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992 Register Instagram account

JimB976

PCGB Member
Member
Morning all,

Among working on other things in the background, we have started a new official 992 register IG account where the aim is to share images of Register members' cars, new 992 models as they are launched and interesting shots from events we hold and attend.

We'd be really keen to feature your cars, so if you have any nice photos please submit them together with a little bit of info (colour, key spec etc) to either:

IG: @porscheclubgb992 (use the 'message' function)

Email: 992@porscheclubgb.com

Don't forget to give the account a follow if you are an IG user!

James
 
Many of us have no wish to register on Social Media.

Why not just use our own Club's 992 Register News and Gallery Sections and the forum to do the same thing?

Regards,

Clive
 
Thanks for the feedback Clive

In my opinion the answer to your question is why not? Isn't it better to cover channels other than just the website and forum, just as many other Registers and Regions are doing?

We don't believe there is such a thing here as 'one size fits all' and some things clearly aren't for everyone, so our aim will be to try to utilise all of the tools at our disposal, including the club website.

James
 
Why not? [8|]

Because we are Porsche Club GB with our own (costly) Media Centre that needs support and we have no need to run third party channels alongside it.

With some experience in such matters, the overall impact declines, emphasis is watered down and our precious Club facility becomes neglected.

But it's your show and I'm just being devil's advocate in forecasting potential problems. :rolleyes:

I shall not be using Instagram myself, so hope I will still be able to see all the content on my Club's own website as well.

Regards,

Clive
 
There's a prime example of my concern over on R15 (SW) region, where fears that starting a Facebook book page back along would result in the forum being neglected.

18 months down the line and this is exactly what has happened. Assurances everything there would also be on the forum have not materialised - it's probably too much work. So the forum lately has died - there's an interesting discussion going on over there atm about it.

I've nothing against social media, but personally, I have no wish to register for any of it and I don't see why I should be compelled to do so in order to communicate with fellow members or find out what is going on when we have a perfectly good facility within our own Club. I pay my sub to have access to all the Club's amenities.

Regards,


Clive
 
Spot on Clive.
There is an unhealthy obsession with social media platforms and like you I believe we should be using the club's platforms that already exist like this forum.
There is no justification that can be put forward for using a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram etc. when a perfectly good forum exists.
If anyone disagrees please do explain the justification and what the advantage and benefits are over the existing club forum and web site.

 
Jim, what you propose requires duplication of articles for those like me who choose not to use social media to read on the forum and eventually it will result in the IG channel being used and the forum neglected as Clive has pointed out.
The way this is going why not just forget the club and have your own 992 IG after all if you don't want to use the club resources why bother with it?
 
Id just like to float an opposing view to that currently being voiced. As a new member to the club, having access to content across multiple platforms is important to me.

I am by no means a social media advocate (in fact the opposite) but like the option to access content via different formats at different times. A website is great, but so is something like IG where you can access content on the move, quickly when you have a few minutes spare. With the increased use of smart phones, sometimes social media platforms are easier to access than a website, but each has its place (I am writing this from a laptop by the way!)

Yes ensuring content is updated on multiple platforms will require some additional discipline, but many of these platforms can be used as a tool to 'point' to other platforms as well, thus generating more engagement

I note that the Club has its own IG page, with some great content, with over 21K followers, so obviously it is a popular place to go for content, as that number is approaching a number close to the total membership base of the entire club?

I think the reality is the forum is great and has been super helpful, has its place, and its down to members to continue to use it, however from what I read there isn't a suggestion of it being scrapped but utilizing more channels available to bring great content, about great cars to as many people as possible.

One question is has there ever been a survey of members of which platforms they use and would prefer to use and why. If a Facebook page is drawing more attention than a forum, there must be a reason for it? Is it accessibility, ease of use or some other reason. Not sure on the answer but people must be using a specific channel for a specific reason and be great to understand why?

Just my humble view as a newbie. Now ill get back to my Nokia 6310 (still my favorite!) and try and find some petrol!
 
I asked the questions on our Facebook group yesterday as a result on an ongoing thread on this topic on the R15 forum. Within minutes I had the replies in the attached doc and more came in later in a similar vein.
There are improvements to the forum and a potential PCGB app in the pipeline, I am told.
 
tscaptain said:
I asked the questions on our Facebook group yesterday as a result on an ongoing thread on this topic on the R15 forum. Within minutes I had the replies in the attached doc and more came in later in a similar vein.
There are improvements to the forum and a potential PCGB app in the pipeline, I am told.
Really interesting! On a quick glance it seems that its predominantly about usability and access rather than content
 
The Club already has an Instagram account so use that if you wish. There's seems no need for yet another one for 992. Introducing something as an enhancement for members is laudable, but there can be unintended consequences.

R15 initiated a Facebook page in 2019 and since then it's forum content has died. It now has 200 subscribers, so those not on it have become disenfranchised. In effect, there's now 2 tier membership - those on Facebook and those who are not.

We are well aware of the shortcomings of this forum, but we have to play the hand of cards our Club had dealt us. I am told plans are underway to improve it, We shall see, but in the meantime we shouldn't try to undermine it by diverting content onto some other third party public media platform.

Once you've decided to stray outside of Club perimeters and use a third party platform, the genie is out of the bottle and members who do not wish to sign up for it feel aggrieved and disappointed at being excluded from proceedings. I'm sure plenty of people can also make cases for Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, SoundCloud, GoodReads, deviantART and TikTok etc too, but is it not better to stick with our own in-house system and improve it?

Regards,


Clive

 
Clive, you are suggesting there are things going on in the Club which are only available to FB users. All events and news are available on the Club website and in monthly newsletters. Whether you join in the "chit chat" on FB is a personal choice but the forum doesn't currently facilitate the type of exchanges you get there.

The R15 forum was hardly a hive of activity pre Facebook and mostly the same few suspects posting there. The reasons more didn't are clear from the document in my previous post. So you're faced with a choice regarding getting more members to actively engage with the Club. Improve the functionality of the forum and make it simpler to use, both at home and on the go, or use another platform which already does those things. We have been asking for ages for the improvements but these are still in the pipeline. The prospect of an in-house PCGB app may be a better solution. As an RO I want as many members in our region to engage as possible. By using a FB closed group we have increased that number significantly and, importantly, it was what members asked for. If the Club can replicate the functionality of other media platforms then I see no reason why all of those FB group users shouldn't migrate to the Club provided facilities.

 
Alan,

I've no idea how these things work, but if social media is what is wanted by members, why not just use the Facebook/Instagram accounts our Club already has? :rolleyes:

As a forum committee member, your support for it seems a little understated atm. [:D]

Regards,

Clive
 
I am no media expert, but personally, I think the forum and Social Media platforms (FB, IG, ...) fulfil different objectives.

Personally, I look to the forum for help and advice as well as club news and updates. The forum is great as a place for dialogue, debate or a place to ask for help and advice. I would hate to see forum usage diminish (as it did for the 997) with other online forums (I wont name them) becoming the go to place to obtain owner information, help and assistance. I strongly believe the forum should be the go to place/repository for sharing technical information (help, assistance, tips, advice) and official business of the club. The forum is not a social media platform; it is not targeted at sharing of media.

I do not think any social media platform could replace the forum for the above purposes as they lack the means to publish/share documents; engage in conversational exchange etc.

However, I can also see a place for IG and/or FB. I am not a big IG user but some of the younger members of my family are so I have the app on my phone. I see IG as a picture "broadcast" platform; I post pictures in order to broadcast them to my followers (let's not get into a debate of why people want to do this!). FB is similar and seems, nowadays, to retain an older demographic. Neither is a platform for debate, engaging a group dialogue, seeking/obtaining technical help, publishing documents etc. and neither could replace the forum for those purposes.

However, what these social media platforms do offer is the means, for those that want to, to share pics of their car in nice locations etc. They are far more geared toward that kind of social sharing and social interaction which, in my view, the forum is not suited for.

I am a member of two regional FB groups (SW and Essex) which, particularly in the case of the SW group, find it is informative in terms of events and its fun to see member's car photos, etc. Usage of these two groups is completely different and inconsistent (not a criticism) and I suspect is reflective of the nature of the members of those regions and how they prefer to interact with one another. I also follow the PCGB IG account but never really look at the posts.

Returning to the 992 IG account. I am not really sure what role this would actually fulfil. Whereas FB has groups, allowing members to post/share pictures and news and enables social interaction via the group; I am not sure that IG has this functionality? If that is the case, and I am happy to be educated otherwise, it would appear that the IG account would be used by the admin to broadcast output rather than IG provide a means for any form of social engagement?

 
I hold the opinion that FB, IG and all the other social media platforms have led to the prolific use of smart phones whilst behind the wheel so to come up with the justification that it enables interaction whilst on the move simply confirms that.
Furthermore it's all about bragging isn't it?
 
Unusually, I seem to be sitting on the fence regarding this thread, I am currently a member of three regional FB groups, two because I straddle the central boundary of them, the other as it covers the location of our holiday home and have joined in with several meets and runs, all really enjoyable. I can see benefits of FB, as I think its easily accessible using a smart phone, and easy to post and reply to. But I also regularly log on to the ‘selected’ areas of this forum which are directly linked to my two Porsche models, and of course the three regions plus general events etc.

I am also a member of two independent ‘992 enthusiast’ FB groups, but obviously these loose the direct control of the PCGB which seems to give them global rather than UK news.

I can imagine that in the future if too many do subscribe to ad hock FB and IG groups, this will eventually water down the usefulness of the forum, which in my opinion would be a retrograde step.

So, as a suggestion, is there any way PCGB could create the FB and IG accounts which retain official control by the club, rather than any individuals and could have relevant sub- groups for regions and registers? That way, at least it would be within the whole umbrella of PCGB media control…… Just a wild thought anyway….

Alternatively….. an official PCGB app linked to this forum, which is easily navigable and more importantly, readable could be considered to be a good way forward.
 
992 was developing into a vibrant, useful, interesting, informative forum and a joy to log in to.

The worry is diverting it onto another non Club platform is going to divide us - not bring us together. The variety of opinions and experiences here all add to the flavour and enjoyment of our membership and makes us feel part of the Club.

By splitting the points of contact, this forum may become devalued. It will be up to the RS's to do their best to address this. For those wanting to use third party media, they are free to do so, but by the same token, it must be appreciated some of us have no wish to and we need to be catered for too. Please don't risk killing off our own precious Club facility. ??

Regards,


Clive

 
I’m a big supporter of this forum and like the ‘structured’ posting which helps find info and answers you are looking for. However it doesn’t seem very easy to post multiple pictures and attachments to support the posts unlike social media platforms. We need to make it easy else members will naturally gravitate to easier options.
 
I am informed that improved functionality, especially with regards to the uploading of images will be part of a forthcoming refresh of the forum and it's functionality. I do not know timeframes on this project but will share details once I know more.
 
IG and more traditional forums have very different use cases so I don't think there's any risk that IG would cannibalise forum use.

Facebook is a different matter but it's is much more accessible so IMO a much better/inclusive medium (I suppose the "inclusive" bit is debatable but the potential is there!). Web based forums are incredibly useful but they do not work well when mobile which is the trend nowadays. Functionality is pretty bad when it comes to media, etc. even on "good" forum platforms.

Times are changing - having a facebook or IG account doesn't mean selling your soul to the devil. Working in telecoms I know for a fact that your mobile operator has more valuable information about you than FB or IG.


 

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