One obvious way to publicize library services to students, administrators and parents is to use some sort of social media vehicles.

But as Vancouver librarian Cecily Walker asks in her blog post, Social Media Strategies for Libraries, do you just develop a plan on the fly, or think through things before you dive in?  As we move into establishing social media presences, even if we’ve already dived in, it’s a good idea to reevaluate and coordinate your efforts.  And if you are about to dive in…she has some excellent tips.

In her blog post, she suggests some key questions to think about as you develop a social media presence for your library program.(or your whole school for that matter).

Most importantly she asks:  

“Who are you? There’s a concept in the business world called the “elevator pitch” in which you have to pitch your idea or brand in the time it takes to go from one floor to another in an elevator. When thinking of social media, you’ll need to be able to give your pitch in 140 characters or less.”

It’s key that you know what your library program is all about, so that you can carry that purpose into all your online communication efforts.

Walker suggests we also need to know:

What’s your point?
What does your audience think of you?
What face will you present to the public?
How will you measure success?

I think perhaps the two hardest elements to get a fix on are really what your audience thinks of you, and how you measure success.  It seems the two are interrelated–because success is really defined by your audience’s response to what you do.

When I did paper newsletters for teachers many moons ago, I would include a trivia question that would require an “in person” response–it was a great way for me to gauge whether or not the teachers were actually reading the newsletters.

Thinking about how companies I like use Twitter or Facebook, I am pondering tweeting out some sort of “coupon” for the library.  One of my favorite local eateries, Tiff’s Treats, twitters out a discount for ordering their fresh baked cookies.   It’s a clever idea that libraries could adopt(not the cookies, but some incentive we could measure).

Recently, I saw a story about museums/libraries using Foursquare on Twitter to have users “check in” and rewarding “mayors” with some sort of points.    The point is, how can we leverage the power of the network itself to garner responses to gauge whether or not the social network is reaching your desired audience for its desired purpose(all of which speaks to Walker’s point about knowing your desired purpose for using a particular tool).

If you are using Facebook or Twitter in your library, or are thinking about it, what are some ways you’ve gauged your responses?   How well have they worked?