Social media is a great tool for reaching members of your community who might not visit the library. But it can be tricky to find the time to create and schedule posts or keep up with ever-changing algorithms and best practices of social promotion. NoveList is here to help!
No matter the day or the circumstances, we all have tasks we’d like to make more efficient. LibraryAware can lighten your workload and improve your workflow, regardless of the size of your staff. One easy way to save time and efficiency is to schedule everything (or as much as you can) in advance.
Make a list of social posts you know you’ll need
Do you have a calendar of holidays and staff days when your library will be closed? LibraryAware makes it easy to create graphics you can post on social media about Thanksgiving, staff days, Canada Day, etc. Search “closed” and limit by “widgets” under formats to see all the options, or simply search for a specific holiday to narrow down your choices. Use the preview links under the template thumbnails to see what social media channels each widget size is good for. Tip: the 1:1 aspect ratio works great for most platforms.
In addition to library closings, you’ve got *lots* of library services you know you want to promote right now: digital magazines, e-books, storytimes, language learning, genealogy, resume help, homework help, and more. Add those to your list!
Find your widgets
You know best what you need to promote. All you have to do is enter keywords related to the topic, audience, or design elements you are looking for. Be sure to limit by “widgets” under format for a quick, easy way to find the template you need. Tip: Check out Cheat Sheet: Find the Right Template with Keywords.
Schedule all those posts
Start with one post and get it scheduled for as many times as you feel you need on each different social channel you’re using. For example, perhaps you post your Canada Day sign once per week on Facebook and once per day on Twitter for a month before the day(s) you’re closed. You’ve got storytime happening every Thursday, so schedule those to go out every Wednesday. Schedule all those posts for the remainder of the year, all at once. Then make a note to spend time the first week of January scheduling posts for holidays and recurring events for the year in one fell swoop (or as far out as you can manage). We’ve got instructions on scheduling social posts on our help pages to walk you through how to do this.
Schedule some check-ins
If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that change happens and happens fast. Setting aside time to review or audit your upcoming posts before they go live is a smart idea. In LibraryAware, you can take down a scheduled post by going to Reports/Folders Schedule and selecting Delete Post.
A regularly scheduled audit is also an excellent time to pause and think, “How else are we serving the needs of our community, and what more can I do to get the word out?” Whatever the answer to that question, LibraryAware has got your back.
Freshen up those social media skills
Maybe you’re brand new to social media. Maybe your skills need a refresh. Learn with NoveList can help you get where you want to be with your confidence and skill set. Check out the Conquering Social Media: A Strategy for Libraries course. You’ll learn how to match your promotional goals with the available audience on each of the social media platforms. This course is designed to teach you how to determine which kind of content works best on the platforms and how to find the latest information on best practices for ever-changing social media algorithms.
Molly Wyand is a Communications Specialist at NoveList. She is currently reading Bad Sex by Nona Willis-Aronowitz.
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