Myspace & Facebook for Recruiting at local level

[JAFO78]

The use of Myspace and Facebook was brought up in another topic, that as since been locked. Would using Myspace and Facebook be of help in recruiting both Cadets and Officers at the local level?

Someone set up a Myspace web page about my former employer, An airline.
I know that postings are put up all the time letting everyone know what is happening with the company.

I would love to hear everyone's comments on this, BUT please lets be civil about this and not get into mud slinging. We are all part of the same team weather active or former members. If we did not love C.A.P. we would not be here.

[Capt Rivera]

The CAP Group on facebook has 3,068 members

Facebook Fan Page:
has 1,582 fans... Not all are CAP members... some just found the page...

From the fan page:

November 21, 2007 at 8:42am
Done!

I started a Facebook Social Ad campaign today. Targeting Facebook users in the U.S., of any age, with a declared interest in Aviation.

The system reports that there are about 12,000 folks that meet that criteria. (I'm sure that many of them are current CAP members) I'll report how it goes.

November 23, 2007 at 6:09am
I woulds say the test was pretty successful.

The test campaign ran over 3 days, delivered over 7,000 impressions on Facebook, generated 72 clicks, (a CTR of 1.02%!) with a average Cost Per Click of $0.15.

Now that's a pretty efficient way to build awareness and create consideration of CAP.

I'll be posting the full case study on CAPblog.

on November 23, 2007 at 9:52am
The Social Ads are how I found out about CAP on Facebook. I'm not a member of the organization yet, but I'm looking into it. I've got my PP-ASEL and there's a unit about 20 minutes from my college. The only problem is that I don't have a car on campus, so getting to the field is tough.

Just some quotes from the page... old i know... but maybe shows promise?

Cadet Social Networking Site: http://cadet-hq.ning.com/

I've used facebook to connect to members who moved to the area and to start conversations with random people who's profiles show they might have interest. its about a 50/50 shot each way....

[isuhawkeye]

There is so much value in social networking that the commandant of the coast guard has launched his own social media campaign, and he is pushing the CG into the arena. 
http://isuhawkeye.typepad.com/halbrook_associatescom/2008/09/social-media--1.html

My CG Aux flotilla has a small face book group, and fan page

[LittleIronPilot]

Please NOOOOOO!!!!!

[isuhawkeye]

What??

[sparks]

Any positive recruiting/advertising effort for CAP is a good thing. The cadet age  populates facebook which makes it another opportunity to attract new members. Adult aged recruits may not be on facebook in as many numbers but it never hurts to try.

It seems that many CAP recruits are acquaintances or relatives of current members. My experience at airshow recruiting has been disappointing. People are curious but the track record is we may get one or two recruits from the weekend. Granted, that's better than zero.

Both political campaigns have used the internet as a good source of people and money CAP should too. We just need to avoid flaming each other in the process.

 

[A.Member]

It's value for recruiting, especially at a local level, is questionable.   

"Social networking" sites do not have geographic limitations.  So, while exposure to the organization may be helpful, how that might translate to actual recruiting numbers to a local squadron is very much up in the air.  Social networking sites simply serve a very different purpose and many of our members already have such pages.  However, I have yet to hear of anyone joining CAP because of someone's Facebook/MySpace page.   That doesn't mean it can't/won't happen.  We just need to quantify it.  It also needs to be determined if this is truly even our target market/demographic?  This, again, is where National could really assist - get us some quality demographic data about our members so that we can work with it.  Of course, it also opens up another question as to the consistency of the messages being sent out.  To be effective the messages must be consistent - a difficult task since anyone can start one of these pages.     

As you can see, there are many unanswered questions.  I'm not ready to discount the possibility of it's potential usefulness but I have yet to see what that usefulness is and I'm skeptical of it's effectiveness.  Someone needs to quantify it and prove it out.   Until then, the entire discussion is pure conjecture.   As I said in another thread, having someone view a page is one thing, transferring that into a committed member is something altogether different.

[DNall]

^Actually, facebook does have geographic limitations, or rather the city people live in is a network, which can be targeted by a CAP unit or any other org.

Many orgs/companies use facebook for just this kind of purpose. It's also very useful for communications across a group. I'm using it now for a guard unit to keep people up to date between drills. There's a guard recruiting group too for just our area.

Just be careful about your profile when you suddenly become friends with all these cadets.

[Nathan]

It's value for recruiting, especially at a local level, is questionable.   

"Social networking" sites do not have geographic limitations.  So, while exposure to the organization may be helpful, how that might translate to actual recruiting numbers to a local squadron is very much up in the air.  Social networking sites simply serve a very different purpose and many of our members already have such pages.  However, I have yet to hear of anyone joining CAP because of someone's Facebook/MySpace page.   That doesn't mean it can't/won't happen.  We just need to quantify it.  It also needs to be determined if this is truly even our target market/demographic?  This, again, is where National could really assist - get us some quality demographic data about our members so that we can work with it.  Of course, it also opens up another question as to the consistency of the messages being sent out.  To be effective the messages must be consistent - a difficult task since anyone can start one of these pages.     

As you can see, there are many unanswered questions.  I'm not ready to discount the possibility of it's potential usefulness but I have yet to see what that usefulness is and I'm skeptical of it's effectiveness.  Someone needs to quantify it and prove it out.   Until then, the entire discussion is pure conjecture.   As I said in another thread, having someone view a page is one thing, transferring that into a committed member is something altogether different.

For all this talk, you haven't pointed out any reason NOT to create a Facebook page.

So really... who cares what the success rate is? If the page even gets one interested member, isn't that worth the two seconds it takes to set up the group?

[Pumbaa]

People need repetition in terms of advertising.  The more impressions the better.  Facebook or social networking of the same type might be considered a support medium, much like radio is to newspapers.

As posted above, it can't hurt, so what if there are no real geographic boundaries.  If it benefits CAP, then it is good.  Local level I can see the result being negligible.  but as an overall, part of a larger marketing/ information scheme then all the better.

[LittleIronPilot]

For all this talk, you haven't pointed out any reason NOT to create a Facebook page.

So really... who cares what the success rate is? If the page even gets one interested member, isn't that worth the two seconds it takes to set up the group?

So who creates it? Who takes care of it? How often is it updated to keep the information from getting stale? What happens when the Cadet that was into leaves and no one else wants to take it up? Or do you leave it to a largely uninterested Senior section to maintain?

We need to get out of the quantity mindset and into a quality one.

[Pylon]

For all this talk, you haven't pointed out any reason NOT to create a Facebook page.

So really... who cares what the success rate is? If the page even gets one interested member, isn't that worth the two seconds it takes to set up the group?

So who creates it? Who takes care of it? How often is it updated to keep the information from getting stale? What happens when the Cadet that was into leaves and no one else wants to take it up? Or do you leave it to a largely uninterested Senior section to maintain?

Actually, there isn't a whole lot on our squadron facebook page that I'd need to change in order to keep it accurate.  Granted, pages are always better when you add new content from time to time but there's no real "minimum" things that must be constantly changed in order to keep it accurate.

[RiverAux]

For this sort of internet activity, wouldn't it have to be approved by the Wing just like any other unit web page?  Follow the same guidelines?

[afgeo4]

It's value for recruiting, especially at a local level, is questionable.   

"Social networking" sites do not have geographic limitations.  So, while exposure to the organization may be helpful, how that might translate to actual recruiting numbers to a local squadron is very much up in the air.  Social networking sites simply serve a very different purpose and many of our members already have such pages.  However, I have yet to hear of anyone joining CAP because of someone's Facebook/MySpace page.   That doesn't mean it can't/won't happen.  We just need to quantify it.  It also needs to be determined if this is truly even our target market/demographic?  This, again, is where National could really assist - get us some quality demographic data about our members so that we can work with it.  Of course, it also opens up another question as to the consistency of the messages being sent out.  To be effective the messages must be consistent - a difficult task since anyone can start one of these pages.     

As you can see, there are many unanswered questions.  I'm not ready to discount the possibility of it's potential usefulness but I have yet to see what that usefulness is and I'm skeptical of it's effectiveness.  Someone needs to quantify it and prove it out.   Until then, the entire discussion is pure conjecture.   As I said in another thread, having someone view a page is one thing, transferring that into a committed member is something altogether different.

For all this talk, you haven't pointed out any reason NOT to create a Facebook page.

So really... who cares what the success rate is? If the page even gets one interested member, isn't that worth the two seconds it takes to set up the group?

SCENARIO: Unit creates a Facebook or Myspace page and "befriends" 200 or so teenagers who are interested in joining. An internet child molester sees the page and decides that it would be a good way to "get in on the action". Since the page also recruits senior members, the person will be "befriended" as well. This person then contacts these teenagers and claims to be a CAP officer (common interest and desire of these teenagers to join) and invites them for a one-on-one interview.

RESULT: Your unit AND the entire organization may be liable for illegal activities aided by the site. The organization becomes front page news in media and its reputation is flushed down the toilet.

ADVICE: Follow the DoD policy and don't use social networking sites to recruit minors.

[Capt Rivera]

Do any of you who are saying how its a bad idea use facebook, linkedin, etc?  There has been many things said by naysayers that are NOT accurate. Why bother with negative speculation without looking into it at all?

Honestly if you have never used the search/browse feature of these sites, you CAN'T say you have "used" the site...

Please for the sake of not wasting time... don't speak things to be fact that you don't know about!

[Capt Rivera]

SCENARIO: Unit creates a Facebook or Myspace page and "befriends" 200 or so teenagers who are interested in joining. An internet child molester sees the page and decides that it would be a good way to "get in on the action". Since the page also recruits senior members, the person will be "befriended" as well. This person then contacts these teenagers and claims to be a CAP officer (common interest and desire of these teenagers to join) and invites them for a one-on-one interview.

RESULT: Your unit AND the entire organization may be liable for illegal activities aided by the site. The organization becomes front page news in media and its reputation is flushed down the toilet.

ADVICE: Follow the DoD policy and don't use social networking sites to recruit minors.

Are you serious?
That makes for the same logic that a school is responsible for a child being abducted on the way home because they provided a central gathering location and a central release time. While we are at it, the federal government says that you must receive a education between certain ages, so lets hold the Federal government responsible also & parents for not choosing to lock their kids in the basement or at least home school them. Lets hold  Yahoo, Google or any other search engine or reference desk, etc, for  being responsible for anything done by anybody because a "internet bad guy" or "library bad guy" used the search engine/reference desk/encyclopedia to find some kids blog, youth group, place of worship, etc and "befriended them."

How about ISPs being responsible for child porn distributed across their network?.... I'm not a lawyer, but I know there is law on the books concerning these things. ISPs are NOT responsible for the misuse of their network, nor is facebook and nor would CAP due to using facebook or another similar medium. There is a "duty of care" these providers MUST give/perform and that is  the only worry they have...

If we use the above mindset, we should shut down ALL of our websites as a "bad guy" might find out about CAP and join a local squadron somewhere... hmmm how about  we shut down CAP, boy scouts etc because again its a place kids gather that a bad guy might find out about....

[Pylon]

SCENARIO: Unit creates a Facebook or Myspace page and "befriends" 200 or so teenagers who are interested in joining. An internet child molester sees the page and decides that it would be a good way to "get in on the action". Since the page also recruits senior members, the person will be "befriended" as well. This person then contacts these teenagers and claims to be a CAP officer (common interest and desire of these teenagers to join) and invites them for a one-on-one interview.

RESULT: Your unit AND the entire organization may be liable for illegal activities aided by the site. The organization becomes front page news in media and its reputation is flushed down the toilet.

ADVICE: Follow the DoD policy and don't use social networking sites to recruit minors.

Sorry George, I don't buy your reasoning at all.  It's no different than someone posing as a CAP officer off of the internet and inviting interested kids to a one-on-one "interview".  In either case, the wrong doing is possible but not the responsibility nor fault of Civil Air Patrol. 

[LtCol Hooligan]

One thing that I have been trying to do with a couple different facebook groups I am in is getting people to add content and talk about things.  I scanned a few of the other CAP facebook groups out there and it appears they have the same issue.  There are a few people who are members and maybe a couple old posts, but they seem to fizzle and die.  So far, the best thing about the groups I see is finding old friends who have come and gone.  That is a cool thing, but it seems to be more about the social side than the recruiting side.  Any ideas on getting these things to work? 

[afgeo4]

SCENARIO: Unit creates a Facebook or Myspace page and "befriends" 200 or so teenagers who are interested in joining. An internet child molester sees the page and decides that it would be a good way to "get in on the action". Since the page also recruits senior members, the person will be "befriended" as well. This person then contacts these teenagers and claims to be a CAP officer (common interest and desire of these teenagers to join) and invites them for a one-on-one interview.

RESULT: Your unit AND the entire organization may be liable for illegal activities aided by the site. The organization becomes front page news in media and its reputation is flushed down the toilet.

ADVICE: Follow the DoD policy and don't use social networking sites to recruit minors.

Sorry George, I don't buy your reasoning at all.  It's no different than someone posing as a CAP officer off of the internet and inviting interested kids to a one-on-one "interview".  In either case, the wrong doing is possible but not the responsibility nor fault of Civil Air Patrol. 

This is a valid concern. There is no way for us to control this media and no way for us to control what information is being released or shared.

Look, the military tried this and it backfired on them. It tarnished their image. It can happen to us as well. A privately owned corporation can take chances with its image. A public one, a government one, one that represents the Air Force, cannot.

As a social exchange of ideas it's fine, just like this discussion board. As an OFFICIAL tool of the Civil Air Patrol, it isn't.

[Pylon]

This is a valid concern. There is no way for us to control this media and no way for us to control what information is being released or shared.

Look, the military tried this and it backfired on them. It tarnished their image. It can happen to us as well. A privately owned corporation can take chances with its image. A public one, a government one, one that represents the Air Force, cannot.

As a social exchange of ideas it's fine, just like this discussion board. As an OFFICIAL tool of the Civil Air Patrol, it isn't.

No, it's not a valid concern if you ask anybody who works with new media.  Get your information from better sources and better educate yourself.

There is no inherent risk of being unable to control flow of information or some such nonsense.  And your assertion that private corporations are able to chances with their image?  They're a LOT less likely to risk image than public entities.  If a private company tarnishes their image, sales can drop and they can lose big time.  If a government entity has some bad press - guess what?  Congress still funds them.

Like I said before, I don't buy your reasoning at all.  Not one bit, not even slightly, not over green eggs and ham, and certainly not for Civil Air Patrol purposes.  I'd worry a lot more about our myriad of squadron websites out there "tarnishing the image of CAP" moreso than anything else.