Refresh Your Library Social Media Content with These Five Ideas

Every organization hits a creative rut with social media from time to time. It’s impossible to always have fresh and creative content to post as often as we’d like, and that’s when social media marketing falls to the back burner. Sometimes all you need is a brainstorm to give you a creative jolt and get the ideas flowing. That’s what I’m here for! No, I can’t create original social media posts for you on a weekly basis, but I CAN pull ideas from the wonderful world of the Internet and suggest you give them a try! For example, I found some great inspiration for this blog post here and here. Read through the following five content ideas to get started and wait for inspiration to strike. Your next great library social media post is right around the corner, I can feel it.

1. Engagement Boosting Posts

We often forget about the “social” part of social media, so make sure you get your patrons involved. It’s all about the interactions and connections with your community. Ask a question like “What library program can you not live without?” or take a poll to find out what resources patrons use more. These can be informational and engaging, people will enjoy participating and you’ll find out more about their needs from your library. If you want to keep it lighter and more entertaining, try holding a contest for fun giveaways or a chance to be reposted, create a silly mad libs for patrons to comment and fill in the blanks, or pose a “this or that” type of graphic. It’s always great to mix it up between serious and silly for content and it keeps followers on their toes.

2. Favorites

This one is pretty straight forward: share some favorites! Favorite book, favorite quote, favorite tool or software, favorite restaurant in your town, etc. The sky is the limit! Let your followers know what you love, maybe ask them to chime in with their favorites. Collect different staff members or librarians’ favorites on the same topic and post them all for a list of favorites. You get the point.

3. Personal

We’ve written about it in many previous blog posts but the content that resonates with followers the most is usually the personal stuff. Share relatable stories, feature a “getting to know the staff” post with fun facts about each staff member, create a behind the scenes video or photo that gives a peek into events or processes in the library. You can even share challenges that the library faces. For example, many local animal shelters will post the adorable puppy and kitten photos looking for families to adopt these little furballs, but they’ll also share when they’re struggling to adopt certain pets or are low on food and resources. Not every post has to be a positive ray of sunshine, and it’s ok to share real struggles. Just make sure to be authentic and know when to create a balance in content between the positive and the negative.

4. Informational

When you have a following with similar interests, sharing information on niche topics is another great option for regular posts. Sharing an article that’s relevant, an infographic, or jumping in on trending topics that resonate with the library world will keep the information current and flowing. This doesn’t just apply to outside news, but your own library’s news as well. Share updates on hours, staff members, programs and self-promote any blogs that your library has published. If you’ve noticed you’re getting a lot of the same inquiries through your website or social media, try doing an FAQ post. Social media is great for informing patrons just as much as entertaining them.

5. Shout Out

Nothing emphasizes community like a good ole fashioned shout out! Thank your patrons by featuring their posts that they’ve tagged you in. Shine the light on your most engaged patron or the patron who uses a certain service or resource the most. Look outward into your surrounding local businesses or brands in the area. Give a shout out to your favorite sandwich shop or a great park nearby to take a walk in. Not every post needs to be advertising another organization, but every once in a while, it’s nice to sprinkle in a shout-out to strengthen community ties.