Reaching out to students where they are is a critical part of our communication and outreach program, and our new assistant director for editorial, Ella Lathan, is expert at creatively using social media platforms to connect with our community. She and student worker Nika Svirinavichyus are really paying attention to our numbers too. I asked Ella to share with me how they were using this data to assess the effectiveness of our social media campaign.
Nancy: Tell us about the social media landscape here at TULUP (Temple University Libraries and University Press)? What are the platforms we post to?
Ella: We currently maintain an active presence on several popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), and we have recently launched a TikTok account. Our strategic approach involves leveraging a diverse range of social media channels to effectively disseminate information and engage with both students and professionals within our community.
Nancy: I know that you recently compiled the usage data from these. Can you tell us something about what you learned? What trends are you seeing? What is popular and what does not get so much attention?
Ella: The recent compilation of usage data from these platforms has provided valuable insights into emerging trends and audience preferences. One notable observation is the increasing popularity of video content, particularly on platforms like TikTok. The most successful posts on our social media accounts tend to be collaborative efforts with other Temple University accounts, such as @Templeuniv, @templedss, and @TUsustainability. Additionally, our audience demonstrates a strong affinity for digital archive photos, especially those featuring nostalgic or historically significant events, such as an eclipse that occurred in Philadelphia in the 1920s. Interestingly, posts featuring pets also garner significant engagement on our Instagram account. Conversely, posts promoting specific events tend to receive comparatively less attention, which is unfortunate given the potential interest in these workshops.
Nancy: What are the challenges in analyzing this data? For instance, is it difficult to collect, or hard to interpret?
Ella: Most social media platforms have extensive data tracking tools that track beyond likes and reposts! Facebook and Instagram offer multiple metrics, such as a posts’ reach and the amount of clicks from the post to our profile. Our main challenge in analyzing this data is understanding the algorithm and our followers. Posts are promoted in an algorithm depending on the time of the post, and other factors. It can be tricky to understand how the algorithm works and ensure our posts have reach. We wish there was more information on what our followers enjoy as well, to make sure we are providing relevant and helpful information for followers.
Nancy: This is such an ever-changing space. How do you keep up with what’s going on, and most importantly, where students are in the space and how we can be most effective in connecting with them there?
Ella: In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying abreast of the latest developments and trends is crucial. We diligently monitor the platforms where our students are most active and strive to establish an effective presence there. Collaborating with other Temple University accounts has proven to be an effective strategy for expanding our reach and connecting with students.
Furthermore, we continuously research and analyze the interests and preferences of our target audience, as well as the content strategies employed by other successful accounts, to inform and refine our approach.
Nancy: It’s a challenge, particularly as our target audience is bombarded with so much information, as well as very cute puppy pictures. Thanks very much for these insights, and for all the work that you and Nika do to make sure students are aware of our resources, wherever they are.
