Marketing and Advocacy
Marketing and Advocacy for Libraries
- General Marketing for Libraries Guide
- A Library Marketing Manifesto by Ned Potter
- Library Advocacy Now! A Training Program For Public Library Staff and Trustees
Webinar Documents
- Introduction to Social Media and Facebook Basics
- Going Further with Social Media: Twitter and Instagram for Libraries
- 4 Simple Ways to Beef Up Your Library Marketing
LibraryAware
Library Marketing Resources
Peace Library System Regional Marketing Campaign
Click here to see current and past regional marketing campaigns.
Social Media Platforms
Facebook and other social media platforms are third-party platforms. Peace Library System staff do not have back-end access to any library Facebook pages, and we do not store account logins or passwords. These pages are the responsibility of the local library to maintain and update.
We have limited capacity to troubleshoot and problem solve when library staff run into issues with the Facebook platform. We will, however, direct library staff to help documentation where necessary, and we have some tips and advice that library staff may find useful.
When considering what social media platforms to use to promote your library, consider:
Facebook is the best social media platform for connecting with your community. Twitter is used to share real-time information and trending news, and Instagram is a visual medium, used for photos and videos.
Facebook also has a larger audience of various age ranges, while Twitter's audience is largely between the ages of 18-29, and Instagram’s audience also skews younger.
More people use Facebook than any other social media platform in Canada by a significant margin. As of 2019, 77% of Canadians have a Facebook account, while 35% have an Instagram account and 26% have a Twitter account.
Therefore, if you only have limited time to devote to promoting your library on social media, you should focus on Facebook first.
Facebook is a social networking website and mobile app where users can post comments, share photographs and links to news articles and websites. You can private message and stream live video. Shared content can be made publically accessible or it can be restricted using privacy settings.
As of January 2018, Facebook has over 2 billion active monthly users which is split almost 50/50 between males and females. 87% of online users between the ages of 18 and 29 are on Facebook. over 50% of online seniors (over the age of 65) are on Facebook.
- Facebook Tips for PLS Libraries
- Getting Started with Facebook
- How to Use Facebook Course
- Facebook for Libraries
- How to Create a Quick and Appealing Post
- Facebook for Libraries
- Facebook Live & Libraries (Webinar)
- 15 Ways to Improve Your Library's Facebook Page (Webinar)
Learn about Facebook from Lynda.com:
Twitter is an online news, microblog and social media website and mobile app where people communicate in short messages called "tweets" of no more than 280 characters (previously 140 characters). Users can include images and gifs with their tweets. Tweets normally include relevant hashtags making it easy to sort through content. Users will follow other users accounts to see their tweets on their newsfeed.
As of January 2018, Twitter has 330 million active monthly users with almost 40% being between the ages of 18 and 29 and 25% being between the ages of 30 and 49.
- Getting Started with Twitter
- 10 Golden Rules to Take Your Library's Twitter Account to the Next Level
- How Your Library May Not Be Using Twitter But Should
Learn about Twitter from Lynda.com:
Instagram is a free, online, photo-sharing application and social network platform owned by Facebook. Instagram allows users to edit and upload photos and short videos using the mobile app. Users can add a caption, hashtags and a geotag to their posts. Posts appear on their followers' Instagram feeds for viewing.
As of December 2017, Instagram had 800 million active monthly users with about two thirds of them being female.
- Getting Started with Instagram
- 20 Ways to Make People Fall in Love With Your Instagram: A Guide for Libraries and Other Cultural Institutions
Learn about Instagram from Lynda.com:
Pinterest is a social media website and mobile app that allows users to organize and share images and videos from around the Web. Images uploaded by users are called Pins and may be organized into pinboards, which may be customized, themed and followed by other users. Users can also like or repin content shared by other pinners. Much like Twitter, any pinner can follow another.
As of January 2018, Pinterest has 175 million active monthly users with most users being female. Millennials user Pinterest as much as Instagram and the majority of active "pinners" are below the age of 40.
Learn about Pinterest from Lynda.com:
Snapchat
A mobile messaging service from Snap Inc. that sends a photo or video to someone that lasts only up to 10 seconds before it disappears. During that time, the recipient can take a screen shot, and the sender is notified that it was taken. It is well known for its picture filters and lenses.
As of February 2018, Snapchat has 187 million active daily users with its main demographic consisting of millennials.
- Snapchat in the Library: Librarians master an app to reach millennials
- Libraries on Snapchat: A Directory
- Using Snapchat to Engage Teens at the Library
- How To Use Snapchat for Reader's Advisory
Learn about Snapchat from Lynda.com: