Not long ago, I got back in the social media game posting for the company I work for, NoveList. Very quickly, I remembered how difficult it is to get organic reach on regular Facebook feed posts!
But then I learned two little tricks that take me about 30 seconds a day. They work! So I’m going to share them with you in this episode
Plus, kudos go to a library that got national press coverage for an initiative to get people back into their physical branches.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
TikTok or Reels. Which one is better for library marketing?
I came across some new research that will help you determine where to spend your precious energy and time on library marketing. The answer is revealed in this episode.
Plus, kudos go to a library that showed authenticity when it made a mistake on New Year’s Day!
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
How many spam Facebook messages have your library’s Facebook page gotten? Lately, they’ve been downright scary.
They tell you that your account is at risk of being suspended because you’re violating regulations. They make it seem like your library has done something wrong and they try to pressure you to respond. And they are a security risk.
I’ve learned a technique to stop these messages. I’ve used it on NoveList’s Facebook account and it works.
I’ll show you exactly how to do it in this episode.
Plus, kudos go to a library from a library marketer who admires their work.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
There is one very simple tip that you can use to increase the organic reach of your library’s posts on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook (and X, if you still use that). And honestly, when I heard about this tip, I felt like smacking myself. How did I miss this? It’s so easy. I’m going to share it with you.
Plus we’ll give kudos to someone doing great work in library marketing.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter youremail address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
One of Paul Wellington’s first library experiences was not a pleasant one.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his parents occasionally took him to the Milwaukee Public Library, but it wasn’t a big part of his life.
“In high school, I distinctly remember visiting a branch after school,” recalls Paul. “I was not allowed to use a computer since I didn’t have a library card. I felt very unwelcomed, with little interest in returning. But little did I know libraries would become a big part of my life just a few years later!”
If you pay attention to library social media, you have seen Paul’s work. He is currently the social media specialist for the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL), working on the team I used to lead!
Paul’s work received national attention earlier this year when he posted this now-famous TikTok showing how holds are gathered at the library. The post has, as of this publication, a whopping 3.7 million views, 599,000 likes, and has been shared nearly 25,000 times.😮
“I came across the idea when I saw a duet of a woman mimicking the person in the original video on TikTok,” explains Paul. “The next week, I proposed the idea to staff at a branch, with the realization that finding a volunteer was a long shot. Surprisingly, Kelwin (the Cincinnati Library staff member in the TikTok), agreed to mimic the person in the video. Cue the hilarity!”
“I thought the clip would receive a few thousand views, and I was really shocked at how quickly it went viral, including on other social media platforms.”
Paul Wellington
“Some other posts that have performed well are the Taylor Swift visit and Pedro Pascal as libraries posts. I shared the Taylor Swift TikTok a few days before she visited Cincinnati, and I hopped on the Pedro Pascal trend after seeing a post from Vancouver Public Library.”
Working for a library was not Paul’s first career choice. He originally pursued a degree in architecture at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. During the spring of his first year, he got a job as a circulation aide at the Milwaukee Public Library.
“I was promoted to Circulation Supervisor at a branch in 2016,” says Paul. “During the height of Covid in 2020, physical circulation was slow, and I asked to assist the Marketing department with Facebook and Instagram. I loved managing social media, which eventually led to my current position as the Social Media Specialist with CHPL.
“My favorite part of managing social media for CHPL is thinking of creative ways to promote the library, whether it’s through humorous text, videos, or memes,” shares Paul. “My least favorite part, and this is something I’ve started recently, is editing captions for our YouTube videos. While very tedious, it’s important that CHPL makes its content accessible to everyone!”
I can say from experience it is difficult to manage social media for a library like CHPL, which has 41 locations and serves a population of 800,000 residents county-wide. Paul has the library’s five strategic priorities, which are guiding principles for deciding what he posts on social media.
“Within these priorities, I focus on promoting the library’s events, services, and resources,” explains Paul. “Each day I share 4-6 posts on Facebook and Twitter, and 1-2 posts on other platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads), so there are plenty of opportunities to promote the library offerings.”
“I would say one key to success is capitalizing on social media trends and events in your local community. If you’re able to incorporate the library into this type of content, you’re setting yourself up for success.”
How does Paul resist the urge or the demand to post about every program or service the library provides?
“The most common requests for social media posts are events, and the library has hundreds of them each month,” says Paul. “A large number of our events are recurring storytimes and book clubs, so I tend to promote other unique events. Library staff understands this process, and I rarely have to deny a requested event promotion.”
Paul spends a lot of time on social media, (go figure!) looking for inspiration. His top four favorite libraries to watch are:
And Paul has one big piece of advice for anyone working on social media for a library.
“It is important to understand the demographics for each platform. For example, CHPL’s Facebook followers have an older demographic, while Instagram consists of a large number of Millennials.”
“Content that works on one platform may not work on another. You can still share the same event, service, or resource across all library platforms, but consider the text and the way it’s presented (photo, graphic, meme, or video).”
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
One of the websites I use to learn about social media has just published an industry report. And there are some very interesting details in there that have big implications for your work in library marketing.
I’ll explain how this new data can help you make your library’s social media promotions more effective.
Plus we give away kudos. Watch the video to find out which library is being recognized.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enteryour email addressand click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 184: A viewer wants to know if libraries should use Facebook Groups to build community. For-profit companies are doing it (or are they??) so why wouldn’t it work for libraries?
I’ll share what I’ve learned in my research. Does your library use Facebook Groups? Let me know in the comments.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.
And please subscribe to this series on YouTube or follow me on LinkedIn to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enteryour email addressand click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
In this episode, I have three whopper social media headlines to share.
First, there is new insight into the Facebook and Instagram algorithm. What does this mean for your library? We’ll talk it through.
The second headline is making me reconsider the advice I give to libraries. And the third piece of news is about a change that will make it easier for you to make your library promotions accessible.
Want to learn how to transcend social media algorithms? I’ve launched a self-paced course called Conquering Social Media: A Strategy for Libraries. And readers of my blog can use the discount code SUPERLIBRARYMARKETING at checkout to get 20 percent off!
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.
And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
