Issue #6

3/1/2024

Website and/or Facebook?

Hello, librarians!

Let's face it: your to-do list is longer than your work time. Getting the word out about library services and events is a big and sometimes complex topic, so it's always a good idea to focus on the most effective tools.

Let's have a look at two ways to connect with your community, and see how to let them do some of the work for you!

Sharon Barnes, SCKLS Technology Consultant

The Problem: Facebook ≠ Library Website

Facebook definitely has some substantial benefits!

It’s a great way to interact and build relationships with community members, and to get the word out about library activities.

BUT… What about all the people who don’t use Facebook?

Let’s say you post on Facebook regularly but don’t update your website with information about your library’s activities and collections.

You may be bypassing a significant number of current and prospective library users!

Who's on Facebook (or not)?

Recent information shows that teens are flocking AWAY from Facebook in droves… only about 1/3 are using the platform.

However, adults in the 25 – 34 age group form the highest percentage of users.

It may be different in your community, of course, but it’s good be aware of those trends so you can design your posts for your actual audience.

And we all know people who have stepped away from Facebook for a while, or who have pulled the plug altogether.

On the other hand, what about people who ARE Facebook users, but have questions or need information besides your brief FB posts?

Where can all those people go if they need information about or from your library?

The Solution: Library Website + Facebook

Unlike Facebook, YOU decide what shows up on your website! You own the content, and control how and where it is displayed.

And on your WordPress website, you do this on your own terms, not within FB restrictions or layouts.

That’s your website’s superpower: it is your library’s online information hub.

Use Facebook to get attention and build awareness - and add links to send people to your website for details about your events, your collections, your services!

"...Facebook is a helpful tool for directing your audience off of Facebook to where you actually want them to be."

- Hootsuite

Put Them To Work For You

On Facebook:

Create posts about library services such as online renewals or holds, or free ebooks, or online resources like genealogy research or auto repair, and include links to your website.

Post more than once about what's happening at your library, but don't repeat yourself.

Come from a different perspective, target a different audience, or highlight a different feature.

Don't forget to link to your site!

Promote upcoming events, and remind people about weekly story times or after-school programs. Include basic what/when information, and put a link in the first comment to more details on your website.

On Your Website:

Provide pages with information about your services, including links to take them to your online catalog and to resources outside your library.

Write posts about what's happening, and show them on your home page. Update these less frequently than on Facebook, but provide more information.

For example, explain how to sign up for Summer Reading, and give an overview of the activities.

Use an events calendar on your website so users can quickly view the happenings and click on an event to get detailed information. People may even want to pull your events into their own calendars!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your website,

please reach out to me at sharon@sckls.info.

If you have missed any previous issues, you can now read them online.

Sharon Barnes, SCKLS Technology Consultant

sharon@sckls.info

1-800-234-0529 x135