The Club’s Social Media Presence
At the last Club meeting, it was clear that there were questions by Club members about the our social media presence. In two separate articles, Ashley Reynolds and Cindy Bernert-Coppola talk about the Club’s Instagram and its two Facebook pages, the main page and the group page.
So What is this Instagram About Anyway?
Submitted by Ashley Reynolds
As many of you may have heard the rumblings, the Instagram account was started in late September, primarily for those in the club who have Instagram. Many users, including myself, prefer Instagram over other social media outlets, so having exposure on the app will cater to these users. What’s Instagram you may be wondering? Similar to Facebook, Instagram users can post and share with friends, but only of pictures/videos (captions allowed). Thus, the app has a high level of visual appeal (plus the added bonus of not having to see what level of Candy Crush your Facebook friends are on…). Instagram is also a good way to get bike-related news (i.e. what is happening at River City this weekend). The account name is “Portland_Wheelmen” (“PWTC” was too short, and the “Portland Wheelmen Touring Club” was too long). You don’t need to create an account to view our pictures – the account is public and can be accessed through the link in the Quick Releases.
Most pictures posted will be on the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club Facebook page, which may seem to some as redundant. Secondly though, the Instagram account was created to advertise – to show the public who we are. More than half of our 85+ followers are not PWTC members, but outside individuals/organizations who also share a love for biking, including Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland, Bikes for Humanity, and other passionate individuals. Upcoming club events are advertised – some of these won’t be posted on the Club’s Facebook page or will be posted using different language (due to the assumption that Facebook users have some idea of who we are, while Instagram users may not).
So if the visual aspect of the app sounds appealing to you, sit back, create an account, and have fun scrolling through friends’ pictures (and don’t forget to follow “Portland_Wheelmen!”). If it doesn’t or you don’t have time, you’re not missing out on club news as important pictures will be posted on the Facebook page. Think of Instagram’s utility also in two words: Free Advertising.
The Club’s Facebook Page vs. the PWTC Group Facebook Page
Submitted by Cindy Bernert-Coppola
Yes, I know it’s confusing, but let me give you a little history. Back in 2011, when Facebook was fairly new, PWTC member Bob Wong volunteered to set up the club’s Facebook page. He made me and Arden Shelton administrators. The three of us could post information about the club and photos. Bob eventually moved to Boston to be close to his daughter and grandkids, so we added a few more administrators – Kimberly Morehead, since she was newsletter editor and Brian Hammer, since he is such a wonderful photographer. In the last few years, Ann Morrow, Kathleen Hellem, and Ashley Reynolds have been added as administrators. Guests could “like” the page and have posts show up in their feed, but they could not post their own photos. This page now has 738 members. Another club member, Daniel Payne, who also rides with Velo, suggested we have a group page much like Velo’s. I subscribe to this group and they are up to 930 members. So I created the PWTC group page about a year ago off of the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club page. I initially invited as many people as I could and others have joined. We are up to 212 members. The difference with the group page is that members can post their own photos (bike related only please). This has been a great venue to see more of our bike buddies’ photos. To join the group, just search under Facebook groups for PWTC and ask to join. One of us will approve you and voila! Post all your cool bike pics!