How Social Media Has Changed Metal Detecting
Before the mid 1990’s, the world was a face to face adventure for most things. Sure, we had the telephone for instant contact to our loved ones. However, the most important encounters were saved for in-person meet and greets. For instance, if you wanted to talk shop about metal detecting, or share finds with other hobbyists, you would go the the local metal detecting club meeting to socialize in person. Of course it was not just metal detecting. Almost every hobby known to man had a club with a cool name and special meeting place for monthly or weekly visits.
Then, along came a spider....
The World Wide Web (www) changed everything. It was first launched on the Internet in 1991, but was only used by techy nerds and a few businesses. It was not until the mid to late 90’s when the average Joe started to login and see what this “surfing the web” was all about. You could download music, watch videos, send emails, and so much more. It caught like wildfire. More and more users signed up - which meant more and more content was created - and thus shared.
Fast forward 27 years and now the internet is an integral part of our daily lives. Almost every individual and business has a section of the internet to call their own. Billions of people have flocked to social media accounts across multiple platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. We can now share our finds - talk shop - bash brands - be internet tough guys - and order our detectors - without ever leaving the house!
Now let me be clear, I love going to meetings and visiting face to face. It is almost a lost art to some people. There are still active clubs in most major cities, and I absolutely encourage you to get out there and join them! That being said, I also like being a total bum some days and never make it out of my pajamas.
So without further delay...let’s take a look at the most popular social media platforms, and how you can get your fix - without those baggy eyes and bad breath meetings face to face.
Internet Forums
Many people might overlook the basic internet forum as a social media platform. Yet this is probably the #1 source of information for a hobbyist to use. Many of them have been around much longer than the other guys on the list - and thus have tons of information. There are sections and categories broken down for just about everything a detectorist would want. Brands - types of hunting - show your finds - local events - shipwrecks - accessories. The list goes on and on. Forums are literally your one stop shop for everything related to metal detecting. The best part about them? Many of the posts from users have links to the other social media site on this list! Feel free to go check out my previous blog on metal detecting forums by clicking HERE.
YouTube
If you like videos - this is the place for you. YouTube is easily the #1 video hosting service in the world with over 7 billion views per day. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of metal detecting channels showcasing everything from live digs, to reviews, to brand and model comparisons. Many of them have giveaways each month, so you will want to be sure to click on the “Subscribe” button on you favorite channels. This will notify you of their new content as soon as it goes live.
Feel free to check me out on YouTube by clicking right HERE. You will have the opportunity to win a free Teknetics Tek-Point each month!
Remember in 1995 to 2005 when Grandma was always asking for help checking her emails or finding a picture she just downloaded? Well, in 2018 Grandma is navigating her Facebook account with ease. As matter of fact, nearly 2.2 billion users are doing the same. With numbers like that, you had better believe that Facebook has its share of metal detecting content. With options to create “pages” and “groups” there is a ton of local and worldwide content for you to check out. Many of the groups have thousands of members showing of their finds and talking about the hobby. In my opinion these Facebook groups are 2nd only to the forums.
I personally think of this as a Facebook lite - geared toward pictures. You can post videos but they are limited to 60 seconds. Great for showing off a quick find, but not for reviews or comparison videos. Photos are where it’s at here. With tons of filters and options to edit and crop your pics - this is a photographers dream come true for quick pictures that they can upload instantly. Metal detectorists took note and are posting pictures right there on the spot where their finds are being made. With hashtags like #metaldetecting - you can draw attention to each post you make for like minded individuals interested in the hobby.
Hope you enjoyed the blog! TheHunterGT signing off - I will see you on the next blog!
