SCCLD Social Media Internship Final Report

SCCLD Social Media Internship Final Report

Whitni J. Watkins

San José State University, School of Library and Information Science

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to explain what I did and learned during my internship period with the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) as their social media intern. The report is also a requirement for fulfillment of San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science’s Virtual Internship program. The report focuses primarily on the student learning outcomes (SLOs) and will include a breakdown of activities and tasks performed during the internship period and how they relate to the achievement of the SLOs.

Santa Clara County Library District

SCCLD consists of 7 community libraries, 1 branch library, 2 bookmobiles and an online library. They serve the areas of Santa Clara County in California including: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Lost Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, and Saratoga. They serve a population of 412,732 with a rate of 52% being current library cardholders.

As an intern with the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD), I was working with Megan Wong, the virtual library manager, to develop procedures and policies to help further the presence of the library in multiple social media platforms. SCCLD is present on 7 social media channels including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and 44 library blogs.

Internship selection

I chose to apply for this internship based upon my interest in the use of social media in organizations such as libraries. I also lacked professional experience in a public library, as all my experience is in academic libraries and SCCLD provided me both options.

Student Learning Outcomes

Prior to beginning my internship I worked with the internship supervisor, Megan Wong, and developed a set of SLOs that would outline the tasks and responsibilities to be accomplished during the internship period.

1. Effectively identify, monitor and respond to the community audience formed around the library’s social media by reviewing previous posts and audience response on social media platforms (Facebook, & Twitter) and attending Reader’s Advisory meetings (virtually).
2. Learn and practice best social media practices through hands on use of platforms including scheduling posts and daily interaction on forums to increase traffic on Santa Clara County Library district social media platforms; including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
3. Formulate a social media marketing plan; set up policies to manage a public social media account and the distribution of information.

Student Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1.0

The first learning outcome was to effectively identify, monitor and respond to the community audience formed around the library’s social media by reviewing post and audience response on social media platforms, Facebook & Twitter and attend the reader’s advisory meetings virtually.

The first half of this learning outcome was achieved through daily monitoring of SCCLD’s Facebook page and Twitter account (See Appendix item 1 for clocked hours). Through my monitoring I learned what posts were most popular on Facebook, the time in which users frequented the page most often and as well as what posts reached the largest population (see Appendix item 2). The constant monitoring of Facebook allowed me opportunities to see what types of things the “fans” enjoyed seeing the most. This allowed me to recommend specific types of posts for staff to focus on to encourage more interaction on the page.

Monitoring the Twitter account was less insightful as the audience focus was less targeted, this became a recommendation item on the social media plan I put together. I used the opportunity while monitoring Twitter to find more community to follow, to communicate with those who tagged SCCLD in tweets. This received good feedback, one individual stated, “@sccld You’re awesome! Great job with the social media!”  (See Appendix 3 for full conversation).

The second half of the SLO, attend Reader’s Advisory meetings, was later dropped by the internship supervisor due to scheduling constraints on both parties . Any information pertaining to my responsibilities as the intern was relayed to me by my supervisor.

Learning Outcome 2.0

The second learning outcome was to learn and practice best social media practices through hands on use of platforms, including scheduling posts and daily interaction on forums to increase traffic on SCCLD’s social media platforms; including Facebook & Twitter.

This SLO was achieved through research, daily interaction of SCCLD’s social media platforms and volunteering to post on the Facebook feed weekly. For research, refer to the bibliography page for a listing of articles that were used in shaping the focus and evolvement of SCCLD’s social media. Traffic for SCCLD has increased; the follower count for Twitter has grown by 29 followers since the beginning of the internship and Facebook has increased by almost 80 “likes”.

The biggest accomplishment SCCLD saw over the past 3 months was hitting the 1K milestone, 1,000 page likes on Facebook, without the use of a Facebook campaign. At the beginning of the internship period, SCCLD was looking at 927 likes by the end we were up to 1,006 likes (see appendix item 4). Through research and recommendations, the staff began posting content that sparked more interaction from our fans. The interaction provided greater opportunity for our Facebook page to be seen and receive more likes.

Another opportunity that came from monitoring Facebook daily was the opportunity to answer a reference question  and turn it into a very positive experience.  A patron made a comment on a post on Facebook and I responded to her comment, which then sparked this reference opportunity. This patron desired that a certain book be available on an audiobook service that SCCLD subscribes to.  I found that although the service did not have the book, that the book was available on disc for checkout from the library.  The patron was ecstatic about this revelation and left very happy. The interaction between myself and the patron is publically visible and created a positive experience that others can read and gain more insight to SCCLD.[1]  

Learning Outcome 3.0

This SLO required that I take the knowledge I gained and formulate a social media plan and set up policies to manage a public social media account and the distribution of information.

The SLO was accomplished through 135 hours of research, hands on practice and incorporation of best practices. This was a difficult task to accomplish, as it required viewing each platform; see footnote for link to full social media plan.[2]

Along with the social media plan, Megan and I put together a best practices document that listed key bullet points for each platform about posting and things to keep in mind while managing the platform. For example, Twitter only allows 140 characters in posts, only use 120-130 of the characters so there is room for followers who want to retweet or quote your tweet. Another example is to always use the #SCCLD in Tweets and Instagram’s, this will help make SCCLD more searchable in the platforms.[3]

Conclusion

My internship experience with SCCLD was very positive. My supervisor exhibited a democratic management style where we each collaborated on ideas and together chose ones that fit the model we were working towards. This method of management was very effective as it allowed and encouraged innovation. I would recommend that there be more insight from the managing side to help better guide the focus of the organization. This would have been more helpful because I was an outsider to the organization.

Code of Ethics: ALA

One thing I found was that SCCLD was very strict into adhering to statement II of the ALA Code of Ethics that  reads, “We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.” One example of this was a user posted a quote on the SCCLD Facebook page that contained the F word. The user did not censor the word in the quote; however SCCLD policies enforce that staff does not censor comments made on public platforms as it is a violation of patron’s right of speech. Although my instinct said to “hide” the comment as to not offend those who read the post, I knew that the policy was not only enforced but was also in accordance with the ALA Code of Ethics by which I, as a current ALA member, established I would do my best to uphold.

Responsibilities

While working with SCCLD my primary responsibilities included:

• Build followers on Facebook, work towards gaining better awareness
• Develop best practices for Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
• Monitor and participate in Facebook & Twitter posting
• Develop procedures for implementing an Instagram photo contest
  
• Develop procedures for implementing a Facebook campaign

My main priorities were developing the procedures for different platforms and researching best practices. My site supervisor broke down each month’s priorities based upon what was accomplished and learned in the prior month. One action item that stayed continuously on the menu was finding a way to gain better awareness on Instagram and to use it to promote the library. The action plan was of great help to keep priorities in view; and I recommend that it be a best practice for future SCCLD internships.

The most difficult aspects of working in this [virtual] environment was connecting with the library. Due to schedule constraints I did not get the opportunity to participate in the Reader Advisory meetings and in part I felt like this created a gap between me and the staff. I wish the staff would have reached out to me more to give feedback or insight on how they are currently using social media; however I could have encouraged this more by sending out emails and interacting with them more.  I think this was a difficulty primarily because this was a virtual internship and had I been on site my interaction with staff would have been satisfactory.

Technology

Throughout the internship I used a variety of technology to accomplish the tasks set before me. I used email, Google Docs, and the Virtual Library Wiki for collaboration with my site supervisor as well as some staff at SCCLD. I used social media platform mobile applications for iOS[4] to manage SCCLD’s accounts including; Twitter, Facebook, Pages, Cubenect, SCCLD mobile site app, WordPress, and Instagram. I also used the full website pages for Twitter, Facebook, WordPress & sccl.org to manage these same accounts. All tasks were easily accomplished through these forms of technology  and I do not have any recommendations for improvement.

Course Work

As I made my way through this internship program I found myself grateful that I had taken Libr246: Social Media & Web 2.0 tools. This course, although only briefly, provided me with an overview of how some libraries used social media. It also introduced me to some of these libraries that had great examples, such as NYPL, to refer to during my research. I also found myself referring back to information I learned in Libr210: Reference and Information services, specifically Reader’s Advisory services. The reader’s advisory will be incorporated through Facebook posts, Pinterest boards and library blogs. These ideas were introduced to me through Libr210. Although I have a strong background in social media, these two courses introduced me to aspects of the library that I may have over looked during my research, specifically the use of Pinterest in the library.

Equally, I would have been better equipped had I taken course work on censorship and public libraries. This internship was my first non-patron experience in a public library, so many rules that exist in a private academic library in regards to censorship are forbidden in many public libraries. I am a firm believer in not censoring however it is still an area I do not know much about. I also think course work in library marketing would have helped me in the long run as a put together the social media plan. I am confident in my work but I know that having a formal foundation in library marketing would have saved me time as I set up action items for the social media plan.

I feel that this internship exposed me to opportunities and experiences that helped me more fully understand the impact social media can have on organizations. Although the work I performed during this period seemed insignificant in process, when put into the bigger picture I realize that this helped structure SCCLD’s social media presence. The social media plan will be a basis from which SCCLD can build their policies and procedures; this is of significant value to the organization.

Working with SCCLD has helped me form a more professional view of social media and how I can now use it to my advantage in advancing my career. I have a solid understanding of Facebook, as well as the ability to create and implement Facebook campaigns for other organizations with which I may work. I can state that my internship at SCCLD was a rewarding experience and I will take from it a significant amount of primary evidence as well as a new perspective on using social media in libraries.

References

American Library Association. (2008). Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics

Santa Clara County Library District. (2013). Social Media Policy [PDF]. Retrieved from Santa Clary County Library District Staff Wiki (private access).

Watkins, W. (2013, October 27). Facebook: the form of reference/advertising/reader’s advisory AIO [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://nimblelibrarian.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/facebook-the-form-of-referenceadvertisingreaders-advisory-aio/

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[1] Encounter recap provided from full blog post: https://nimblelibrarian.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/facebook-the-form-of-referenceadvertisingreaders-advisory-aio/

[2] Full social media plan, drafted and submitted by Whitni Watkins to SCCLD: http://bit.ly/1e2eNnE

[3] Best Practices guidelines document: http://bit.ly/18y5MOx

[4] The use of mobile applications was not a requirement to accomplish my responsibilities; their use merely provided convenience and all tasks could be accomplished through the web browser.

 

Demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies.

Component 1: Statement of Competency

“From its earliest days, the true power of the Internet lay in the ability of the network to enhance communication” (Farkas, 2007, xix). With the introduction of the internet not only has communication ways changed but the way we access information has changed. Before the web, information was accessed within highly structured systems with which librarians knew best how to navigate to these structures and databases to find information for the user. This was a well-known need for a librarian. With the implementation of algorithms and spider crawling in web search engines such as Google and Bing, navigating these systems and finding information, albeit maybe not be of highest quality, has become common knowledge to the 21^st century user. New technologies and the digital age have forced libraries to reevaluate their function and role within the society. Libraries will not disappear, as many suggest instead they will thrive as long as those within them evolve and adapt with new technologies.

One major impact of technology is the ability to navigate our resources remotely, many of our patrons are no longer needing to come to the library and that’s okay. However, this means that we must go to where our patrons are, social media platforms. We want to communicate with them, learn about what they are interested in, what they want to “get” from the library. It is imperative that libraries develop an online presence and make themselves available remotely, as we do with our resources. This means that we as information professionals need be cognitive of how to use these technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Flickr.

Beyond communicating through social media avenues we also need to be able to serve our patrons by being proficient in current and up and coming technologies. This includes physical hardware (e.g. tablets, eReaders, smartphones, and mobile devices) but also software such as cloud services (e.g. Google Drive or Drop Box), presentation services (e.g. Prezi, Glogster), collaboration services and webpage building services. The library will continue to be the place to look for the newest New York Times best seller but on top of that we will be the place to try new technology and develop innovative software, a prime example of what libraries will evolve towards with technology is North Carolina State University’s state-of-the-art library, The Hunt Library (http://youtu.be/BzL8MHbBtiY).

I introduce the Hunt library for multiple reasons. First, it touches base on the funding and cost of technology implementation. Funding, budget cuts, short staffed are all unfortunately common terminology within information professionals. The design and building of the Hunt library cost a significant lump of change, $115 million to be exact. Technology is not cheap, especially when you are expected to offer it to your users, it is the new norm. Library administration will be spending a significant amount of time on funding technology adaptation and less on budgets for collection development.

Second, as you learn about the technology that has been put in place at the Hunt library; the collection is only 1.5 million books and housed in a Robot-driven BookBot storage and retrieval system which uses only about 1/9 of the space that was used when storing the books on shelves. The bot retrieves book request via a computer click and within minutes; the technology not only saves space but time as well. The space that has been freed up from the stacks has been honed in on collaboration, technology creation and innovation and maker-spaces. I mention these facts because the core vision of the library was to provide the “ability for our students, faculty, and partners to immerse themselves in interactive computing, multimedia creation, and large-scale visualization” (Hunt Vision, 2013). This is what library spaces will evolve to, because of technology.

Component 2: Justification of Evidence and Evidence:

The first piece of evidence I have included for this competency is the link to the JPG files of a library brochure I created at a prior library using Photoshop [LibraryBrochurep1] [LibraryBrochurep2]. I chose to include this piece of evidence to show that I understand the importance of knowing new technology and using it within your work place. This is but one software application that I know, but it is a very common and highly sought after skill by patrons. While I was working as a Library Director, I wanted to create better digital resources and more aesthetically pleasing library material so I learned the basics of Photoshop and have gradually taught myself more techniques and am able to teach others the basics of using this software. I know that because I was willing and desired to learn this software that I have a very useful skill for our profession as we move towards more digital resource development and web design.

The second piece of evidence I included is a link to a [Prezi presentation] that I created for an information literacy course at a previous job; this piece is included in a folder because there are data files that need to be contained with the presentation in order to view it offline. When you open this file which I have shared using the cloud storage DropBox, you will need to open only prezi.exe to view the presentation. I included this piece of evidence to demonstrate my mastery of using technology tools to produce a presentation for a library workshop. Also, by sharing it through my cloud storage DropBox I have also demonstrated my ability to work with the newest form of storing files on a cloud service.

The final piece of evidence I have included here is a [screen shot of my web portfolio] & included a [link to the webpage] that I built. This piece of evidence shows my understanding of digital recourse and using technology to communicate to remote users the information that I want to share with them. Although this is a personal page, it support the ultimate goal of the library which is to provide access to information to our users. This piece of evidence also shows my mastery in the skill of web design and creation which is highly sought after in libraries as their online presence is the most important aspect of their marketing and advocating their use.

Conclusion:

These technologies: BookBots, collaboration tools, social media interaction, and software for program creation, web design or photo editing will be things that we as information professionals should know the basics of. If we want our users to use these tools then we need to know how to teach them or help troubleshoot basic problems. Libraries will become information and technology hubs and less book storage.

References:

Farkas, M. G. (2007). Social Software in Libraries: building collaboration, communication, and community online. New Jersey: Information Today, Inc.

NCSU Libraries (2013). The Hunt Library. Information Retrieved from: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/huntlibrary

Evidence:

Library Brochure Images

Website Screenshot

 

Prezi Presentation Link

The end is near

As I begin my wrap up for this internship I get to reflect on what I did, what I learned and would I change anything.

I have spent a great deal with social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter. I have watched as our Facebook posts grow in views and drop in views. I have watched as we continue to increase our interaction the likes on our page go up. I believe we will hit out 1K like before the years end, without campaign.

I have learned that the business aspect of Facebook is very time consuming and if done well also complicated. We use our personal pages to share our thoughts and we are happy when people like our page. From a personal aspect, my page is private but this is the recipe for disaster for any organization.

One thing is at a personal level use Facebook to connect with old friends, family, loved ones, etc. We use Facebook to share our feelings (some often too much). As an organization Facebook is another faucet for customer service and advertisement. We are there to build our brand, to connect with our customers and to build our following. Although essentially they have similar goals, on a personal level we don’t track when our friends see our posts or what posts get the most likes, etc. However, all of this is something that should be tracked for businesses. Facebook insights help with gathering the data but understanding it is up to the page managers. This is a portion of the complicated and time consuming part of Facebook for your business.

Advertising on Facebook is also very important for businesses, at SCCL we are working towards building a campaign for a library service such as TreeHouse. Campaigns are much more complicated than they seem. You can read my post here about Facebook Campaigns. At first we were going to do a campaign for 1K likes but as we dove into the nitty gritty we realized that we wanted to use the campaign for something more “beneficial” like adverts for the newest and coolest software at SCCLD.

One thing I would change is the Twitter interaction. I wish we could have nailed down the target for Twitter first thing because leaving it ‘up in the air’ with a semi-focus on businesses and community made the interaction very difficult. As I finish the Social Media Strategic Plan for SCCLD my key recommendation for Twitter is to develop a focused audience. This will help immensely with tweets and their content. Now, I’m not saying you have to have a specific focus, just a focus of some sort, don’t teeter between two and see which one comes out stronger. The joy about any business is your focus can change, it isn’t set in stone, as goes for your Social Media presence.

The internship isn’t over yet, we’ve got one week left to accomplish some big tasks. Look for next weeks post on my final report.

Social Media Etiquette: responding to complaints

The more I’ve worked with Social Media the more I’ve come to notice that etiquette is hit and miss. Not everyone follows the same protocol. Albeit more important for ‘businesses’ than individuals, unless you are a celebrity which in this case you are viewed more as a business than an individual (sad but true when you think about it)

As librarians or para-professionals or circulation clerks, the list goes on, we have our fair share of dealing with irate patrons. We have the patrons who just want to be heard. The patrons who complain about dust on the keyboard. The patrons who just patronize…yeah, I went there. How do we handle these verbal complaints? “Kill ’em with kindness” “Give ’em a listening ear” “Ignore them [wait what?!]”  Our reactions to these situations are more/less second nature (if you’ve been working for more than a month in a library). Depending on the patron these complaints usually take place in a quite/semi private 3′ area about the desk between you and the patron requiring that you work one on one with the patron.

What about handling a complaint that someone megaphones from the roof tops in the middle of a HUGE city parade? How do you handle that? It becomes a bit more ‘messy’. Similar to handling a negative online comment. The viewing audience is now millions/billions? more than the verbal-across-3-foot-space complaint.  So how do we/you handle it?

First and foremost, you respond. If you don’t ‘speak up’ you are not defending yourself and thus giving the complaint merits to be true. Make sure you respond with a thoughtful and positive tone, don’t feed the fire with fire. In your response I also recommend that you remove the complaint from the public eye. Encourage the user/patron/customer to contact you personally (Direct Message, Email, etc.) A good example of this is Cory Booker’s (New Jersey Mayor) twitter feed. 

Articles to read in light of Social Media Etiquette:

The Ultimate Social Media Handbook [pdf 5 pages] 

Real Simple’s Guide to Social Media Etiquette

 

Photo contest in your library. Oh and #hashtags

I have been given the task of developing the procedure/plan/integration of using Instagram at SCCLD.

For those of you who live under rocks, Instagram is an application available on both Android & Apply phones. The people at Instragram describe it as:  a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and family. I’d describe it as an app used specifically for photo (& now video) sharing.

This app can be linked (as most others) to share parallel to Facebook & Twitter. It also recognizes hashtags & account tagging (how else do you get to shame your friend with the candid snap of them sneezing, no really!); this is all relevant information to note.

Robin Davis with Emerging Tech in Libraries wrote on incorporating Instagram into your library SUCCESSFULLY: Spread the love. Hashtag like crazy. Within reason. ( Read more here: Using Instagram in Libraries

So we want to incorporate Instagram and we want to come in with a BANG! so we are going to make our first big attempt at a photo contest. We know we will use the following: Hashtags (#SCCLD & #[whateverwedecideonforthecontest], tagging (@sccld) & we want to focus on library programs. Other questions we need to answer include: How do we announce it? When do we announced? and How long do we let it run?

Without rehashing what has already been said by others here & here.

This is what I perceive our tentative plan with the Contest to get our Instagram started:

Announce on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Library News Section (?) the contest. Include in the announcement the hashtags necessary for recognition; the focus for the contest – Library Programs tagging – @SCCLD and let it ride! (advertise the contest at least once a week.)

FYI: Hashtags started with IRC (internet Relay Chat) and programming for denoting topics/groups, Chris Messina took the idea and implemented it in Twitter. The use of hashtags became increasingly popular and useful; this lead to the adoption of their use by Instagram & Facebook (as a form of tagging topics) – why do the hashtags matter? If you still live under your rock, this is why #hashtags are important.

“So to keep it simple, people are only one hashtagged word away from possibly being seen by thousands, if not millions of people through social media.” ( Read full article here: The importance of #hashtags

Hashtags are what will make our stuff BIG, or at least provide the option. In the contest, using the appropriated hashtags, we [administrators] will be able to track the submissions across platforms, by searching for our decided upon hashtag. So, yes Hashtags are important, despite this video here:

However it is important to note what Davis said earlier, Hashtag within reason 2-4 relevant per post Hashtags is acceptable.

Facebook. The form of reference/advertising/reader’s advisory AIO

While perusing through posts on Facebook checking insight stats etc. I found myself spot in the middle of a fantastic reference opportunity. Conversation went as follows:

Patron (name not given for lack of permission): I wish you guys would have more audio books!!! I loved listening to the help while I cooked dinner and cleaned house!! Audio books are such a joy!

SCCL (me at the time): Have you checked out the OverDrive service or OneClick Digital? You can check out audiobooks there. http://www.sccl.org/browse/ebooks-and-econtent/eaudiobooks /Whitni

Patron: Yeah. That’s where I get the audio books from. I really really wish they would order Gone with the wind!!!

SCCL: Tessie Garcia the Saratoga Library & Woodland Library have audiobook copies available for checkout for Gone with the Wind.http://sccl.bibliocommons.com/… You can place a hold and pickup it at your home library. /Whitni

Patron:  Thank you!!! I’m going to go order them right now!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

SCCL: You are most welcome. I hope you enjoy the book! Come back and let us know how it was. Make sure you get both parts, there is a part one and part two. /Whitni

Patron:  I most certainly will!!! How do I submit an application for a book order request? Gone with the wind has a sequel called Scarlet. I would love for Santa Clara County Library to carry it! It would be greatly enjoyed by those who love Gone with the wind as I do!

SCCL: [patron] you can suggest a purchase here: http://www.sccl.org/node/95944/Whitni

Through this conversation we went from complaint > resolved complaint > advertising of services > hearing the patron > helping the patron find what they need/want > use of services by patron.

This conversation had so many elements to it, I would soundly say it was the “perfect” librarian conversation. Best part, it is public. Others will see the Q & A interaction (positive feedback) and learn from it and I didn’t have to repeat it 20 times to reach them.

Facebook served a great purpose and allowed for this interaction to take place.

A Facebook campaign?

Currently we are |this| close to hitting 1000 ‘likes’ on our Facebook page. The likes still come in during the week but on an average of about 3 per week. At this rate we will be into the new year before we hit 1K; that isn’t our [SCCL’s] idea of ending on a bang, more like a pfft (think poorly executed whoopee cushion prank).

What are we going to do? We are going to campaign for your likes, but how? That’s my job. I get to figure that out and I have NO IDEA how to develop a campaign on Facebook. Fortunately, we have the interwebs to help. Yes I did it, I googled “creating a Facebook campaign”, you can do it too I won’t judge.  I came across an article in Social Media Today: How to Create a Perfect Facebook Ad Campaign, author: Mitz Pantic. This article is nicely written but please keep in mind that it is a general guide (10 tips) and some of it isn’t 100% applicable to libraries.

So here is my plan, execution will come later.

Decide on our audience. We know geographical location (mostly) but now I need to decide on what other factors will make up our audience. Gender? Interest? Education? Marital Status? Spoken language?…

Discuss an image. Our campaign logo. Do we create one or do we use the Library’s logo? This image will represent us, when people see it we want them to think “Oh SCCLD, they are awesome.” [or something of that sort]

Creating your ad. Pantic recommends 5-10 ads to rotate, seems high but I’m new so that could just be naivety on my part. Creating the ad is the MOST important part because its what you will be ‘saying’ to those who see it. What message are you going to convey?

Do we offer an incentive for clicking on our ad? I don’t think this is something we can offer or should offer. We can promote a service but that’s about it… **mental note: address this later**

Find out when your audience interacts with your posts, this will help gauge the right time for your ads to ‘circulate’ around Facebook. If your audience is predominantly on Facebook around 1pm, don’t have your ads circulate at 8am. Capeesh?

Do we want Pay by Clicks or Cost Per Impression [WHAT???…will look into this later]

Audience. Image. Brand. Why.

So there you go, that’s my plan and I am sticking to it.

If you want to help us reach our 1K sooner than please like our page on Facebook

Need more to read about Facebook Ad Campaigns? Check out these articles:

Facebook for Business: create an ad

The Not-So-Secret Secrets of Successful Facebook Advertising

Spartans Market Successfully

San Jose State University King Library

I selected the King Library as my marketing critique focus. The library has a well rounded presence on the web; outside of their website they market themselves through the following ways:
Twitter: @SJSU_kinglib
Facebook: SJSU King Library and
Google+: SJSU King Library
Bi-Annual Newsletter: SJSU King Library Newsletter

I will discuss how they engage themselves with these applications as well as address any improvements I see that might benefit the library. These points made are my observations only and do not included insight from the employees of the King Library.

I have a twitter feed, @nimblelibrarian, I started out following @SJSU_kinglib they have a small following of 240 twitters and within 30 minutes I was being followed back, this response time impressed me. Followed by this prompt new follower I browsed past tweets and gathered a feel of what exactly the King Library wanted its followers to know. They are supportive of other SJSU accounts, re-tweeting campus club announcements, local reference desk, local public libary, and the main SJSU feed. This past Friday I tweeted, “Its Friday, I want rain, soup and a good book”  @nimblelibrarian. I do not have a following, as I have just started developing my own brand, so you can imagine my excitement when I was re-tweeted by @SJSU_kinglib .

The impression made to me so far by the King Library was positive. Along with simple recognitions of their followers, they advertised upcoming events & exhibits taking place in the library.

The King Library also uses Facebook to expand their web presence. The Facebook page for the library was born, August 31, 2011. It is barely a year old, which surprised me as I thought they would have started using it earlier. The Facebook page did not impress me as much as the twitter feed did but it did not let me down either. The library uses images often with corresponding posts are which often about upcoming events or exhibits. Due to the nature of these posts it was difficult to see a “real” person behind them; they felt more like an automatic response you get when you apply to a job. That being said I came across one post that teased with personality, a post about the San Jose Falcons. (see post below)

 
This post encourages student to come to the library for non-library things instead of research, study, computers, etc. It is important to capture and include your target audience, in this case students, in your posts. This post had 3 likes and 3 comments, higher than most posts on the page.

Another concern was that the response time to student complaint posts was around a full day.   I saw to complaints, one directed at noisy patrons and the other directed at the Library Wi-Fi, response time for both around 24 hours. For the complaint directed towards noisy patrons the response was okay, because they requested information to report it. The complain directed to the library, “Please fix the Wifi connection. I really want to stay in the library to study. I can’t study at home!!!!!!!” needed to be addressed much earlier than 24 hours later because the student was studying and needed the Wi-Fi at that moment. I’d recommend tot he King Library to reduce the response time to posts like these, in order to be more helpful throughout their web presence. 

The Google+ account, created September 2011, is very much like the King Library Facebook page, posts are almost identical. On Nov. 4, 2011 one of the first posts to receive any follower response included the response from SJSU King Library thanking them for their support, +1 to their rapport. I critique this in their marketing because it is vital to acknowledge those who follow you, your “fans” as you will. However, this unfortunately fades in to the background after a couple more posts and the acknowledgment is no longer made.  It is important to keep it up, even if you only have a handful of fans, appreciate them. 

As I made my way through the main applications SJSU King Library uses to expand their online presence there are few things that I want need to address.  First, bravo to their consistent posting even with a mediocre following. Second, thank you for re-tweeting, just a small gesture that shows their acknowledgment of their followers.

They have a strong grasp of how to use these services to spread the word about what is happening in the library however they need to focus on expanding their following. SJSU has an enrollment of approximately 30,000 students, their followings hit around 300, that is 1% of the school.  I suggest they do this in multiple ways including:

1. Engage your followers – encourage comments in your posts and tweets. The more engaging you are the more interaction you will receive. Use posts for an opportunity to get survey responses from students, “Did you attend the Day of the Dead exhibit?”
2. Express personality beyond events and exhibit posting. Add to your newspaper a comic strip, for example talk about the employees and what they enjoy, make the library more personal.
3. Quicken your response time to posts. 24 hours for a response to  a wi-fi complaint is useless to the patron.  
4. Create a blog. Blogs are a great way to move above and beyond hours and event posts, of course I do not think I need to tell you that.

This being said, SJSU King Library markets their library services well, events, exhibits, hours, changes, etc. If their brand is “A library that keeps their students informed of events happening on campus” then they nailed it, no matter how boring that sounds. I recommend really exploiting the personality of the library, there are a great deal of employees their and I am sure they are not all boring. 

Library Social Media…what are your tactics?

Top 5 Social Media Tools for Promoting Library Services

What? Facebook
Why? Reach patrons of multiple ages, mobile accessibility, “Its massive reach provides compelling opportunities to connect with customers, both current and future, through fan pages, news feeds, groups, and throughout the site.” (SEOmoz)
How? Sign up for a group page (not a profile), designate the information that will be posted for your users and others to see and start posting. Posts about common topics, new ideas you want to implement. Using Facebook in this manner allows Libraries to get feedback in the easier way possible and directly from their users.

What? Twitter
Why? Networking in real time. A new tool to become personal with your users. Tweets are limited to 160 characters, requires tweets of significance and informational. IE “SJSU library closed Oct. 8 Columbus day!” (39 characters)
How? Sign up for a twitter account begin adding followers and following others. Read Musings about librarianship on how Twitter can help your library.

What? YouTube
Why? Video promotion
How? Video Blogs – have staff record book reviews of latest books, add a library tour and introduce your staff, invite participation from patrons “What is your favorite book?” and compile them into a video. Video Tours are very effective and allow users to get a feel for your library before they go, you can also put up tutorials on how to use your system. You can also use YouTube as a form of education videos, how many tutorials can you find on YouTube? Millions! I’m sure you can even find one on using YouTube in your Library.

What? Wikipedia
Why? Wikipedia offers a place to build guides for users. Wikis are a great way to keep on top of all the new services or updates happening in the library 

How? Create a Wiki (make sure to have an easy access link to the page) where Library staff can update changes to the library. You can also create a Wiki that patrons can access and add recommendations or even services that maybe a staff member did not think of.

What? Good-reads
Why? What better way to promote an RA (Readers Advisory) with Good-reads.
How? Visit the link and start adding books and reviews. Good-reads provides a way for patrons to see what the staff is reading and get recommendations and reviews. This tool in itself is a RA service, not just one to help promote your own library services.

-NimbleLibrarian

Recommended Reads:

Policy Tool for Social Media

Breeding, M. (2009). Social networking strategies for professionals. Computers in Libraries, 29(9), 29-31

Fichter, D. , & Avery, C. (2012). Tools of influence: Strategic use of social media. Online, 36(4), 58-60.

Step-by-Step Guide to Your Social Media Success
Avoid These 4 Common Social Media Mistakes – Joseph Ruiz

Social Media…are you in it?

I have the following Social Media tools
Twitter: @nimblelibrarian
Facebook: Whitni Watkins
LinkedIn: Whitni Watkins
FourSquare: Whitni Watkins

I enjoy using these tools and I am working on developing my own brand. (more on that somewhere else)
My Facebook I use for personal use, but I make sure that what I post there is still professional. AKA I don’t want to post something that has potential to get me in trouble with an employer.

My linked in account is primarily for professional use. I have recommendations from past employers, my resume fully posted and I update it often. I continue to make connections with potential colleagues, or employers I would be interested in working for. I also join groups that are of my professional interest.

LinkedIn was slightly confusing at first but now that I have used it more frequently I have recognized its potential. The biggest thing about LinkedIn is that it is a professional aimed social tool, meaning what you put up is more at stake employment wise than anything else, so this requires more detailed attention than Facebook.

I think today yes Librarians should have social media pages, like Linked In.This social media tool is perfect for enhancing your involvement in the professional world but also a great way for potential employers to scope you out. As I type this I realize that my interviewers from yesterday can be checking out my page right now, if they haven’t already.

A Librarian should have a linked in page if for nothing else but you have a place where you can be fully represented professionally. As Mary Ellen Bates concluded in her article Revisiting LinkedIn from Online Magazine, “Even if you choose to set your privacy settings to stun and never share an update, LinkedIn is a useful resource for info pros.” (Bates, 2012, p64)

I don’t think a LinkedIn page for Libraries is essential but they can use the groups option to increase their awareness as their librarians add them into their profile pages. LinkedIn is a tool that can be used for libraries, but are their other tools that will provide better attention for the library? Yes. Facebook is an ideal place for school libraries and public libraries to create a presence. Their main audience (pre-teens, teenagers, young adults) are using Facebook not LinkedIn.