Social Media for Outreach

A M A N D A C L AY P O W E R S , M S U
L I B R A R I E S
J U N E 5 , 2 0 1 3

MSU Libraries
Follow Us @msu_libraries
http://library.blogs.delaware.gov/2010/12/03/social-media-best-of-list/

MSU Libraries

MSU Libraries
FACEBOOK – WHO, WHEN?
 1.11 billion users, including 751 million mobile users, 665 million daily
active users, 50 million “Pages”
 60% Male Vs. 40% Female
 Largest user age group: 18 to 25 (29%)
 Avg. time (minutes) per user per visit: 20
Source: mediabistro.com; socialcaffeine.com; investor.fb.com

MSU Libraries
FACEBOOK PAGE TYPES
Profiles
o For individuals
o Only one page per individual
Groups
o Private/invitation-only/open options
o For discussion and community-building
Pages (fan-pages)
o For organizations, businesses, and institutions
o “Like” or “Subscribe” to your page
o Multiple administrators/managers
o An interactive website / “yellow pages”

MSU Libraries
Make sure
this is
checked
while you
are
setting
the page
up

MSU Libraries
Add multiple
administrators
for more ideas /
help / interest.

MSU Libraries
FACEBOOK – ENGAGEMENT
Build audience
o Invite your contacts (from multiple sources) to “like”
your page
o Market to build an audience (website, twitter, etc.)
Interacting with “Likers”
o Private messages: Can only reply to messages
sent to your page, cannot initiate a private
message
o Posting/Commenting/Liking
o Pictures are the most popular

MSU Libraries
Recent
activity
on your
page

# of times shared on other pages
# of people who had the post on
their screen
Click to see your followers.

Use this sort to
evaluate the
types of posts
that are most
popular.

MSU Libraries
FACEBOOK PAGE BEST PRACTICES
Pin important posts to the top of your Page
Be casual and conversational
Use images
Post consistently
Source: http://www.davidleeking.com/2012/10/16/facebook-page-best-practices

MSU Libraries
TWITTER – WHO, WHEN?
 200 million monthly active users; 500 million registered, 60% mobile
 Majority of users are ages 18 to 44
 Avg. time (minutes) per user per month: 170
Source: Zintro; go-gulf.com; thesocialskinny.com; mediabistro.com; socialcaffeine.com

MSU Libraries
TWITTER – WHAT IS IT?
Real-time micro-blogging tool
Tweet = Short-to-the-point updates (140 characters)
Handle = Your username (@amandaclay)
Feed = tweets from people you follow that show up on
your home page
Direct Mention (DM) = private message between accounts
that follow each other
Mentions = @mentions: mention a particular user in your
tweet using the “@” followed by the username
Retweet (RT) = Attribution (MT = Modified Tweet; HT =
Hat Tip (credit for the idea/link); Via = retweet)

MSU Libraries
SIGN UP, SIGN IN, GET IN THE CONVERSATION

MSU Libraries
SEARCH & ADVANCED SEARCH
• Search
• Follow hashtags
• Find individuals,
general topics, etc.
• Advanced Search
• Proximity searching
• Boolean searching
• Use operators in
normal search once
created:
• library OR librarian
OR Mitchell OR chat
near:"39762"
within:15mi
• Hashtag (#) Magic
• Conferences (#ALA13
or #IL2012),
• Topics (#HAILSTATE),
• Events (#debates),
• World-wide news
(#syria, #olympics)
• Current trends (
• TV / movies / video
game reviews &
conversations

MSU Libraries
TWITTER BEST PRACTICES
 Engage – respond in a timely manner
 Follow first!
 Find your community
 Take advantage of search.twitter.com
 Mine related accounts for followers
 Retweet others for reciprocation (@msu_libraries, @msstate)
 Use hashtags and @ to enter conversation (#FollowFriday, #FF,
#MaroonFriday, etc.)
 Be valuable!
 BE PATIENT!!!

MSU Libraries
7 TIPS FOR BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE
1. Be reliable. Post regularly. Respond quickly.
2. Make sure people know how to find you – put your Twitter handle or
FB ID on all your virtual and print materials.
3. Success isn’t necessarily about numbers—it’s about engagement.
Think quality, not quantity to begin. Quantity follows.
4. Use URL shorteners to track “clicks”
5. Use Facebook Insights and Twitter tools to track engagement
6. Compare stats and content to uncover your audience’s interests
7. Develop a “personality” – make choices about who you are and what
your goals are for the venue. Your Twitter account will likely not
have the same “identity” as your Facebook accout.

MSU Libraries
5 IDEAS FOR MANAGING SOCIAL MEDIA WORK
1. In general, the more voices contributing, the more likely you will
reach your audience.
2. Build a team with a common purpose. Establish a mission and get
consensus. Social media shouldn’t be lonely work.
3. Trust your employees/colleagues to post responsibly.
4. No one can be made to “do” social media—empower the people that
want to do it.
5. Have fun and celebrate successes!

MSU Libraries
TOP TEN GUIDELINES FOR ADMINISTRATORS
1. You are your employer on the web—all the same standards apply
online as they do in person.
2. Remember your audience—post to them, not to yourself.
3. Be friendly, informal, accessible, but still professional.
4. If you are in doubt, don’t post it. Think twice, post once.
5. Stay away from posts related to politics or legal issues
6. Be accurate and add value—always. You are the University!
7. Do not post confidential information. Remember FERPA.
8. If conflict happens, respond immediately to diffuse it. Best practice
is to solve it publicly, and not suppress it, if possible.
9. Don’t promote commercial establishments. Delete commercial
posts.
10. Cite and link to sources. Attribution is critical.

MSU Libraries
QUESTIONS?
Amanda Clay Powers
Associate Professor
Social Media / Extension / Agriculture
Mississippi State University Libraries
apowers@library.msstate.edu
@amandaclay
@msu_libraries

Social Media for Outreach

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