SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR FUN AND BUSINESSFUN AND BUSINESS

The Lester Public Library The Lester Public Library ExperienceExperience

What is Social Software?What is Social Software?

From Wikipedia: “Social software is normally defined as a range of web-based software programs. The software allows users to interact and share data with other users. This computer-mediated communication has become very popular with social sites like MySpace and Facebook, media sites like Flickr and YouTube, and commercial sites like Amazon.com and eBay. Many of these applications share characteristics like open APIs, service oriented design, and the ability to upload data and media.”

TAPPING INTO THE WORLD OF TAPPING INTO THE WORLD OF ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING

CAN BE DAUNTINGCAN BE DAUNTING

BRANDINBRANDINGG

LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY, TWO LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY, TWO RIVERS, RIVERS,

WISCONSIN ON SOCIAL NETWORKSWISCONSIN ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

4 LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARIES4 LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARIES

WE USE EIGHT NETWORKING TOOLSWE USE EIGHT NETWORKING TOOLS

LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY LOVES LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY LOVES FLICKRFLICKR

Flickr is the center of our social universeFlickr is the center of our social universe

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

Our story…

TRACK FLICKR TRAFFICTRACK FLICKR TRAFFIC

TRACK FACEBOOK HAPPENINGSTRACK FACEBOOK HAPPENINGS

NEW BLOG POST 5 DAYS A NEW BLOG POST 5 DAYS A WEEKWEEK

TRACKING BLOG TRACKING BLOG VISITORSVISITORS

AT LEAST ONE TWEET PER DAYAT LEAST ONE TWEET PER DAY

PUT IT TOGETHER, KEEP IT PUT IT TOGETHER, KEEP IT FRESHFRESH

TAKE A PHOTO FROM FLICKR:TAKE A PHOTO FROM FLICKR:

BLOG ITBLOG IT

CUT AND PASTECUT AND PASTE THE POST FROM BLOGGING LPL INTO MYSPACE BLOGTHE POST FROM BLOGGING LPL INTO MYSPACE BLOG

DROP IT INTO FACEBOOKDROP IT INTO FACEBOOK

THIS TWEET AIMS TWITTER USERS THIS TWEET AIMS TWITTER USERS TO THE PHOTO IN FLICKRTO THE PHOTO IN FLICKR

CREATING AN ONLINE “BUZZ”CREATING AN ONLINE “BUZZ”

REACHING OUT TO TEENS WITH REACHING OUT TO TEENS WITH NINGNING

TEEN BLOGTEEN BLOG

THE CONVERSATION MAY NOT THE CONVERSATION MAY NOT HAPPEN ONLINE – THE HAPPEN ONLINE – THE

CONVERSATION BEGINS IN HOMES, CONVERSATION BEGINS IN HOMES, AT THE GROCERY STORE, IN AT THE GROCERY STORE, IN

COFFEE SHOPS… DEVELOPING COFFEE SHOPS… DEVELOPING RECOGNITION OUTSIDE OF THE RECOGNITION OUTSIDE OF THE

SENIOR CENTER - FOR YOUR SENIOR CENTER - FOR YOUR SENIOR CENTERSENIOR CENTER

WHY BOTHER?WHY BOTHER?

BECAUSE OVER 400 MILLION PEOPLE USE IT?BECAUSE OVER 400 MILLION PEOPLE USE IT?

TARGET NEW CUSTOMERS?TARGET NEW CUSTOMERS?

BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF FANS?BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF FANS?

GET TONS OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON GET TONS OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS?POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS?

INSTANTLY PROMOTE SENIOR CENTER SERVICES?INSTANTLY PROMOTE SENIOR CENTER SERVICES?

BECAUSE IT IS FREE?BECAUSE IT IS FREE?

BECAUSE IT IS FUN?BECAUSE IT IS FUN?

YES!YES!

USE YOUR SENIOR CENTER LOGO AS THE PROFILE PICTURE USE YOUR SENIOR CENTER LOGO AS THE PROFILE PICTURE AND BRAND THE PAGE AS YOURSAND BRAND THE PAGE AS YOURS

LOAD YOUR PAGE WITH INFORMATIONLOAD YOUR PAGE WITH INFORMATION

POPULATE YOUR WALLPOPULATE YOUR WALL

AIM PAID ADVERTISING ATAIM PAID ADVERTISING AT POTENTIALPOTENTIAL CUSTOMERSCUSTOMERS

PROVIDE LINKS TO FACEBOOK FROM PROVIDE LINKS TO FACEBOOK FROM YOUR WEBSITE BY CREATING A YOUR WEBSITE BY CREATING A ‘BADGE.’‘BADGE.’

EXTENSIVE DATA AVAILABLEEXTENSIVE DATA AVAILABLE

GRAPHSGRAPHS

DEMOGRAPHICSDEMOGRAPHICS

KEEP THE PAGE PROFESSIONALKEEP THE PAGE PROFESSIONAL

RULE OF THUMB – POST ON FACEBOOK WHAT YOU WOULD COMFORTABLY PUT IN A RULE OF THUMB – POST ON FACEBOOK WHAT YOU WOULD COMFORTABLY PUT IN A

POSTER TO HANG IN YOUR STORE OR BE PRINTED IN NEWSPAPERS OR MAGAZINESPOSTER TO HANG IN YOUR STORE OR BE PRINTED IN NEWSPAPERS OR MAGAZINES.

PRIVACYPRIVACY

TIPSTIPSALLOW THE CONVERSATION TO BEGIN. LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO ALLOW THE CONVERSATION TO BEGIN. LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY CAN HELP YOU SERVE SENIORS BETTER.THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY CAN HELP YOU SERVE SENIORS BETTER.

LESS ABOUT LESS ABOUT SELLINGSELLING – MORE ABOUT INTERACTING, BEGIN THE – MORE ABOUT INTERACTING, BEGIN THE ONLINE CONVERSATION WITH FANS AND CRITICS ALIKE.ONLINE CONVERSATION WITH FANS AND CRITICS ALIKE.

KEEP CONTENT FRESH, UPDATE STATUS, WALL, EVENTS, ETC., OFTEN.KEEP CONTENT FRESH, UPDATE STATUS, WALL, EVENTS, ETC., OFTEN.

DON’T DON’T EXPECTEXPECT RESULTS OVERNIGHT, GIVE YOUR NETWORK RESULTS OVERNIGHT, GIVE YOUR NETWORK TIME TO BUILD.TIME TO BUILD.

BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN.BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN.

EXPLORE, EXPLORE, EXPLORE – WHAT ARE OTHER SENIOR EXPLORE, EXPLORE, EXPLORE – WHAT ARE OTHER SENIOR CENTERS DOING ON FACEBOOK?CENTERS DOING ON FACEBOOK?

JOIN GROUPS, CREATE GROUPS, BE A FAN RAISE BRAND JOIN GROUPS, CREATE GROUPS, BE A FAN RAISE BRAND RECOGNITION FOR YOUR SENIOR CENTER.RECOGNITION FOR YOUR SENIOR CENTER.

WITH THE ABILITY TO ADD PHOTOS AND VIDEO TO YOUR PAGE WITH THE ABILITY TO ADD PHOTOS AND VIDEO TO YOUR PAGE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FACEBOOK ARE ENDLESS.THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FACEBOOK ARE ENDLESS.

‘‘LIKE’ LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY ON FACEBOOK: LIKE’ LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/LesterLibraryhttp://www.facebook.com/LesterLibrary

IMPACT ON LESTER PUBLIC IMPACT ON LESTER PUBLIC LIBRARYLIBRARY

• Willing to go where potential customers are, social networks – targeting an entirely NEW customer base.

• Gaining state and national recognition.• Gaining international recognition (Japan and Germany)• Elevating awareness on the local level, increased transparency.• Presenting marketing alternatives to local business leaders. • Consulting with local businesses on social networking.• Placing us directly in homes, on prospective library patron’s

computers, laptops, handheld devices, etc.• These tools are basically free but my time is valuable. Making

time to make it work can happen. I am now expected to shoot photos of community events.

• Library staff are involved – experimenting with our Web page and social network tools.

• Ultimately, it is Lester Public Library’s mission in action: Read, Discover, Connect, Enrich.

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!