Presentation for ALAO 2010 conference. "Free as in Kittens: Using Free Social Media Tools to Promote Your Library and Librarians"

1. Free as in Kittens: Using Free Social
Media Tools To Promote Your
Library and Librarians
Jessica Hagman
Ohio University
@hagman

2. Marketing @aldenlibrary
A little bit about our experience and how we market Alden Library
@hagman

3. twitter.com/aldenlibrary
@aldenlibrary
@hagman

4. facebook.com/aldenlibrary
@hagman

5. youtube.com/aldenlibrary
@hagman

6. flickr.com/ohiouniversitylibraries
@hagman

7. http://www.library.ohiou.edu/newsblog/
@hagman

8. http://www.library.ohiou.edu/newstudents/blog/
@hagman

9. http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/businessblog/
@hagman

10. Management
Several people have
access to each
account.
Photo credit
@hagman

11. Management
Facebook Twitter
FlickrYou Tube
I function as the “social
media coordinator” – a
totally made up title not in
my job description. This
means I badger other
people into giving me
ideas for content for these
sites.
@hagman

12. Lesson #1: You can’t just
talk about yourself
It looks “spammy” and will not win you friends and influence.
@hagman

13. Share what’s
useful for your
community
It doesn’t always have to
be about you!
@hagman

14. Promote other
people and make
connections
This is especially true on
Twitter, where you can
post more frequently
without being in danger
of being obnoxious.
@hagman

15. Facebook Stats
If you post new content
too often, people will hide
you from their news feed
just like the person
playing “Farmville” or
some silly polling app.
@hagman

16. Lesson #2: Content
creation takes lots of time
and creativity
Your colleagues may get tired of hearing “Hey, do you mind if I put that
on Twtter?”
@hagman

17. Ask other people in the library what’s worth sharing
Or better yet, get them to write a blog post.
@hagman

18. Your students may have stories to tell
You still get to have control over what goes public,
but ask them to write something
@hagman

19. Keep a list
Because eventually you’ll
forget those good ideas
that occur to you when
you talk to someone else
in the library.
@hagman

20. Pre-schedule
posting content
But keep an eye on them
and pull as necessary –
this RT was broadcast in
the middle of a tornado
warning.
@hagman

21. Answer questions online
Tell people what you know and how it relates to their lives.
@hagman

22. Trust Agents
“Trust agents have
established themselves as
non-sales oriented, non-
high-pressure marketers.
Instead they are digital
natives using the Web to be
genuine and humanize
their business.” (Brogan and
Smith, 15)
Photo credit
Brogan, Chris and Julien Smith. Trust Agents: Using the
Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn
Trust. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print.
@hagman

23. Archives photos are always popular
Those running university Twitter accounts love to share stuff like this*
@hagman

24. Lesson #3: You get as much
out of listening as you do
talking
What’s that proverb about the mouth and ears?
@hagman

25. What they say
when they don’t
know we’re
listening
• I’m at the library with
eleventy bajillion hours
of homework to do
• I’m annoyed by the
people/heat/cold/lack
of computers/slow
printing/tour
groups/fines in the
library
@hagman

26. But occasionally
they’re nice
@hagman

27. Keep in Front of News Stories
Social security numbers in library books!
@hagman

28. Use local Twitter
searches
Get RSS alerts for:
•Library
•Alden
•Librarian
•Lib
Within 15 miles of Athens
(45701)
@hagman

29. Google Alerts
Immediate email alerts for
“Alden library”
Once a day alerts for
“Ohio university”
Results via email
@hagman

30. Lesson #4: Use tools
beyond the social
networking site to share
your content
Find what works and stick with it
@hagman

31. Hoot Suite
•Tabbed view of multiple social media
accounts
•Easily view saved searches and lists
•Pre-schedule tweets
@hagman

32. For Video:
Screencast-O-
Matic
A terrible name, but it’s
the only way (that I know
of) that you can create
screencast videos and
upload them to YouTube
for free. It also allows you
to download the video
file. Premium version
($9/year) comes with
editing tools.
@hagman

33. For link
shortening: Bit.ly
•Browser plug-in
•Includes auto-copy of link
•Stats
@hagman

34. Lesson #5: PR students are
great but need direction
Especially if they don’t know a lot about the library
@hagman

35. ImPRessions
•Student-run PR firm with
more than 200 members
•Award winning
•A small team working for
the library
@hagman

36. Different ideas
for promotion
Used window “chalk” to
tell students how to
reserve the group study
rooms rather than another
boring sign.
@hagman

37. Future Directions
When there’s time
@hagman

38. Foursquare?
600+ people have
checked in to the library,
but we’re not really sure
how to use this yet.
@hagman

39. Facebook Ads
Perhaps targeting alumni
with an ad for our
yearbooks (available
online)?
@hagman

40. Jessica Hagman
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Ohio University
hagman@ohio.edu | @hagman
http://jessinohio.com
@hagman