out what to post on social media? Do you want a template to organize and plan your content so that you always have something to share? I'm with you. It's hard to stay ahead of social media! One thing's for sure: a social media content calendar template will help you stay on track, post consistently, and keep track of important events and promotions you want to share. Today, I'm sharing how to create and use a calendar with Google Sheets, with a free content calendar template you can start using right away.
Reap the rewards of expanding your online family history research to these 23 not-just-for-genealogy websites.
There are many free genealogy sites available on the web. Here is a handy reference of 10 of the largest and most useful free family history resources.
Archive the photos, memories and genealogical details you and others have shared on social media. Plus, learn what privacy and copyright issues you should be aware of.
Don't know what to do with those years of genealogy research? Get inspired and try these creative ways to share your family history.
Archive the photos, memories and genealogical details you and others have shared on social media. Plus, learn what privacy and copyright issues you should be aware of.
How to digitize old media yourself; tips on how to convert photographs, slides, negatives, home movie film, audio cassettes and vinyl records. Ideal for genealogists or anyone else who needs to digitize.
If you're not sure what a family group sheet is, or you've never gotten around to using one in your genealogy research, you're not alone. While the concept of a family group sheet is about as basic as it gets, not every family historian out there has had the chance to embrace this clever method of research and organization. If you're not sure what a family group sheet is, or you've never gotten around to using one in your genealogy research, you're not alone. This guide will help you discover what a FGS is, how to find or make one, and how they can help with your genealogy research.
Sure, you can write a status update, but what do you really know about social media? These websites will turn you into a better social media user, guaranteed.
Many people think of Facebook first when you say "social media". It is one of the most popular sites for social interaction online. It is also a great place to connect with other genealogists online. On the site Social Media Genealogy you can find a wonderful PDF file with thousands of links to facebook groups dedicated to genealogy. Much of this list is location specific groups, but there are lots of others as well. You can connect with popular genealogy websites through Facebook (e.g. Ancestry, MyHeritage, and FamilySearch). You can be in groups and like the pages of popular genealogy bloggers (e.g. GeneaBloggers, dearMYRTLE, and Cyndi's List). There are groups for various topics in genealogy. You can join groups dedicated to finding living distant cousins. And if you just want to chat with other genealogists about any- and every-thing, there are groups for that. You can also start your own group. I am in a private group of family genealogists started by my 1st cousin once removed. We share information and photos on just our shared family line. It's been great to see the research my own family is doing and to share what I have done as well. It also helps reduce the amount of overlap in research because it's easy to share our work with one another. How do you use Facebook to connect?
Top 30 Best Social Media Search Engines to Find People & Social Information - Quertime
The H/T (hat tip) for this Google Search Tip for Genealogy goes to the Delaware Genealogical Society, who gives these instructions to visitors searching their site. I now…
Dig deeper in your research to find hidden gems at these four free and underused genealogy websites.
Googling your genealogy can help you find a bevy of discoveries with a few simple clicks and keystrokes. Take full advantage of these tips from a genealogy gem of an expert. I had the honor of interviewing Lisa Louise Cooke, host of the Genealogy Gems podcast about her book: The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox -- 2nd Edition Updated for 2019. Originally this book was published in 2011 with an updated second edition released in 2015. Lisa shares her process for developing the book and why each editi
