When I graduated from the University of Colorado, social media was beginning to hatch out of its egg. Other than e-mail and a simple website, the city of Boulder had no way of connecting to students and general public. The site has changed since then.
The site bouldercoloradousa.com is a comprehensive guide by the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau. The main page has tabs for everything from accommodations to calendar of events. On the bottom of the page are links to its Facebook page, e-newsletter sign up sheet and live webcam of downtown Boulder.
The welcome section on its Facebook page immediately encouraged me to join in on the conversation. It has links to its Twitter, YouTube, Trip Advisor and live webcam pages. In order for me to interact with Boulder through its many social media portals, I have to go through Facebook. It is not accessible through the main site.
The main wall on its Facebook page has active conversations through comments on the posts. It includes interactive polls to vote on everyone’s favorite activity in Boulder. Local residents, students and vacationers post their recommendations on the best place to eat or favorite mountain trails to hike.
Ten years ago, the only way to find out the best places to go was word of mouth. Today, local businesses post daily happy hour specials or information on the farmers' market. The city of Boulder has come a long way in expanding its social networking outlets.
I examined its Facebook page. I examined its Twitter page. The information is useful because of the positive and negative comments on local shops, events and nightlife. A city site has to include all of the comments so it gives the freedom to share ideas and experiences about local businesses. If every comment is available, it leaves it up to the visitors of Boulder to experience it. They ultimately determine if their experience in Boulder is good or bad.
The Facebook page incorporates strong social tools but leaves no room to comment. The photos tab has albums of local dining and local events but does not include the option to comment or discuss the photo. The videos tab offers the opposite. There is no consistency. For both the photo and videos section, fans of the page can add their own photos and videos of Boulder. That encourages conversation on the wall.
The meetings tab provides links to meeting groups and venues back to its original site. Going back and forth from Facebook to its many tabs on the main site can get confusing.
Moving to the Twitter page under @BoulderCVB, I found it to be very useful. They are following over 900 people who provide constant updates:
One hour ago: “Boulder has more museums than one may think! Be sure to check one (or more) out today. A couple are even outdoors!”
Three hours ago: “A reminder to check out the Farmer's Market happening today at 4!” More posts and little conversation fill up this page. As this week’s lecture said, “We do not converse to learn, but to show off.”
Local businesses use this social media outlet to advertise and show off.
A city or town anywhere in the world must have an online presence and be available on social media outlets. It attracts tourism and is the best way to advertise. Conversations among local residents and visitors provide real feedback. They come up with the best reviews. Sites for the city of Boulder, including its official government page include links to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. All encourage conversations.
Some travel sites like Las Vegas and Miami take it a step further and have a page on Flickr or MySpace and even created their own blogs. People immediately turn to the online world when planning a trip to an unknown destination. They want to create or watch conversations about the place they plan on visiting.
The city of Boulder has adapted to this need. The cities of Las Vegas and Miami have too. They have fans. The government page for the city of Boulder has adopted this idea from bouldercoloradousa.com. They provide Twitter updates throughout the day and encourage their followers to report incidents such as traffic or power outages.
People go elsewhere if they search for cities like Helena or Juneau and find no social media links. They look for interactivity through the means of conversation. They arrive prepared and know the best places to eat or sites to visit.
It is impossible to ask a stranger in person who lives across the country about a city you wish to visit. Social media makes it possible. It engages the curious. People are attracted to the sights and sounds of a place they booked their tickets for. They want their questions answered from conversations, not guides.
This is a new era. The public does not want the city of Boulder ten years ago. They want to know everything about anything and the resources are available through this site.
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