Libraries often struggle to provide consistent, captivating content for our social media platforms. Learn how to draw in new followers and keep them engaged! This presentation will cover marketing strategies, sample ideas, paid ads and more!

1. Bookface & Beyond
Creating Engaging Content
for Social Media
Nick Tanzi, Assistant Director of Technology
Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library
Sara Roye, Public Relations Specialist
Mastic-Moriches-Shirley Community Library

2. -Anonymous
Designing on Facebook is like building
your home at the base of a volcano.

3. Why are we on social
media?
3
▪ To connect with our
patrons
▪ To build & maintain a
positive image
▪ To share information
about programs &
services.

4. Direct Paths Don’t Work!
4
Expectation:
We post about
our programs
& events
Patron sees
our post in
newsfeed
Patron
registers/uses
service

5. 5

6. 6

7. Reality
7
▪ Facebook’s algorithm favors posts that users want
to see
▪ It determines this, in part, by measuring their
engagement with the poster
▫ Likes
▫ Comments
▫ Shares
▪ “Sign up for this program” style posts
▫ are generally low engagement
▫ equate to “hard selling”

8. 8
Reality:
Post
engaging
content
Patron
interacts
with post
Facebook
attributes value
to these
interactions
Increased
visibility of your
page's posts in
patron feed

9. What is Engaging
Content?
10

10. 11
Created ContentOriginal content that you produce
and lives on your platform
Curated ContentRelevant information that you have gathered
and shared from another source
VS.

11. Created
Content
The stuff you make
12

12. #bookface
13

13. 14

14. 15

15. …but wait,
there’s more!
16

16. 17

17. Local History
▪ Why is this created content?
■ Tell an interesting story
■ Tie-in to event, program or theme
▪ #WBW #TBT #FlashbackFriday
▪ Everyone enjoys nostalgia
▪ Feature your library’s story
18

18. 19

19. 21

20. 22

21. 23

22. 24

23. 25

24. Videos
26
▪ A Facebook video receives, on average,
135% more organic reach than a photo
(Socialbakers, 2015)
▪ Facebook’s Newsfeed algorithm places a
lot of weight on videos
(SEO.com, 2016)
▪ Social video generates 1200% more shares
than text and images combined
(wordstream.com, 2018)

25. 27

26. 28

27. 29
Organic Reach
▪ The # of people who saw your unpaid post
▪ also called “EARNED” engagement
Paid Reach
▪ boost posts (no substitute for quality
content)
VS.

28. Segmenting
Your Audience…
30
▪ is using one or more demographic trait to
identify your target customer
▪ is about knowing your audience
▪ gets you the most from your advertising dollar

29. 31

30. 32

31. 33

32. 34
ORGANIC
REACH
PAID
REACH

33. 35

34. 36

35. As Inspiration
37

36. 38

37. 39

38. 40

39. 41

40. 42
#fursday

41. Show What You Do
43

42. 44

43. 45

44. 46

45. 47

46. Curated
Content
▪ The stuff you find
▪ It takes time to research & prepare these posts
48

47. Memes
& Comics
49

48. 50

49. Values-
driven
Content
51

50. 52

51. 53
Dynamic
Captions

52. Recap:
Engaging Content is Key
54
▪ Offer balance of created & curated content
▪ Make the most of your ad dollars
▫ by boosting best posts to segmented audiences
▪ Develop dynamic captions
▪ Be positive & upbeat
▪ Close the gap in the comments

53. THANK YOU!
Any questions?
55
Nick Tanzi, Assistant Director of Technology
Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library
Sara Roye, Public Relations Specialist
Mastic-Moriches-Shirley Community Library