I‘m very excited! On Monday, I’ll be hopping on a plane and heading for the left coast to speak at this social media in government conference. What fun, eh? This is similar to the conferences I’ve spoken at here in Ottawa last June and September, and I got a really great reception (and reviews!) both previous times.
This is my abstract:
Social Media Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: How To Choose The Right Tools For Your Audience, Your Message, And Your Organization’s Goals
Many government departments and agencies are considering launching their own YouTube channel or Facebook fan page. But how do you choose which tools are the right ones for your organization?
The Army News team in the Department of National Defence has posted nearly 2,000 videos to YouTube over the last three years and those videos have been viewed more than 1.6 million times. Their channel is currently ranked within the top 75 YouTube channels for Canadian news and reporting. They’re also using Twitter, iTunes, Flickr and Facebook to share information and engage Army stakeholders.
Social media is not one-size-fits-all. Not every tool is appropriate for every situation. In this session, you will learn how to choose the right tools for your audience, your message and your organization’s goals. You’ll also review some common issues to consider when using social media tools in a government environment, including:
* Tweeting in both official languages
* Managing comments – and responding when necessary
* Giving your organization an authentic “voice” and personality through social media
* Developing content that is relevant, interesting and timely
* Matching your policies to your tools
* Analyzing your audience and evaluating your tools to ensure they’re working for you and not the other way aroundDanielle Donders, Web Manager, Army Multimedia
I love the topic and I love the interaction during the seminars. I’m so looking forward to it!
Of course, the other thing I’m looking forward to is the ginourmous photo opportunity that is Vancouver. I’ve been before, twice on the way to Victoria and one other time on business — but there was no down time for exploring.
Any suggestions on treks I may want to take with my camera? I’m staying right downtown on Burrard, not far from Robson Square. I don’t think I’ll bother with a car as I only really have the one day free and a couple of evenings, and it seems like there’s plenty of interesting stuff nearby. Granville Island is to the west and Gastown is to the east of where I’ll be staying; any thoughts on which one might be a better destination? I definitely want to check out the waterfront. Also not far away is Stanley Park, but a 15 km hike to cram them all in might be a little bit too much to cram in, especially since the current forecast is calling for — surprise! — rain on Monday. Any indoor suggestions are welcome, too!
All in all, I think just about anywhere you can point your camera in Vancouver, you’re going to come away with a good shot or two!
The real challenge is how I’ll manage with no laptop to process the pix as I go, as Beloved thinks his pesky work is more important than my obsessive photo habits. I know, the nerve, eh? Especially when I’m so considerately leaving all three boys here with him to keep him company!
I think Vancouver has one of the double decker bus sightseeing tours that lets you hop on and off at different stops. Depending on its route it might be a good choice to allow you to see a variety of sights and also save your feet between locations. I’ve done the double decker tours in other cities and they were great. The tickets are usually good for 24 hours, so if you plan your start time on the first day you can often squeeze in some more time at the start of the next day too.
Otherwise, I can’t help you much as I’m still pretty much a tourist when we visit (my in-laws live in North Vancouver) and haven’t seen much of the downtown yet other than a bit of walking near Canada Place.
Being on Robson, you are very close to the downtown. A short walk to the harbour nets you great mountain views of North Vancouver (depending on the weather of course), Canada Place, the boats in the harbour, the float planes taking off and landing, gas town. Yep. Lots. Stanley park will be a bit of a walk, but the photo ops on the way are worth it. Here are some shots I took when I was there a couple of years ago. I was back last April for a wedding, and spent more time downtown. Apparently, I didn’t upload photos for it. Hmmm.
http://djdouglas.smugmug.com/Places/BurnabyVancouver-BC/
Oh, that’s a good idea, Marianne — I didn’t even think of an official tour.
Don, I love your pix! The harbour is exactly where I’d like to go. Let me know if you get around to uploading those downtown pix, I’d love to see them! (Funny, but one of my faves is not so much specific to Vancouver, but I love those golden bricks with the moss and the leaf. Funny what catches your eye, eh?)
I think for a one-day exploration, I’d suggest a photowalk on the seawall around False Creek. When you get tired of walking or want to speed things up, you can take one of the little ferries (False Creek Ferries or Aquabus) to jump ahead. Granville Island could be a part of that.
You can get a good feel for Stanley Park without walking around the entire seawall. English Bay around Lost Lagoon and along the seawall as far as the 9 o’clock gun would be a good route.
Another option would be to go N on Burrard, then east toward Gastown. More old buildings in that direction.
If you have a full day, you could probably do all of these, providing you made use of transit. Email me if you want more details. (oh, and link above goes to my Vancouver-tagged photos, mostly taken around the areas mentioned.)
Wow, Theryn, great tips — thanks!! I’m supposed to be making dinner, but will poke through your Flickr archives this eve. 🙂
you might want to look up Jujube – she’s in Vancouver.
Others have also suggested Stanley Park – so do try and get there. There are many Totem Poles throughout the park (some near the aquarium, I think). Vancouver is really super easy to get around by public transit. I’m not sure if you do food pictures – but check out Vij’s for Indian Food down on Granville Ave. It is hands-down..the best. OR – go and get a milkshake at Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe (in Kits). Uh-oh. How did this turn into a comment about food?!
Seriously?! Oh man, I’d try to get over there to see you, but I don’t think this weekend will work. 🙁 Email me. Anyway…photo ops? Hmm. You’ll be there at a good time of year, I think the cherry blossoms should be out. I tend to prefer Granville Island (being the foodie I am) because there’s all the boats, False Creek, the market, etc. You can take the Sea Bus, which might offer some great views as well. It’s easy to hop the bus to Stanley Park, but the park is big. You could go in one of those tour things but they don’t really stop, and you’ll want to get out and take photos. If you are feeling adventurous, take a bus to spokes Bike rentals (http://tinyurl.com/5vgeqxx) and rent a bike, then go around the Sea Wall with your camera. Shouldn’t take you too long (only about an hour or so), and it’s flat and paved. Watch out for locals and make sure to stay in the lanes marked for bikes, sometimes they get a little testy if you go too slow. There are washrooms along the way. You’ll get to see the whole sea wall, plus all the gorgeous scenery. Of course that would only work if it’s not raining. (info for Stanley Park.. http://tinyurl.com/62whya). You’ll see lots of ducks and squirrels as big as house cats! If the tide is out look under the Lion’s Gate bridge for purple sea stars clinging to the rocks. There’s been dolphins in the strait lately, so it might be possible to see whales or dolphins too.
I also found an article for you-10 best places to photograph Vancouver. (http://tinyurl.com/6k4old4)
I second Vij’s for Indian Food (never been but have heard rave reviews), and if you go to Granville Island you will have no problem finding lunch, just a hard time choosing what to eat.
Buses run really well in Vancouver, just get a day pass and go all over the place. If you need info on where to find links, etc. or questions just email me! Bring an umbrella, but don’t be discouraged by rain-might just mean a sprinkle, not a downpour.
Two words. Float planes. Lots of great photo ops just down by the harbour!
And Vij’s… you must go. (Be prepared to wait or go early for dinner as they don’t take reservations! But it’s worth it.)