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Fishing in a Barrel: Facebook as an Outreach and Marketing Tool for Academic Libraries

Fishing in a Barrel: Facebook as an Outreach and Marketing Tool for Academic Libraries. Shannon Kealey Reference Associate Coles Science Center NYU Bobst Library. OR…. Fishing in a Barrel with a Knot in the Line:.

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Fishing in a Barrel: Facebook as an Outreach and Marketing Tool for Academic Libraries

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  1. Fishing in a Barrel:Facebook as an Outreach and Marketing Tool for Academic Libraries Shannon Kealey Reference Associate Coles Science Center NYU Bobst Library

  2. OR… Fishing in a Barrel with a Knot in the Line: Using Facebook for Outreach and Marketing Despite Increasingly Strict “Anti-Spam” Policies

  3. What Is Facebook? • Social networking web site for anyone whose institution has a network—began for college students • You are only able to view the profiles of others within your network • When you create a Facebook account, your email address (in my case, shannon.kealey@nyu.edu) determines your network (or barrel!)

  4. The Project: 1) Created a Profile

  5. 2)Sent messages to 1,688 NYU students who claim science concentrations on their Facebook profiles

  6. 3) Created a “Group” and invited students to join

  7. 4) Created “Events” to advertise speakers, etc.

  8. 5) Created “Flyer” that links to “Event”

  9. Limitations of the Project • Until you establish a “Group” there is no way to mass email students in your network • Workarounds: • Use reasonably priced Facebook “Flyers” • Facebook actively discourages Spam (such as my message campaign) • Workarounds: • Rotate between several versions of your introductory message • Send a message every 20 minutes or so rather than one immediately after another (a campaign like mine is practially impossible now)

  10. Data Tracked • Name, class year, concentration(s), and gender of each student contacted (1,688 total students) • Communication received by students • Positive replies to initial message with and without reference questions (76 students) • Negative replies to initial message(1 student) • Requests for appointments (2 students) • Students who added me as a friend (30 students) • Students who joined the “Coles Science Center Group” (76 students) • Total Positive Response: 121 students

  11. Analysis of Data • Overall positive response rate • 121/1688= 7.17% • Highest positive response rates by • Concentration • Class year

  12. Positive Response by Concentration

  13. Positive Response by Class Year

  14. Conclusions • Students entering their sophomore year were most responsive to outreach (44% of respondents) • Students entering their freshman year were second-most responsive (28% of respondents) • Pre-Med students were most responsive to outreach (27% of respondents) • Very few students were irritated by my presence on Facebook (1 respondent)

  15. Since the Initial Outreach… • Promote presence on FB to students in BI classes (1 in 10 adds me as a friend or asks a question through FB) • Promote to students on IM reference (1 in 5 adds me as a friend) • Two out of 30 attendees at a Coles Science Center speaker event learned of the event through advertising on Facebook (Flyer & Event).

  16. Plans for Continued Use of FB • Advertise presence on FB to students during BI and IM reference sessions • Conduct message campaign to incoming freshmen in Aug 2007 • Continue to use Events and Flyers to market library events to students

  17. Questions to Consider • Would outreach have been more successful during the school year? • Will students continue to contact me through Facebook when they have questions? • So far, this has only happened on three occasions

  18. FACEBOOK ME!!! Shannon Kealey Reference Associate Coles Science Center NYU Bobst Library Shannon.Kealey@nyu.edu

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