I found this article on Pew Research, concerning the demographics of social media users and I started to think of how these demographics could play a role for libraries using social media. Another article from a blog gave some advice on which businesses should use which social media platforms. Although a library is not necessarily a business, I think this article still offers good advice for libraries searching for a start into using social media.

• Facebook – This is still the most popular social media tool with users ranging from 18-65 years old. Asking questions can create discussion and promoting events accompanied by a picture will keep their followers aware. There is an ‘About’ tab at the top of the page where libraries can write a quick blurb about who they are, their services, and hours. There is also an ‘Events’ tab that people can browse through which events their library will be hosting.
• Twitter – The most frequent users are under 50 years old and college-educated. Wishpond mentions that Twitter is about “in-the-moment developments” and I would have to agree with that. A person only has 140 characters to convey their message. A library could quickly tweet their hours for the day, an event that will be taking place, a quick sentence with a link to a blog post. A person could also take a look at the ‘Trending Hashtags’ and participate. Retweeting and responding to other Twitter users is also a great way to remain engaged to their audience.
• Instagram – This seems to  be the most popular tool for 18-29 year olds. Many undergraduates and graduate students entering college might turn to Instagram as a way to learn more about their campus. Photographing something eye-catching with a caption explaining the picture will get the library on an Instagram user’s radar. The use of hashtags can also play a role, causing it to appear in their ‘Search’ tab. Instagram has also started to tailor this tab based on the people you follow.

I think exploring these three options could be a good idea for any library. Facebook can provide a sufficient amount of information while posting, Twitter can give out quick facts, and Instagram provides a visual aspect. Libraries can start off with one social media and explore which one would best suit their needs and audience.

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References:

“Demographics of Key Social Networking Platforms” by Maeve Duggan, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda Lenhart, and Mary Madden. Pew Research Center. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/frequency-of-social-media-use-2/

“Social Media Marketing: Which Platform is Right for your Business” Wishpond. http://blog.wishpond.com/post/72672192941/social-media-marketing-which-platform-is-right-for