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Myspace for FReeZA Committes

Letter of Support
The FReeZA Support Service

Myspace is a relevant, appropriate and valuable communication and networking tool that FReeZA Committees can use to promote their events to local young people, recruit young artists and recruit young people for positions of their FReeZA Committee.

Myspace is a popular social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos and videos. It has the capability to approve content before it is published, thus providing a method for moderating.

The FReeZA Support Service has found that FReeZA Committees representing various local governments are using Myspace as a tool to showcase their events and committees. These include City of Moreland, City of Wodonga, City of Casey, Mount Alexander Shire, Cardinia Shire Council and up to 30 other local governments in Victoria.

The FReeZA Support Service use Myspace as a communications and marketing tool for their programs such as FReeZA Awards and FReeZACentral, as do the Office for Youth in promoting their programs, for example YouthCentral.

At recent Push FReeZA Training days, over 90 percent of young people attending nominated that they actively used Myspace on a regular basis. Myspace surpasses regular media outlets for young people as young people are more likely to visit Myspace than read daily papers and other media. Research has shown that Myspace also has the unique ability to reach culturally diverse young people in their communities and most importantly, Myspace allows FReeZA Committees to become an active part of their local community.

FReeZA Committees use Myspace to do many things, including: provide general information about their committee, provide event listings, showcase upcoming events and artists performing, post blogs, bulletins and photos, and advertise their official websites.

The Support Service has found that Myspace is an extremely successful tool for Victorian youth committees who organize and run all ages and under 18 events.

The FReeZA Support Service recommends allocating Myspace as a formal activity within FReeZA Committee structure, in a similar fashion to roles such as stage manager, treasurer or poster designer. Myspace allows a creative avenue for young people to gain practical, hands-on experience and skill development.

Through research we have found that Myspace is successful for FReeZA Committees because:
• Young people are regularly active in the Myspace online community
• Myspace is a domain where the majority of young people feel comfortable
• FReeZA Committees can directly contact young people in their community and share with them information on their committees and upcoming events
• A Myspace page raises the profile of a FReeZA Committee and their events because of the “cool-factor” of Myspace
FReeZA Committees successfully using Myspace have described it as or commentated that:

• “The young people in our community really embraced it as a valid resource for information about not only FReeZA events here but some of the other events our Youth Services run.”
• “Myspace is a grand networking tool.”
• “More people see our show on Myspace then on any other website.”
• “It has provided an online network between South Gippsland FReeZA and South Gippsland Youth as people are able to get information on an event or ask questions about particular aspects of FReeZA and gigs.”
• “Free advertising.”
• “The fact that young people are able to write to us, comment us and tell us what they think makes a huge difference. And they’re always guaranteed a response to their question or a thankyou for the feedback. I think that quick response thing helps to do away with that feeling of talking to a brick wall.”
• “We’re approaching young people in the place they frequent the most and that they feel the most comfortable conversing with other young people.”
• “It has been an amazing promo tool. And a fantastic way to access young people in a domain they feel comfortable in. We been able to provide information to a lot of young people who were not in contact with before. It also sort of ‘put us on the map’ in terms of having a community profile, working on the mentality that Myspace is considered “cool” so if FReeZA has one they must be cool.”
• “It’s a positive, cost efficient and highly effective way to relay information to young people in our community.”

For further information or support on Myspace for FReeZA Committees and other online communications, please contact Kristy Theissling at the FReeZA Support Service, The Push.

Kristy Theissling
Website and Communications Officer

The Push
PO Box 220
Brunswick 3056
Phone:(03) 9380 1277
Fax: (03) 9380 9044
kristy@thepush.asn.au
www.thepush.asn.au
www.myspace.com/thepushinc


push summits
	Myspace for FReeZA Committes Letter of Support The FReeZA Support Service Myspace is a relevant, appropriate and valuable communication and networking tool that FReeZA Committees can use to promote their events to local young people, recruit young artists and recruit young people for positions of their FReeZA Committee. Myspace is a popular social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos and videos. It has the capability to approve content before it is published, thus providing a method for moderating. The FReeZA Support Service has found that FReeZA Committees representing various local governments are using Myspace as a tool to showcase their events and committees. These include City of Moreland, City of Wodonga, City of Casey, Mount Alexander Shire, Cardinia Shire Council and up to 30 other local governments in Victoria. The FReeZA Support Service use Myspace as a communications and marketing tool for their programs such as FReeZA Awards and FReeZACentral, as do the Office for Youth in promoting their programs, for example YouthCentral. At recent Push FReeZA Training days, over 90 percent of young people attending nominated that they actively used Myspace on a regular basis. Myspace surpasses regular media outlets for young people as young people are more likely to visit Myspace than read daily papers and other media. Research has shown that Myspace also has the unique ability to reach culturally diverse young people in their communities and most importantly, Myspace allows FReeZA Committees to become an active part of their local community. FReeZA Committees use Myspace to do many things, including: provide general information about their committee, provide event listings, showcase upcoming events and artists performing, post blogs, bulletins and photos, and advertise their official websites. The Support Service has found that Myspace is an extremely successful tool for Victorian youth committees who organize and run all ages and under 18 events. The FReeZA Support Service recommends allocating Myspace as a formal activity within FReeZA Committee structure, in a similar fashion to roles such as stage manager, treasurer or poster designer. Myspace allows a creative avenue for young people to gain practical, hands-on experience and skill development. Through research we have found that Myspace is successful for FReeZA Committees because: • Young people are regularly active in the Myspace online community • Myspace is a domain where the majority of young people feel comfortable • FReeZA Committees can directly contact young people in their community and share with them information on their committees and upcoming events • A Myspace page raises the profile of a FReeZA Committee and their events because of the “cool-factor” of Myspace FReeZA Committees successfully using Myspace have described it as or commentated that: • “The young people in our community really embraced it as a valid resource for information about not only FReeZA events here but some of the other events our Youth Services run.” • “Myspace is a grand networking tool.” • “More people see our show on Myspace then on any other website.” • “It has provided an online network between South Gippsland FReeZA and South Gippsland Youth as people are able to get information on an event or ask questions about particular aspects of FReeZA and gigs.” • “Free advertising.” • “The fact that young people are able to write to us, comment us and tell us what they think makes a huge difference. And they’re always guaranteed a response to their question or a thankyou for the feedback. I think that quick response thing helps to do away with that feeling of talking to a brick wall.” • “We’re approaching young people in the place they frequent the most and that they feel the most comfortable conversing with other young people.” • “It has been an amazing promo tool. And a fantastic way to access young people in a domain they feel comfortable in. We been able to provide information to a lot of young people who were not in contact with before. It also sort of ‘put us on the map’ in terms of having a community profile, working on the mentality that Myspace is considered “cool” so if FReeZA has one they must be cool.” • “It’s a positive, cost efficient and highly effective way to relay information to young people in our community.” For further information or support on Myspace for FReeZA Committees and other online communications, please contact Kristy Theissling at the FReeZA Support Service, The Push. Kristy Theissling Website and Communications Officer The Push PO Box 220 Brunswick 3056 Phone:(03) 9380 1277 Fax: (03) 9380 9044 kristy@thepush.asn.au www.thepush.asn.au www.myspace.com/thepushinc