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The 2026 Guide to Facebook for Libraries: New Tips to Boost Reach and Visibility

Two women in pantsuits sitting at a table outdoors on Fountain Square in Cincinnati in the 1970s, selling books.
Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

This is the final portion of the 2026 series of library social media guides. In addition to this post, be sure to bookmark these updated guides:

Facebook for libraries

Once again, Facebook remains the single most popular social media platform for libraries, but only by a fraction! According to the 2025 Super Library Marketing Survey, 95 percent of libraries use Facebook for promotions. Libraries use Instagram at nearly the same rate.

Statistically, this makes sense. Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world by number of users. And every day, about 69 percent of those users check their Facebook feed.

How are people using Facebook right now?

Here are some statistics from Demandsage.

  • The average Facebook session length is approximately 10 minutes and 12 seconds.
  • Most Facebook users are male.
  • Most Facebook users in the U.S. (nearly 99 percent) use the mobile version of the platform. That statistic rose by 16 percentage points this year! So, as you create Facebook content, assume everyone who sees your library’s Facebook posts is doing so on a mobile device.
  • The largest segment of Facebook users is aged 25 to 34 years. Facebook has a reputation as a social media platform for older generations, which makes this stat somewhat surprising. However…
  • Facebook users aged 55 to 64 years spend the most time on Facebook, an average of 45 minutes a day. I think younger generations are looking at content, but not engaging with it. (This opinion is based on the use of Facebook by my own Gen Z daughters.)

How much success can libraries expect to see on Facebook?

Facebook has, by far, the lowest engagement rate of any of the social media platforms we’ve covered in the series. In fact, these rates are shockingly low.

I want you to look at this list of engagement statistics from Demandsage and really consider whether your time is well-spent when you post on Facebook.

  • Facebook Reels have an average fan engagement rate of 0.26 percent.
  • Images or photos get an average engagement rate of 0.24 percent.
  • A plain status update with text, no video, or no photo gets an average engagement rate of 0.12 percent.
  • And posts that include a link get an average engagement rate of 0.06 percent. OUCH.

Why is the engagement so low? Among the reasons is the motivation of the users: Nearly 75 percent of Facebook users say they use the platform primarily to message their friends and family.

The Facebook Algorithm for 2026

Here are the ranking signals Facebook uses to decide who sees your posts, according to Followeran. These are quite different from other platforms.

  • Facebook AI: As much as half of a user’s feed now features “recommended” content from creators or Pages they don’t follow, chosen by Facebook’s AI based on their interests and engagement behavior.
  • Deep conversations: The algorithm heavily favors content that sparks exchanges between users. It also looks to boost posts with longer, more considered reactions. Simple likes and short comments no longer drive reach.
  • Time spent: The algorithm will show your content to more people if the post requires users to spend time reading comments, scrolling through a carousel, or finishing a video. Longer sessions boost its distribution.
  • Video: Facebook still prioritizes short-form video formats (Reels, Facebook Live, Stories), followed by carousels and native videos. Posting consistently also helps, as newer content tends to perform better.
  • Original content: Reposts, duplicate content, or AI-generated content will be penalized with suppressed reach.

Here are 4 ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s Facebook account in 2026

#1: Optimize for AI recommendations.

Half of all Facebook feed content now contains posts from pages that the user does not follow. Those recommendations are sourced by Facebook’s AI. The good news is that your library can reach new audiences without paid ads if you play by the algorithm’s rules.

Make sure you create original posts with strong potential for engagement. For example, ask your audience a question. You can also put book covers in a carousel of photos and encourage people to swipe through to the end.

Avoid duplicating or reposting content from other people or organizations. That’s a bummer, because many libraries repost their partner organizations’ content or content from publishers to save time. It’s okay to share that content on your Stories. But for your feed and Reels, make sure your posts are original works from your library account.

#2: Design your posts to maximize dwell time

I know many libraries post a graphic of their event calendar or a graphic promoting an upcoming program to Facebook. And if you’ve been wondering why those posts aren’t getting engagement, this is why. Facebook wants to keep people on the platform as long as possible. And those posts don’t help them achieve that goal.

Every time you post to Facebook, ask yourself, “How can I keep my users engaged longer?” You’ll want to use formats that encourage people to scroll, read, or watch to the end.

What do you do about promoting your programs? Share the graphic and program details on Stories or make a Reel about the program.

To share your calendar and get better results, ask people to sign up for a monthly email to receive a downloadable version. That’s a win for your library’s Facebook account and for your patrons, who will have a copy they can refer to all month long.

#3: Work on building early momentum for posts.

Posts that gain traction in the first 24 to 48 hours are rewarded by the Facebook algorithm. Look at your insights and post when your audience is most active. If your post starts to get comments, make sure you reply as quickly as possible (within 24 hours) to keep engagement flowing.

You can also try to drive traffic to your Facebook feed from your monthly email newsletter. Here’s how:

  • Post something fun and engaging on the day before your newsletter goes out. This “something” should be a piece of content that is NOT in your email newsletter. For example, you can post a carousel of photos of new books that just arrived at your library. Ask people to vote in the comments for the book they’re most excited to read.
  • In your email newsletter, write a tease that suggests people will be missing something if they don’t head over to your Facebook page to check out the post! For the example above, you could say, “Want to see which new arrival everyone is excited to read? Head to our Facebook page to cast your vote before the big reveal!”
  • Wait 1-2 days after your email newsletter goes out to post anything new on your Facebook page so your email users can find your teaser content easily. Or, if you must post more content, pin the teaser post to your profile for 1-2 days.

#4: Lean on authenticity and hyperlocality.

Meta rewards pages that post content that is clearly not generated by AI. This is where libraries can shine! Share patron stories, staff picks, book recommendations, and other highlights that show your library is a vital part of your community. Be sure to use your town or city’s name in the post and write the copy to show that your library is integrated into the community.

When to post on Facebook

Hootsuite says the best time to post is early morning, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., local time.

How often should you post to Facebook?

  • Post to the Facebook Feed 3-5 times each week.
  • Post at least one slide to Facebook Stories every day.
  • Post a Facebook Reel once a week.

P.S. Want more help?

Can Facebook Events Increase Your Program Attendance? How To Decide if It’s Worth the Effort

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The 2026 Guide to YouTube for Libraries: From Views to Meaningful Engagement

Library employees, including men and women, sorting film canisters in the 1960s.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

This is part of the 2026 series of library social media guides. In addition to this post, be sure to bookmark these new guides:

I’ll cover Instagram and Facebook in the following weeks.

YouTube for libraries

The number of libraries that say they post to YouTube dropped 5 percentage points in 2025, according to the Super Library Marketing Survey. About 56 percent of libraries use YouTube for promotion.

I have a few guesses as to why this happened:

  • TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook Reels are dominating with quick, engaging content. Libraries likely moved resources to these platforms because they offer better reach and engagement for short videos than YouTube.
  • YouTube’s algorithm increasingly favors creators who post frequently and have high subscriber engagement.
  • Younger audiences (Gen Z and Millennials) are spending more time on TikTok and Instagram than on YouTube for discovery and entertainment.

However, YouTube remains the third-most-popular social media platform for library marketing. It’s also the second most-visited website in the world. Only Google has more visitors! That’s certainly something to consider.

Plus, YouTube videos are deeply integrated with Google Search and Google’s AI Overviews. That’s why, when you search for nearly anything, YouTube videos are often featured in the summary or results.

And AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity cite YouTube content in their results. In fact, according to Search Engine Land, YouTube is mentioned 200 times more than TikTok or Instagram in AI-generated answers. Plus, YouTube transcripts and captions are indexed and used by AI platforms to generate their summaries.

How are people using YouTube right now?

Here are some more YouTube statistics to consider, from the Pew Research Center, SaaSworthy, and Connect.

  • YouTube is one of two social media sites with a majority of users across all age groups. (Facebook is the other site.)
  • Adults in the U.S. now spend 49 minutes per day on YouTube, a slight increase from previous years​.
  • YouTube accounts for nearly 13 percent of total television usage, more than other streaming platforms.
  • 90 percent of YouTube users watch videos on their mobile devices.
  • More than 60 percent of YouTube users are between the ages of 18 and 34 years, making it a highly valuable platform for reaching younger readers.

How much success can libraries expect to see on YouTube?

  • According to Napolify, accounts with fewer than 10,000 followers typically have an average engagement rate of 5.91 percent for YouTube Shorts. Most libraries fall into this category.
  • For longer YouTube videos, the average engagement rate ranges from 3 to 7 percent, depending on the account size. The good news is that smaller accounts typically have higher engagement!
  • According to Ventress, most accounts can reach 1,000 subscribers within 12-16 months or around 70-80 videos. That’s a realistic milestone for your library. And, unlike other social media platforms, it pays to focus on building your channel’s subscriber base because YouTube will suggest your content to those subscribers.

The YouTube algorithm for 2026

The YouTube algorithm remains focused on its core mission: Keeping viewers on the platform. It does this by recommending content that maximizes satisfaction and engagement.

The algorithm analyzes billions of signals in real time to predict what each viewer will enjoy next. Here are the updated key ranking factors:

  • Watch time: This is the most important signal. You need to think about this when crafting your videos. Always ask yourself: How can we keep people watching for as long as possible?
  • Titles and descriptions: Use natural, searchable phrases that mimic what searchers would use to find videos. This will help your videos rank in YouTube and Google search results.
  • Likes, comments, and creator replies: That last one is new this year. It means you’ll need to keep an eye on comments and respond as quickly as possible.
  • Consistency: Consistent publishing is a positive signal to the algorithm and will improve your library’s reach over time.
  • Session time: The algorithm now also factors in how long viewers stay on YouTube after watching your content. It’s important to add cards and end screens to your videos to boost this signal.

4 ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s YouTube channel in 2026

#1: Create a strategy that includes both Shorts and long-form video.

YouTube’s algorithm rewards channels that balance shorter and longer videos. Shorts will drive quick exposure and channel growth. Longer videos are great for viewer loyalty and longer watch time.

That’s a tall order for libraries. So here’s what you can do: Repurpose your longer videos into 5-10 Shorts. Use the Shorts to attract new viewers and link to the longer video.

#2: Optimize your titles and thumbnails for viewer satisfaction, not just keywords.

The algorithm prioritizes retention and satisfaction. That means videos that deliver on their promise and keep viewers watching rank higher. I have NEVER seen a library use clickbait in any video, so this tip should be easy to follow!

Use clear titles and compelling thumbnails.

#3: Build community engagement by interacting with your viewers.

Engagement signals such as likes, shares, and comments still matter, but as described above in the algorithm section, YouTube now places a heavy emphasis on creator-driven action. If your library’s channel fosters two-way conversations, you’ll get higher reach and recommendation rates.

Here are some ideas for how to engage with your followers:

  • Reply to comments promptly.
  • Pin posts and comments. Highlighting top comments signals activity and encourages more participation.
  • Use the Community Tab. This feature is available to channels with more than 500 subscribers. You can post text updates on programs or share book recommendations, create polls, and share images, GIFs, and more to keep your audience engaged between videos.

#4: Refresh your evergreen videos for an algorithmic boost.

Older videos can regain visibility if they attract new engagement. The algorithm rewards updates, even for previously published videos.

How can you do this? Reshare your evergreen videos in your email newsletters. Or embed a QR code to watch the video on bookmarks that you then slip into holds and checkouts of physical materials.

You can also update the video itself. Edit the keywords and descriptions. Add captions and transcripts if they weren’t included when the video was originally posted.

Bonus tip: Try a live stream!

When your YouTube channel hits 50 subscribers, you’ll be allowed to livestream. This is very enticing for viewers… they’ll see a special red circle around your main channel logo and the word “live”. Whenever I see this, I can’t help but click on it to see what’s going on. Your viewers will have the same reaction, and that will boost engagement and subscribers to your channel.

Here’s a great example: Prince William Public Libraries livestreams their library turtle. I love to watch this when I need a break from work!

Double Bonus Tip: Use HypeAuditor

You can use HypeAuditor to measure your YouTube engagement rate. From there, you can create a new goal and strategy for 2026.

How often and when to post on YouTube

Consistency is a key component of YouTube success. But the latest data says that timing and frequency now play a bigger role in reach. Here is the latest advice from Ventress.

  • Long-form videos: Start with one video a week. As your channel grows, aim for 2 to 3 weekly videos if your capacity allows.
  • Shorts: Post at least 3 Shorts weekly to increase your reach.

Viraly says the best days to post are weekdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time, and weekends from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. local time.

P.S. Want more help?

2 Easy and Extremely Important Steps To Take Every Time Your Library Uploads a YouTube Video!

Subscribe to this blog, and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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Conquering Social Media for Your Library: The Seven Decisions You Need To Make Before You Create Your Next Post!

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

I love libraries. I work with libraries. I talk to library staff every single day. I like, share, and comment on library social media posts.

But every time I open my app for any of the platforms, I NEVER see content from libraries.

Why?

The odds are never in our favor, thanks to algorithms.

It’s a daily battle that libraries face. Social media is free and easy.

But it’s also not free and easy.

It’s incredibly, insanely difficult to figure out what works on social media when the rules are constantly changing. If you don’t have time or staff to keep up, it can be exhausting and demoralizing.

But like it or not, libraries must use social media to promote their services, collection, and events. We must do our best to work with the algorithms, for better or worse.

Starting next week, I’ll begin my annual six-part series laying out best practices for the top platforms used for promotion by libraries.

I chose these platforms because of a survey you, dear readers, so graciously answered. Nearly 300 library staffers let me know which social media platforms your library uses for promotion.

Before the platform best practice series begins, it’s important to set your library up for success by creating a social media style guide.

This is different than a social media policy, which lays out guidelines for how your staff will use social media to communicate with the public and sets rules for how the community interacts with you and others on your library’s social media accounts.

A social media style guide will ensure your posts are clear and consistent, no matter what platform you post on. It will take the guesswork out of many aspects of posting and make your work more efficient.

A social media style guide has seven parts. Here are the key decisions you should make now to ensure future success on social.

Make a list of all your social media accounts

Include your library’s handle on each platform. This will give you get a clear picture of the naming conventions you’ve used for your accounts.

Are the names consistent across channels? If not, choose a style and note it in your style guide.

Then, the next time a new social media platform is launched, you can claim and name your new account in a way that will make it easily discoverable for your existing fans.

Identify your library’s demographics for each platform.

Look at the insights for each of the platforms. Who is interacting with your posts? Your audience will be different for every platform. Make a list of the different audiences.

Because of the algorithms, you have very little control over who sees your post on any given platform. But you can get to know your available audiences and create content that will engage them.

If you are struggling with time management and you want to cut down on the number of social media posts you do, you can look at your lists of demographics. Identify the platforms with the audiences that will help you achieve your overall library and marketing goals. Post to those platforms and put the rest on hold.

Create a mission statement for each platform.

Look at your library’s goals for the year and what you know about each platform. Then write a one or two sentence mission statement for each of the social media platforms, lining up your library’s goals with the currently available audience for that platform.

For example:

  • LinkedIn: Discover career advice, business tips, and free resources that will help you succeed at work.
  • Twitter: Get regular updates on our collection, library events, and the literary and entertainment world.
  • Instagram: Photos tell the library’s story, one snapshot at a time.

These platform-specific mission statements, combined with the demographics you identified in the previous step, will help you visualize your audience every time you post. You’ll be able to connect with them because you’ll know who they are, and what they expect from you.

Decide the voice and tone you’ll use for each platform.

You want to use the same language and tone across platforms for consistency. The goal is to make sure your audience recognizes your posts no matter which platform they are on. Some things to consider include:

  • Whether your library will use formal or conversational text.
  • The words, phrases, and names that are specific to your library and can be used in posts. For instance, does your Maker Space or your Bookmobile have a specific branded name? Include that in your list.
  • Make a list of the acronyms your library commonly uses internally, along with the full spelled-out versions of what they stand for. Decide whether it’s appropriate to use the acronyms on each social channel, or if the full terms should be used.
  • Include parameters for inclusive language that will be standard for your library. For example, will your library remove the use of pronouns to be inclusive to all genders? How will you refer to people living with disabilities?

Choose an expert to make grammar and punctuation choices for you.

You can define whether you’ll use an existing style guide, like the Associated Press Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style. Or you may decide to rely on add-ons like Grammarly.

This decision will take the guesswork out of your library’s use of serial commas, headline capitalization, dash style, dates and times, and more.

Define the aesthetics.

This section will lay the groundwork for the visual portion of your posts. Decisions to be made here include:

  • Will you use your library’s defined brand colors?
  • Which fonts will your library use in images, cover photos, and for short-form social media posts like Instagram Stories and Reels?
  • How will your library’s logo be used on social media? Will it be used as the profile photo for your platforms? Can it be added to images? If so, where will it be placed and how large should it be?
  • Will you use emojis, GIFs, and memes? Which ones? How many? On what channels? How often?
  • Will you include a call to action in every post? What kinds of action words will you use in your call to action?
  • How often will you include links in your posts? Will you use a URL shortener?
  • Which hashtags will you use? How many hashtags are acceptable on each platform?
  • Will your library use filters and effects in your posts?

Formalize curation

Your library can share the blog posts, infographics, case studies, and interesting posts created by other organizations on your platforms. This is a great way to add value for your available social media audiences without creating new content of your own. Some key decisions to make around curated content include:

  • Which sources will your library share from?
  • Which sources will you not share from?
  • How will you cite third-party content?

You May Also Want to Read These Articles

Three Design Tips For Creating Beautiful Social Media Graphics for Your Library

Why It’s OKAY for Your Library To Pull Back on Posting on a Social Media Platform!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

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Twitter Changes Their Image Policy, New Instagram Trends, and the Best Times to Post on Each Platform!

Watch Now

The Library Marketing​​​​​​​​ Show, Episode 96

In this episode, we’ll go through the latest updates for social media platforms and what they mean for libraries.

This month’s headlines include a change in Twitter’s image cropping policy, a new report on Instagram use, and another new report that lays out the “alleged” best times to post on each social media platform. Watch the video to find out why I believe libraries should take this third report with a grain of salt!

Kudos go to the Coralville Public Library. Watch the video to find out why a fellow viewer nominated them for mention in this episode.

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 video tip for libraries each week.

Thanks for watching!

Angela’s latest book reviews

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

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Listen To This! How To Use Social Listening To Gain New Insight and Catch Promotional Opportunities for Your Library

Photo courtesy The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Main library, 1920.

In 2016, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County caught wind of a fantastic promotional opportunity.

I don’t remember the exact quote, but this is a paraphrase of a Tweet our library saw that revealed a local man’s big plan.

“My son and I are planning a big adventure. We’re going to try to visit all 41 Cincinnati library branches in one day.  We’ll take a picture at each branch. Wish us luck!”

The father didn’t tag our library. Still, our social media manager found out about the plan by practicing social listening.

What is social listening?

Your library already tracks mentions, shares, comments, and hashtags related to your library. They record and analyze those engagement metrics to figure out the effectiveness of your library’s promotions on social media.

Social listening is a step beyond that.

Social listening is the purposeful search for conversations about your library on social media platforms, both the ones you are using to promote your library and the ones you are not using.

It’s not looking to see how your library’s marketing is landing. Rather, it’s looking to see the conversations that happen about your library between people who may or may not use your library or who may or may not see any marketing from your library.

Imagine if you could eavesdrop on the conversations people are having about your library when you’re not around. What do you think your community would say?

“That children’s librarian is a hoot. His storytimes are fun, even for the adults.”

“I cannot believe I have to create a separate login and password to use some of the library’s free stuff. It’s so frustrating and time-consuming.”

“Big interview on Monday. I could really use some help figuring out what kinds of questions they’ll ask and practicing my answers. There ought to be a service like that at the library.”

These three made-up examples illustrate the valuable information your library can uncover when it practices social listening.  

Social listening will give you a clearer picture of how people feel about your library. You may be able to spot problems before they happen. And you will certainly spot promotional opportunities which you can amplify to connect to more users.

In the case of the father and son Cincinnati Library branch adventure, our marketing staff reached out to the dad. We told him we loved his plan and wanted to follow along. We ended up turning their marathon day-long quest to visit all our branches into a memorable cover story for our quarterly content marketing magazine, Library Links.

Read the story about the Grand Library Adventure

Free social media listening tools

If your library uses a social media scheduling platform, it will have the ability to integrate social listening into your dashboard in some form. Check the help section of the platform for instructions.

There are also free tools to help you with social listening.

Boardreader: This site searches forums, websites, blogs, and messaging boards. Type the name of your library into the search bar to find all the posts mentioning your library.

TweetDeck.com: This tool is run by Twitter and lets you monitor live feeds across the platform.

Also, read this post to see how to use Google alerts for social listening as well as catch media mentions of your library. If your library gets media coverage, you may find conversations about your library in the comment section of the story and on the social media pages of the media outlet.

What to monitor with social listening

You’ll want to set up your social listening tools to monitor:

  • Your library’s name and social media handle
  • Common misspellings of your library’s name and social media handle
  • Names of your services, especially branded names, like the name of your bookmobile, your Library of Things, your summer reading program, your storytimes, etc.
  • Common terms associated with libraries like reading, librarian, book drop, etc.
  • The names of senior leaders like your director and board members
  • The names of your branches and locations

Opportunities to gain from social listening

Social listening means you can interact more with your community. Cardholders (and non-cardholders) may talk about your library but not directly tag you. If you are doing social listening, you will still spot those interactions.

You might consider responding. This can create those surprise and delight moments that show that your library cares about its users.

You can also spot problems and trends. If you notice that a lot of community members are posting negative comments about a service, you can elevate that to senior leadership.

Social listening also means you’ll know more about your competitors. If you are “competing” with other organizations in your community or with for-profit companies that provide services similar to your library, you can use social listening to look for opportunities to position your library as a free and better alternative to those competitors.

Finally, social listening can also help you identify library advocates. They might be vocal about their support of the library. You want to connect with these people who already love your library and ask them to speak out for you.

You May Also Want to Read These Posts

New Research on Social Media Use Plus Updates on YouTube and Facebook for Libraries!

How Far in Advance Can I Schedule My Library’s Social Media Posts??

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and LinkedIn.

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The One Social Media Shortcut That Can Tank Engagement and Cost Your Library in a Pandemic–or Anytime!

I know work is hard right now. But there is one time-saving social media marketing technique that libraries should avoid at all costs.

Libraries should avoid cross-posting on social media. Cross-posting is when you post the same text and graphics in a message across multiple social media networks.

I get why many libraries cross-post. Cross-posting is easy. It saves time and energy. And library staff have a lot of work to do. Even when there is no pandemic to deal with, librarians are often asked to take care of marketing along with their regular duties. But the detrimental effects of cross-posting outweigh any time you might save doing it.

Why cross-posting is a bad idea

Cross-posting is a bad idea because social media platforms are different. They have different standards for post length, image size, hashtags, links, and captions.

For example, LinkedIn is more copy-heavy and formal. Instagram is more visual and informal. Twitter is more suited to short quotes, threads, and GIFs. Pinterest is graphic-heavy. One post with the same text and photo can’t be all those things.

An image you post on one platform may not be sized for another platform. It may end up stretched, pixelated, or squished. This will hurt your ranking and engagement.

Speaking of engagement, the metrics are different for each platform. On Facebook, you’re aiming for likes, comments, and shares. On Twitter, you want retweets and replies. On Pinterest, you want comments and re-pins. One post can’t generate all those things.

Your followers are also different depending on the platform. Twitter users are overwhelming between the ages of 18 and 44. LinkedIn users are more likely to have a college degree than users of other platforms. 70 percent of Pinterest users are women. Every platform has a unique demographic with different needs.

When you cross-post, you risk looking inauthentic and spammy. Your posts will feel like they’re auto generated and robotic. It may look like you don’t care about what you post on your account or worse, that you don’t know you to use social media.

Your audience will respond negatively by not responding at all. That hurts your standing in the algorithm. It can have a negative effect on your reach.

What to do instead

Cross-promotion is better! Take your message and adjust it slightly to suit each social media platform. It’s much easier than it sounds.

First, you need a base message. What is the basic info you wish to convey? What is the action you want your followers to take? Answer these two questions in a two or three sentence nugget. This is your base message.

Then take that base message and adjust it for each of the social media platforms you wish to use. A tweak of a word or phrase here and there, an adjustment of an image, and a unique call to action are all you need to be authentic.

Westerville Public Library in Westerville, Ohio did a great job of tweaking this promotion for Twitter…

…and Facebook.

Here’s another good example of cross-promotion from Barlett Public Library District in Illinois. This is their Twitter post…

..and the same message tweaked for Facebook.

Decide how much time your library is willing to invest on social media. Smaller libraries will want to concentrate on the platform or platforms that will give their library the most benefit. If you are pressed for time, pick the platforms that perform best for you or the platforms where the audience you wish to target is using. If that means you only post on one social media network, it’s okay. Quality is better than quantity.

Use a scheduling tool. There are plenty of free scheduling tools that will help you to share your social media messages without cross-posting. I have used the free version of TweetDeck for my personal social media for years. You can schedule lots of posts in advance and the metrics are great. I recommend it for libraries without the budget for scheduling software.

At my former library job, we had a paid account with Sprout Social. It was easy to use and had more cross promotion capabilities than TweetDeck. I recommend it if you have money for a paid scheduling platform.

More library social media advice

How #COVID-19 is Impacting Social Media Marketing and What That Means for Libraries

Self-Care for Library Social Media Staff in the Midst of a Crisis like #COVID-19

What Metrics Demonstrate Your Library’s Social Media Marketing is Working?

How to Reverse Engineer Your Library Marketing Social Media Audiences!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

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