Holy Cow, what happened?
Many genealogy groups out there are struggling to keep up. It seems like so many people today want all the info about their ancestors to be in an online database that can be logged into in the middle of the night. They are not interested in connecting with fellow genealogists.
People who love family history and are in my age group are so lucky because we have seen the best of both worlds as far as research is concerned. We know how to do hands-on research at a courthouse, library or archival facility. We are experts at rewinding microfilm and sometimes unwinding it. We also know the value of getting together on a Saturday afternoon and comparing notes with fellow members of a genealogical society. Maybe even finding a cousin if we are lucky. And we are now becoming more and more skilled at finding our ancestors online.
I know I have stressed this many times. And that is because it is important! But things have changed so much in the last couple of years. I was amazed to discover at a recent seminar that now the Blog is the foundation of the chapter's publicity. A blog combined with a website and a presence on Facebook is a very valuable tool for a genealogy society.
It sounds so simple. All you need is a website, a blog and a Facebook page. Unfortunately it costs money to build a professional looking website. You need a team of writers that can contribute to your blog. Facebook - pretty simple!
So what do you do? I guess you make lemonade out of lemons. You need members to be able to afford a quality website. You need a website to attract members. It is a never ending circle.
You are trying to build a bridge to the 21st century and all you have is a covered wagon.
How do you build the website that you so desperately need?
Why is it so expensive to find your family?
