LIBRARY 2.0 JUMPSTART YOUR LIBRARY WITH BLOGGING & TWITTER Nathan T. Wright & Hillary Brown / Lava Row

The Challenge. Your library has a blog and multiple authors, but engagement and dialogue with visitors isn’t happening.

Your library has a blog and multiple authors, but engagement and dialogue with visitors isn’t happening.

Why should libraries have a blog in the first place? Usage of library websites decreased from 2005 to 2007. * Build it and they will come – this approach to a web presence doesn’t work. Your target demographic is using search engines and the social web to find information. “ Life online is moving beyond browsing and searching to interacting, creating, collaborating and community.” * * From the 2007 OCLC report Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World

Usage of library websites decreased from 2005 to 2007. *

Build it and they will come – this approach to a web presence doesn’t work.

Your target demographic is using search engines and the social web to find information.

“ Life online is moving beyond browsing and searching to interacting, creating, collaborating and community.” *

How to gauge a successful blogging initiative Hits, user sessions and referring traffic are important, but engagement (comments) is the big measuring stick. A young blog (less than a year old) should be happy with an average of 2-3 comments per post. Don’t expect to be The Huffington Post any time soon. Take baby steps!

Hits, user sessions and referring traffic are important, but engagement (comments) is the big measuring stick.

A young blog (less than a year old) should be happy with an average of 2-3 comments per post.

Don’t expect to be The Huffington Post any time soon. Take baby steps!

This post had 3 comments. What made it work? http://library.drake.edu/blogs/spending-too-much-time-facebook

What made it work? The title was used as a “ hook ” to pull readers into the post. Subject matter (social networking fatigue) was relevant and timely to the demographic. The post ended with a challenge for readers to chime in and participate.

The title was used as a “ hook ” to pull readers into the post.

Subject matter (social networking fatigue) was relevant and timely to the demographic.

The post ended with a challenge for readers to chime in and participate.

This post had 0 comments. Why is no one chiming in? http://library.drake.edu/blogs/new-trial-database-cambridge-histories-online

Why is no one chiming in? Subject matter is a bulletin / announcement. There is zero incentive for dialogue . Writing style is very formal, not conversational or candid . (People prefer to connect with people.) Majority of content is an excerpt from an outside source, with no opinion added.

Subject matter is a bulletin / announcement. There is zero incentive for dialogue .

Writing style is very formal, not conversational or candid . (People prefer to connect with people.)

Majority of content is an excerpt from an outside source, with no opinion added.

Hints for creating engaging blog content Recap: Hook the reader, offer relevant and timely content, encourage participation. Recap: Be human. Write in a conversational style and add your two cents. Review new books, in addition to announcing them. Tell the reader why they should be interested. Make it about others , not just you. Feature guest posts or reviews from select library visitors.

Recap: Hook the reader, offer relevant and timely content, encourage participation.

Recap: Be human. Write in a conversational style and add your two cents.

Review new books, in addition to announcing them. Tell the reader why they should be interested.

Make it about others , not just you. Feature guest posts or reviews from select library visitors.

More hints for creating engaging blog content Spice it up with multimedia content – Splurge on a $150 Flip Cam * and easily create your own videos. Record and post audio podcasts. Use images, graphics and subheads whenever possible. Give your readers’ eyes a rest. Take a stand. Have an opinion. A good, intelligent debate will always heat up your comments section. * Check out Flip Cams at http://www.theflip.com

Spice it up with multimedia content – Splurge on a $150 Flip Cam * and easily create your own videos. Record and post audio podcasts.

Use images, graphics and subheads whenever possible. Give your readers’ eyes a rest.

Take a stand. Have an opinion. A good, intelligent debate will always heat up your comments section.

Got writer’s block? It happens. Here are some specific content ideas. Create a video interview with a library visitor about their secret study spot. Record a podcast with two differing opinions about a new book. Debate! Reflect on your recent travels, then develop a guide to relevant books in your collection about those areas. Don’t just announce databases: Highlight the people, places and stories contained within the databases. Visit IHelpYouBlog.com for 100+ more topic-starters. Photo credit: tomsaint11 via Flickr.com

Create a video interview with a library visitor about their secret study spot.

Record a podcast with two differing opinions about a new book. Debate!

Reflect on your recent travels, then develop a guide to relevant books in your collection about those areas.

Don’t just announce databases: Highlight the people, places and stories contained within the databases.

Visit IHelpYouBlog.com for 100+ more topic-starters.

Develop a commenting moderation policy Negative comments are inevitable. If they are intelligent and on-topic, go ahead and post them. This is an opportunity to post your side of the story and/or clear up misinformation – on your own turf. You reserve the right to disallow slanderous, mean-spirited, vulgar and off-topic comments. Try to respond to any comments with questions within 24 hours.

Negative comments are inevitable. If they are intelligent and on-topic, go ahead and post them.

This is an opportunity to post your side of the story and/or clear up misinformation – on your own turf.

You reserve the right to disallow slanderous, mean-spirited, vulgar and off-topic comments.

Try to respond to any comments with questions within 24 hours.

IN SUMMARY… Blogs are conversations , not one-way streets.

Source: Gapingvoid.com

Thinking outside the blog One of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your blog is to participate in conversations on other blogs . Subscribe to bloggers in an RSS Reader who frequently write about subjects relevant to yours. By joining their conversations, you’re joining their community. Over time this can drive readers back to you. Use Twitter as another touch-point to reach and engage your demographic.

One of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your blog is to participate in conversations on other blogs .

Subscribe to bloggers in an RSS Reader who frequently write about subjects relevant to yours.

By joining their conversations, you’re joining their community. Over time this can drive readers back to you.

Use Twitter as another touch-point to reach and engage your demographic.

What the heck is Twitter? A microblogging social network with 5 million+ users. Updates (“tweets”) are 140 characters or less. Tweets can be sent and received via text (SMS).

An example of the 140-character limit:

Twitter Explained: Your consciousness, syndicated. An online, 24/7 cocktail party. Powerful in hyperlocal geographic pockets. Twitter users gather in real life – “ tweetups .” Great way to connect w/ local & nat’l media. Best focus group ever! Efficient communication.

Your consciousness, syndicated.

An online, 24/7 cocktail party.

Powerful in hyperlocal geographic pockets.

Twitter users gather in real life – “ tweetups .”

Great way to connect w/ local & nat’l media.

Best focus group ever!

Efficient communication.

Getting started on Twitter: Subscribe to relevant tweeps - other librarians on Twitter, students at Drake University. (Yes, it’s acceptable to “follow” someone on Twitter who you haven’t met yet.) Post often and be responsive . Answer questions. You get out of it what you put into it. To reference other users in your updates, use the @ symbol in front of their username. (Example: @hillabean) Mingle, don’t shout. Behave like you would at a networking event or cocktail party. This builds your social capital .

Subscribe to relevant tweeps - other librarians on Twitter, students at Drake University. (Yes, it’s acceptable to “follow” someone on Twitter who you haven’t met yet.)

Post often and be responsive . Answer questions. You get out of it what you put into it.

To reference other users in your updates, use the @ symbol in front of their username. (Example: @hillabean)

Mingle, don’t shout. Behave like you would at a networking event or cocktail party. This builds your social capital .

How libraries are using Twitter: Announcements / news: Special events, hours, exhibits, new resources, services and arrivals. Customer service. Networking with librarian colleagues across the world. One-to-one communication with individuals about requested materials. Public relations / marketing / brand-building. Opportunities to push readers back to blog content. Conversations w/ clients and patrons.

Announcements / news: Special events, hours, exhibits, new resources, services and arrivals.

Customer service.

Networking with librarian colleagues across the world.

One-to-one communication with individuals about requested materials.

Public relations / marketing / brand-building.

Opportunities to push readers back to blog content.

Conversations w/ clients and patrons.

Case Study: Nebraska Library Commission http://twitter.com/NLC_Reference NLC uses Twitter to keep track of (and answer) reference questions.

http://twitter.com/NLC_Reference

NLC uses Twitter to keep track of (and answer) reference questions.

Case Study: Waubonsee Community College Todd Library Incorporated Twitter into SIRSI Unicorn system – automatically tweets every hour when a book is checked out Automatically tweets how much paper was used in the electronic research area during the day http://twitter.com/wcctoddlibrary

Incorporated Twitter into SIRSI Unicorn system – automatically tweets every hour when a book is checked out

Automatically tweets how much paper was used in the electronic research area during the day

http://twitter.com/wcctoddlibrary

Case Study: Grand Rapids Public Library GRPL uses Twitter as a listening device – searching for the keywords GRPL , book , reading , Evergreen (name of their new catalog) http://twitter.com/grpl

GRPL uses Twitter as a listening device – searching for the keywords GRPL , book , reading , Evergreen (name of their new catalog)

http://twitter.com/grpl

Some amazing Library 2.0 resources: TheShiftedLibrarian.com (blog) OCLC 2007 Report: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World Arizona State University Libraries LibraryCrunch.com – for the Next Generation Library (blog) Library 2.0 – a social networking for librarians interested in social media and Web 2.0 technology. 3,700+ members. The Ubiquitous Librarian (blog)

TheShiftedLibrarian.com (blog)

OCLC 2007 Report: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World

Arizona State University Libraries

LibraryCrunch.com – for the Next Generation Library (blog)

Library 2.0 – a social networking for librarians interested in social media and Web 2.0 technology. 3,700+ members.

The Ubiquitous Librarian (blog)

twitter: @nathantwright twitter: @hillabean [email_address] [email_address] http://www.lavarow.com http://www.slideshare.net/nathantwright