Everywhere you turn these days, you hear about social media and Web 2.0 tools. They are great for catching up with long-lost friends and far-flung family, but are they relevant for businesses like yours? The National Insulation Association (NIA) may give you some ideas with its debut on Facebook and Twitter, part of our ongoing effort to keep you informed about the industry and what NIA is doing to grow and support it.

By becoming a fan of NIA on Facebook and following us on Twitter, you will receive updates on all things related to insulation for mechanical systems. Get the latest on everything from the progress of the legislation promoting mechanical insulation and the mechanical insulation tax credits being worked on by the Mechanical Insulation Marketing Initiative to what’s coming up in the next issue of Insulation Outlook. It’s an easy way for you to keep up with what you need to know.

In addition, for NIA members, we will be posting bonus content to our Facebook page, such as candid convention photos, that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. We will also post information about NIA events and activities.

Speak Up!

Social media isn’t just about us talking to you, though—it’s about having a dialog. We encourage you to let us know what you’re thinking. We hope you will use these new tools to help us keep up with the industry. Let us know about hot topics: what’s new, what you think we should be doing. We are the voice of the mechanical insulation industry, so don’t hesitate to tell us what you think. We need your opinions and your voice now more than ever as we make progress on Capitol Hill.

To that end, we will be using these new tools, as well as some established ones, to periodically post surveys about various topics, including our products and services. We want to make it easy for you to give us feedback about how we can continue to improve.

For Insulation Outlook readers, this is your chance to make an impact on the magazine. We are always looking for new topics and new writers. Social media make it easy for you to pass along your ideas or build on other people’s suggestions.

New Tools, New Audiences

Many other organizations are successfully using social media to get their message out. The Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program has an Energy Savers Facebook page, where they post energy-saving tips and news for their fans, in addition to their blogs. Many construction and engineering firms follow Twitter and use other social media tools.

NIA hopes to reach these users and engage them in conversations about the value of mechanical insulation. Educating the public, particularly those who may be in a position to address mechanical insulation issues in their facilities, is a vital part of NIA’s mission. To reach the public, we have to go where they are, and millions of them are on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s free to sign up: just go to www.facebook.com and search for National Insulation Association and to www.twitter.com/InsulationInfo. We hope you’ll join us as we explore this new frontier.