Expand your Library’s Online & Mobile Presence Using Twitter Cheryl Burnette Webmaster Homewood Public Library twitter.com/ weknowbooksETC www.homewood.lib.al.us [email protected] s How to
May 16, 2015
Expand your Library’s Online & Mobile Presence Using Twitter
Cheryl BurnetteWebmasterHomewood Public Librarytwitter.com/[email protected]
How to
Twitter basics• Twitter was launched July 2006• Uses Ruby on Rails framework -
In 2009 began gradually replacing with Scala• A microblogging service• Must type 140 characters or less to update
your status• Find followers & follow others• A real-time mobile broadcast medium• Free!
Create Your Account• Carefully consider your Twitter user name –
branding• Customize your Twitter webpage• Set up your cell phone to tweet? It is FREE, but
standard text messaging charges may apply.
• HootSuite 2.0 – web app – Multi-column view – customizable – drag & drop– Create groups with users or topics – drag & drop users– Search using keywords & save as a column– Embed these groups/columns into websites or blogs– Track statistics – summary & individual tweet graphs– URL shortener– Auto refresh– Feed your blog RSS (or any) to Twitter with HootSuite– Schedule tweets– View user info through a pop-up window – Manage multiple accounts & manage multiple users– Ping.fm integration, but has no photo sharing
Manage Twitter using 3rd party clients/apps
• TweetDeck – sync desktop & iPhone apps, update Facebook, share photos & videos
• Twhirl – desktop app – supports multiple accounts, post to Friendfeed
• Seesmic – desktop, iPhone & web apps – post to Facebook
• TwitterFox – Firefox extension – simple; get nofications & has text box for tweeting
• Power Twitter – Firefox add-on – has inline YouTube, Flickr & TwitPic, photo uploading, update Facebook
• Sobees – new social aggregator – needs a late model computer with good graphic capabilities and a fast processor, also requires .NET 3.5 SP1
3rd party clients/apps to manage TwitterMore
• Bit.ly – web app – URL shortener, share & track links• Nambu – Mac app – URL shortener, track stats• Twitpic – web app – quickly shares photos• Twitter Facebook app – Note: only works with personal
profiles NOT fan pages!
Misc. apps for easier updating
• TweetStats – detailed report – daily, hourly & more
• Twitter Grader – calculate Twitter ranking
Apps that track & calculate
Monitize app (Helpful or harmful for libraries?)
• Twitpay – powered by Paypal. Update your status to pay somebody: @WeKnowBooksETC twitpay $5 for donation
• TweetDeck – iPhone, Touch• Tweetie – iPhone $2.99• Twitterific – iPhone• TwitterBerry – Blackberry• UberTwitter – Blackberry – has location sharing• Dabr - open source mobile twitter website• TwittAround – new – iPhone – uses GPS, compass and
camera to show where Tweets are coming from; not available in the App Store yet
Using mobile/phone apps to manage Twitter
• Twitter Search – real-time targeted search– Ex #1: Use Advanced Search – type in library, near
Birmingham AL within 25 mi., click Search & be amazed. You’re looking at real-time tweets. See anything you can help with?
– Ex #2: Say you have a yoga class at your lib that could use more participants. Search for yoga, near Birmingham AL within 25 mi. & send them an @ tweet with some details. “Reaching out in this way with a perfectly targeted local search is invaluable.” ~David Allen Kelly
• WeFollow – directory of Twitter users organized by interests
• Twellow – search directory of people • Twibes – followers and Twitter groups
How to find tweeps to follow
How to be followed (hint: have quality tweets)
• Be a human, be real so patrons can connect on a human level – do more than promote your lib & feed your blog & Flickr RSS feeds to Twitter
• Write creatively –
• Promote materials relevant to current news & events such as the Academy Awards, national book awards, football, Iran, Nascar, etc. – add catalog link
• Send a quick photo via Twitpic – easily done from a cell phone (you know what they say a picture is worth)
• Gather feedback – solicit suggestions & opinions for improvements (be ready to respond)
Hints on how to be followed• Run fun promotions! Give something away, play a trivia game,
waive a fine (yeah, that’s right)--maybe send out a password
• Tweet at cons & live events, ex: training cons, book sales, Summer Reading programs, authors’ roundtables
• Tweet library news, good & bad; be honest. Tweeps will respect you or at least be able to tell your side of the story.
• Tweet how many visits your lib had last month or how many books were checked out. It’s OK to toot your horn sometimes.
• Do not auto follow or auto thank you
• Try new stuff – start a Twitter Book Club, tweet a book of the day, celebrate authors’ birthdays, etc.
• Engage Tweeps by focusing more on them & if they’re not already patrons, maybe they soon will be
More
• HootSuite – Feed your blog RSS & Flickr RSS (any RSS feed) to Twitter - track stats
• Twitterfeed – Feed your RSS feeds to Twitter• Twitter widgets – place on blogs to show live
twitter updates
• ReTweet Button (Tweetmeme) – encourages readers to tweet your content – live count of the number of times your blog post has been tweeted. How to put the button on Blogger
How Twitter & blogs work together
• @ – use when replying or speaking to a specific user, ex: @gardendalelib
• RT – Retweet – to repeat something posted by another user to give credit to the original poster. Remember to send a thank you for a RT, ex: RT @GovernorRiley
• DM – direct message which only you will see• # – a hashtag is used to create groupings on
twitter, ex: #followfriday, #alla, #alwx, #Homewood
Tweet vocab
• It's quick, easy, free, creates community, expands the reach of the library, makes the library more accessible, & is great for public relations. Statistics confirm that a library's strong online presence is imperative as we continue to move forward in this increasingly digital world. ~Lindy Brown
• In 2007, the OCLC (De Rosa, et al.) published an informative report that showed Internet, email, & blog use up, but unfortunately, library website use was down. ~OCLC
• Twitter users are a mobile bunch & are more likely to use wireless technology, laptops, handhelds & Smartphones for Internet access.
• Twitter users are more likely to consume news & information on mobile devices.
• FYI: Average Twitter user is age 31. ~Pew Internet
Why libraries should embrace Twitter?