Facebook and Libraries: Connecting with Social Marketing
Why use Facebook?
Facebook is unarguably the largest social networking site on the web right now. The user base of this site is enormous, with 158 million users in the U.S. alone as of May 2012 (socialbakers.com, 2012). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the current population projection for the United States is 313 million (2012), meaning that 50% of the population is on Facebook! That is a huge market for any library or library organization to tap into, and far too large for any to ignore, not to mention it’s free. But the question is how to make the best use of Facebook as a social networking tool.
How to use Facebook?
Facebook is used by primarily by libraries as a marketing tool (Jacobson, 2011). It is a great place to connect organizations, institutions, and users. The way to do this is to create a Facebook Page for the library or organization. This creates an official and authentic presence on the web in order to reach out to users. The Facebook Page format is called a Timeline, as it displays activity on the page in a timeline format with the most recent posts and link towards the top of the page, and easy access to other posts by date. All Facebook Pages have a “Cover” which is a large space for an image, which should be carefully used to make a good first impression for the Page.
Some Facebook Page Basics
There are many features of a Facebook page that make it a valuable tool for social marketing. Libraries can provide valuable information to users such as hours and locations with the integration of Google Maps. Organizations can use their Facebook Page to share links to resources and articles that would be of interest to their subscribers. Linking to other websites, whether a library or organization’s own site or other sites of interest is a great way to hold users attention and maintain a presence on their personal Facebook feeds.
Facebook is also a great way to share images and videos with users. Posting pictures of a library to Facebook is a way to advertise the facilities and amenities offered there. This will help users get an idea of various ways to make use of their libraries, as many only see it as a place to get books.
Creating Events on Facebook and using a Facebook Page to advertise exhibits and events at a library or hosted by an organization. Making posts on a Facebook Page is another way to reach out and start discussions with users. Using mobile technology, users can “check in” at events or locations which will be displayed on the Page.
Facebook’s Like button is another great tool of the site. When a user “Likes” a page, it appears on their Facebook New Feed, as well as their friends feeds. A single “Like” can easily reach the eyes of another 30 people, which turns the individual user into a marketing tool for the organization. The comment system also allows discussion beyond simple “Likes”. Facebook’s Timeline format personalizes a Facebook Page for each individual user to show any friends’ comments and visits on the page.
Facebook further offers integration with many other social networking sites mentioned on this blog, such as Twitter or Pinterest. There are many other uses of Facebook, such as connecting with other organizations and causes that make it even more valuable as a social networking and marketing tool.
Here and some great examples of effective Facebook Pages made by libraries and other library related organizations:
Detroit Public Library: http://www.facebook.com/detroitpubliclibrary
New York Public Library: http://www.facebook.com/newyorkpubliclibrary
The Library of Congress: http://www.facebook.com/libraryofcongress
American Library Association: http://www.facebook.com/AmericanLibraryAssociation
Wayne State University School of Library and Information Science: http://www.facebook.com/sliswsu
While Facebook for libraries and organizations is a great social networking tool, like other forms of social networking it has some drawbacks. Having a Facebook presence requires a consistent stream of updates to stay relevant to its users. This means having a dedicated team for the maintenance of a Page. This also means having dedicated moderators, as with any open platform, to make sure no inappropriate comments are posted. For some types of libraries, such as school or academic libraries, the primary user base of students may be reluctant to connect with their library on Facebook (Sekyere, 2009). Another minor drawback of Facebook is that it requires users to reach out and subscribe to Facebook Pages through the use of the Like button. However, Facebook makes it easy to integrate the Like button into any website or blog.
However despite these drawbacks, the ability to use a free platform with such a large user base is invaluable.
References and Sources
Jacobson, T. B., Facebook as a Library Tool: Perceived vs. Actual Use. College and Research Libraries, 72. Retrieved from http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/79.full.pdf+html
Sekyere, K. Too much Hullabaloo about Facebook in Libraries! Is it really helping libraries?. Nebraska Library Association Quarterly, 40. 25-27.
SocialBakers. United States Facebook Statistics. Retrieved 6/23/12 from http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/united-states
United States Census Bureau. U.S. PopClock Projection. Retrieved 6/23/12 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html
angiemsolis
daniellemarsh
Holly Boyer
jodyhday
megkesler
stephengladwin
In the latest addition of Information Outlook, the major publication of the Special Libraries Association, there is an article that discusses using Facebook and other social media to understand “. . .what users are saying about the [library]” (Guerrero and Gonzales, 2012, p. 17). In essence, social media is being used by libraries as a tool “. . .for making decisions about new services or events” (Guerrero and Gonzales, 2012, p. 18). This means that Facebook and other social networks are more than just a form of advertising for libraries, they are also a source of data mining (Guerrero and Gonzales, 2012, p. 19). Yet, in order to make the results of data mining useful, someone has to get paid for doing the work. Someone also has to get paid to moderate comments (and Guerrero and Gonzales suggest data mining can be used to determine when moderators will be most needed [2012, p. 18]) and to update social media sites.
So, due to the labor intensity of social media, can one really say that social media is a free platform?
Reference:
Guerrero, F. and Gonzales, P. (2012, May/June). Social business intelligence for libraries. Information outlook. v. 16, no. 3, pp. 17-19.
In an indirect way, no, social media is not a free platform. However, if we are going to consider it in this light, is anything free?
Depending on the size of the facility and whether there is adequate staff, there may be little extra cost involved in maintaining a social media presence. At this point in the game, it may be a bit early to put a cost on the effort. Once more social media-savvy graduates enter the field, the perceived extra cost may in fact be even less. In these times, libraries who aren’t at least experimenting with the option are shooting themselves in the foot. In order to serve the purpose they were made for, they need to stay up-to-date and relevant. The cost, whatever it is, will be a moot point if they cannot give their patrons what they require, and expect.
Indeed, there is no such thing as a free lunch. I came across some articles while keeping up on my July class blog project that you (and whoever else is reading this) might like to read and think about.
One discusses measuring the return on investment when using social media:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-return-on-investment/
The other discusses just how organizations are using Facebook as a marketing device:
http://mashable.com/2012/06/17/facebook-marketing-tips-2/
Enjoy!
I was also thinking about the impact that budgets might have a library’s ability to keep up with social networking. For instance, the Library Director at Lansing Community College said that keeping up with social networking was one of the library’s biggest challenges. She indicated that this was because the budget was so tight and that her staff was spread thin. The fact of the matter is that due to several other factors, social networking might not be on a library’s priority list. Although, as the ROI article indicates, one could make the case that social networking is producing returns and should be given a higher priority (and thereby take time a way from other projects), I think that the time/labor/cost one has to invest in keeping social networking up to date is a huge issue to discuss, which is why I brought it up 🙂 Tell me what you think after reading those links.
Best,
Charlotte
It’s absolutely true that Facebook as a platform may be free, but in order to make good use of it as a marketing platform it requires a heavy time investment. It’s definitely the major flaw in all of our social marketing platforms, in order to have an effective presence a good amount of time and dedication to the page is necessary.
I loved the ROI article and it makes a great point, that every business from a local public library to a large corporation wants to make sure that the time investment, meaning the labor costs of those managing the social media pages, is seeing returns to justify it.
Facebook does provide good information in the form of their Facebook Incites (http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=120881494659811). Of course the numbers provided on these pages do not always paint an encouraging picture. Here’s an interesting blog post about that very thing: http://www.getlucid.net/2012/06/pay-to-play-is-facebook-worth-it-for-business/
There are a lot of great resources out there on what to do to maximize your social marketing efficiency, and also a lot of articles about what not to do with a Facebook page:
http://www.business2community.com/facebook/five-things-more-important-than-page-engagement-0193395
http://rosssimmonds.com/2012/02/11/facebook-marketing-success/
http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/
It really does come down to what time your library can afford to their Facebook page (and other social networking platforms). I would argue that you can see results with even a minimal presence, but there is a point where investing time in social media is no longer worth the cost.
Interesting perspectives in those articles, and definitely worth considering when analyzing the worth social media. My first reaction was to argue that ROI doesn’t apply to libraries because they are non-profit, however with ever-thinning budgets this is, of course, not a good argument. However, I would argue that ROI in the case of a library would be the amount of patrons it attracts, and keeps.
I think you are correct in that libraries need to be giving a closer look at social media and making it a higher priority. I think the big problem right now is the number of library staff (and boards) that aren’t familiar with it and therefore do not see the potential. Perhaps in the next few years when new grads more savvy with technology and trends enter the field, we will see a difference in attitude, and social media success. Time will tell…
In the article, “Likes Are Lovely, But Do They Lead to More Logins,” Glazer (2012) explained “libraries often consider Facebook a vehicle for six different uses: announcements/ marketing, reference services, forum for users, RSVP for events, OPAC/database search and employee communication” (p. 18-19). However, Glazer (2012) found that librarians mainly use facebook for marketing. For example, a librarian might post news about an upcoming event because people are more likely to check Facebook than they are to read the mailed newsletter with the calendar of events.
Glazer (2012) offers some suggestions as to how to make more people visit your library’s Facebook page. The first suggestion Glazer (2012) gives is to “have your Webmaster post the Facebook Icon, with a link to the page, on the front page of your library’s Web site” (p. 20). This will make it easier for library users to find your Facebook page. Glazer (2012) suggests to “be interesting and be interested” (p. 20).There needs to be a balance between what is posted and then follow-up with user’s comments. People are interested to see that someone is monitoring the Facebook page so their comments will be heard and acknowledged. Glazer (2012) also suggests to “run contests and quizzes, offer prizes” (p. 20). This is a great way for people to have an incentive to visit your library’s Facebook page. Finally, Glazer (2012) suggests to “talk about things other than your library” (p. 20). For instance, maybe post a question that will open the discussion to “what are you currently reading? Would you recommend it to others?” This way people are more likely to engage in discussions with other library users and spread the word about your Facebook page to get other friends involved in this discussion.
-Lindsay F.
References:
Glazer, H. (2012). Likes are lovely, but do they lead to more logins. College and research libraries news, 73(1), 18-21. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=70591918&site=ehost-live
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