For previous posts on Using Social Media in Your Library see this directory.
You’ve now gone through the steps of making your social media a reality, but you aren’t quite done. To make sure your social media is as effective, you will periodically need to engage in evaluation. How often you do so depends on your particular needs, but it’s best to do so at least once a year. There are many ways to do so, depending on the type of platform you chose, but a few approaches will work across the board.
The first and most important is to listen to your followers. Check both their expressed wishes (complaints about the site, requests for certain features, etc.) and the information you can gain from their interactions. If a particular type of post is garnering more comments than others, consider why that is and try to implement that information into your other posts. You can even go so far as to creating a small survey to evaluate the media. Ask followers what they like and dislike and for suggestions. It never hurts to give a voice to those you are trying to reach.
Review the the cost versus the return. Consider how much money, time, and effort you are putting into the media and whether the results are worth it. For example, if you are paying a great deal to host your own blog, but that blog is receiving very few hits, it might be time to consider migrating to a free site until your follower count is up. Social media is a wonderful addition to your organization, but only if you are receiving positive results from your output.
Review your social media policy to make sure it still fits in with your organizations goals and community needs. The needs of communities and the libraries that serve them are fluid; the social media policy should reflect that. After the policy has been reviewed, the type and frequency of the posts you are making should also be assessed in regards to the policy.
After the review and evaluation has been conducted, you can make any necessary changes in your media and plan. This will give you the best opportunity to ensure your social media is as possible until the next evaluation.
This concludes this series on Using Social Media in Your Library. Thank you for following along!
