In nature, the ability to survive and thrive requires a readiness to adapt, especially when unforeseen circumstances require quick and decisive judgment. Unable to host our annual in-person member meetings or regional mini-meetings due to the pandemic last year and this year, your Association of BellTel Retirees recognized an opportunity to enhance and expand the way we communicate with our members.
A sizable portion of Americans continues to turn to online sites to be kept informed. A little under half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get news from social media “often” or “sometimes,” according to a July-August 2021 Pew Research Center survey.
When it comes to where Americans regularly get news on social media, the findings say Facebook outpaces all other social media sites.
The expanding world of social media and the Internet enables us to instantly relay relevant news and updates to you. Even as social media and technology companies face criticism for not doing enough to stem the flow of misleading information on their platforms, you know you can always count on us for the facts.
Switching to an online annual meeting was something we went into with trepidation in 2020, but given the circumstances, it provided the best opportunity to connect with many members and to keep them exceptionally well informed about the important issues on our agenda.
We can now broadcast meetings live to our many members anywhere in the country, without anyone leaving their homes!
Beyond that is our wide BellTel newsletter circulation. Along with this transition to a virtual meeting, in 2020 we also launched our Bell Effect audio podcast, with 17 episodes available to be heard on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. This created another medium for us to have direct conversations with you addressing key events and topics.
As health concerns continue to limit our in-person interactions, online gatherings can open new possibilities for the way we reach out. Returning to the in-person model is something we so look forward to, but having virtual meetings also provides your all-volunteer board with a consistent framework that removes geographical barriers and travel to “get together” for our volunteer members who seek to play a leadership role.
With the Association celebrating its 25th anniversary in this digital age, we aim to always maintain the familiarity our members have come to expect, as we also look for new ways to leverage technology to improve our work on your behalf.
You can follow us on our various social media channels: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
This article was originally published in the 2021 Winter Newsletter.
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