5 steps to marketing library services using social media
TRANSCRIPT
Katelyn Patterson
5 Steps to Marketing Library Services using Social Media
@RadicaLibrarianmadmlibrarian.wordpress.com
Pros and Cons of using social media
Social media provides a direct connection to the community.
We simply must have a presence on social media.
What do you use?
Google+
LibraryThing
Goodreads TwitterYoutube
InstagramTumblr
SnapChatLinkedIn
Vine
Flickr
Yik Yak
What do your patrons use?
eMarketer.com reports that Facebook accounted for 81% of all shares among US internet users in 2014 4th Quarter.
So just focusing on Facebook should cover our bases, right?
Step 1: Decide on Social Media Platform
Pew Research Center Social Media Update of 2014 shows us that:● While FB is the biggest site, its growth has become stagnant
while others are still growing.● FB is the platform for reaching seniors.● 18-29 is still the highest social media users across all platforms.● Instagram showed the biggest growth among 18-29 between
2013 and 2014.
What does this tell us?
Certain demographics are in certain places.
To put it in marketing terms,
put the right product in the right place.
Step 2: Planning
SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis, write mission statements, goals, and objectives.● Keeps things realistic and on task.● Refer back to it to make sure your plan
is achieving mission and goals.● Create goals- # of posts a week, # of
followers in 6 months
Social Media Policy
● State publicly the mission, goals and objectives. ● Gives standards: Factually correct information,
no opinion, trusted sources.● Takedown Policy: How will you handle comments
or posts from the public that are off topic, threatening, or offensive? More on this later…
● But REMEMBER… A good social media policy shouldn’t be restrictive.
● The policy is for the public and your employees.
Social Media Policy Examples
Here are some examples of good library social media policies:
Harris County Public LibrarySocial Media Governance Policy DatabaseInfopeople has an archived webinar on social media policiesNational Archives Facebook Comment and Posting PolicySocial Media Policy for YALSA Appointees
A word about privacy...
ALA advises: Any demographic data gathering should be limited to what a library can legally (and by its own privacy policy) gather from a reference interview. Good example of social media and privacy policies:Multnomah County Library's Statement on privacy and confidentiality of library records
Step 3: Resource allocation
No such thing as a free lunch!
Individual? Team? You have to decide what is best for you.
Social Media Team
● Assures a wide variety of views are represented● Spreads workload● Accommodates schedule: Create a weekly
schedule. Individuals in charge will post 2-4 times a day, monitor all platforms, answer questions, etc.
● Be mindful of different voices when posting
Step 4: Create Content● Decide on the types of content:
o Readers Advisory, Library events, Current Events, Collection, Reference
o Decide what content fits on which platform and remember those demographics!
● Make it interactive: create polls, ask for feedback● Offer more than just library generated content… but make
sure it is trustworthy information.● Schedule posts for prime time for each platform: Dot Design
has created a great infographic with the best day and times for each major platform. Or you could use your own analytics.
Step 5: Measure Success● Quantitative: # of likes, # of retweets, # of
mentionso Use bitly to create short links. This
tracks how many times your link has been clicked.
● Qualitative: Can be more difficult. o Software available to automatically analyze content.
Positive, negative, neutral. o SproutSocial and HootSuite and SumAll : Social Media
Management tools. Free and paid membership options.
Facebook Insights
● Has a lot of info… possibly more than you need. I suggest watching a tutorial like this one to navigate through it all.
● Allows you to watch other FB pages stats.● Shows best day/time of day to post● Reach compromised by algorithm ● David Lee King suggests this can be a good
thing! It encourages us to create good content and engage with our community to keep our content visible.
Other platforms
● Twitter● LinkedIn● Google+● YouTube● Pinterest● Instagram and Vine analytics through
Simply Measured for free
What to track
● Decide on a time period. Week, month, Quarter.● Create a report with the following:
o # of your posts on each platformo # of followerso engagement- how many likes, shares,
following links you are posting (bitly)
Negativity & Trolls● Gladly accept constructive criticism.● If it isn’t off topic, threatening, or offensive, don’t delete
and…● Respond quickly. ● The Librarian’s Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media gives us a
great example of a negative Twitter exchange:
@AnnoyedPatron: Hey @PublicLibrary, you need more computers! They are always full!
@PublicLibrary: The public computers DO get a lot of use! Try calling Mary at 555-5555 to reserve one before you head
to the library!
Pinterest● Highlight items in your collection by posting pictures on
Pinterest and including a link to items in the catalog which drives traffic to your website.
● Share early literacy crafts and activities for parents.● For internal purposes: collecting programming, display
ideas, etc.● Built in focus group: PRNews suggests that if you want to
target a certain interest group of your patrons (knitters, gamers) for programming or library display, visit Pinterest pages to see their interests for ideas.
Goodreads
● Organize book clubs ● Create reading lists● Social aspects such as asking patrons to vote on
titles
Youtube
APL is using YouTube for early literacy by putting up LiteratureLive puppet show series and Storytime Connection, a video series for parents on early literacy skills.
Ferguson Library Social Media
The most recent example of a library’s excellent usage of social media is the Ferguson Municipal Public Library.
Through social media they ● kept their community informed● raised over $350,000 and ● got several thousand books donated to
create a special civil rights collection.● Used these funds to hire the
first crowdfunded children’s librarian and recarpet the library
Further Reading...● The Librarian’s Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media by Laura
Solomon● Marketing and Social Media: A Guide for Libraries,
Archives, and Museums by Christi Koontz and Lorri Mon● Marketing Your Library: Tips and Tools that Work. Edited by
Carol Smallwood, Vera Gubnitskaia, and Kerol Harrod● Using Social Media in Libraries: Best Practices. Edited by
Charles Harmon and Michael Messina● Managing Your Library’s Social Media Channels by David
Lee King