Capstone Project: Social Media Marketing Campaign, University of Pittsburgh Library System

ONSOC062013: Social Media MarketingHeidi Card

Social Media Marketing Plan: University of Pittsburgh Library System

Description of Organization Challenge Social Media Goals

Overall Strategy Target Customers Digital Tools

The Plan Tactics Measurable Outcomes

Organization Description & Mission University Library System (ULS) at the University

of Pittsburgh

University Size: Undergraduates – 24,990; Graduate Students - 10,340

Library System’s Mission: to provide and promote access to information resources necessary for the achievement of the University's leadership objectives in teaching, learning, research, creativity, and community service, and to collaborate in the development of effective information, teaching, and learning systems

Organization’s Challenge

Current state of academic libraries: Lower usage of reference desk More collections moving to digital Outdated systems not meeting current needs of patrons

To remain relevant as the main university information resource will require:

Creating heightened awareness of library services Discovering patron needs and making necessary changes to meet them Keeping pace with current technology used by patrons

Challenge: Create a marketing strategy that utilizes current technology in order to be where our patrons are – moving from the library stereotype of a bespectacled matron behind a reference desk to an engaging, technologically-enhanced information source prepared to meet the information-seeking needs of our patrons and maintain our mission

Social Media Goals

Move away from traditional role of library as a reference desk to come ask questions and create a more informal, approachable presence to invite engagement from students

Engage with students on their own “turf,” providing proactive librarians who do no just sit behind a desk, but rather go out into classrooms, campus, and via social media to raise awareness of library services and resources

Introduce the modern library -- an active, engaging organization with modern technology to assist with new avenues of information navigation

Overall Strategy:Build general awareness of library services and resources with social media presence

Reboot Facebook site and start new sites for archives and special collections

Discover social media interests of target audience

Create marketing campaign to promote the library’s social media presence to meet target audience “where they are”

Define and report on measurable ROI plan for administration

Library AudienceThe traditional academic library has a broad audience with varied information resource needs:

Undergraduate students Graduate students Faculty Researchers

Target Audience

Undergraduate students:

Unaware of most library services and resources, according to general library survey

Rely on internet searching such as Google to do academic research, rather than learning about library services and resources and how to use them

Digital Tools to Employ

Blogs Facebook Twitter Pinterest HootSuite Traacker YouTube LinkedIn

The PlanTactics, Measurable Outcomes

General Tactics Meet monthly with team to discuss/report on listening

assignments, engagement activity on current platforms and any engagement with conversations on external platforms

Schedule monthly post ideas based on Pitt events, holidays, or other connections we can make with our resources or services

Collaborate with Web Services Librarian to analyze requests from teams/departments to start blogs for department pages on main library website

Listening tactics Assign listening assignments for social media team in order to maintain timely

monitoring

Set up Google alerts & monitor Google Trends

Perform general/consistent searches for academic library social media influencers using:

HootSuite (Twitter & LinkedIn) Research peer library social media use Build relationships

Research & follow relevant LinkedIn & Facebook groups

Reach out to other campus social media groups to gain perspective on campus trends, student interests, and collaboration to increase visibility of library brand

Continually research student social media interests (via other platforms/casual surveys/conversations with other campus groups) to learn new channels/platforms to listen & engage

Marketing our Social Media Because we need to let our patrons know we are on social media, we have to get them to subscribe to our platforms by:

Placing buttons to our social media sites on our website

Showing our videos on our tv screens in front lobby, noting that more can be found on our YouTube page, Facebook, and more

Creating signage advertising our social media sites

Creating postcards and bookmarks

Organize contests/games that utilize social media (i.e. scavenger hunt where clues are posted on Facebook or Twitter)

Facebook Tactics Create calendar for Facebook posts structured around

library events and creating connections with library collections, services, and other library resources

Coordinate with blog posts

2-3 posts per week

Collaborate with archives and special collections departments to highlight their services and resources (who will soon break away with their own sites and we can overlap content)

Twitter Tactics Perform timely tweets for library special

events

Tweet information tips on library services & resources

Retweet follower tweets mentioning library

Use HootSuite to monitor Twitter conversations mentioning library

Blog Tactics Join academic library LinkedIn groups to join other

library groups to manage reputation, find, engage and begin conversations with influencers, pointing them all back to our blogs

Build blogger relationships

Include links to library collections, resources and posts in other library departments to further reach

Use YouTube videos and other social media sharing links to highlight library

Media SharingOur website

Create social media central page with buttons connecting to all our platforms and blogs; offer “share this” buttons throughout website to allow patrons to share images from our collections, available books, and also training workshops to further our reach

Flickr Upload library photos of services and resources and subscribe to other libraries to

check out their tactics for new ideas and opportunities to collaborate

YouTube Create and share videos with library staff highlighting services and resources to use

in blog content, sharing on Facebook & Twitter

Pinterest Create boards for archives & special collections departments to allow for patron

engagement by suggesting/encouraging patrons to create their own boards (“curate”) using library collections that we can share with other libraries and influencers as examples of patron engagement

Considering ROI Measuring ROI has always been a challenge

for libraries in general, as our mission is not about generating tangible transactions

Equally challenging is that social media ROI can also be intangible

So, the measures we look for are increased awareness of services and resources

Raising Awareness = ROI

Obtain higher percentage of awareness of library services & resources when comparing most recent annual library survey with previous annual surveys

Also use surveys for specific platforms

Actual data from social media stats for unique page views, bounces, sharing, (i.e. Insights for Facebook, Google Analytics)

Keep count of influencer recognition – how often are we mentioned in library social media sharing sites

Higher attendance counts at library events, training workshops, and gate-counts

Participation counts in social media-related contests, surveys, and other forms of engagement, using tracking tools like countable codes on materials turned in (surveys, contest entries)

Continuing the PlanSocial Media team will continue:

Monitoring, listening, and tracking new trends, influencers, and conversations on different platforms

Building relationships with influencers

Reporting out to stakeholders on campaign results and ROI

Providing recommendations for new social media initiatives in yearly strategic planning for library