Social Media Diary

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This social media diary is in response to an article I wrote a couple weeks ago titled “Brooklyn Navy Yard: Helping of Hindering the Local Economy?” In this article I posed the question at the end: how do you think the expansion of the Navy Yard will help fuel the local economy? You can view the article in its entirety here.

I was not totally surprised by the lack of responses I received from this blog entry. On the one hand, The Brooklyn Navy Yard is an enclave within Brooklyn that many people are unaware of, so unless you are specifically looking for something pertaining to the Navy Yard, which many people as it turns out probably aren’t, then you wouldn’t be pressed to respond. It seems, and reasonably so, that people only response to something that effects them on a personal level, and seeing as how the Navy Yard is not a private residence, and functions first and foremost as a business, it doesn’t affect many people personally. However the community around the Navy Yard is who I was targeting for a response.

After playing around with several different headline options including: Brooklyn Navy Yard Expands Their Horizons, Behind The Fence: A Sneak Peak Inside The Brooklyn Navy Yard, Breaking Down Barriers: Is The Brooklyn Navy Yard Helping or Hindering The Local Economy?  I saw no change in response despite tricky SEO tactics.

My first post for my article was on Facebook.com.

I was hoping to gauge amongst my inner-circle of friends and colleagues online, a response to my question, and even asked in the post that people please respond. I got no responses. I waited a few days, still nothing. My next attempt was to post to Twitter. Twitter is a new social media site to me, and one that I’m still slightly unfamiliar with. I only have 15 followers on Twitter, none of whom as far as I know live around the Brooklyn Navy Yard, so again I was not surprised by the lack of response.

So I tried thinking outside the box and garner responses from outside of my immediate network. I posted my blog post and my question to a couple of sites. The first is TheBrownstoner.com, which provides a forum that allows you to post question to the local Brooklyn community. From there I linked my blog post and my question to yahoo, linkedin, and google. I was pleasantly surprised, I got three responses! Here is the first:

greenmt

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

As a tenant at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, seems like a softball question, but I don’t think Michelle works for the PR dept, neither do I.  We grow the economy by expanding existing buisnesses, about 300 now inculding some not yet listed on brooklynnavyyard.com.  We also ad jobs by attracting new businesses.
Michelle, are you thinking of starting a new business here?  Contact the leasing dept at brookynnavyyard.com
No? Just a project for your Masters at Brooklyn College?  Great topic.  External Affairs: brooklynnavyyard.com
Looking for a job?  Employment:  brooklynnavyyard.com
As Mel Brooks said when asked why the Navy Yard, not Toronto for a new film studio:  Brooklyn…”for the bagels alone…”  You know CUNY is opening a film school here, and Brownstoners:  You can find your home improvement contractors, your cabinet makers, your door fabricators, your architecural metal, plumber, art handler, furniture designer, upholsterer, counter top manufacturer, and your tile setter for your vetibule, bathroom, shower or kitchen (me) right here in the  Brooklyn Navy Yard.
So, if your ship or your shower stall springs a leak, go to brooklynnavyyard.com. The new museum on naval and industrial history of Brooklyn, opening soon, brookynnavyyard.com
Although this response was somewhat taunting, comparing me to a PR flack and calling my question a “softball question,” I still appreciated the response. I will also continue to reach out to other outlets in the local community and will hope the following weeks survey will see a rise in responses.