Before taking this class, I had no idea how much actually goes into making social media posts that work. I used to think, “Post a cute picture, add a caption, and that's it.” It turns out that there is a lot more strategy involved, who would have thought? In class this week, we read a 2020 article by J. Choi and colleagues titled “Social Media Analytics and Business Intelligence Research,” which essentially states that social media is a goldmine for hearing the “voice of the customer.” People are constantly sharing their thoughts, complaints, and opinions online, and libraries can use this information to determine what their community actually cares about.
A perfect example of a library actually doing just that is the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). Back in 2015, they began using Tableau. This tool transforms plain spreadsheets into colorful, interactive dashboards, enabling users to understand how people are using the library and determine how to serve the community better. They gathered data from various categories, including program statistics, community demographics, door counts, and circulation statistics, and then visualized it in a way that made sense. Staff were able to quickly identify trends and patterns, which helped them determine which programs were the most popular, where to allocate resources, and how to reach a broader audience. While this is all fairly common data libraries use, having it laid out in a colorful dashboard makes it super easy to visualize and process. By taking these numbers into account, BPL was able to adjust its services to match better what patrons actually wanted, resulting in a win-win for both patrons and staff.
The timing of when you post matters, too. At my library, we post daily on Facebook and Instagram, and we’ve found that the best times to post are around 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. That actually makes a lot of sense when you consider people’s daily routines. Around 11 a.m., the morning rush has died down. People have finished their early tasks or errands and finally have a moment to scroll through their phones, check social media, or see what’s happening in the community. Then there’s 3 p.m., which is another sweet spot. Kids are getting out of school, parents might be wrapping up the workday or taking a short break, and everyone has a little extra time to catch up online. Posting at these times helps our content reach a wider audience, get more likes, and receive more shares, which means more people will see library programs, events, and updates. The photo below is a screenshot I took from Later, the app we use to post content, showing beta analytics. We don't pay for the premium version, which would give you a lot more information.
We’ve also noticed that timing works hand in hand with content engagement. When posts are posted at the right moment, people are more likely to comment, share their thoughts, and even offer suggestions. Comments like “This storytime was so much fun, can’t wait for the next one” or “I wish this program were later in the day” are little pieces of feedback that help us plan future events. Some libraries even take it a step further by running polls on Instagram or Facebook to ask patrons what programs they’d like next or what times work best. Combining the timing, engagement, and feedback gives a really clear picture of what the community wants. Of course, it is not always feasible to accommodate everyone's preferences, but it provides a solid starting point.
Choi, J., Yoon, J., Chung, J., Coh, B.-Y., & Lee, J.-M. (2020). Social media analytics and business intelligence research: A systematic review. Information Processing & Management, 57(6), 102279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2020.102279
Hi Rachel, I noticed timing has been been both of our minds this week! I help make social media graphics for my job but I'm not the one who posts. This got me very curious, so I decided to stalk my library's Instagram page just to see if we have a similar routine to yours. It turns out we typically post in that weekend afternoon period and usually post once a day. I agree that the time range that's considered ideal for posting makes sense! Even when I'm posting on social media in my daily life, I usually go on it during that time because of my lunch break. It's so interesting that you've noticed a significant difference. Thanks for sharing your Later feed- that motivates me to get more involved! I'm not sure if my library has a content calendar, but I'd love to look into it.
ReplyDeleteHello Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the “voice of the customer” is paramount in the social media environment. I have asked my library supervisors several times why we are not polling patrons and asking them what they need or want from the library. Most of our posts are about what we are providing, how great we are, how we have succeeded. This can come across as disingenuous and as blatant self-promotion. As a viewer I would rather see posts that seek my opinion, at least occasionally.
Thank you for introducing us to Tableau. At our library I know that we have software to collect door counts and use Google Analytics to gather website data. However, there is not one platform that gives a summary and overview of all the statistics. Yesterday I discovered the Institute of Museum and Library Services library search and compare data dashboard. There I could discover many statistics relating to the library where I work, including program attendance numbers, circulation counts, and operating revenue and expenditure figures.